A month after their global debut, HTC has launched its latest devices in India. The U Ultra will be available in the country for ₹59,990 ($900) starting March 6, and the U Play is set to retail for ₹39,990 ($600), with availability kicking off from March 6. HTC is bundling a one-year insurance — which covers liquid and physical damage — with both phones, and is providing a 7.5% cashback to Standard Chartered customers.
The U Ultra is a decent proposition considering the 32GB Pixel XL is still retailing for ₹67,000 ($1,000). The device offers a 5.7-inch QHD display Gorilla Glass 5 and a secondary 2.0-inch display that can be used for viewing notifications (à la LG V20), Snapdragon 821 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage, microSD slot, 12MP rear camera with laser autofocus and 4K video recording, 16MP front shooter, USB-C, and a 3000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0.
The mid-range U Play isn't as interesting, however, with the device offering a 5.2-inch Full HD display, MediaTek Helio P10 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage, microSD slot, 16MP front and rear cameras, and a 2500mAh battery. Both phones run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.
The retail pricing of the U Play puts it at a disadvantage over the likes of the OnePlus 3T, which is available for ₹29,999 ($450). That's not taking into account the specs on offer. While HTC has done a commendable job of optimizing the software to run smoothly on underpowered hardware, there's no way of getting around the fact that the Helio P10 doesn't come close to matching the Snapdragon 821 on the OnePlus 3T.
