HTC

In pushing the virtual reality market forward, it really isn't enough just to have a VR headset or a set of demo apps and games. It isn't even enough just to have a platform to build upon. You also need the builders that will utilize that platform. Last year, HTC announced its Vive X accelerator program in a bid to grab that mindshare away from competing platforms like Facebook's Oculus. Now it is announcing the second batch of 33 startups that will get a chance to learn from HTC directly about creating virtual, augmented, and mixed reality experiences for fun and profit.

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Although it is a highly capable smartphone in its own right, the HTC U11 would have probably been overshadowed by the likes of the Galaxy S8 or even the OnePlus 5 if not for two things. One is a camera highly praised by DxOMark. The other is its squeezable Edge Sense gestures. Not unlike Samsung's Bixby, the version of Edge Sense that new HTC U11 owners got was raw and underwhelming. Now the company is assuring customers that more are yet to come, starting with these actions.

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The Steam Summer Sale is officially underway, but the deals don't apply to just Steam games. HTC announced today that it's discounting the VIVE for the duration of the sale as well, giving you the opportunity to save a bit of money on the admittedly expensive VR headset. HTC will also toss in a Steam gift card too, so you'll be able to take full advantage of the Summer Sale.

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It's been an exciting couple of weeks for those in HTC's camp. The HTC U11 launched to solid reviews across the board, and though there was the slight misstep of its retail release being exclusive to Sprint, the phone is still available unlocked through HTC's website. If you were thinking of picking up one of those unlocked U11s, you may want to hold off for another day, because HTC is gearing up to launch a new red variant of the device.

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HTC tried to explain away criticisms of the HTC U Ultra by claiming it wasn't meant to be their main story in the first place. In a sense, the HTC U11 is meant to be both their star and their redemption. In some ways, like in specs, it does fit the bill. But in at least one way that might be more important to users, it fails to make the grade. As Zack Nelson from JerryRigEverything found out, the HTC U11's headline feature has a nasty side effect: a horribly bendable phone.

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It's a fairly exciting time to be an HTC fan, as strange as it may be to say so. The company's newest phone, the HTC U11, has released to surprisingly stellar reviews, and after a short pre-order period, it's available to purchase now. You can buy directly from HTC either on the company's website or through Amazon, while Sprint will be the only carrier offering the phone in-store.

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HTC learned the hard way that, in the cutthroat smartphone industry, you need to bring your A-game each and every time. Make a misstep and, though recovery isn't impossible, it'll cost you dearly - cash that HTC just doesn't have to splash around. The stakes are high for the HTC U11, then, and in a year packed with compelling flagships from deep-pocketed rivals it can't afford less than a surefire hit. Question is, does the U11 have what it takes?

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The headset that's appeared today, made by HTC, won't necessarily be available to everyone in the world. In fact it's slated - for now - to be available only inside Japan. This headset was designed to fit one smartphone in the world - the HTC U11 - and will be able to roll with 6DOF (6 degrees of freedom) which is intense for a phone-based VR headset, if not entirely unique to this one.

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My one concern with the HTC U11 is the same as with previous models from lesser manufacturers. Where HTC's smartphones excel in unique design, they give me a chill for those users that are prone to clumsiness. HTC is right on the borderline with popularity in smartphones, where 3rd-party accessory brands decide whether making a case will be worth the effort.

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Google has announced standalone VR, 'an entirely new type of VR device.' This is a virtual reality headset that doesn't require a separate smartphone, instead featuring all the technology needed built directly into the headset. This eliminates the external device burden, offering consumers a simple and robust VR experience that requires nothing more than putting on a headset. "No cables, no phones, no PC," Google explains, saying "it's easy to use. Getting into VR is as easy as picking the thing up."

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Here's a bit of good news if you were planning on picking up the HTC U11: DxOMark has given the phone's camera its highest marks, ever so slightly edging out the Google Pixel. The Pixel, as many of you remember, became the highest-rated smartphone camera from DxOMark around the time it launched, netting an overall score of 89. The margin on the HTC U11's victory is small, as it's taking home a score of 90.

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For a company whose tagline is "quietly brilliant", it's perhaps no surprise that it's taken some time for HTC to allow anyone behind the scenes of how its phones are designed and manufactured. That all changed this week, with two big milestones: the launch of the new HTC U11 flagship, and HTC's 20th anniversary. To mark the double-occasion, HTC invited media to Taipei, Taiwan, to see where the U11 was born.

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