【Peter Baumgartner】

As expected,Peter Baumgartner HTC has joined the league of players that believe headphone jacks are relics of the past and don't deserve their 3.5mm space on modern smartphones.

The Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer today unveiled two new smartphones in its new "U" lineup: "its first phablet in a while" HTC U Ultra and "aggressively priced" HTC U Play. Neither carry the 3.5mm jack, a trend that Apple gifted to the world.

SEE ALSO: It's time to accept reality Android users. The headphone jack's going away.

Both the new smartphones follow "Liquid Design" language, a major departure from the aluminium unibody that older HTC smartphones carry. The "symmetric" smartphones have a curved glass body on both sides now with metal running along the edges.

"Hold it up and you’ll appreciate the phone’s symmetrical construction, and the way it transforms light as you turn it," the company said at a media event Thursday.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The more powerful among the two, the HTC U Ultra, sports a 5.7-inch QHD (2560x1440 pixels) display with a secondary 2-inch display (of screen resolution 160x1040) decked on top of it. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and 4GB of RAM, and 64GB internal storage.

There's a 3,000mAh battery to keep the phone afloat all day. The company says it will launch a limited number of HTC U Ultra smartphones with sapphire glass.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

There will be a limited number of HTC U Ultra phones with sapphire glass.

The HTC U Play sports a 5.2-inch full-HD (1920x1080 pixels) display. It features a MediaTek Helio P10 processor, and 3GB of RAM (with another variant carrying 4GB of RAM). The smartphone runs on a 2,500 mAh battery.

HTC is also focusing on "HTC Companion" skin, an AI-driven feature that studies user's interactions to make the phone experience better and seamless, or so is the plan. For the HTC U Ultra, this works in conjunction with the secondary display. That 2-inch display will give you warnings about rain, for instance. Both smartphones run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

On the photography front, both smartphones carry 16-megapixel with HTC UltraPixel technology rear cameras. For the selfie cam, the HTC U Ultra features a 12MP HTC UltraPixel shooter. The HTC U Play surprisingly carries the same 16MP UltraPixel on the front as well.

But, instead of a headphone jack, users will have to get on with the USB Type-C port. Speaking of which, the company also touted "HTC USonic" earphones, which will ship with the phones. The earphones "analyze your inner ears with a sonic pulse, and then adapt to you."

Both the smartphones will be available in Brilliant Black, Cosmetic Pink, Ice White, and Sapphire Blue color variants. According to the listing on the website, the HTC U Ultra will retail at $749 but won't ship before mid-March in the United States. The company is keeping the retail price and shipping info for the HTC U Play under wraps for now.

Will the new smartphones see enough takers? Analysts believe pricing the phones aggressively in some markets is the key. "When it comes to design HTC is still in the game," Tarun Pathak, senior analyst at research firm Counterpoint, tells Mashable.

"Only thing it needs to do is play more aggressively in mid-end segment and leave premium market to partners like Google (which sells Google Pixel)."

---

Featured Video For You

---

The HTC 10's close-up: Solid design, sharp photos and speedy performance

---

Topics Android

• Tech
• Deals
• Shopping
• Science
• Life
• Games
• Social Good
• Digital Culture

• You Are Not a Rebel
• Witness Katy Perry's intimate gig live in London
• These Australian versions of Pokémon are truly magnificent
• Little boy throws totally adorable tantrum after realizing golf is just too hard
• The Eclipsing of Steve Bannon
• LED eyelashes are the future of making your eyes literally light up
• This automatic umbrella won't let the world rain on your parade
• 5 ways to turn your setbacks into long
• Preserve Yourself!
• Listen to the largest planet in our solar system sing its song

• Tesla delivers EVs with missing USB
• Samsung's One UI 4 brings new customization options for your Galaxy S21 phone
• Microsoft has sent out free $100 gift cards
• 7 essential apps that will help you redecorate or redesign your house
• ‘Red Notice’ plays like ‘Blue’s Clues’ for grown
• Myanmar activists respond to Mark Zuckerberg's email on hate speech
• Cat has delightfully surprised reaction to meeting owner 1/4 mile away from home
• Janelle Monae's new "pussypants" video is the stuff of feminist dreams
• Molly Ringwald on 'The Breakfast Club' and how to watch films now
• Instagram's 'rage shake' lets you dramatically report app issues

• Presidential Confusion
• 5 ways to turn your setbacks into long
• Rosario Dawson will not rest until she is in every superhero universe
• Wrong number leads to happy wedding for acid attack survivor and the pictures are gorgeous
• Sex, Lies, and Videotape
• Apple rumored to go with 18:9 screen a ratio for iPhone 8
• The Warriors have been unbeatable since Klay Thompson fulfilled a weird autograph request
• Tech that only took 40 years to do better than 'Star Wars'
• Mattress Mack Will Save You
• Listen to the largest planet in our solar system sing its song

• Goodbye, Pepe
• Sign about harassing female bartenders deserves a standing ovation
• Careful: Nintendo is banning hacked 3DS systems
• Wrong number leads to happy wedding for acid attack survivor and the pictures are gorgeous
• New Atheism’s Idiot Heirs
• Even Captain America knows Twitter will be outraged by jailed reporters
• 'Game of Thrones' Season 7 trailer hits viewing record
• 'The Get
• Weekly Bafflements
• Women's tech group to Uber: We're done with you