HTC U11 Life Review

"Better late than never" doesn't really hold up when it comes to smartphones.

The HTC U11 Life was announced in November last year, but only made it to Australia in March. That's a five month delay. Five months is tantamount to an epoch in the world of smartphones, and this is only exacerbated by the big changes we've seen in the affordable premium space lately. 

Manufacturers were quick to jump on the whole "extra-tall" screen bandwagon, which leaves the $599 U11 Life feeling a little dated in design thanks to chunky bezels and a more traditional 16:9 display. When you compare it to similarly priced phones like OPPO's R11s and Huawei's Nova 2i, the U11 Life almost looks like its from another era. 

Of course, appearances aren't everything. While the U11 Life might be far from punctual, it's water-resistant, which is rare for its price-point. It's also the first Android One phone you can buy in Australia, which makes it interesting. At least for the time being.

Android One

Originally designed for emerging markets, Android One is an unmodified version of Android maintained by Google, rather than HTC or any other smartphone manufacturer.

As a result, there's no bloatware, no preloaded apps, no UI customisation; the main thing a manufacturer can change is the camera app. It's clean and simple, which makes for a silky smooth Android experience, even on a midrange device. It's not quite flagship fast, but it's not far off either.

More importantly, Google promises all Android One devices will get security updates every month for three years, and two major operating system upgrades. This will see the U11 Life through to Android Q, whatever it ends up being called (our money is on Quince or Quindim).

This is a very good thing. Unfortunately, more affordable smartphones often get left behind. Some will never see a single update, so the fact you're getting some assurance of post-purchase support when you buy a U11 Life is a strong reason to keep it on the shortlist. 

Premium features in plastic clothing

The U11 Life gets most of its style from its pricier older brother, the U11. But while the U11 rocks a glass back, the U11 Life features a glossy plastic finish instead. It doesn't necessarily feel cheap, but the phone lacks the heft you get with a premium device and you might notice a little bit of flex in the plastic. On the plus side, fingerprints aren't quite as noticeable on glossy plastic as they are on glass.

You shouldn't dismiss the U11 Life because of a plastic back, however; it comes with a couple of features you wouldn't normally see in a $599 smartphone. The most important of these is water-resistance; the U11 Life is one of the rare IP-rated devices that isn't a flagship. Your other options are the Galaxy A5 (2017), the Moto X4, and the Telstra Tough Max 2. Unless you also need a phone that's super durable, the U11 Life is currently your best pick from this bunch.

Inside the box, you'll find a pair of USB Type-C noise-cancelling headphones. That's because the U11 Life doesn't have a headphone jack. This is a flagship trend we'd prefer midrange phones not to ape, but hey, what can you do. While the noise-cancelling doesn't compare to what you'd get in a proper pair of noise-cancelling cans, it's not bad for buds that are ostensibly a freebie. Their sound quality is also a step above what you'd expect from bundled headphones.

And much like the U11 senior, the U11 Life has a squeezable frame that acts like an extra button. A short squeeze and a long squeeze can be configured to trigger different actions - opening the camera or launching Google Assistant for example. Squeezing the phone itself is however a little uncomfortable, especially for the long action. While this may prevent errant activations in your pocket, we found a long squeeze to be almost painful. The functionality made its way to the Google Pixel 2 however, so maybe we're the ones who are wrong.

Who is the HTC U11 Life for?

The HTC U11 Life feels a little lost in the ever changing world of smartphones, but it's not without purpose. As it stands, it's easily the best midrange smartphone you can buy if water-resistance is a must. Samsung's Galaxy A5 (2017) is a year old now, and who knows how it will fare with software updates. The Moto X4 isn't a bad alternative, but we found the U11 Life runs smoother.

But if water-resistance at a comparatively affordable price-point isn't a must, it's a bit harder to recommend the U11 Life. It's perfectly adequate - the screen, the battery, the camera, they're all fine - but there's nothing that truly sets HTC's latest apart from the increasingly crowded affordable premium space other than Android One.

Android One's promise of guaranteed software updates is certainly nice to have, and while we love clean Android, HTC isn't the only manufacturer working with Google. Nokia has an entire family of Android One devices set to launch in Australia in May, and at the very least, they look fresher. 

But if you want a device running pure Android right now and don't want to fork out for a Pixel, the U11 Life fits the bill.

HTC U11 Life camera samples

I don't want a HTC U11 Life, what else can I buy?

HTC U11

We've seen the U11 Life's older sibling sell for as little as $699. If you can spare $100 more, we'd say the U11 is a much more compelling buy; it has a faster processor and a much better camera. It might be a year old, but the U11 is still an excellent choice.

Moto X4

The Moto X4 is very similar to the U11 Life. They share a lot of the core specs including display, processor, and water-resistance. There are however a few small differences: the Moto X4 actually has a glass back, a larger battery, and while it runs a mostly clean version of Android, it's maintained by Motorola rather than Google. Despite the similarities, we found the Moto X4 was slightly slower than the U11 Life in terms of day-to-day performance.

A Nokia Android One phone

Nokia's 2018 smartphones will all run Android one, and they'll be available in Australia starting from May. We're expecting the Nokia 6 (2018) and the Nokia 7 Plus (pictured above) to come in priced either side of the HTC U11 Life. They both look a little more modern, but neither are water-resistant.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

Read full bio