#started shaming them by offering to borrow my headphones

[safarikalamari]

Coincide - Chapter 2

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Chapter Summary: Senior year begins

Words: 1555

A/N: lmao i almost forgot it was sunday cause i was getting caught up another wip sigh

-

AO3

or

“Race, I got my intern placement!”

Mush bursted in Race’s dorm room, waving his phone. Tugging his headphones down, Race beamed at Mush as he freed himself from his own mess of electronics, almost tripping over his extension cord as he rushed to hug him.

“Mush! Congrats, man!”

“They were just swamped, they meant to get back to all of us sooner but, anyway...they put me at the hospital just down the road! Riverside!” Mush excitedly explained as Blink then crashed into Race’s room, leaping onto the two of them.

“Isn’t it great?” Blink beamed at Mush as the two met each other’s gazes.

“Mm, fantastic,” Race was quick to interrupt lest they start making out then and there in his room. “Part-time or…?”

Turning slowly from Blink, Mush shook himself back to reality and smiled at Race. “Yeah, part-time. They’re working around my classes surprisingly.”

“Oh, yeah, Mush’ll be moving in with me too,” Blink added, an arm wrapping around Mush’s waist.

Race stared at Blink, wondering when he got so behind on his friends’ business. “You live kinda far from the hospital. How’s Mush going to get there?”

Mush shrugged, unbothered by this detail. It didn’t slide so easily under Race and he bit down on his tongue, wanting to remind the two that Mush didn’t even have his permit.

“I’ll take the bus.”

“The bus doesn’t go that far out,” Race retaliated, frowning a little at the thought of Mush walking the rest of the way.

He knew Mush could handle himself just fine, but it was still a trek and after a long day, Mush didn’t need the added exhaustion.

Blink seemed just as calm about this as Mush was, his head resting on Mush’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. I’ll see if I can get different hours at the shop.”

Race held himself back from rolling his eyes, knowing that there was no chance of that. Blink liked his chaotic schedule and the last time he had tried to change his days, it ended with a cranky Mush in Race’s bed, hogging all the covers.

“No, don’t– I’ll drive him,” Race blurted out, then rubbing his forehead at his sudden offer.

He was busy enough with school, but his concern for Mush was overpowering and he held his gaze as his friends looked at him.

“Race, that’s–” Mush began before he and Blink exchanged a look. “Well, let me pay for the gas then, okay?”

Race’s familiar grin came back then as he held out his hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Finally, the tension in the room had broken and the three went back to their exuberant hugging, a few tears of joy shared between the three of them.

“What say we go out and celebrate?” Race suggested, his mind begging for distraction from what he had just promised.

Mush and Blink’s face lit up at this idea and Race made a note to remember where his medicine was for the impending morning hangover.

~

After several scheduling arrangements, Mush and Race finally figured out a way for Mush to get to work and for Race to not stay out too late for Mush’s sake. Ever thankful, Mush buried Race in gifts until Race had to plead for him to stop, explaining that the friendship was simply enough.

“Yeah, but...what if I don’t get off until midnight or something?”

Race quirked his eyebrow, laughing a little at his friend. “Then we’ll get Blink to pick you up. You do know he gets off then sometimes, right?”

“Oh,” Mush giggled a little and shook his head. “Sorry. Just nervous I think.”

“You’ll be fine,” Race reassured, throwing an arm around Mush’s shoulder as they walked up to the hospital. “Hell, they won’t want to let you go. Before you know it, you’ll be a doctor here!”

“I’m just going for nurse right now,” Mush smiled. “Doctor’s a bit much.”

Not quite finished with his teasing, Race poked Mush’s side. “Whatever you say, Doctor Meyers.”

“Oh my god, you’re so weird,” Mush rolled his eyes, despite the smile that stayed on his face. “But thanks, I really appreciate it.”

Falling into their signature handshake, Mush and Race said their goodbyes, Race watching Mush until he disappeared into the staff room.

While a small worry grew at the back of his mind, Race knew Mush would be able to handle whatever came his way. Mush was more than qualified with his caring heart and strong soul. Even when they were kids, Race could see how much Mush needed something like this, just like he need his dancing. Except, Race had almost given up and no matter how much time had passed, that regret would never leave him.

Maybe it was just him getting caught up in old memories, but Race didn’t rush to leave the hospital. He took his time through the lobby and into the parking lot, squinting a little at the sun that brightened the day. A few birds flew overhead and Race smiled, accepting the sign of reassurance as he made his way over to his car.

With each step his heart became lighter and he whispered a small “Thanks, Andre,” into the passing wind, turning back to look at the hospital once more before climbing into his car.

~

“He should be finished in just a few, we’re a little short staffed tonight,” the secretary smiled, sympathetic, though her eyes did not share the same sentiment.

Race didn’t really mind if he was being honest. With Friday night upon them, there wasn’t any pressing matters at the time, he was just looking forward to seeing Mush. Returning the secretary’s smile, Race went to settle in to one of the lobby chairs and tugged out his phone.

He switched idly between apps as he adjusted in the chair until his legs were draped over one arm and his back pressing against the other. He paid no mind to the stares as people passed by, he was comfortable and it was their loss.

As if true to the secretary’s word, Mush showed up less than five minutes after Race had settled in and he laughed at his friend.

“Why do you always do that?” Mush asked as Race got to his feet.

“What, enjoy the comfiness of a chair?”

Mush looked back at the chair, the fabric worn and cushions lumpy. “Didn’t look like your position was too comfortable.”

“Look who’s talking, Mr. Drapey,” Race poked back. “Surprised Blink’s lap hasn’t collapsed yet.”

“You’re just jealous,” Mush laughs as the two cross the parking lot to Race’s car.

“You wish!”

As they drove to the apartment, the teasing continued on only with the occasional break for Mush to talk about his day.

“They’re thinking of moving me to another floor, but I’m not sure I can handle it,” Mush sighed, propping his elbow on the car door.

“What do you mean?” Race asked, turning a little from the road for a moment.

Mush grimaced, a hand running through his hair. “The patients in the ward aren’t terminal. Well, yet.”

Race raised his eyebrow a little at this, but kept his mouth shut as Mush shook his head.

“Some of them will get better, leave the hospital for good, but it’s the ones who won’t that worry me. I don’t know if I could handle losing a patient, even if I’ve only known them for a day.”

Pursing his lips, Race thought of what to say, if there was anything to say. His brother had gone so abruptly, to watch someone die, slow and painful, was unfathomable. All he wanted was to reassure Mush, but at this point, Race felt his words would only go so far.

With a sigh, Race held his hand out across the partition, glancing at Mush when he could. Mush took Race’s hand, his hold only relaxing as Race rubbed a thumb along the back of his hand.

“It’ll be tough, but I know you’ll be able to do it. It’s always hard to say goodbye, but you’ve given them the best care and they’ll thank you for that.”

“Thanks, Race.” Mush’s voice was small and he squeezed Race’s hand.

The ride became quiet, the two unbothered by the silence shared between them. Their hands held firm and it wasn’t until they finally pulled up to the apartment that they took their hands back.

“You’re the best, Race. See you tomorrow,” Mush grinned as he got out of the car and Race gave a little wave.

Waiting until Mush was safely inside, Race started the journey back to his dorm. He still didn’t know how to feel about Mush’s situation, filled with worries that would’ve never crossed his mind, but he knew he and Blink would be able to support Mush through and through.

Race himself had grown, and while the loss would never leave him, he had found his way with family and one friend in particular that never gave up on him. He was ready to take on new challenges, borrow from his own experiences, be a shoulder for someone to lean on.

All Race hoped was that his efforts weren’t in vain nor seen as prideful. He just wanted to help the ones he loved and surely there was no shame in that.

[jerepars]

Banana Pancakes Extended Story Notes

1/1 Home 

Hyperlinks appear in blue (underlined on mobile). The story is posted here.

Betty had set out dried flowers she called potpourri and, to make herself feel more at home, framed pictures of her with her sister, and of her niece and nephew from their visit. FP didn’t mind the display of Jason Blossom’s spawn in his home so much because Betty had made sure to put some baby pictures of Jughead and Jellybean out as well, along with a picture of Jughead with his best friends—Betty and Archie—even if Betty and Jughead weren’t on very good terms with Archie while Hiram Lodge pulled his strings.

This whole thing came to fruition because I thought about Friends 6x08 “The One With Ross’s Teeth”, when Joey’s new roommate Janine puts up a picture of an Anne Geddes baby and leaves out potpourri on the counter. Remembering that scene made me think that Betty’s influence on the trailer would definitely be felt by Jughead and FP, but because she’s Betty, they wouldn’t change a single one of her changes.

When Jughead’s plate was piled with a triple stack of banana pancakes and all the crispiest pieces of bacon, Betty offered, “More bacon for you, FP?”

FP took a long sip of coffee and ruffled at Jughead’s bedhead. “Thanks, Betty, but I think I should get going. Pop Tate has an appreciation for punctuality.”

It took me about five seconds to decide this story would be named after Jack Johnson’s “Banana Pancakes”. The third scene/section has quite a few direct references to the song, which I’ll mention later.

For the better part of the winter, Betty and Jughead had been a constant source of drama for FP and Pop Tate to muse over. Whenever Betty and Jughead were in the diner together, FP and Pop Tate would converge at the front counter and watch the body language between the two as they conversed in a booth. Whether they were together or broken up, there seemed to be a lot of hand-holding. There were lovelorn looks that the two diner attendants tried to decipher as well as bowed heads topped with a beanie and a ponytail, sometimes followed by giggles. The elder Jones and Pop Tate cheered for the latter and had talked about hatching a plan to deceive the couple when they were broken up in order to get them back together. The two men never really did follow through and interfere, but they fancied themselves good matchmakers—fairy godfathers, even—if it ever came down to it.

The idea of FP and Pop as matchmakers is incredible and borrowed from @myrmidonofmelodrama, who deemed them the fairy godfathers of the diner and the town here. I absolutely love to think that they spend a lot of time at that front counter coming up with plans like they’re love gurus. Also, I will accept no less than them being the biggest Bughead shippers in Riverdale!

Jughead and Betty flourished together rather than waiting for a moment that might never arrive. They anchored each other. Since getting caught up in the cover-up, they’d put the work into their relationship in order to rely on each other and know without a shadow of a doubt that they could trust each other.

The first sentence in this paragraph is a reference to a part of The Gaslight Anthem’s “Stay Lucky” that goes: And it feels like all you’d have to do is step outside. Stop pacing around and waiting for some moment that might never arrive.

In the booth, their booth, Betty and Jughead were an image of pure coziness. They sat on the same side of the booth, Jughead holding Betty close against his side, her head rested on his shoulder. Over a shared milkshake and a basket of fries, they spoke calmly, endearingly, occasionally exchanging kisses and giggles. They were the same kind of giggles that floated up into the ether of Jughead’s bedroom and carried through the thin walls of the trailer like a warning before FP knew to put his headphones on and jam out to Whitesnake before other noises began. Seeing them in the diner was like a forewarning. He already knew sleep would be scarce again when he retired to bed later that night.

Second reference to a song by The Gaslight Anthem in this story. This time it’s from “The ‘59 Sound”, just the part when we float out into the ether.

But his son and Alice Cooper’s girl? They were a vision. To see Jughead’s natural smile and the light alive in his eyes was something FP couldn’t put a price on—not in monetary value, not in sleep hours, not in any way. He loved his son fiercely, and Jughead loved him even when he didn’t deserve it, maybe out of a sense of obligation or maybe because the brooding boy had felt at times that his father was all he had.

At around 8:18 of Saves the Day’s “Daybreak” (it’s a 10-minute song), Chris Conley sings, Take a breath, turn around. See the sun come through the clouds. The light alive in your eyes. For all the ways the relationship between FP and Jughead has been tested, and will continue to be tested, I think seeing Jughead’s eyes light up is something FP would have an appreciation for.

“Morning, Juggie,” Betty whispered when Jughead peeked out from under his unruly mop of black hair.

Jughead’s response was to grunt and pull Betty closer into his chest. Like clockwork, Betty’s cellphone began ringing on the nightstand. It wasn’t her standard ringtone, but instead one Jughead could only describe as Hitchcockian.

“It’s too early.” Jughead caught Betty’s elbow before she could shift and reach for her phone. “Don’t pick it up.”

This is where all the lyrics from “Banana Pancakes” come into play. The first reference is probably my favorite part of the song: But the telephone’s singing, ringing, it’s too early, don’t pick it up.

“That horror movie ringtone means it’s Cheryl,” Betty identified the caller.

“Even more reason not to answer,” Jughead said distastefully.

“She’d mentioned having an extra Vixens practice this weekend before basketball playoffs start.”

“It’s a Saturday and it’s raining buckets.” Jughead refused to change his tune. “There’s no need to go outside.”

Jughead’s dialogue here is based on the opening lines of “Banana Pancakes”: Well can’t you see that it’s just rainin’? There ain’t no need to go outside.

For Jughead Jones, who’d gotten lucky enough to wake up next to the only girl he’d ever loved at the ripe age of sixteen, it was hard to want anything else but to lay lazily in bed all day when the whole world fit inside of his arms.

And the final part I used from “Banana Pancakes” goes: “We got everything we need right here and everything we need is enough. Just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms. Do we really need to pay attention to the alarm?

I really felt like the vibe of the song is complementary to Bughead’s domestic bliss while Betty is staying with the Joneses.

Sammy, or Sammy the Serpent, as he was casually known, was the plush toy FP had won at the county fair one year when the booth attendant had failed to guess his age correctly. It had happened during a time when FP’s drinking was near its peak and anything even remotely snake-related was a turn-off to a five-year-old Jughead. Sammy was six-feet long with plastic googly eyes and a tongue made of velvety red ribbon, the sections of his body alternating between sections of green and blue from head to tail. FP had hoped to boost a young Jughead’s affinity for the Serpents by giving him an obnoxiously cute snake plush toy, but instead the boy had banished it to the laundry closet where it remained even after all the years gone by.

I wanted there to be something at the Joneses that Betty would eventually take and display in her room once she was once again living under Alice’s roof. @theatreofexpression suggested some sort of snake thing, meant by the Serpents to represent them and their "brand”, but instead ended up cartoony. I immediately thought of a Dudley the Dragon plush toy I had as a kid that looked exactly like this:

So I said, what a shame that Dudley is/was a dragon and not a snake, because he’s the most non-threatening dragon I’ve ever seen. Then @theatreofexpression pointed out that, duh, just base the dumb-looking snake plush toy on Dudley.

And so Sammy the Serpent was born!

Fun fact: Graham Greene, who portrayed Thomas Topaz in episode 2x11 “Chapter Twenty-Four: The Wrestler” of Riverdale, was Mr. Crabby Tree on The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon.

After dropping her bag on the desk chair, Betty unzipped it and pulled out the framed pictures of Juniper and Dagwood she’d previously put on display at Sunnyside—FP really didn’t need any further reminder of Jason Blossom; his time spent upstate in jail had taken care of that just fine. Betty had a new picture with her, too, of her hugging Jughead from behind with his head thrown back and rested on her shoulder. In the foreground was half of FP, still in his Pop’s uniform. FP had taken the photo selfie-style on the day Betty and Jughead told him they were up in the Riverdale High polls after their final debate with Veronica. Jughead printed the picture on the last of the photo paper left in the Blue and Gold office, and used one of Jellybean’s old Muppets puzzles to make a bordered frame around it. He cut up a Whyte Wyrm magnet and stuck the pieces on the four corners of the back of the picture so it could be put on display on the refrigerator door.

I gave a picture from Skeet Ulrich’s instagram a story relevant to Betty, Jughead, and FP because…well, why not?

[writingdumpster-o]

it all starts with me having an explosive fight with my family and going to work against their wishes

then at 8pm everyone's going home (I noticed irl that Douaïb tends to be last in his floor to leave) and I'm going to the bottom floor (just below Douaïb's) to grab my lunch box. And I'm kind of dragging my feet cause I've already resolved myself to not go home and I'm too proud to ask Maria (who lives alone with her brother) to crash at her place

so the bottom floor is the cafeteria and stuff and I'm like "huh maybe I could do with a cigarette before leaving" so I stay outside and light one and smoke it with a hot chocolate from the coffee machine

and he comes down and we have a conversation, it's 20:45 by now everyone's gone even the work transportation, and he's surprised to find me (as much as I'm surprised to find him) and we have an easy conversation that's of the normal type

he asks what I'm still doing there and I say my ride isn't here yet, hoping he'd leave and let me fend for myself on my damn own. I'm already planning on staying in the nap room for the night (there's a nap room that has plugs and a TV and ottomans you can press together to make a bed)

so the first night I spend in the nap room, normal, I somehow manage to avoid guards and maids but one thing i wasn't able to avoid was security cameras, so next morning HR tell me that they won't sanction it but they'll need me to find a place other than work to sleep. I hide the event from everyone and go pick up my bag (I brought my backpack and a duffel bag that's supposed to be for my workout gear but I put other outfits in it to not do a walk of shame every morning)

I see Chakib in the early morning cause he always comes to work first, which I love, and we have a lil talk about... not my homelessness cause I keep hiding it from the people who could help me cause I don't wanna feel indebted even though they'd do it for me like... out of kindness and their appreciation towards me. But you feel me, I don't wanna burden them even this I were in their shoes it wouldn't be like a burden at all. So then Douaïb gets to work and we talk until it's time for all of us to start working

so the day ends, and we get the news: Forced quarantine. Whoever's at work needs to get home STAT.

And since I didn't tell anyone about my predicament, I can't get a hold of them to ask to crash at their place. Chakib takes his car and leaves, Maria's already at the transportation, and I'm over there with a duffel bag and a backpack and nowhere to go.

I resolve myself to go to my dad's when I feel a hand on my arm.

I turn around and it's Douaïb handing me my charger.

"I thought you had headphones on, but you just weren't listening."

so I apologise and take the charger and start walking aimlessly, and from an outsider's perspective I am searching for a path I've never walked. I stop at intersections and look around, try to gauge where to go, start on a way and then cross the street for no reason. It's a poor sight to see.

so then a car pulls up next to me and I close my hand around my Swiss knife (I irl have a fakely Swiss knife that wouldn't hurt a fly) ready to defend myself. But then a familiar voice tells me to get in; Douaïb's. I do a double-take cause it doesn't make much sense since... he looks so homeless— then again I'm actually homeless so maybe appearances aren't everything. I frown and try to act independent, but he half-shrugs "If you wanna get arrested, that's your funeral, I only tried to help."

He's about to drive off when I open the back door to drop in my bags. It's a surprisingly nice car, it's a Peugeot but I wouldn't be able to tell you its ref, I'm bad at those.

So he turns up some music (he has great taste in music, the best of every genre) and I say I'm going to El Golf at first. But he asks "don't you live in Ouled Fayet?" And I shrug and am like "I moved"

He's sceptical but keeps driving.

And the closer we get to that destination, the more I realise I don't wanna go there. Maybe I should've just said Maria's place, it's not late yet. She lives in Sacré Cœur, we're not so close as to necessitate a change of paths.

"Actually, can you head for Sacré Cœur? I'm not staying at El Golf."

"Can I ask you something?"

"... yes?"

"Why are you lying to me?"

Crap. "I'm not ly— what would I lie about anyway?"

He throws a smirk at me with those intense eyes of his before gluing them to the surprisingly busy road.

"You said I was observant when you were trying to guess my star sign. And you were right. You slept at work last night, but you didn't tell anyone. Not even Maria knows."

I know it's a lost cause, but I still try. "I didn't sleep at work"

At that point he parallel parks his car pretty damn swiftly. I remember being out-of-place impressed with it before realising I was being put on the spot.

He locks eyes with me and just stays silent. And... slowly but surely I start realising my current situation. I don't have 20 things to call my own. I have nowhere to go. I'm in this (as of four weeks ago) stranger's car, and he's the only one who can save me from a potentially deadly virus and homelessness.

And I characteristically burst into tears.So he lets me cry until I calm down. He offers a tissue (those Cotex tissue boxes that every car has for some reason) and tries not to invade my personal space.

After I calm down and slump into my seat in the closest thing to a foetal position, he takes off again. I stay quiet for a while, letting the music fill up the silence that is surprisingly peaceful.

That is, until I notice we're not going to Sacré Cœur. I sit up straight and look around. Algiers is emptier than I ever remember it being, it's eerie at just 5pm.

"Where are we going?"

"You're staying at my place."

"No, I was going to crash at Maria's."

"Not to rain on your parade, but I don't think she can sustain more than her brother and herself."

He's got a point. She's the only one who works at home and even then maybe her brother will give her trouble cause... he wouldn't trust my health like she would...

"What will your family say?"

He frowns, amusement softening his features. "How would they know? I live alone."

Interesting. "And you wouldn't mind having an impromptu guest for this quarantine? It could last months."

He makes a compromise gesture. "We'll keep ourselves busy, I guess. Got any books in that bag of yours?"

I smirk. "Why'd you think it's so heavy?"

Skip to when we get to his SURPRISINGLY TIDY AND CUTE apartment, where a whole-ass wall is a giant bookshelf. It's not full but it's patiently waiting to be full of literature. As soon as I drop my duffel bag and he locks his door, there's a brief silence in which none of us moves.

I'm aware of his presence.

He's aware of my presence.

We can hear each other breathing.

It's at that moment that tension begins. Because we're acutely aware of the fact we'll be spending the quarantine together, when we've never even been alone together save for the cigarette and hot cocoa of yesterday.

He breaks the silence by clearing his throat, which sounds eerily like a cough, making me whip around to exchange a malicious glance.

Out of nowhere, he announces, "Alright shower time, down the hall."

"Wait what?"

"We've been outside all day, they announced quarantine today, that means we're fucking filthy right now. Go shower, quickly so I can go too and get dinner started."

I face him, trying to find a flaw in his argument that's weighed down by his ownership of me refuge and his willingness to have me in it.

"Alright, d'you have PJs I can borrow?"

He frowns, "You don't have PJs in there?"

I roll my eyes slightly, "I didn't know I wouldn't be able to go home in months."

He gives an exasperated sigh and a shake of his head as he disappears into the hallway. I get the urge to go to the bookshelf but I remember the virus and stay put. I try to read titles from afar... There it is. The Van Gogh book that started my interest in him.

He comes back almost immediately with sweatpants and a Silmiya T-shirt. I grimace at the latter and he gives me a condescending glance.

"Don't forget to wash your hair, it's a great environment for the virus."

I mean to object, but since we're going to be in each other's constant presence for a good amount of time, now wouldn't be the time to be snippy about him seeing my post-shower hair.

I go shower quickly, noting that the clothes he gave me smelled like cleanliness and... something I couldn't quite recognise but appreciated.

After the shower, I dry my hair as much as I can before braiding it in boxer braids and wearing his clothes. The pants are a tight fit, but I don't mind. The T-shirt is large enough to hide strategic places that would've otherwise made our stay together uncomfortable at first.

I exit the bathroom after making sure I left everything clean, and then go grab my bags and place them next to the couch, which I'll claim as my bed. I finally tiptoe to the bookshelf and explore titles, grab them individually and look at the pages. Not reading them, but feeling them. Feeling for the worn pages or the smooth, new ones. I vaguely hear him saying he's going to shower, but I only realise it when I hear the water running. At that moment, I try to find the kitchen, cause he said something about making dinner. What if he'd started making something but I didn't hear him when he said it was cooking? Did I have a mission I hadn't heard?

Arriving to the quiet and dark kitchen, I realise that he hadn't started making anything. I'm relieved but also stressed. I feel an urge to open the fridge, but what if he's territorial? He hasn't said "help yourself", like what most people do when you penetrate their space. But I want to start making dinner, first as thanks, and second because I haven't had time to have lunch with the quarantine news being delivered at 1pm and my lunch usually being at 2pm. And I don't really feel like grabbing my lunch— I still have enough spaghetti for two people in my lunch box (I'd packed days' worth of pasta before leaving home).

So as I went back to the living room to get my lunch box, our paths crossed. He wasn't in just a towel... but he wasn't completely dry, either. Tips of his hair were still wet, and he radiated a hamam-like glow. How was that possible in so quick a shower?

[cstesttaken]

Verizon HTC Imagio Review

The HTC Imagio is so far the best Windows phone released for the North American market. In fact, if the HTC Touch HD were to hop on a plane, fly across the Atlantic, and in the process transform itself to get a radio compliant with US 3G bands, it would arrive as the stunning HTC Imagio on Verizon Wireless’ large 3G network. The Imagio does include some nice features that its European counterpart doesn’t, including a Windows Mobile 6.5 experience out of the box, mobile television based on Qualcomm’s MediaFLO technology, a nice kickstand for comfortable viewing, and a sleek design that is both understated and glamorous.

In fact, the only thing that the Imagio lacks is a capacitive touchscreen, which HTC will be bringing to a future model called the HTC HD2–that won’t arrive on US shores until early 2010 and probably only in GSM flavor as far as rumors go at this time. In the meantime, this is the handset to get if you’re not looking for a slide out keyboard like the Touch Pro2. As such, it is awarded the Chuong’s Pick Editor’s Choice award for 2009 in design and performance, bringing the best features of the tablet form factor that the slate HTC Pure offers and marrying it with the technological HTC innovation that comes with the larger Touch Pro2.

Read on for our full review of the HTC Imagio.

Chuong’s Picks is a series that features electronics, gadgets, and gears that I have used and selected due to the product’s balance between performance and value, form and function. Essentially, it is my personal “Editor’s Choice” and recommendation to you to hopefully help the beginning gadgetphile pick from among the best products in a category without having to spend too much money or time researching a group of products.

Device size comparisons

The HTC Imagio is a well-built design that takes its form as a tablet. Like the iPhone, the device feels really nice in the hands with its beveled back edges, giving it the illusion that its slimmer when held. Unlike the iPhone, however, the HTC Imagio comes with a removable 1500 mAh battery–the same variety that’s found in the HTC Touch Pro2 and HTC Hero–that will give you plenty of charge to last through a day of heavy use. However, despite the user-replaceable battery, there is no creak or flex when the battery door is pressed, which is quite the engineering feat for the Imagio–the comparable US Diamond2 variant, the Pure, on AT&T’s network has a bit of flex and creaking noise when the back is pressed.

HTC Imagio front

To remove the battery door, you actually have to dig your nails onto a notch found at the top edge and pry the battery door open. Don’t worry about feeling like you’re going to break the device in the process–the door is really that hard to remove��as you’ll probably end up breaking a nail before you’re actually able to remove the door.

Pry on the notch at the top center of the device to remove the battery door

Once the door is removed, you’ll have access to the micro SD card on the side, which can hold cards up to 32 GB although the maximum capacity on the market at this time is 16 GB, a reset hole, and removing the battery will give users access to the SIM card, which means that the Imagio is a world phone for globe-trotters.

Backside of the device with glossy and matte finishes

The back cover of the device is actually dual-tone. About a third of it is glossy black, attracting finger prints, and the bottom two third is a matte, soft finished black finish.

Also on the back side, there is a speaker grill, a kick stand, and a five-megapixel auto-focus camera.

Imagio on its kickstand antenna; when on the kickstand,

the device’s tilt viewing angle is comparable to the HTC Touch Pro2.

The device is relatively clean and minimalist. On the front side, you get a textured, perforated mesh that’s like a honeycomb that surrounds the entire front face, giving it a cool look like a sports car. The front is engulfed by a massive 3.6-inch WVGA resistive touchscreen, which is of the same size and resolution as that on the Touch Pro2. Below the touchscreen, there is a zoom slider bar with hash marks, also like the Touch Pro2, Diamond2, and Pure.

Below that, you have a row of five buttons–Call Send, V-Cast TV, Windows Start Button, Back, and Call End.

Buttons on the HTC Imagio

The sides are clean. There are no buttons on the left side, save for a small opening for a non-collapsible stylus on the bottom left side. There are also no buttons on the top. The right side has discrete volume up and down buttons.

Volume controls on the device’s slim profile

The bottom of the device, like the CDMA versions of the Touch Pro2, has a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a proprietary mini USB plug.

Although the device has an accelerometer for auto-rotation, many programs will only work in portrait mode. When in the browser–either Internet Explorer Mobile or Opera Mobile–and a number of third-party applications, auto-rotation is enabled. However, on the Windows Mobile 6.5 lock screen and the TouchFLO 3D today screen, the Imagio will operate solely in portrait mode, which is quite a shame as the kick stand can make this a great digital clock from the main TF3D home screen.

Another feature that the Imagio borrowed from the Touch Pro2 is the speakerphone function. Although the Imagio has 1 speaker and 1 microphone compared to the latter’s two speakers and stereo microphone, placing the device on its screen will automatically activate the speakerphone function. Your calls are clear and clean, though not as rich as the Touch Pro2’s Straight Talk speakerphone conference calling feature. It also has a proximity sensor so that the screen automatically turns off when you place the phone close to your face.

Pressing and holding the Call End button will also bring up a screen asking whether you want to completely power down the device, lock the screen, turn the screen off, or quickly set the device into vibrate mode before entering a class or meeting.

Another size comparison

The HTC Imagio comes with the “HTC experience” to simplify the process of using Windows Mobile. This Windows phone comes pre-loaded with a version of HTC that asks you customize and set up the device upon initial use. When you first power on the device, a welcome wizard will guide you through setting up your email, using visual voicemail (which is available with an added monthly subscription), establishing Bluetooth connections, configuring WiFi access points, setting your ringtones, establishing your home location for weather-based information, and customizing your TouchFLO 3D tabs.

A welcome wizard acquaints users with their device and simplifies the process of setting up this particular Windows phone; the wizard runs on initial start up and will continue to appear on subsequent resets unless you’ve finished configuring it or tell it not to appear again for power users. For novices, this is a great way to take the guess work out of setting up Bluetooth and WiFi connections and begin using email.

The HTC Imagio comes pre-loaded with a version of HTC’s TouchFLO 3D interface that is capable of detecting location for location-based services. As such, the main home screen of TouchFLO 3D with the clock can also show weather, which is based on location.

The weather was detected using the device’s GPS; here the

weather is shown for San Diego, CA at the CTIA show in the Fall

To use the GPS and location-based settings, you can enable that in the Settings menu of TouchFLO 3D.

You can enable location-based settings so that the weather

location will change automatically and update as you travel.

Once you enable location-based settings, you’ll notice a little GPS sign on the location-based weather panel in TouchFLO 3D.

Location-based services will use Google Location information;

you must accept the terms and conditions to Google’s services when

The weather was detected using the device’s GPS; here the

weather is shown for San Diego, CA at the CTIA show in the Fall

TouchFLO 3D–which we have reviewed in other walk-throughs previously, can also display favorites (contact information), stocks, bookmarks for Internet pages–which are linked by Opera Mobile 9.5, and email.

You can select frequently called contacts as favorites to

navigate through them quicker in the favorite contacts tab on TouchFLO 3D

The Internet tab on TouchFLO 3D will allow users to quickly

open Opera Mobile. Additionally, users can type in an Internet search

word or phrase directly from within TF3D without opening the browser

first, or launch a bookmarked site.

You can also flick through email by swiping down. More

than one email account can be defined in the ToufhFLO 3D email tab.

The weather tab can display weather for five days, giving

you weather forecast for the work week.

The stocks tab will give you information about the market for

that day; you can customize the tab by adding your own stocks to

Tapping on a particular stock within the stocks tab will

give you additional information about the stock, including charts.

The weather was detected using the device’s GPS; here the

weather is shown for San Diego, CA at the CTIA show in the Fall

If users decide to go with TouchFLO 3D, hitting the on-screen Start menu (upper left corner of the screen) or the Windows Flag hardware key will give them a favorites grid with 30 favorite programs shortcuts. Some of the shortcuts are pre-configured and you can delete and add more applications and programs at your will as this menu is highly customizable. Hitting the left soft key on the screen will give you a TouchFLO 3D programs menu, which will display all of your programs and applications in a full list. Unfortunately, with TouchFLO 3D enabled, you won’t get the classic Windows Mobile 6.5 honeycomb Start Menu or Programs Menu.

The TouchFLO 3D Programs Menu lists all your programs in

a list view rather than the honeycomb look of the default Windows

If TouchFLO 3D isn’t your thing, you can go to the Setting menu, then go to “All Settings” and tap on “Personal” and go into “Today” to uncheck TF3D and enable the default Windows Mobile 6.5 look, which will give you the Zune-like panels interface on your Today screen and the honeycomb look of your Programs menu.

The “classic” Windows Mobile 6.5 Today screen can be

re-enabled in the Settings menu; you’ll have to choose between

TouchFLO 3D or the Windows Mobile 6.5 look.

By choosing the Windows Mobile 6.5 look, you also get

back the honeycomb Start Menu or Programs Menu rather than the

TouchFLO 3D list view of your applications; it’s really a

matter of personal preference.

Verizon Wireless also includes a Visual Voicemail application in the HTC Imagio. Unfortunately, the service requires a nominal monthly subscription fee tacked on to your wireless bill. However, the cool part about Visual Voicemail is that you can check messages, compose new messages, and listen to only the messages you want to hear and in the order that you want to hear them all without having to actually waste your airtime minutes and call into your voicemail box.

There are many options inside Visual Voicemail; it’s not

just about listening to your messages.

In fact, you can even compose a voicemail message

inside Visual Voicemail and send it to a recipient without even

having to dial them! It works by using your Windows phone’s

audio recorder, recording the message, and having the system ping

your recipient’s number and deliver the message. No voice calls, no

dialing, and no outgoing messages need to be heard for

When you get a voicemail message, Visual Voicemail will

display an on-screen notification.

You do need network connectivity and a data connection to

have access to your visual voicemails. The Visual Voicemail application

will use your data connection to download the voicemail recordings.

And since the Imagio is a world phone, you can have set up the phone to auto-detect or use only the GSM bands when overseas. Be sure to check with Verizon Wireless to inquire about voice and data roaming charges or else your trip will end up costing you an arm, a leg, and maybe another limb in roaming charges.

You can access the world phone capabilities through the Phone Settings.

Speaking of phone, you also get a cool location-based application (subscription required, though a 15-day trial is included) on the device. The application is called City ID and will display the city and state of the caller so you can narrow down who is calling you. Unfortunately, it won’t display where the caller is at the time of the call. For instance, if I have a California number and am presently in New York and calling my friend’s Imagio number in Florida, his Florida Imagio will display my location as being from Los Angeles, California rather than from New York.

CityID will also allow you to manually look

up the location of a specific caller

When a call comes in, the notification will display the caller’s

name and/or number as well as the location based on City ID’s reporting

For multimedia features, you have a number of Verizon-based services, some are subscription and some are on-demand. We won’t cover them all in this review, but just to give you an idea, you can subscribe–for $15 per month–to Verizon Wireless V-Cast TV, which will play a select number of television shows over Qualcomm’s MediaFLO streaming technology so that it doesn’t eat up your data plan.

V-Cast TV will also give you a programming guide to

replicate your at-home cable or satellite television service.

And the YouTube video below compares how the V-Cast service is in relationship to the popular SlingMedia Sling Player with Slingbox. Unlike Slingbox, there is no up-front hardware cost other than your smartphone. Also, unlike Slingbox, you do have a monthly subscription cost.

You also have access to the Verizon Wireless V-Cast Rhapsody music store for on-demand music downloads. You can preview tunes and purchase them over the air on your HTC Imagio. Billing is done through your phone bill.

Each song costs $1.99 to download, which is a price

premium over competing services like iTunes on the AT&T Apple iPhone

or the Amazon Music Store on Sprint’s handsets.

There is also an FM radio built into the device; you do need to plug in headphones to use the FM service.

You need earphones to use the FM radio. You can plug in

standard 3.5 mm headphones and don’t need to use the

proprietary mini USB audio out.

Mobile IM applications are also included with the device.

You can log into services from AIM (AOL), MSN/Live Messenger,

and Yahoo! Messenger; if you prefer other applications for

instant messaging, you may try Marketplace for Mobile,

which is also pre-loaded on the device.

Since the Verizon Wireless Imagio has GPS, it also comes with Verizon Navigator. The VZ Navigator service isn’t as elegant and nice as the more widely used TeleNav service but it does provide directions pretty seamlessly. Maps are downloaded over the air and are always up to date; no local storage of maps are needed.

VZ Nagivator works fine and downloads routes and maps

over the air so nothing is stored locally.

You can also search points of interestsThere is a major flaw with the user interface (UI) of VZ Navigator.

From the previous screenshot to this one above, you have to

minimize or hide the keyboard to hit the red “NAV” button at the

bottom center. The keyboard hides this button and hitting “Enter”

on the keyboard doesn’t give you the NAV option either. This is clunky.

VZ Navigator is not the most elegant of solutions, but it does work.

The camera is a highlight of the device. It comes in at 5-megapixels, which is higher resolution than the 3-megapixels found on the Touch Pro2. In addition, on the Imagio, you can select the focus area on where you want the camera to focus. There is a cross-hair icon on the screen. Tapping on a different area on the screen moves that cross-hair focus indicator to that particular screen area, bringing the focus to that area in your shot.

You can change the focus area by tapping anywhere on the

screen before hitting the shutter button on the bottom center of the

screen to capture the image.

You also get a number of controls and options in camera. The downside is that the camera can be somewhat slow in focusing and taking a picture. However, you can also shoot videos.

There are a number of options available for the camera. You

can play around with the settings to tweak the options for the best shot.

Image quality is decent but not the best.

For productivity options, the device comes with the pre-requisite Office Mobile Suite. You also have some standard games to pass the time away in between Word documents and Excel spreadsheets. Microsoft and HTC wants you to balance work and play with your Windows phone.

For workFor play

You also get an HTC-made YouTube player. As our friend on Twitter, Mr. Hi-Definition, pointed out, the HTC application for YouTube on Windows Mobile and HTC Android devices allows you to set the streaming quality so you can get high quality video streaming. Beware, as this does eat into your data plan.

You can set streaming video quality in HTC’s YouTube application.

When you need more applications to keep you busy, you can also head into Microsoft’s Marketplace for Mobile to download and try other applications.

Marketplace for Mobile allows you to shop

conveniently for more applications.

Other applications include Voice Command, which can be accessed by a long-press of the Call Send key.

Voice Command and a hearing aid compliant

setting option are included

For a look at Voice Command, check out our video comparing Microsoft Voice Command with Microsoft Tell Me, another voice control application designed by a Microsoft subsidiary.

HTC also skinned a number of applications to hide the Windows Mobile look. Although Microsoft updated the Today Screen, Lock Screen, and Start Menu on Windows Mobile 6.5, they didn’t update the look of core applications such as Calendar, Contacts, and others. HTC did a nice cover up of some of the major ones. You can see the Windows Mobile 6.5 Programs Menu on the HTC Pure on the video below to see which applications remain the same and which got updated with 6.5:

The HTC Imagio feels like a zippy device and is nicely optimized for Windows Mobile 6.5. For additional specs on the HTC Imagio, you can head on over to PDAdb.net to get the scoop. In fact, there was little slow down with the 288 MB RAM and the 512 MB of ROM is capable of quite a number of Marketplace for Mobile applications download. You’ll want to equip the device with a storage card if you want to play tunes or watch videos on the device’s large display.

The only hiccup that I noticed is that in my unit, Opera Mobile seems to run out of memory–even after a fresh, hard reset–on complex sites like pocketnow.com. Internet Explorer Mobile didn’t fare much better either.

Out of memory error when Opera Mobile tries

to load complex sites like pocketnow.com

Other than that little annoying glitch, the device never really slowed down and reseting the device isn’t necessary.

The HTC Imagio, for those who prefer the thin, tablet form factor of this Windows phone, offers exceptional value in both hardware and software. On the hardware front, you have a proximity sensor, light sensor, accelerometer, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, CDMA/EVDO radios, GSM/HSPA radios for global roaming, mobile TV antenna, and one of the best resistive touchscreens that I have used. On the software side, the improvements brought by Microsoft in Windows Mobile 6.5 combined with HTC’s TouchFLO 3D optimizations make this a truly customizable, finger-friendly, and useable devices. Power users will be able to enjoy Windows Mobile’s high degree of extensibility while novice users will appreciate the glamor that TouchFLO 3D offers. The only weakness is that add-ons such as visual voicemail, mobile TV, and VZ Navigator, all require additional subscription services. However, the winning, solidly built hardware coupled with the great software and UI customizations earn this device a Chuong’s Pick Editor’s Choice title.

-Conference call feature when the phone is turned over

-Beautiful, sturdy design

-Kickstand for comfortable desk viewing

-Mobile TV for those who need on-the-go entertainment

-Large, responsive touchscreen

-World phone: CDMA/EVDO and GSM/EDGE/HSPA

-Accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor

-Subscription services can add up

-GPS lags with other third-party navigation software

-No hardware keyboard (for some people)

-Juggling the End key for its multi-function presses can be confusing at times.

-Not enough hardware/navigation buttons

My rating of this device comes in at 4.5 out of 5 stars. The device also earns itself honors as a Chuong’s Pick Editor’s Choice device for a Windows Mobile 6.5 US release.

Source

http://pocketnow.com/2009/10/20/verizon-htc-imagio-review

[infotainmentplus-blog]

HTC U11 Life (Android One) review If you want a Google Pixel 2 but don’t want to drop so much money on a phone, the HTC U11 Life with Android One is the next best thing. It’s one of the “mid-range Pixels” made under the auspices of the Android One program, only it’s made by the actual manufacturer of the regular-sized Pixel 2. For all its highlights, the HTC U11 Life Android One still suffers from some of the same issues as the Pixel 2 and HTC U11, chief among them being an arguably inflated price tag for what you get. There’s a lot to like about the U11 Life, but a few things to be wary of. Find out more in our HTC U11 Life Android One review. About this review: I’ve been using the HTC U11 Life Android One for eight days, on the Blau network in Germany. The device is running Android 8.0 Oreo with build number 1.06.401.8 and was provided on loan from HTC’s German PR agency. Show More At half the price of the HTC U11 or Pixel 2 but with a lot of similar perks, the U11 Life Android One looks great on paper. It runs a stock+ version of Android Oreo, augmented by a full-fledged version of HTC Edge Sense and HTC USonic audio tuning. It comes with guaranteed OS updates for two years and security patches for three via Google’s Android One program. At half the price of the HTC U11 or Pixel 2 but with a lot of similar perks, the U11 Life Android One looks great on paper It has an IP67 water-resistant rating, a relative rarity at this price point, some of the best bundled earbuds I’ve ever tried, and a really competitive camera for this tier. It borrows the flagship design language of the HTC U11, has an excellent LCD display and fairly decent mid-range specs. But once you scratch the surface, there’s a little more to it that needs discussing. Design It all starts with the design. While I applaud HTC for so faithfully emulating their flagship styling in a mid-tier offering, the U11 Life necessarily makes some concessions to its price point. Rather than Gorilla Glass wrapped around an aluminum frame like the U11, the U11 Life puts a Gorilla Glass front on top of a polycarbonate frame with an acrylic back panel. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the U11 Life feels cheap, but it is clearly plastic. It sounds hollow, is very light and scratches much easier than a glass-backed phone. Considering how terribly this phone picks up fingerprints, I’d recommend using a case, even if its plastic construction makes it less likely to break than glass. Changes in material choice are pretty standard in a mid-range phone. The same can usually be said of bigger bezels, but considering HTC only just managed to reduce its bezel size in the upcoming U11 Plus, the HTC U11 Life has basically the same bezel situation as the flagship U11. Unfortunately, the U11 Life doesn’t inherit the BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition speakers found on the larger U11 models. Hardware The U11 Life uses its large bottom bezel to house capacitive navigation buttons and a solid-state fingerprint scanner. The navigation buttons work fine and can be constantly illuminated or switched off entirely. It’s a bit of a shame HTC didn’t offer on-screen navigation buttons as an option. The fingerprint scanner is reliable but not as fast as you’d find on a more expensive phone. Editor's Pick The history of Android OS: its name, origin and more Sometimes, it seems like we have had Android smartphones, tablets and other devices with Google's mobile OS installed forever. However, it's actually been less than 10 years since the first official Android phone made its … The USB Type-C port is offset to the right of the mono bottom-firing speaker, something my lizard brain just couldn’t get used to no matter how many times I jabbed at the speaker with the USB Type-C charging cable or headphones. There’s a microSD card slot in the nano-SIM tray on the top edge of the phone, which lets you expand the 32 or 64 GB of built-in storage. Those versions come with 3 and 4 GB of RAM respectively, with the 4 GB/64 GB version being an online exclusive available only via HTC.com. Considering the very minimal price difference between the two, the 4 GB/64 GB version is the natural choice (I reviewed the 3 GB/32 GB version). The mid-range Snapdragon 630 chipset lies at the heart of the U11 Life. While it might have been nicer to see a 660, the 630 is still used to good effect. With its IP67 rating, the U11 Life can withstand submersion in a meter of fresh water for up to a half hour, which is a nice addition for a mid-range phone. Like other U11 models before it, the Life doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack, though HTC tries to make up for it in other ways, which we’ll cover further later. An IP67 rating is a nice addition for a mid-range phone, but the Life doesn't have a 3.5mm headphone jack The U11 Life supports Bluetooth 5 so you can enjoy higher throughput or longer range on compatible accessories – for more on how Bluetooth 5 works check out Gary’s excellent primer. The U11 Life also supports always-listening hotword detection, NFC, VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling, and Cat. 11 download speeds of up to 600 Mbits/s and uploads of up to 75 Mbits/s. Display The 5.2-inch Full HD LCD display on the HTC U11 Life was a very nice surprise The 5.2-inch Full HD display on the HTC U11 Life was a very nice surprise. The Super LCD panel offers rich colors, good dynamic range, stable viewing angles, decent if not exceptional outdoor visibility (in excess of 500 nits), and was generally a lot better than I was expecting. It wasn’t always very responsive to touch input, requiring some pretty forceful jabbing at times to register presses. This is a concession one has to make at lower price points, but it is more than made up for in the overall quality of the display. Software HTC’s Edge Sense is a particularly nice addition to the U11 Life. Despite the Android One software experience, HTC managed to get a fully functional version of its squeezable frame technology on board, something even the Pixel 2 hasn’t got right now. Some may see a pressure sensitive frame as a useless gimmick, but I found it very intuitive and used it a lot. The default options are pretty much the most useful, with a short squeeze taking you to the camera app whether the phone is unlocked or not. While in the camera, a long squeeze switches between front and rear lenses and a short squeeze takes a photo. Obviously this is a handy feature while in the water, wearing gloves or when you’re otherwise unable to use the camera as normal. Outside the camera app, a long-squeeze typically launches Google Assistant (you can, of course, modify any or all of the default Edge Sense actions to your liking). Assistant can also be activated via voice or by long-pressing the home button. Unlike the US-bound Sense version of the U11 Life, HTC Sense Companion and Amazon Alexa are not included in the software out of the box. HTC Edge Sense also lets you enable various in-app squeeze actions that you can customize at will. It takes a little memory to remember what everything does but once you’ve got the hang of it it’s really quite useful. You can also adjust the pressure sensitivity of the squeeze gesture or disable it entirely if it’s not your thing. The HTC U11 Life runs Android Oreo out of the box, with a guaranteed update to Android P and Android Q thanks to Android One The HTC U11 Life runs Android Oreo out of the box, with a guaranteed update to Android P and Android Q thanks to Android One. Android One devices are also assured security patches for three years, putting a very healthy shelf life on a mid-range phone. As sad as it sounds, this was a pretty unusual situation until Google re-pitched Android One for the mid-range market. The near stock version of Android Oreo on the U11 Life runs just as smoothly and reliably as you’d expect. HTC has never had any real issues with software performance even with its Sense skin, so this should come as no surprise. Various Oreo-specific benefits are present here too, like background execution and cached data limits to better utilize the phone’s available resources and prolong battery life. Audio HTC also has its USonic audio tuning baked into the Settings menu. The U11 Life comes bundled with a pair of excellent USB Type-C USonic earbuds too. They can be used with the USonic software to tune the U11 Life’s audio to your particular hearing profile. If you’re unfamiliar, HTC USonic essentially uses sonar to map your ear canal. There’s really nothing to it, simply insert the super-comfortable buds, tap a button to emit a short audio signal and it’s done. Your USonic active noise cancelling earbuds are now tuned specifically to your ears. Of course, the tuning can be disabled at any time. I’m far from an audiophile, but even my ears can appreciate the richer bass and punchier highs USonic enables. Disabling the feature flattens everything out a little, and while this adds more to the mid-range I prefer the crispy highs and solid low end the USonic buds produce. They’re also admirably spatial for included headphones and have active noise cancellation to boot, another rare bonus at this price point. Editor's Pick How Oreo is better than Nougat: Audio Android 8.0 Oreo brings with it a host of new features, improvements, and overhauls to the core Android feature set. Personally, I thought that the introduction of more Bluetooth audio options was one of the more interesting … Audio on the HTC U 11 Life is also fine if you want to use Android Oreo’s high-end Bluetooth codecs like Sony LDAC or Qualcomm aptX and aptX-HD with compatible wireless headphones. The absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack will be make or break for many, and there isn’t even a USB Type-C to 3.5mm adapter in the box. HTC sells a digital adapter on its website though, which includes a built-in DAC. Despite the excellence of the USonic earbuds, your alternative audio options are limited. Besides the bundled USonic buds, there’s not many USB Type-C headphones on the market that we’d actually recommend. You can buy the dongle from HTC for your wired cans (because a regular “dumb” adapter won’t work with the U11 Life) or you can switch to Bluetooth headphones. It’s also worth noting that the USonic buds won’t work with the majority of other phones either. Plug them into the USB Type-C port of the Galaxy Note 8, LG V30 or Pixel 2 and audio will continue coming out of the external speakers rather than switching to the buds. This is because HTC uses a digital protocol not supported by many other companies. The USonic buds worked just fine with the Huawei Mate 10 Pro though. The USonic earbuds are really your best option, with no BoomSound stereo speakers Even without the wired headphone issue, there’s no stereo BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition speakers on the U11 Life, just the single mono speaker on the bottom edge. Although the U11 Life’s speaker is apparently “built to be heard from the front”, don’t expect it to be anywhere near up to par with other U11 devices. I’ll grant that it’s relatively loud, it just doesn’t sound great. As far as audio on the U11 Life goes, the USonic buds are really your best option. Performance At this price range you have to expect less than flagship performance, but the U11 Life still performs admirably. Despite its mediocre specs sheet, which it shares to a large degree with the Moto X4, the U11 Life performs decently in benchmarking apps, the results of which you can peruse below. More importantly than numbers, in everyday usage the software runs as smooth and stable as most smartphones that cost twice as much. It’s just not as snappy. Oreo runs as smooth and stable as most smartphones that cost twice as much. It's just not as snappy The U11 Life is naturally not up to the serious processor-hungry tasks a power user might demand, and apps are slower to launch than a flagship owner would be used to. Over the course of a week I never encountered any circumstances where the U11 Life simply couldn’t handle a task or took too long to launch an app or menu. It’s simply a matter of adjusting your expectations and moving on. If you’re at all concerned about performance (and even if you’re not), you might want to pop the extra cash to get the version with more storage and RAM, just to be on the safe side. The Snapdragon 630 is a slightly disappointing chipset choice, because considering the Google Pixel 2 also ships with 64 GB of storage and 4 GB of RAM, a U11 Life with a slightly beefier chipset could have been very competitive. Battery The upshot of the Snapdragon 630 is that the U11 Life does a lot with the minimal battery capacity it has. A 2,600 mAh cell won’t get anyone excited, but combined with Android Oreo and the small, low resolution display, the U11 Life regularly got me between 4.5-5.5 hours of screen-on time. I was never worried about it dying before the end of the day, but it did occasionally get close later at night. With the included 5V/2A brick, the HTC U11 Life Android One takes a little over an hour and a half to fully charge a depleted battery. Half an hour or so of charging will get you just under 50 percent battery. As with most choices in the mid-range, it’s a game of trade-offs. I might lament the absence of a beefier chipset that would’ve nudged the U11 Life a little closer to the Pixel 2 in terms of performance, but the Snapdragon 630 does a good job of keeping the lights on as long as it does. But battery life is far from a strong point of the U11 Life, and might even be its weakest point barring audio options beyond the bundled earbuds. Camera On the other hand, the camera is a surprising strength. The phone’s 16 MP f/2.0 cameras on the front and back produce very good photos for a phone in this price range. There’s no dual-camera bokeh trickery or zoom lenses, but the basics have been nailed. Editor's Pick Best Android smartphone cameras (October 2017) In recent years, smartphones have effectively replaced point-and-shoot cameras, and many have even outperformed them. For many of us, these portable computers have even become our main camera, making photo quality a priority when picking a … As with practically any phone these days, the true measure of a camera comes in low light conditions. An f/2.0 aperture isn’t super wide, but it’s perfectly sufficient for most low-light scenes. You’ll need a decently steady hand though, as the U11 Life doesn’t feature OIS. Its phase detection auto-focus (rear camera only) is reliable though. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the low light photos captured by the U11 Life. Having just gotten used to the Mate 10 Pro’s tendency to crush blacks while obliterating all noise, the U11 Life was a nice reprieve. Noise only just creeps into shots taken in very dark environments, the kind that would defeat almost all phones, no matter the cost. Generally speaking, the U11 Life minimized noise to a admirable degree while maintaining good colors and range. I found that the U11 Life tended to slightly underexpose shots, but you can easily tap to focus and then adjust the exposure compensation slider to get it right for each scene. If you prefer to tap the screen to auto-expose, that’s available as an option in the camera settings. The U11 Life struggled a bit with blown out highlights in dark settings, but that’s true of practically any phone. Colors are accurate and even, without over-saturation, though they’re unlikely to be punchy enough for some. The U11 Life captures a good amount of detail in good lighting, but things get a little muddy in the dark. Sooner or later noise is unavoidable. The U11 Life’s lowlight shooting was better than I expected and you can see just how well it performs against the Pixel 2 in the images below. HTC U11 Life Android One Google Pixel 2 Daytime shots produce very balanced photos and like almost all smartphone cameras nowadays, you’d be hard pressed to mess up a photo on a sunny day. Having the same camera on the front and back of the phone is nice too, especially for the selfie inclined, but a 16 MP selfie shooter seems a little like overkill. I would’ve much preferred a more sedate front-facing camera and the addition of OIS on the main camera instead. The phone's 16 MP f/2.0 cameras on the front and back produce very good photos for a phone in this price range Both cameras have HDR Boost which handles dynamic range quite well, even if it does slow things down a little. The camera app isn’t the fastest thing about the U11 Life and had noticeable shutter lag. I’d love to convince myself it was intentional on HTC’s part to avoid camera shake when hitting the shutter button or using Edge Sense, but it’s ultimately down to the chipset used. Nevertheless, it is something you get used to. The HTC U11 Life shoots 4K video at 30 fps with a six-minute time limit and supports Hi-Res Audio recording in video (which defaults to off every time you change the video quality settings). The HTC camera app has a variety of other modes including a pro mode with RAW, alongside hyperlapse, slow-motion (720p at 120fps), and the usuals like panorama and selfie beauty mode. All things considered, I expected the software experience on the HTC U11 Life Android One to be as good as it is, but the camera performance was a very nice surprise. With a little patience and steady hands, you can get very good photos out of the U11 Life far beyond what you might have expected from a phone in this price range. Gallery Specs HTC U11 Life Android One Display 5.2-inch Super LCD 1,920 x 1,080 resolution 424 ppi Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 Mobile Platform Octa-core RAM 3/4 GB Storage 32/64 GB MicroSD Yes, up to 2 TB Cameras Main camera: 16 MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, slow-motion video, 4K video recording Front camera: 16 MP fixed focus sensor with f/2.0 aperture, 1080p video recording Battery 2,600 mAh Non-removable Sensors Edge Sensor Ambient light sensor Proximity sensor Motion G-sensor Compass sensor Gyro sensor Magnetic sensor Fingerprint sensor Connectivity USB Type-C (2.0) Bluetooth 5.0 Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5 GHz) NFC Network 2G/2.5G GSM/GPRS/EDGE - 850/900/1800/1900 MHz 3G UMTS - 850/900/AWS/1900/2100 MHz - HSDPA 42, HSUPA 5.76 4G LTE - FDD: Bands 1,2,3,4,5,7,12,13,17,20,28, 66 with 2CA, 3CA - Support Cat 9 LTE: downloads up to 450Mbps, uploads up to 50Mbps - VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling (where supported) SIM Nano Sound Mono speaker HTC USonic earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation High resolution audio recording IP rating IP67 Software Android 8.0 Oreo Google Assistant Edge Sense Dimensions and weight 149.09 x 72.9 x 8.1 mm 142 g Pricing and final thoughts Should you spend €350 on the HTC U11 Life? I can’t give you a definitive “yes”. There’s simply too many other competitive devices in that price range right now that now you’d need to check out first, some of which offer dual cameras and other things that might be make or break for you like the presence of a 3.5 mm headphone port. What I can say though is that if you do buy it, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. If the issues raised above aren’t the kinds of things that would immediately put you off a phone, the U11 Life Android One offers a whole lot of good stuff, from software and design to display and camera. My biggest gripe with the U11 Life is the feeling that it’s slightly overpriced. That’s ultimately due to its chipset and battery size. If and when this phone goes on sale, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it— assuming you can make peace with its slower performance and a smaller battery. If you do spend €350 on the HTC U11 Life I don't think you'll be at all disappointed. The HTC U11 Life Android One is now on sale in Europe for €349/€379. The Sense version went on sale in the US on November 3 unlocked for $349 and via T-Mobile for $300. As much as I know the U11 Life is far from the perfect mid-range phone for everyone, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with it and will be sad to see it go. I opened this review with a reference to the Pixel 2, and I’ll end it with a reference to a device I also came to love, warts and all: the Nexus 5. In some ways the U11 Life feels like the Nexus 5: it has its flaws, but if you’re willing to accept them, you’re in for a real treat. , via Android Authority http://ift.tt/2hyhin6