HTC U Ultra is the premium model of HTC U series launched awhile ago. The specs quickly garnered attention as the hardware is almost similar to Google Pixel XL.

The display

HTC U Ultra sports Super LCD5 screen display whilst Pixel XL packs AMOLED. On paper, AMOLED panel is superior as it has richer color reproduction and brightness, according to Tech Radar. HTC U Ultra, however, gets a bigger screen with 5.7-inch size whereas Pixel XL has 5.5-inch display.

The operating system

Both premium handsets run Android Nougat with the Pixel XL getting the latest version, Nougat 7.1. Google promises a quick update rollout to its Nexus and Pixel family. If the firmware update is a big concern, users might want to choose Pixel XL.

The battery

Pixel XL sports 3450 mAh battery. Not only that it is bigger than U Ultra's 3000 mAh, but the fact that it uses AMOLED screen could better conserve the power.

The digital assistant

HTC's very-own voice-activated assistant, Sense Companion, can do pretty much what Siri and Google Assistant do. It is able to open apps or set alarms with voice command, but the notifications only appear on the secondary screen, Phone Arena reported.

The price

Even when HTC U Ultra is cheaper than Pixel XL, it is nowhere near affordable. HTC seems to be joining the premium league where Samsung, Apple and Google already there. The device sells for around $597.

Style or specs?

The decision to buy a smartphone depends on budget or personal preference but to find out how HTC product fares against Google Pixel XL, there are a few points to take note.

Specs-wise, HTC U Ultra offers similar specifications to the Pixel XL, starting from the Snapdragon 821 chip to the 12 MP unit for its rear camera. However, you won't see any headphone jack on HTC U phones.

As far as the design is concerned, HTC U Ultra rocks a thinner body - combining glossy glass and metal whereas the Pixel XL has metal chassis with half plastic at the back panel.