JJD: Science

<script src="//www.digitaladplanet.com/portal/display/js/ads.js?2363&124&728&90&0" type="text/javascript"></script>

<br />
<div align="center">
<script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

<br />
<div class="article-tags clearfix">
<div class="float-right">
   
 <a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/reviews.php3?sTag=HTC"><b>HTC</b></a> <a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/reviews.php3?sTag=Android"><b>Android</b></a> <a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/reviews.php3?sTag=Review"><b>Review</b></a></div>
</div>
<h3>
The dual camera is back on HTC </h3>
Although HTC's flagship went from having two cameras on the U11 to 
four on the U12, it isn't the first HTC flagship to have a dual camera 
setup. The HTC One M8 had a separate depth sensor for adjusting focus 
after taking the shot. It even offered a not-so-convincing artificial 
blur-effect.<br />

This is the first time HTC has put a dual camera on its flagship 
since 2014 on the HTC One M8. This is also the first time that HTC puts a
 dual front-facing camera on its flagship for taking selfies with 
artificial bokeh.<br />

The two main cameras are comprised of a 12MP wide camera with f/1.75 
aperture and a 16MP camera with a telephoto lens and an aperture of 
f/2.6. This second camera, of course, brings artificial bokeh and 2x 
optical zoom to the HTC Camera experience. For some reason, it would 
only shoot 12MP photos despite its higher native resolution. The 
front-camera also gets artificial bokeh selfies despite having neither 
OIS nor autofocus.<br />

This new camera is HTC's UltraPixel 4 while the U11+ had UltraPixel 
3. It uses dual-pixel autofocus like the U11+ and Samsung's Galaxy S9, 
but this new version brings the addition of laser-assisted autofocus. 
Also new is HTC's improved HDR Boost 2.<br />

The camera UI has shortcuts for the video camera and portrait modes 
along with a beauty toggle, resolution chooser, flash, and HDR Boost. 
Additional camera modes are in the menu drawer and include Panorama, 
Pro, Video, Hyperlapse, and slow-motion.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Camera UI: Photo - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="72" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/sshots/-144x/gsmarena_073.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Camera UI: Video - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="72" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/sshots/-144x/gsmarena_074.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Camera UI: Selfie - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="72" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/sshots/-144x/gsmarena_075.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Camera UI: Settings - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="72" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/sshots/-144x/gsmarena_076.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Camera UI: Photo • Video • Selfie • Settings</strong></div>
Pro mode gives you control to white balance, ISO up to 800, shutter 
speed up to 32 seconds, and focus control. You can even save three sets 
of custom manual controls for using again at a later time. We are also 
glad that the camera app offers a dedicated video viewfinder.<br />

Like the U11 and U11+ did, the U12+ uses image stacking to process an
 image with HDR Boost with both the front and the rear cameras. We do 
believe that one of the cameras benefits from HDR Boost while the other 
does not.<br />

Here are some camera samples. Photos are generally warm in color 
temperature while details are excellent. Dynamic range is great and 
colors are true to life. This camera does offer a RAW shooting mode when
 you switch to the Pro for total control over the images you want to 
edit.<br />

Something we have noticed, however, is that the camera is quite 
dependent on HDR Boost. Just keep in mind if you leave HDR Boost on at 
all times, you may encounter some blurring of people or objects that are
 in motion.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HTC U12+ camera samples - f/1.8, ISO 86, 1/2526s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_001.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HTC U12+ camera samples - f/1.8, ISO 119, 1/120s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_002.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HTC U12+ camera samples - f/1.8, ISO 210, 1/30s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_003.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HTC U12+ camera samples - f/1.8, ISO 78, 1/224s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_004.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HTC U12+ camera samples - f/1.8, ISO 102, 1/60s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_005.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HTC U12+ camera samples - f/1.8, ISO 143, 1/120s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_006.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HTC U12+ camera samples - f/1.8, ISO 109, 1/120s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_007.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HTC U12+ camera samples - f/1.8, ISO 79, 1/248s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_008.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HTC U12+ camera samples - f/1.8, ISO 88, 1/5216s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_009.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HTC U12+ camera samples - f/2.6, ISO 34, 1/1007s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_010.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HTC U12+ camera samples - f/1.8, ISO 82, 1/2246s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_011.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HTC U12+ camera samples - f/1.8, ISO 81, 1/1623s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_012.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>HTC U12+ camera samples</strong></div>
There's a distinct texture that appears in these blurry people, but 
it's only noticeable when you really zoom in. There's also a strangely 
distinct texture within the phone's organic bokeh. In pictures that are 
more close-up, you can see the natural f/1.75 bokeh of the camera.<br />

What it looks like is happening is the post-image software is trying 
to reduce noise within the bokeh. This seems to happen more when the 
camera sees an organic bokeh and HDR Boost is enabled. Otherwise, photos
 with a much deeper bokeh like the image of the little white daisy 
flower don't appear as processed.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HDR Boost: Off - f/1.8, ISO 79, 1/310s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_013.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HDR Boost: On - f/1.8, ISO 79, 1/241s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_014.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HDR Boost: Off - f/1.8, ISO 78, 1/238s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_015.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HDR Boost: On - f/1.8, ISO 78, 1/441s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_016.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>HDR Boost: Off • On • Off • On</strong></div>
<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HDR Boost: Off* On *Off - f/1.8, ISO 84, 1/5452s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_017.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HDR Boost: On - f/1.8, ISO 101, 1/5139s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_018.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HDR Boost: On - f/1.8, ISO 89, 1/6906s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_019.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="HDR Boost: On - f/1.8, ISO 101, 1/5367s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_020.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>HDR Boost: Off* On *Off • On</strong></div>
HDR Boost works quite well and can really brighten darker areas or 
suppress highlights from blowing out the image. Dynamic range does 
appear to struggle in scenes where there's a lot of light in the sky 
behind the subject.<br />

Something that we've noticed with the U12 is that HDR Boost works 
best when it is set to "Auto". In fact, shooting in HDR On, or HDR Off 
reduces the amount of resolved detail compared to the HDR Auto setting. 
Check the image comparison chart below so you can see the difference. 
This being the case, we'd recommend permanently leaving this setting to 
Auto.<br />

HDR Boost does improve the imbalance, but if you'd rather not trust 
the camera for really drastic dynamic range shots, set the exposure 
manually by tapping on a focal point and sliding the exposure up or 
down.<br />

Now that the U12 has a dual camera, we can now perform 2X optical 
zoom while taking pictures or videos. 2X zoom works well in photos, but 
there is some more noticeable noise in the image, particularly in 
lower-light conditions.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Zoom: 1X - f/1.8, ISO 80, 1/668s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_021.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Zoom: 2X - f/2.6, ISO 33, 1/123s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_022.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Zoom: 1X - f/1.8, ISO 87, 1/4241s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_023.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Zoom: 2X - f/2.6, ISO 34, 1/706s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_024.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Zoom: 1X • 2X • 1X • 2X</strong></div>
<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Zoom: 1X - f/1.8, ISO 210, 1/30s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_025.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Zoom: 2X - f/1.8, ISO 483, 1/20s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_026.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Zoom: 1X - f/1.8, ISO 79, 1/511s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_027.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Zoom: 2X - f/2.6, ISO 43, 1/120s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_028.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Zoom: 1X • 2X • 1X • 2X</strong></div>
In low-light, the HTC U12 does quite well, particularly when shooting
 with HDR Boost. Naturally, moving objects are far more prone to 
blurring in these lower-light conditions. If your scene is static, you 
can get some very nice-looking night-time photos with the U12+. <br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Low light shots - f/1.8, ISO 478, 1/20s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_029.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Low light shots - f/1.8, ISO 119, 1/40s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_030.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Low light shots - f/1.8, ISO 427, 1/24s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_031.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Low light shots - f/2.0, ISO 1603, 1/12s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_032.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Low light shots</strong></div>
The last sample above is a low-light selfie. This low-light selfie doesn't look amazing, but it doesn't look half-bad either.<br />

<h3>
Portrait mode</h3>
The U12+'s second camera allows it to take portrait style "Bokeh" 
photos. These are best captured when the subject is between 50 and 200 
cm (between about 20 inches and 6.5 feet).<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Indoor Bokeh: Auto - f/2.6, ISO 161, 1/40s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_041.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Indoor Bokeh: Manual - f/2.6, ISO 152, 1/40s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_042.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Indoor Bokeh: Auto - f/2.6, ISO 68, 1/40s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_043.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Indoor Bokeh: Manual - f/2.6, ISO 55, 1/40s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_044.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Indoor Bokeh: Auto • Manual • Auto • Manual</strong></div>
We found that photos taken with the Bokeh mode contain a bit lower 
amount of details when taking Bokeh shots indoors. We got the best 
results outdoors with our subject well-lit in direct sunlight. We also 
saw that Bokeh images taken indoors had more resolved detail within 
closer range.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Outdoor Bokeh: Auto - f/2.6, ISO 34, 1/342s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_045.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Outdoor Bokeh: Auto - f/2.6, ISO 33, 1/618s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_046.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Outdoor Bokeh: Auto</strong></div>
You can see how the HTC U12+ stacks up against competitors in our photo compare tool. The library is pretty extensive.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?idType=1&idPhone1=9119&idPhone2=8908&idPhone3=9107" target="_blank"><img alt="Photo Compare Tool" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/pic/1.png" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?idType=4&idPhone1=9119&idPhone2=8908&idPhone3=9107" target="_blank"><img alt="Photo Compare Tool" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/pic/2.png" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?idType=5&idPhone1=9119&idPhone2=8908&idPhone3=9107" target="_blank"><img alt="Photo Compare Tool" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/pic/3.png" /></a>
<br /><strong>HTC U12+ (12MP) vs. HTC U11+ (12MP) vs. Huawei P20 (12MP) in our Photo compare tool</strong></div>
Here is a link for the telephoto camera as well. Just a reminder, it 
actually shoots at 12MP, and the phone will only let us use it under 
good lighting conditions. Hence, the low-light samples are actually from
 the main snapper.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?idType=1&idCamera1=300523&idCamera2=300451&idCamera3=300509" target="_blank"><img alt="Photo Compare Tool" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/pic/4.png" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?idType=4&idCamera1=300523&idCamera2=300451&idCamera3=300509" target="_blank"><img alt="Photo Compare Tool" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/pic/5.png" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?idType=5&idCamera1=300523&idCamera2=300451&idCamera3=300509" target="_blank"><img alt="Photo Compare Tool" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/pic/6.png" /></a>
<br /><strong>HTC U12+ Tele (12MP) vs. Apple iPhone X Tele (12MP) vs. Samsung Galaxy S9+ Tele (12MP) in our Photo compare tool</strong></div>
<h3>
Selfie camera </h3>
The front-facing cameras are not bad. Selfies come out a bit soft 
though. Details aren't the best of any other front camera out there, but
 direct sunlight definitely helped us get the best out of this one.<br />

Something to keep in mind is that HDR Boost is best used in brighter 
lighting conditions. It does a good job of bringing highlights down to 
an acceptable level. If you were to take the same kind of Bokeh selfies 
outside in the late-afternoon on an overcast day, you'll find that HDR 
Boost actually doesn't work in favor of the image. It still tries to 
bring down the highlights, even though they don't need to be, resulting 
in an image with darker tones and unnecessary contrast.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Selfie HDR: Off - f/2.0, ISO 81, 1/120s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_033.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Selfie HDR: On - f/2.0, ISO 87, 1/120s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_034.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Selfie HDR: Off - f/2.0, ISO 51, 1/181s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_047.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Selfie HDR: On - f/2.0, ISO 51, 1/141s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_049.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Selfie HDR: Off • On • Off • On</strong></div>
In the next two selfies, you can see an example of when HDR Boost doesn't work in the image's favor.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Selfie HDR Boost: Off - f/2.0, ISO 84, 1/120s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_039.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Selfie HDR Boost: On - f/2.0, ISO 73, 1/120s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_040.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Selfie HDR Boost: Off • On</strong></div>
The general consensus with HDR Boost that is that it can be set to 
Auto with the main cameras, but the front-facing camera should use it in
 overly-bright lighting conditions.<br />

The selfie camera already softens facial features, so the contrast 
between the artificial blur and the softened subject doesn't make for a 
very stunning combination. Also, like the main cameras, the Bokeh 
selfies reduce the amount of resolved detail compared to non-Bokeh'd 
snaps.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Bokeh selfies - f/2.0, ISO 51, 1/716s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_050.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Bokeh selfies - f/2.0, ISO 51, 1/176s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_051.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Bokeh selfies - f/2.0, ISO 62, 1/24s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_052.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Bokeh selfies - f/2.0, ISO 95, 1/24s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_053.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Bokeh selfies</strong></div>
Overall, we found the U12's front-facing camera to be a bit too soft 
in most lighting conditions. Selfies taken in bright sunlight will 
appear sharper than any resulting indoor photo. Otherwise, colors look a
 bit muted compared to the shots we took with the main cameras. The 
actual Bokeh is just okay when looking at the boundaries around our 
selfies up close. The shots look nice, but these selfies won't win any 
awards.<br />

Beauty mode has several adjustments: smoothness, brightness, face 
width, and eye size. We took some with the auto setting but found it to 
be too much for our taste. We prefer to use very mild beauty mode if 
any.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Beauty mode: Off - f/2.0, ISO 51, 1/60s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_035.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Beauty mode: Low - f/2.0, ISO 51, 1/60s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_036.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Beauty mode: Auto - f/2.0, ISO 51, 1/60s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_037.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Beauty mode: Off • Low • Auto</strong></div>
Here's a group selfie taken by the U12. We do wish it was shot 
without HDR Boost as you can tell that this photo's shadows are a bit 
exaggerated.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Group selfie with HDR Boost - f/2.0, ISO 495, 1/20s - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/-144x/gsmarena_038.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Group selfie with HDR Boost </strong></div>
<h3>
Panorama</h3>
The U12+ can take panorama images in portrait or landscape 
orientation. Resolved details look pretty good, but vertical resolution 
is lost when you sweep the phone parallel to the scene. You should flip 
the phone to a vertical orientation. The horizontal panorama has a 
height of 1,524 px while the vertically oriented panorama we took was 
3038 px in height.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Panorama 1 - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/pano/-668/gsmarena_001.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Panorama 1</strong></div>
<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u12_plus_review-review-1783p6.php#"><img alt="Panorama 2 - HTC U12 Plus Review review" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/pano/-668/gsmarena_002.jpg" /></a>
<br /><strong>Panorama 2</strong></div>
<h3>
Sonic Zoom and Audio Boost in video recording</h3>
The U12+ has HTC's Sonic Zoom feature, formerly known as Acoustic 
Focus in the U11. What this does is zooms in on the subject that's 
directly in front of the camera by suppressing surrounding noise. It 
does this with the four microphones outfitted around the phone. We found
 that it worked fairly well, but won't work well in windy environments.<br />

While Sonic Zoom isn't all that new, Audio Boost is. It does the same
 thing that Sonic Zoom does only without actually zooming into the 
video. The feature works to reduce ambient noise and focus audio on the 
subject in front of the camera.<br />

There is a dedicated video viewfinder, which we do appreciate. There 
are plenty of shooting modes including 4K video recording at 60fps and 
slow-motion video recording of 1080p footage at 240 fps. Aside from 
Audio Boost and Sonic Zoom, there are a couple of other audio recording 
modes: 3D Audio and Hi-Res. 3D audio is the default audio and records 
two channels with "virtual" surround sound thanks to the four pickup 
microphones. Hi-Res audio records in the FLAC codec into the MKV video 
format.<br />

This video format is not a one or the more widely used ones, so the 
chance that you'll run into playback compatibility issues is quite high.
 You may need to download a third-party video player like VLC.<br />

The U12+ produced excellent video samples of New York City traffic. 
Aside from some noise in one of the buildings behind the road, we didn't
 find the U12+ really hunting for focus as we've seen other phones do. 
HTC did a great job with the autofocus.<br />

60fps video is smooth as butter and details are top-notch. We're glad
 that HTC was able to make a device that can shoot 4K at 60 frames per 
second.<br />

1080p samples look just as good in the lesser resolution. Keep in 
mind that the 1080p mode will offer both optical and electronic image 
stabilization while 4K can only be stabilized with OIS. <br />

For those of you who want to pixel peep on your own computers, we've uploaded short samples straight out of the phone (<a href="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/gsmarena_v001.mp4">2160/60fps</a>, <a href="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/gsmarena_v002.mp4">2160p/30fps</a>, <a href="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/gsmarena_v003.mp4">1080p/60fps</a>,  <a href="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/camera/gsmarena_v004.mp4">1080p/30fps</a>).<br />

Though, there are a couple of things worth mentioning when it comes 
to the video viewfinder. While taking our video samples for our 
comparison tool, we discovered a bug: it seems that the video viewfinder
 is feeding from one camera while the actual video is being captured 
with another one.<br />

If we want to be technical, this caused a vertical displacement of 
the video image so the precision of the viewfinder was only slightly 
off.  Also, this only appears to happen when taking video in full 
HD-res. Fret not; this should be easy to fix with a future software 
update.<br />

You can do some pixel-peeping on video stills as well, using our extensive comparison database.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=3&idPhone1=9119&idPhone2=9109&idPhone3=8967" target="_blank"><img alt="Video Compare Tool" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/vid/1.png" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=4&idPhone1=9119&idPhone2=9109&idPhone3=8967" target="_blank"><img alt="Video Compare Tool" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/vid/2.png" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=5&idPhone1=9119&idPhone2=9109&idPhone3=8967" target="_blank"><img alt="Video Compare Tool" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/vid/3.png" /></a>
<br /><strong>2160p: HTC U12+ vs. the OnePlus 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S9+ in our Video compare tool</strong></div>
Naturally, we are including telephoto samples into the mix as well. 
Again, we remind you that the U12+ only elects to use its secondary 
camera when the light is abundant. A lot of the noise in low-light can 
thus be attributed to digital zoom.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=3&idCamera1=300527&idCamera2=300485&idCamera3=300509" target="_blank"><img alt="Video Compare Tool" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/vid/7.png" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=4&idCamera1=300527&idCamera2=300485&idCamera3=300509" target="_blank"><img alt="Video Compare Tool" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/vid/8.png" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=5&idCamera1=300527&idCamera2=300485&idCamera3=300509" target="_blank"><img alt="Video Compare Tool" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/vid/9.png" /></a>
<br /><strong>2160p: HTC U12+ Tele vs. Apple iPhone X Tele and the Samsung Galaxy S9+ Tele in our Video compare tool</strong></div>
And just for the sake of thoroughness, here are the 1080p versions of the same sample shots, as well.<br />

<div class="image-row clearfix">
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=3&idCamera1=300526&idCamera2=300524&idCamera3=300508" target="_blank"><img alt="Video Compare Tool" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/vid/4.png" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=4&idCamera1=300526&idCamera2=300524&idCamera3=300508" target="_blank"><img alt="Video Compare Tool" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/vid/5.png" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=5&idCamera1=300526&idCamera2=300524&idCamera3=300508" target="_blank"><img alt="Video Compare Tool" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/vid/6.png" /></a>
<br /><strong>1080p: HTC U12+ vs. the OnePlus 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S9+ in our Video compare tool</strong></div>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=3&idCamera1=300528&idCamera2=300447&idCamera3=300510" target="_blank"><img alt="Video Compare Tool" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/vid/10.png" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=4&idCamera1=300528&idCamera2=300447&idCamera3=300510" target="_blank"><img alt="Video Compare Tool" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/vid/11.png" /></a>
<a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=5&idCamera1=300528&idCamera2=300447&idCamera3=300510" target="_blank"><img alt="Video Compare Tool" height="" src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/htc-u12-plus/review/cmp/vid/12.png" /></a>
<br /><strong>1080p: HTC U12+ Tele vs. Apple iPhone 8 Plus Tele and the Samsung Galaxy S9+ Tele in our Video compare</strong><script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script></div>
</div>

HTC U12+ review/Camera

HTC Android Review The dual camera is back on HTC Although HTC's flagship went from having two cameras on the ...