HTC has a new a smartphone to compete with the likes of the Google Pixel, the Samsung Galaxy S8, and the Apple iPhone 7. And expectedly, the Taiwan-headquartered phone maker is keen to brag about the camera on the HTC U11 (click for complete specs), which is apparently unprecedented in the mobile industry — both in terms of shooting stills and video.

(Update, May 28, 2017: It’s confirmed. HTC will return to another Southeast Asian country, the Philippines. See Smartphone maker HTC set to return to PH soon.)

That is, at least according to the folks over at independent camera-benchmarking outfit DxOMark. With an overall score of 90, the U11 has been crowned the best of the rest after notching impressive technical scores in a wide variety of situations. Until today, the Google Pixel had the top-performing camera with a DxOMark score of 89 — one point higher than the score posted by the Galaxy S8 and three points higher than the iPhone 7’s.

Until the HTC U11 came, the Google Pixel had the top-performing camera with a DxOMark score of 89 — one point higher than the score posted by the Galaxy S8 and three points higher than the iPhone 7’s.

In its review, the camera-testing website lauded the HTC U11’s outdoor performance, fast and accurate auto-focus, hardware image stabilization, and even flash exposure across the frame. Specs-wise, the back-facing camera sports a 12-megapixel sensor and a single f/1.75 lens.

Like other modern flagship cameras, it supports 4K video recording and professional-quality slo-mo video at 120 frames per second. There’s also a 16-megapixel camera — which DxOMark did not evaluate — for selfies and video chat.

SEE ALSO: Sony Xperia XZ Premium gets PH launch date

Having a standout camera isn’t the only trait that sets HTC’s newest flagship apart from its peers. The U11 also debuts a pressure-sensitive panel on the side that can be squeezed — you read that right! — to launch any app (or apps, because the phone distinguishes between short and long squeezes), fire up the camera, or message other people using voice-to-text input in lieu of typing.

The HTC U11 also debuts a pressure-sensitive panel on the side that can be squeezed to launch any app, fire up the camera, or message other people using voice-to-text input.

The top-end handset achieves an IP67 rating, too, good enough for up to 30 minutes in a meter of fresh water. It gets a 5.5-inch, quad-HD LCD display as well. Rounding off the key specs is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset coupled with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM, depending on where you get it. Indeed, the HTC U11, which will be available worldwide from this month onward, is shaping up to be a strong contender in the marketplace.

READ ALSO: Dual-camera smartphones that are officially available in PH

If you’re thinking about scoring one in the Philippines officially, you can’t, unfortunately; HTC has long shuttered local operations. You can purchase the device online through Widget City, though that means missing out on official warranty coverage and after-sales support. Pricing has yet to be announced by Widget City, but global pricing starts at €749 (around P41,350 or $830).

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