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MagyarHTC U23 pro smartphone review - Back to old strength?
HTC launches the U23 pro on the European market. U stood for high-end in previous HTC models. The previous year's HTC Desire 22 Pro had a different nickname: we criticized the high RRP and the mediocre update support there. HTC only offers the U23 pro in one variant in Germany, with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The buyer can choose between two colors, Snow White and Coffee Black.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83.6 % | 08/2023 | HTC U23 pro SD 7 Gen 1, Adreno 644 | 205 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.70" | 2400x1080 | |
| 86 % | 08/2023 | Honor 90 5G SD 7 Gen 1, Adreno 644 | 183 g | 512 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.70" | 2664x1200 | |
| 86.4 % | 04/2023 | Xiaomi 13 Lite SD 7 Gen 1, Adreno 644 | 171 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.55" | 2400x1080 | |
| 86.8 % | 07/2023 | Motorola Edge 40 Dimensity 8020, Mali-G77 MP9 | 171 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.55" | 2400x1080 | |
| 86 % | 05/2023 | Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Exynos 1380, Mali-G68 MP5 | 202 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.40" | 2340x1080 |
Case - HTC with metal frame and plastic back
HTC relies on a mix of materials for the U23 pro. The frame is made of metal, the back is plastic, and the display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. While the frame feels very high-quality, the back leaves a simpler impression - it can be easily pressed in. The smartphone can be bent easily with force, and the volume rocker has some play. However, we did not get any scratches on the device during the test period.
The 6.7-inch display is flat and there are slightly wider display edges on the forehead and chin. The front camera is located in a punch hole. Four lenses protrude from the casing at the back, which makes the device wobble slightly when typing on a flat surface.
Equipment - U23 pro with many special features
HTC adds some features in the U23 pro that are rarely found in current smartphones, such as a status LED, memory expansion via microSD card, and an audio jack for headphones. However, NFC, WiFi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.2 are also supported as current transmission standards. HTC also installs a USB-C port with USB 3.2 (Gen. 1).
The U23 pro has a hybrid slot: it either accepts two nano-SIM cards or one SIM and one memory card; eSIM is not supported.
microSD card reader
The HTC U23 pro can handle SD cards up to a size of 1 TB. The exFAT filesystem is also supported. In our copy test with the Angelbird AV PRO V60 128 GB reference card, it becomes clear that the transfer rates are not on the top level. A Samsung Galaxy A54 is about twice as fast in this discipline.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| HTC U23 pro (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software - HTC with stock Android but no update plan
The software on the HTC U23 pro is almost stock Android. It is positive that the manufacturer does not install third-party apps. Only the common Google apps and software from Vive are preinstalled - HTC belongs to the Vive group that offers VR products. Although the system is so slim, 42 GB of storage are occupied ex-factory.
During setup, it is noticeable that not all texts are translated into German for the unlock method. English passages are also noticeable when setting up the face unlock. HTC does not use a one-hand mode or special gestures in the U23 pro.
The smartphone is shipped with Android 13, and the security patch was up-to-date at the time of testing. HTC wants to provide the U23 pro with security updates for two years, but there is no statement on whether and how many major updates the device will get.
Communication and GNSS - U23 pro with WiFi 6E
In the network measurements with our reference router, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000, the HTC U23 pro shows solid rates in the 5 GHz range on par with the comparison devices. Only the Xiaomi 13 Lite is significantly faster and leaves the other smartphones far behind.
However, the U23 pro also supports Wi-Fi 6E, and the smartphone can achieve significantly faster speeds than in the 5 GHz network with a corresponding router. The connection is also established quickly in the test and is stable. The mobile reception is inconspicuous in the test. The smartphone supports a variety of 4G bands and some 5G bands, but it does not reach the bandwidth of an Honor 90.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (34.8 - 1875, n=211, last 2 years) | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| Average of class Smartphone (40.5 - 1810, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Average of class Smartphone (229 - 1894, n=61, last 2 years) | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Average of class Smartphone (598 - 1840, n=61, last 2 years) | |
The HTC U23 pro supports dual-GNSS with all common satellite systems. The connection is established quickly and is sufficiently accurate. We took the smartphone on a bike tour together with a Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch. The route recorded by the smartphone largely corresponds to the representation on the map.
However, the Garmin watch is even more accurate, especially in the display of radii. The installed GNSS solution is convincing in everyday use, and various navigation programs work without problems.
Phone features and voice quality - HTC with clear transmission
HTC relies on the Google Phone app. The U23 pro supports WLAN telephony and VoLTE. The smartphone's call quality is good: voices are transmitted clearly and there is no noise.
The U23 pro can get very loud when making calls via speakers. Only background noise should be filtered out better by HTC.
Cameras - U23 pro with five lenses
HTC gives the U23 pro five lenses, four on the back and one on the front. As so often in the mid-range, only the main camera on the back can convince. It has a maximum resolution of 108 MPix, but the smartphone usually uses pixel binning to increase the resolution to 12 MPix. The color reproduction is natural, sometimes a bit dark, and the pictures are usually sharp and detailed.
The pictures of the ultra-wide-angle camera clearly fall behind those of the main camera in terms of quality. The pictures are less sharp, there is also image noise, and the pictures are distorted at the edges. The digital zoom also does not add much value because the pictures lose a lot of sharpness. The macro camera offers decent results in bright light.
However, the U23 pro also allows taking pictures with full resolution. However, the subject has to be well-lit for these to be good. In addition, the smartphone has a Pro mode in which ISO, exposure time, aperture, white balance, and focus can be set manually. However, this mode can only be used with the main camera.
The front-facing camera boasts a maximum resolution of 32 MPix, but the results often lack sharpness. In return, the portrait mode works very reliably. HTC has a special night mode for low-light situations. There is little image noise, but the pictures remain quite dark overall.
The U23 pro records videos with a maximum resolution of 1080p at 60 FPS on the front. Recordings in 4K are also possible on the back, but only with 30 FPS. HTC only supports video stabilization at a resolution of 1080p. The U23 pro reacts promptly to lighting changes and the autofocus is also convincing. However, sound recordings have background noise. The slow operating speed when switching between the different camera modes is annoying.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraMain cameraUltra wide-angle5x zoomLow Light
Accessories and warranty - Only the bare essentials on the U23 pro
Besides the smartphone, the packaging of the HTC U23 pro only contains a USB-C cable and a tool to open the SIM slot. The manufacturer does not include a power adapter, case, or protective film. HTC offers a 24-month warranty for the U23 pro in Germany.
Input devices & operation - Incorrect inputs in the HTC fingerprint reader
The Google keyboard is installed on the HTC U23 pro ex-works. Inputs can be made smoothly and there are no incorrect inputs. The touchscreen's gliding capabilities are good, and inputs are reliably recognized in all areas.
The HTC smartphone can be unlocked via the fingerprint reader in the power button or via 2D face recognition. The finger only has to be placed on the button. However, it takes a second for the sensor to react and activate the display. Moreover, not every touch is recognized.
The face unlock is more reliable and does a very good job even in low light. However, it cannot be activated by raising the smartphone or tapping the display, but the power button always has to be pressed.
Display - The U23 pro lacks luminosity
HTC uses a 6.7-inch OLED panel with an aspect ratio of 20:9 and a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz in the U23 pro. Unlike many other manufacturers, HTC does not allow the software to determine the refresh rate. Only fixed values of 60, 90, or 120 Hz are possible.
In comparison with other devices in this class, it is noticeable that the display of the U23 pro does not reach the maximum brightness values by far. While the U23 pro achieves a maximum brightness of 724 cd/m² in our test, the Samsung Samsung Galaxy A54 manages 935 nits, and the Honor 90 even 1202 cd/m². The HTC also holds the red lantern in terms of color matching, but the gap to the other devices is significantly smaller.
We measured the flickering of the display with a frequency of 120 Hz during our test. This is probably OLED flickering. Unfortunately, HTC does not use an always-on display in the U23 pro.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 94 %
Center on Battery: 710 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.9 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.6 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
100% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.25
| HTC U23 pro OLED, 2400x1080, 6.70 | Honor 90 5G AMOLED, 2664x1200, 6.70 | Xiaomi 13 Lite AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.55 | Motorola Edge 40 OLED, 2400x1080, 6.55 | Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 34% | 34% | 28% | 27% | |
| Brightness middle | 710 | 1180 66% | 905 27% | 1023 44% | 940 32% |
| Brightness | 724 | 1202 66% | 904 25% | 1042 44% | 935 29% |
| Brightness Distribution | 94 | 88 -6% | 99 5% | 90 -4% | 99 5% |
| Black Level * | |||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.9 | 1.5 48% | 1 66% | 1.6 45% | 2.4 17% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.3 | 4.8 9% | 3 43% | 4.3 19% | 3.2 40% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.6 | 2.8 22% | 2.2 39% | 2.8 22% | 2.2 39% |
| Gamma | 2.25 98% | 2.25 98% | 2.23 99% | 2.27 97% | 2.05 107% |
| CCT | 7267 89% | 6489 100% | 6382 102% | 6457 101% | 6422 101% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 120.2 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 120.2 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 120.2 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17903 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Measurement series with fixed zoom level and different brightness settings
The display of the HTC U23 pro covers the sRGB color space by 100% according to Calman's 2D measurement. The color reproduction is okay, but there are deviations, especially in the grayscale. The screens of other devices in this class are partly better calibrated, but the results of the HTC are not bad.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.25 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.682 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.569 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 3 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 8.47 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.724 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 7.746 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 17 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
Outdoors, the panel's low maximum brightness is noticeable on days with a lot of light. The panel is bright enough to see the content. However, there are more reflections than in the comparison devices. The brightness sensor works quickly and accurately.
The viewing angle stability of the display is very good. Contents can be recognized well and do not distort even from acute viewing angles.
Performance - HTC with current Snapdragon
HTC installs a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 as SoC, which is supported by 12 GB of RAM. The performance of HTC's smartphone is convincing in everyday use. Apps are opened quickly and even computationally intensive software like games run smoothly.
The smartphone's performance is roughly on par with the comparison devices in the benchmarks. However, the scores differ greatly depending on the benchmark. While the U23 pro comes in last place in Geekbench 6.1, it wins first place in BaseMark OS II. On average, the U23 pro achieves similarly good rates as other smartphones with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1.
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (207 - 84787, n=150, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (7374 - 29413, n=5) | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
The graphics performance of HTC's U23 pro is solid with the installed Adreno 644 graphics unit. The smartphone is always in the midfield of the comparison devices list in the benchmarks. Even current games like PUBG Mobile run stably in HDR with maximum frame rate on the device.
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Score | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Motorola Edge 40 | |
| Honor 90 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
HTC's U23 pro delivers a strong performance in the browser benchmarks. The device takes first place in the comparison field in three out of five benchmarks. The browsing experience with the smartphone is also pleasant and smooth in everyday use.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| HTC U23 pro (chrome 116) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=173, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G (Chrome 112) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (64.3 - 115.8, n=5) | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite (Chrome 111.0.5563.115) | |
| Motorola Edge 40 (Chrome 114.0.5735.57) | |
| Honor 90 5G (chrome 115) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=157, last 2 years) | |
| HTC U23 pro (chrome 116) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G (Chrome 112) | |
| Motorola Edge 40 (Chrome 114.0.5735.57) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (61.5 - 87.4, n=5) | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite (Chrome 111.0.5563.115) | |
| Honor 90 5G (chrome 115) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 202, n=160, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G (Chrome 112) | |
| HTC U23 pro (chrome 116) | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite (Chrome 111.0.5563.115) | |
| Motorola Edge 40 (Chrome 114.0.5735.57) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (58 - 92, n=5) | |
| Honor 90 5G (Chrome 115) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G (Chrome 112) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 89112, n=214, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (21143 - 34866, n=5) | |
| Motorola Edge 40 (Chrome 114.0.5735.57) | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite (Chrome 111.0.5563.115) | |
| Honor 90 5G (chrome 115) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Honor 90 5G (chrome 115) | |
| Motorola Edge 40 (Chrome 114.0.5735.57) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=173, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (1208 - 2686, n=5) | |
| Xiaomi 13 Lite (Chrome 111.0.5563.115) | |
| HTC U23 pro (chrome 116) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G (Chrome 112) | |
* ... smaller is better
HTC provides the U23 pro with 256 GB internal UFS 2.2 storage. The transfer rates in the test are about midfield. The U23 pro is about significantly faster than a Samsung Galaxy A54. However, the storage speeds are also significantly slower than those of the Honor 90 or Motorola Edge 40 in sequential reading and writing.
| HTC U23 pro | Honor 90 5G | Xiaomi 13 Lite | Motorola Edge 40 | Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | Average 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 36% | 8% | 39% | -45% | -12% | 22% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 992.81 | 1831.4 84% | 1001.82 1% | 1876.88 89% | 528.32 -47% | 926 ? -7% | 1508 ? 52% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 886.2 | 1444.1 63% | 871.96 -2% | 1587.93 79% | 335.39 -62% | 696 ? -21% | 1118 ? 26% |
| Random Read 4KB | 231.78 | 226.5 -2% | 277.33 20% | 235.66 2% | 236.23 2% | 225 ? -3% | 247 ? 7% |
| Random Write 4KB | 267.41 | 260 -3% | 301.41 13% | 229.44 -14% | 70.52 -74% | 225 ? -16% | 272 ? 2% |
Emissions - High maximum temperatures on the HTC
Temperature - Cool in everyday use, hot under load
The HTC stays nice and cool in everyday use. The U23 pro also processes several opened apps without problems. However, the temperature increases enormously when the device is put under maximum load - we recently used the Burnout benchmark for this. We measured a maximum temperature of 49.6 degrees Celsius on the front.
The temperature on the back is slightly lower with a maximum of 45.3 degrees Celsius. Thus, the device gets uncomfortably hot. However, it remains stable in the stress test despite the high temperatures.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 49.6 °C / 121 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45.3 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.9 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Wild Life Stress Test
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | |
| HTC U23 pro | |
Speaker - U23 pro with audio jack
HTC installs stereo speakers in the U23 pro. They get very loud when desired, and the smartphone vibrates strongly on the back when the volume is higher. The upper speaker also distorts when music is played very loudly.
The mids and high tones are strong on the U23 pro, but low frequencies or basses are rather weak even for a smartphone. However, the quality is okay for games and videos when the volume is not set too high.
Some users might be happy about the jack on the top, which also offers a good noise value of 82.02 dBFS. The HTC also connects with Bluetooth headphones without problems. It supports a variety of codecs: SBC, AAC, Qualcomm aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, LC3, Opus, aptX Adaptive Audio, and aptX TWS+.
HTC U23 pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 33% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 59% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 53% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 40% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6.4% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 10% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 83% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 31% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life - High consumption on the U23 pro
Power consumption - U23 pro charges wirelessly
The U23 pro shows high energy consumption in our tests and is roughly on par with the Honor 90. The Xiaomi 13 Lite with the same SoC operates much more frugally. The smartphone can be charged with up to 30 watts via cable and up to 15 watts wirelessly.
| Off / Standby |   0.03 / 0.25 Watt |
| Idle |  1.1 / 2.05 / 2.18 Watt |
| Load |
4.36 / 10.97 Watt |
    
| |
| HTC U23 pro 4600 mAh | Honor 90 5G 5000 mAh | Xiaomi 13 Lite 4500 mAh | Motorola Edge 40 4400 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A54 5G 5000 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -6% | 28% | 26% | 18% | -5% | 14% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.1 | 1.19 -8% | 0.74 33% | 0.62 44% | 0.75 32% | 1.012 ? 8% | 0.897 ? 18% |
| Idle Average * | 2.05 | 1.71 17% | 1.56 24% | 1.78 13% | 1.51 26% | 2.19 ? -7% | 1.452 ? 29% |
| Idle Maximum * | 2.18 | 1.82 17% | 1.59 27% | 1.85 15% | 1.62 26% | 2.3 ? -6% | 1.629 ? 25% |
| Load Average * | 4.36 | 6.8 -56% | 3.33 24% | 3.02 31% | 4.91 -13% | 5.84 ? -34% | 5.55 ? -27% |
| Load Maximum * | 10.97 | 10.93 -0% | 7.59 31% | 8.23 25% | 8.93 19% | 9.26 ? 16% | 8.31 ? 24% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Battery life - HTC lacks endurance in comparison
The high energy consumption already suggests that the battery runtimes are shorter than in the comparison devices. This is not due to the battery capacity of 4600 mAh, which is even lower in the Xiaomi 13 Lite (4500 mAh) and Motorola Edge 40 (4400 mAh). Nevertheless, these two devices last a third longer in our realistic Wi-Fi test.
The U23 pro still achieves a runtime of about 10 hours in our Wi-Fi surfing test. Without extensive gaming sessions, the device easily lasts a day. The U23 pro is charged from 0 to 100 percent in 75 minutes with the 33-watt power supply.
| HTC U23 pro 4600 mAh | Honor 90 5G 5000 mAh | Xiaomi 13 Lite 4500 mAh | Motorola Edge 40 4400 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A54 5G 5000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | |||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 607 | 901 48% | 822 35% | 924 52% | 941 55% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - U23 pro with a lot of equipment but little character
Back to the smartphone world with a bang? HTC's U23 pro does not manage that. It is not a bad smartphone: The SoC's performance is sufficient for all tasks, the main camera takes appealing pictures, and the OLED panel can display content at 120 Hz. However, many other smartphones can do that as well.
The strengths of the HTC are rather in the details. It has 256 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded via a microSD card. It supports many Bluetooth codes and has an audio jack. Thanks to WiFi 6E, the transfer rates are also good and a status LED is almost a unique selling point. Likewise, the software is very tidy, but the software support is short and there are no more HTC-typical features.
The equipment list of the U23 pro is long. The smartphone collects many small plus points but lacks gloss.
NFC, wireless charging, and stereo speakers are also on board. The U23 pro is very well equipped but it does not feel particularly valuable. The feel is particularly annoying considering the MSRP of 550 Euros (~$550), but this is not noticeable when the U23 pro is put into a case.
The battery runtimes are also rather modest compared to the competition, but the device still lasts for a day. Furthermore, the displays of the comparison devices are all brighter. It is also a pity that HTC does without an always-on display and that the audio track has a basic noise during video recordings.
The Honor 90 offers a much brighter display and twice as much memory, but a heavily customized Android interface. The Samsung Galaxy A54 has been on the market for longer and is thus considerably cheaper. It also offers expandable storage and will be updated for many years.
Price and availability
HTC sets the MSRP for the U23 pro at 550 Euros (~$596). The manufacturer sells the smartphone at its own online shop. Alternative, users can order the device via Amazon US.
HTC U23 pro
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08/28/2023 v7
Benedikt Winkel
Transparency
The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.
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