In bid to recapture phone market, HTC puts focus on 'U'

With much of the tech world recalling the iPhone's original announcement earlier this week, it's easy to forget how much the smartphone market has changed in the decade since Apple's hit phone was announced. As with BlackBerry and Palm, HTC was one of the early innovators in the space that has watched its standing fall in recent years to Apple's product.

In a bid to recapture some of the lost glory, the company on Thursday announced a new smartphone it claims is specifically focused on the user, the HTC U Ultra.

Featuring a new "Sense Companion," HTC's own digital assistant to rival Google Assistant, the company is placing an emphasis on providing information before you need it as a way to stand out. If snow is in the forecast, for example, the phone will alert you to dress warmly or leave a little earlier. It also can recommend a restaurant and then book a reservation.

In addition to the new software feature, the U Ultra brings a redesigned glass styling, a shift from the aluminum design HTC has previously relied upon. The new look is similar in appearance to Samsung's recent line of Galaxies, though it lacks the Galaxy S7's water resistance. The front of the device packs a high-resolution 5.7-inch main display with a secondary 2-inch screen above it for a "dual display" that can quickly toggle settings, favorite apps or contacts as well as giving a glimpse of notifications.

Rival LG has offered a similar "dual display" for its V20 phone, though the feature has struggled to catch on as more than a gimmick. It remains to be seen if HTC's offering can change that.

Sadly as with other recent phones, HTC has decided to drop the headphone jack on the U Ultra, instead having users use the USB-C port or Bluetooth to for their headphones.

A revamped 12-megapixel camera, designed with an emphasis on better low-light photography, sits on the back while a 16-megapixel shooter on the front can be used for selfies and video chats. Android  7.0 "Nougat," last year's speedy Qualcomm 821 processor and 64 GB of storage (which you can increase through a microSD card) round out the specs.

While it certainly packs a lot, at $749 unlocked the phone will not be cheap when it hits the U.S. in March.

Follow Eli Blumenthal on Twitter @eliblumenthal.