HTC U ‘Ocean’ leaks in first photo, tipped to have IP57 water resistance, no headphone jack

Ben Schoon | Apr 17 2017 - 8:30 am PT

Ahead of its rumored launch, we’re learning more about HTC’s upcoming “U” smartphone, better known as the “Ocean.” As its name implies, this phone is going to share quite a bit in common with the U Ultra from earlier this year, but it’s also expected to bring a bit more to the table.

Thanks to a new report from Evan Blass (via VentureBeat), we have an initial spec list and our first look at the U. The device is said to bring a 5.5-inch display, slightly smaller than the massive U Ultra. It will also drop the second screen the Ultra packs, further making the device more compact. The build will also be similar, with a super shiny glass and metal design, in this case pictured in (the sure to be fingerprint prone) black.

Under the hood, the U is expected to pack the Snapdragon 835 chipset, 4GB or 6GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of storage depending on model, and pack a 3,000 mAh battery. The rear camera will be another set of Sony sensors, this time a 12MP rear shooter and a 16MP up front.

The device will also bring Sense 9 based on Android 7.1. @Llabtoofer further states that the phone will offer up IP57 dust/water resistance (come on, the phone is called Ocean…) and will lack a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Of course, the “big” feature with this new phone will be Sense Touch, HTC’s crazy idea to use the frame of the phone as a method of input. The specifics are still a bit cloudy, but the general idea is that swipes and squeezes on the phone’s metal frame will trigger menus and options in the software.

Blass claims that the HTC U will be unveiled toward the end of April and will be released globally sometime in early May.