HTC U11+ – Battery life

Battery life is the second area in which the U11+ seriously improves on the U11. HTC’s upped the U11+’s battery capacity to 3930mAh, which is a marked improvement on the original’s 3000mAh cell.

This capacity puts the U11+ just shy of the Razer Phone and Huawei Mate 10 Pro, whose huge 4000mAh power packs are about as big as you can get on a mainstream phone.

With real-world use, the difference in stamina between the U11+ and U11 is immediately noticeable. Using the U11+ as my primary work and personal phone, the handset managed to last between one and two days from a single charge.

Regular use entailed listening to music on the morning and evening commute, making and taking calls through the day, responding to messages on WhatsApp, constantly checking my social media and email feeds, and watching a few YouTube videos before bed.

The original U11 offered distinctly average battery life by comparison. Although it initially survived a day and a half, within a month of use its battery dropped to around a day’s use.

Like all phones, more intensive processes put a bigger drain on the battery. Streaming video with the brightness at around 60%, the U11+ lost between 10-11% of its battery per hour – which is pretty decent for a phone of this size.

Playing intensive 3D games the U11+’s performance was similarly solid, with the handset losing around 17-22% of its battery per hour.

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Why buy the HTC U11+?

Offering brilliant screen quality, decent performance and an above-average camera, the U11+ is an excellent handset – and one of the best available right now. It’s also a good £100 cheaper than its closest rival, the Google Pixel 2 XL. But with 2018’s next wave of flagships set to arrive in a matter of months, it feels a little late to market.

Unless you absolutely need a new phone right now, and money is no object, most people would be better off waiting for the new arrivals.

Verdict

A great phone that’s late to the game.

Trusted Score