Mobile operators would be required to inform customers when their minimum contract term is close to concluding under proposed rules from Ofcom.
Under existing regulations, providers of mobile, broadband, landline and television services are under no such obligation. This means that consumers whose introductory offer has expired or who can get a cheaper deal elsewhere after paying off a handset might be unaware of their options.
Ofcom estimates there are more than 20 million communications customers outside of their minimum term and 10 million whose deals will become automatically more expensive thereafter.
Out of contract
The proposals would mean customers get a notification via their medium of choice – SMS, letter or email – between 40 and 70 days before their contract expires.
“We’re concerned many people are paying more than they need to – particularly those who are out of contract,” said Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom Consumer Group Director.
“Customers have told us they want to be alerted when their phone, TV or broadband contract is coming to an end, and get advice on their options. Under our plans, providers would have to do exactly that.”
To appeal to consumers concerned about paying too much for their mobile contract, a number of operators offer ‘flexi’ tariffs that separate the cost of the handset from the airtime. Once the handset portion has been paid off, customers only pay for the airtime component.
However research published by uSwitch earlier this month suggested that these tariffs were still more expensive than a comparable SIM-Only deal. uSwitch said that Ofcom’s proposals on minimum term notifications “couldn’t come soon enough”.
The regulator will consult on the proposals until 9 October.
The iPhone 9 Plus probably doesn't exist – and it probably never will. We certainly don't expect it to show up at Apple's iPhone XS launch tomorrow.
It's a strange way to start an in-depth article like this, but what we're far more likely to see tomorrow is the iPhone XS Plus – or, depending on how Apple chooses to word it, the iPhone XS Max.
All will be revealed very soon, with the iPhone XS Plus release date set for September 12 (that's tomorrow!), and we'll be reporting live from Apple's HQ to bring you everything the firm has to show us.
So why have we led with iPhone 9 Plus here? Simple really, you guys. We're seeing more of you searching for iPhone 9 Plus than iPhone XS Plus or iPhone XS Max, so we're here to set the record straight on what you're looking for and what you should be searching for.
Update:A new iPhone XS Max price leak suggests the handset could come with a seriously steep price tag.
The iPhone XS Max moniker is the new name on the block, with the latest rumors claiming this is the name will go with come the September 12 launch event.
In short: iPhone XS Max (or iPhone XS Plus), not iPhone 9 Plus.
We think that because of the number of rumors and leaks currently circulating that point to three new iPhones in 2018, with a successor to the iPhone X (either the iPhone XS or iPhone 11) arriving alongside a super-sized version of that successor and a 'cheaper' iPhone 9 (name also TBC).
There you have it – some method to our madness, and in this article we'll go through all the rumors and leaks, so that you know what to expect from the iPhone XS Max / iPhone XS Plus when it arrives.
There are two more iPhones rumored to launch this year: iPhone XS / 11 | iPhone 9
Cut to the chase
What is it? A super-sized, premium iPhone
When is it out? Launch September 12, release two weeks later
What will it cost? An awful lot, even more than the iPhone X
iPhone XS Plus / XS Max release date
iPhone XS Plus launch date: set for September 12
iPhone XS Plus pre-order date: could be September 14
iPhone XS Plus release date: leaks point to September 21 or 28
The iPhone XS Plus launch date is set for September 12 - that's just two days away - after Apple sent out invites for an event at its HQ on that day
We expect the iPhone XS Plus release date to be a week or two after the launch – almost certainly before the end of September.
German site Macerkopf cites unnamed carrier sources who claim iPhone XS Plus / iPhone XS Max pre-orders will start on September 14, falling in line with previous iPhone launches where pre-orders opened the Friday after the launch.
iPhone XS Plus / XS Max price
The iPhone XS Plus / iPhone XS Max is tipped to be the bigger sibling to the iPhone XS, which itself will be the successor to the iPhone X.
What does that mean? A big iPhone XS Plus price tag. The iPhone X was the most expensive iPhone ever when it landed in 2017, by quite some way, which means the iPhone XS Plus / XS Max is probably going to have an even loftier asking price.
However, Apple may be looking to keep an cap on things to some extent, with reports suggesting it's reduced the cost of some components by 10%, and may also quit bundling a headphone adapter with its new phones to further reduce costs.
According to analysts from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the only was is up for the iPhone XS Max price. They predict the asking price to start at $1,049 (probably £1,049, around AU$1,679).
These are predictions for the entry-level storage option too, so if you opt for the largest capacity iPhone XS Plus you could well end up paying even more.
Apart from being bigger, various leaks suggest the iPhone XS Plus / iPhone XS Max design won't be all that much different from the iPhone X it takes cues from, with Apple likely to focus more on internal upgrades rather than stylistic tweaks.
The CAD schematics below, acquired by MySmartPrice and OnLeaks, are said to be based on the larger-screened iPhone. It accurate, there will be very little visual difference between the iPhone XS Plus and iPhone X (other than size).
Another schematic (below) supposedly shows the dimensions of the rumored iPhone XS Plus / iPhone XC Max, with a claimed height and width of 157.2 x 77.1mm.
That would make the iPhone XS Plus smaller than the iPhone 8 Plus (158.4 x 78.1mm), which would be impressive considering the XS Plus / XS Max is tipped to feature a much larger display (possibly 6.5-inch).
That's roughly in line with a previous rumor that the iPhone XS Plus could have an iPhone 8 Plus-sized body, despite an inch of extra screen – however changes to the camera could mean the phone is 0.2mm thicker, meaning it would be 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.7mm.
A bigger screen, but smaller body for the iPhone XS Plus? (credit: Forbes / Ghostek)
A tweet claiming to show the front glass for the three rumored iPhones lets you see how the handsets will potentially differ in size, with slender bezels around the display and the now-distinctive notch at the top.
While the iPhone XS Plus will be the largest of the three, the differences between it and the rumored iPhone XS don't appear to be as great as those between the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.
iPhone XS Plus / XS Max display
Hottest leaks:
Recent rumors point towards a huge 6.5-inch OLED display
No surprise here: the iPhone XS Plus / iPhone XS Max will have a big screen. In fact, it's tipped to feature the biggest screen Apple has ever put on a smartphone.
The iPhone X broke new ground for the firm, with its 5.7-inch display moving away for the 5.5-inch screens we've been used to since the iPhone 6 Plus way back in 2014.
However, the iPhone XS Plus could well take iPhone screens to a whole new level, with the most recent rumors suggesting it'll rock up with a 6.5-inch panel with a pixel density of between 480 and 500ppi.
The iPhone XS Plus is tipped to have a 6.5-inch display. (credit: KGI Research/MacRumors)
That's a little bigger than the 6.46 inches rumored way back in August 2017 and the 6.3 inches from a leak in December 2017, but 6.5 inches makes more sense – Apple likes to deal in clean numbers, and we can't see it getting caught up in a double decimal debacle.
Apple will more than likely announce a new processor at its iPhone launch in September to replace the A11 Bionic in the 8, 8 Plus and X.
If that's the case, then you can fully expect the the iPhone XS Plus / iPhone XS Max to be sporting said processor, and if Apple keeps with its current naming regime it'll be called the A12 Bionic - which is tipped to be the case by prolific Apple-analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
A separate rumor has pointed to 4GB of RAM lining up alongside this new chipset, which would be a step up from the 3GB of RAM in the X and 8 Plus.
When it comes to details on the cameras in the iPhone XS Plus, news is thin on the ground. Going by the various leaks we've seen in the design section, it appears that Apple will stick with the dual rear-facing cameras and a single selfie snapper.
Of course, it will be tasked with powering a bigger display, but overall battery performance could be improved thanks to more efficient software (iOS 12) and hardware (new A12 chipset).
And there could be good news for those who often find themselves running out of juice, as Apple is rumored to be considering including a fast charger in the box.
The HubblePhone looks absolutely bonkers, and we're intrigued. A smartphone that appears to have more screens than you can shake a stick at, a bending, folding arm and multiple cameras.
However, Turing is the firm behind the HubblePhone, and if that rings a bell it's because the company has already tried a couple of times to launch a smartphone, but couldn't deliver on all orders and ultimately it ended up filing for bankruptcy earlier this year.
This came after previous phones were scrapped or refunds offered due to the spec sheet not being impressive enough and delays to manufacture / shipping - the company has yet to ship a phone on a widespread scale.
So much screen, with ports and buttons all down one side
Screen for days
Digital Trends reports that the handset has two screens, but taking a closer look at the teaser video we can see four flat sides to the device and every single one appears to be clad in a display.
What we assume is the 'main' display appears to wrap over the bulging top of the HubblePhone and allow the way down its rear. Then there's the foldout section which looks to have a screen on either side of it.
The display that sits against the other half of the phone looks to have a camera built into a notch at the top of the screen as well.
There appears to be a notch in play on one of the foldout screens
Serious camera, multiple realities
That large camera embedded into the top of the device, and pointing out the side like a camcorder - reminding us of the Nokia N93 - is said to have a staggering 15x optical zoom.
Optical zoom is something of a rarity in the smartphone world, as the camera modules need to be small enough to fit into the form factor which means most handset rely on a digital zoom, which reduces image quality when zooming in.
An optical zoom allows you to get closer to your subject without any loss of quality and up until now it's been reserved for quirky handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom and Galaxy K Zoom.
Turing also claims that the HubblePhone will feature video editing software that "dwarfs any available on today’s smartphones", although has not provided any further information or clarity on what that would mean in comparison to current models.
Other points to note about the device is that it'll supposedly run not one, but two Snapdragon 855 chipsets, be 5G ready and use AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual) and MR (mixed) for a new gaming experience.
It's worth noting that the Snapdragon 855 chipset is expected to launch in December 2018, and while the HubblePhone will apparently boast two under the hood, when/if the phone arrives in 2020 they will no longer be cutting edge.
The main camera will apparently feature a 15x zoom
Sky-high price
A common theme that's been carried over from Turing's previous smartphone attempts is its pricing strategy. The HubblePhone is going to cost an awful lot.
The HubblePhone price is set a $2,750 (around £2,090, AU$3,700) which would make it one of the most expensive smartphones out, and especially considering you have to wait until 2020 to get your hands on a device that won't be running the latest engine under the hood.
Turning says the HubblePhone release date will be June 2020 for the US, August 2020 for Europe, September for China and the rest of the world by December.
The HubblePhone sounds too good to be true, which is likely what Turing is trying to achieve by making this phone public now. A great idea with eye-catching concept renders, but we'll have to wait until 2020 to see if it ever makes it to reality.
The HTC U12 Plus is a well-designed, high end flagship Android smartphone that was universally criticized for its haptic button implementation. A major update was issued to address this, and other, concerns.
Instagram is without a doubt the hottest social network, recently surpassing a billion users. When you keep in mind that Instagram is completely focused on photos and videos, most of which are shot using mobile phones, it makes sense to buy a phone with a fantastic camera.
One particular trend that has emerged with photos is the “bokeh” effect, which utilises two lenses - one to focus on the subject and the second to blur the background. Take a look at this image below- the bokeh effect is applied on the right image where you can see the background is blurred.
You may have seen this kind of setup in many high-end phones, but only on the back cameras. But look through your Instagram feed and there’s a good chance that you’ll find an equal number of selfies as you would of pictures taken from the camera on the back. So why not have dual cameras on the front that create a similar effect?
For starters it’s definitely an engineering problem. With bezels shrinking on the top and bottom of phones, there’s only so much space for a phone manufacturer to cram all the required sensors, and adding two cameras in that precious space can prove to be really difficult. HTC was the first manufacturer to put two lenses on the back of a phone, so it comes as no surprise to see two cameras not only on the back of the HTC U12+ but also on the front.
Both front cameras have 8MP sensors with an f/2.0 aperture and 1.12µm pixel size. For comparison sake, the selfie camera on the iPhone 8 (and iPhone X) is 7MP with an f/2.2 aperture and there’s only one of them. Not only are both the HTC U12 Plus’ front cameras capable of taking higher resolution shots, but they also allow more light in through the front camera than Apple’s flagship with a single camera.
There’s another advantage to the HTC U12+ that HTC first introduced with the HTC U11 last year, and that’s the touch-sensing side bezel called Edge Sense. The frame of the phone can be squeezed to perform multiple actions, which include launching apps or voice assistants as well as controlling music playback.
One particular function of Edge Sense is to launch the camera app and while you’re in the camera app you can squeeze the sides again to take a picture. This makes it extremely easy to take selfies as you don’t have to worry about finding a particular button on the side of the phone or on the screen to take a picture.
HTC has also added a timer so you don’t accidentally move your hand while squeezing the phone to take the picture. Squeeze once to turn on the camera app, and squeeze the second time for the 3 second timer to kick in and take that perfect selfie.
We were interested in testing the bokeh mode in particular with the HTC U12+ and decided to test it out against the iPhone X. Here are some shots that compare the front camera on both these phones. The top picture is from the HTC U12+ while the bottom picture is from an iPhone X with both cameras set at default automatic mode.
The first thing to notice in the picture above is how the shot from the HTC U12+ is wider giving you a better story to tell from your selfie. Also notice how the iPhone just blends the hat into the sky whereas the HTC U12+ can clearly separate the two. Last, the background on trees in the picture have a lot more detail that the iPhone even with the bokeh effect.
Again, you see the bigger picture with the HTC U12+ than the iPhone but what is more striking on the HTC U12+ is that it managed to capture the hues of the sky beautifully whereas the iPhone X simply produced a flat white sky.
Our next shot moves from outdoors to indoors in a standard office environment. Again, the HTC captures a lot more around you and with more natural colors. The shirt is not as vibrant as the iPhone X is making it looks like but slightly washed up as the HTC U12+ correctly captures. You can also clearly see the texture in that shirt on the HTC U12+ image.
As you can see from the photos above, the HTC U12+ does a fantastic job at taking selfies using the dual cameras on the front. You get a natural and realistic effect and a much wider frame that looks much better than the selfies taken with the iPhone X.
Instagram is without a doubt the hottest social network, recently surpassing a billion users. When you keep in mind that Instagram is completely focused on photos and videos, most of which are shot using mobile phones, it makes sense to buy a phone with a fantastic camera.
One particular trend that has emerged with photos is the “bokeh” effect, which utilises two lenses - one to focus on the subject and the second to blur the background. Take a look at this image below- the bokeh effect is applied on the right image where you can see the background is blurred.
You may have seen this kind of setup in many high-end phones, but only on the back cameras. But look through your Instagram feed and there’s a good chance that you’ll find an equal number of selfies as you would of pictures taken from the camera on the back. So why not have dual cameras on the front that create a similar effect?
For starters it’s definitely an engineering problem. With bezels shrinking on the top and bottom of phones, there’s only so much space for a phone manufacturer to cram all the required sensors, and adding two cameras in that precious space can prove to be really difficult. HTC was the first manufacturer to put two lenses on the back of a phone, so it comes as no surprise to see two cameras not only on the back of the HTC U12+ but also on the front.
Both front cameras have 8MP sensors with an f/2.0 aperture and 1.12µm pixel size. For comparison sake, the selfie camera on the iPhone 8 (and iPhone X) is 7MP with an f/2.2 aperture and there’s only one of them. Not only are both the HTC U12 Plus’ front cameras capable of taking higher resolution shots, but they also allow more light in through the front camera than Apple’s flagship with a single camera.
There’s another advantage to the HTC U12+ that HTC first introduced with the HTC U11 last year, and that’s the touch-sensing side bezel called Edge Sense. The frame of the phone can be squeezed to perform multiple actions, which include launching apps or voice assistants as well as controlling music playback.
One particular function of Edge Sense is to launch the camera app and while you’re in the camera app you can squeeze the sides again to take a picture. This makes it extremely easy to take selfies as you don’t have to worry about finding a particular button on the side of the phone or on the screen to take a picture.
HTC has also added a timer so you don’t accidentally move your hand while squeezing the phone to take the picture. Squeeze once to turn on the camera app, and squeeze the second time for the 3 second timer to kick in and take that perfect selfie.
We were interested in testing the bokeh mode in particular with the HTC U12+ and decided to test it out against the iPhone X. Here are some shots that compare the front camera on both these phones. The top picture is from the HTC U12+ while the bottom picture is from an iPhone X with both cameras set at default automatic mode.
The first thing to notice in the picture above is how the shot from the HTC U12+ is wider giving you a better story to tell from your selfie. Also notice how the iPhone just blends the hat into the sky whereas the HTC U12+ can clearly separate the two. Last, the background on trees in the picture have a lot more detail that the iPhone even with the bokeh effect.
Again, you see the bigger picture with the HTC U12+ than the iPhone but what is more striking on the HTC U12+ is that it managed to capture the hues of the sky beautifully whereas the iPhone X simply produced a flat white sky.
Our next shot moves from outdoors to indoors in a standard office environment. Again, the HTC captures a lot more around you and with more natural colors. The shirt is not as vibrant as the iPhone X is making it looks like but slightly washed up as the HTC U12+ correctly captures. You can also clearly see the texture in that shirt on the HTC U12+ image.
As you can see from the photos above, the HTC U12+ does a fantastic job at taking selfies using the dual cameras on the front. You get a natural and realistic effect and a much wider frame that looks much better than the selfies taken with the iPhone X.
Instagram is without a doubt the hottest social network, recently surpassing a billion users. When you keep in mind that Instagram is completely focused on photos and videos, most of which are shot using mobile phones, it makes sense to buy a phone with a fantastic camera.
One particular trend that has emerged with photos is the “bokeh” effect, which utilises two lenses - one to focus on the subject and the second to blur the background. Take a look at this image below- the bokeh effect is applied on the right image where you can see the background is blurred.
You may have seen this kind of setup in many high-end phones, but only on the back cameras. But look through your Instagram feed and there’s a good chance that you’ll find an equal number of selfies as you would of pictures taken from the camera on the back. So why not have dual cameras on the front that create a similar effect?
For starters it’s definitely an engineering problem. With bezels shrinking on the top and bottom of phones, there’s only so much space for a phone manufacturer to cram all the required sensors, and adding two cameras in that precious space can prove to be really difficult. HTC was the first manufacturer to put two lenses on the back of a phone, so it comes as no surprise to see two cameras not only on the back of the HTC U12+ but also on the front.
Both front cameras have 8MP sensors with an f/2.0 aperture and 1.12µm pixel size. For comparison sake, the selfie camera on the iPhone 8 (and iPhone X) is 7MP with an f/2.2 aperture and there’s only one of them. Not only are both the HTC U12 Plus’ front cameras capable of taking higher resolution shots, but they also allow more light in through the front camera than Apple’s flagship with a single camera.
There’s another advantage to the HTC U12+ that HTC first introduced with the HTC U11 last year, and that’s the touch-sensing side bezel called Edge Sense. The frame of the phone can be squeezed to perform multiple actions, which include launching apps or voice assistants as well as controlling music playback.
One particular function of Edge Sense is to launch the camera app and while you’re in the camera app you can squeeze the sides again to take a picture. This makes it extremely easy to take selfies as you don’t have to worry about finding a particular button on the side of the phone or on the screen to take a picture.
HTC has also added a timer so you don’t accidentally move your hand while squeezing the phone to take the picture. Squeeze once to turn on the camera app, and squeeze the second time for the 3 second timer to kick in and take that perfect selfie.
We were interested in testing the bokeh mode in particular with the HTC U12+ and decided to test it out against the iPhone X. Here are some shots that compare the front camera on both these phones. The top picture is from the HTC U12+ while the bottom picture is from an iPhone X with both cameras set at default automatic mode.
The first thing to notice in the picture above is how the shot from the HTC U12+ is wider giving you a better story to tell from your selfie. Also notice how the iPhone just blends the hat into the sky whereas the HTC U12+ can clearly separate the two. Last, the background on trees in the picture have a lot more detail that the iPhone even with the bokeh effect.
Again, you see the bigger picture with the HTC U12+ than the iPhone but what is more striking on the HTC U12+ is that it managed to capture the hues of the sky beautifully whereas the iPhone X simply produced a flat white sky.
Our next shot moves from outdoors to indoors in a standard office environment. Again, the HTC captures a lot more around you and with more natural colors. The shirt is not as vibrant as the iPhone X is making it looks like but slightly washed up as the HTC U12+ correctly captures. You can also clearly see the texture in that shirt on the HTC U12+ image.
As you can see from the photos above, the HTC U12+ does a fantastic job at taking selfies using the dual cameras on the front. You get a natural and realistic effect and a much wider frame that looks much better than the selfies taken with the iPhone X.
Instagram is without a doubt the hottest social network, recently surpassing a billion users. When you keep in mind that Instagram is completely focused on photos and videos, most of which are shot using mobile phones, it makes sense to buy a phone with a fantastic camera.
One particular trend that has emerged with photos is the “bokeh” effect, which utilises two lenses - one to focus on the subject and the second to blur the background. Take a look at this image below- the bokeh effect is applied on the right image where you can see the background is blurred.
You may have seen this kind of setup in many high-end phones, but only on the back cameras. But look through your Instagram feed and there’s a good chance that you’ll find an equal number of selfies as you would of pictures taken from the camera on the back. So why not have dual cameras on the front that create a similar effect?
For starters it’s definitely an engineering problem. With bezels shrinking on the top and bottom of phones, there’s only so much space for a phone manufacturer to cram all the required sensors, and adding two cameras in that precious space can prove to be really difficult. HTC was the first manufacturer to put two lenses on the back of a phone, so it comes as no surprise to see two cameras not only on the back of the HTC U12+ but also on the front.
Both front cameras have 8MP sensors with an f/2.0 aperture and 1.12µm pixel size. For comparison sake, the selfie camera on the iPhone 8 (and iPhone X) is 7MP with an f/2.2 aperture and there’s only one of them. Not only are both the HTC U12 Plus’ front cameras capable of taking higher resolution shots, but they also allow more light in through the front camera than Apple’s flagship with a single camera.
There’s another advantage to the HTC U12+ that HTC first introduced with the HTC U11 last year, and that’s the touch-sensing side bezel called Edge Sense. The frame of the phone can be squeezed to perform multiple actions, which include launching apps or voice assistants as well as controlling music playback.
One particular function of Edge Sense is to launch the camera app and while you’re in the camera app you can squeeze the sides again to take a picture. This makes it extremely easy to take selfies as you don’t have to worry about finding a particular button on the side of the phone or on the screen to take a picture.
HTC has also added a timer so you don’t accidentally move your hand while squeezing the phone to take the picture. Squeeze once to turn on the camera app, and squeeze the second time for the 3 second timer to kick in and take that perfect selfie.
We were interested in testing the bokeh mode in particular with the HTC U12+ and decided to test it out against the iPhone X. Here are some shots that compare the front camera on both these phones. The top picture is from the HTC U12+ while the bottom picture is from an iPhone X with both cameras set at default automatic mode.
The first thing to notice in the picture above is how the shot from the HTC U12+ is wider giving you a better story to tell from your selfie. Also notice how the iPhone just blends the hat into the sky whereas the HTC U12+ can clearly separate the two. Last, the background on trees in the picture have a lot more detail that the iPhone even with the bokeh effect.
Again, you see the bigger picture with the HTC U12+ than the iPhone but what is more striking on the HTC U12+ is that it managed to capture the hues of the sky beautifully whereas the iPhone X simply produced a flat white sky.
Our next shot moves from outdoors to indoors in a standard office environment. Again, the HTC captures a lot more around you and with more natural colors. The shirt is not as vibrant as the iPhone X is making it looks like but slightly washed up as the HTC U12+ correctly captures. You can also clearly see the texture in that shirt on the HTC U12+ image.
As you can see from the photos above, the HTC U12+ does a fantastic job at taking selfies using the dual cameras on the front. You get a natural and realistic effect and a much wider frame that looks much better than the selfies taken with the iPhone X.
Instagram is without a doubt the hottest social network, recently surpassing a billion users. When you keep in mind that Instagram is completely focused on photos and videos, most of which are shot using mobile phones, it makes sense to buy a phone with a fantastic camera.
One particular trend that has emerged with photos is the “bokeh” effect, which utilises two lenses - one to focus on the subject and the second to blur the background. Take a look at this image below- the bokeh effect is applied on the right image where you can see the background is blurred.
You may have seen this kind of setup in many high-end phones, but only on the back cameras. But look through your Instagram feed and there’s a good chance that you’ll find an equal number of selfies as you would of pictures taken from the camera on the back. So why not have dual cameras on the front that create a similar effect?
For starters it’s definitely an engineering problem. With bezels shrinking on the top and bottom of phones, there’s only so much space for a phone manufacturer to cram all the required sensors, and adding two cameras in that precious space can prove to be really difficult. HTC was the first manufacturer to put two lenses on the back of a phone, so it comes as no surprise to see two cameras not only on the back of the HTC U12+ but also on the front.
Both front cameras have 8MP sensors with an f/2.0 aperture and 1.12µm pixel size. For comparison sake, the selfie camera on the iPhone 8 (and iPhone X) is 7MP with an f/2.2 aperture and there’s only one of them. Not only are both the HTC U12 Plus’ front cameras capable of taking higher resolution shots, but they also allow more light in through the front camera than Apple’s flagship with a single camera.
There’s another advantage to the HTC U12+ that HTC first introduced with the HTC U11 last year, and that’s the touch-sensing side bezel called Edge Sense. The frame of the phone can be squeezed to perform multiple actions, which include launching apps or voice assistants as well as controlling music playback.
One particular function of Edge Sense is to launch the camera app and while you’re in the camera app you can squeeze the sides again to take a picture. This makes it extremely easy to take selfies as you don’t have to worry about finding a particular button on the side of the phone or on the screen to take a picture.
HTC has also added a timer so you don’t accidentally move your hand while squeezing the phone to take the picture. Squeeze once to turn on the camera app, and squeeze the second time for the 3 second timer to kick in and take that perfect selfie.
We were interested in testing the bokeh mode in particular with the HTC U12+ and decided to test it out against the iPhone X. Here are some shots that compare the front camera on both these phones. The top picture is from the HTC U12+ while the bottom picture is from an iPhone X with both cameras set at default automatic mode.
The first thing to notice in the picture above is how the shot from the HTC U12+ is wider giving you a better story to tell from your selfie. Also notice how the iPhone just blends the hat into the sky whereas the HTC U12+ can clearly separate the two. Last, the background on trees in the picture have a lot more detail that the iPhone even with the bokeh effect.
Again, you see the bigger picture with the HTC U12+ than the iPhone but what is more striking on the HTC U12+ is that it managed to capture the hues of the sky beautifully whereas the iPhone X simply produced a flat white sky.
Our next shot moves from outdoors to indoors in a standard office environment. Again, the HTC captures a lot more around you and with more natural colors. The shirt is not as vibrant as the iPhone X is making it looks like but slightly washed up as the HTC U12+ correctly captures. You can also clearly see the texture in that shirt on the HTC U12+ image.
As you can see from the photos above, the HTC U12+ does a fantastic job at taking selfies using the dual cameras on the front. You get a natural and realistic effect and a much wider frame that looks much better than the selfies taken with the iPhone X.
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