GSMArena Team, 23 August 2023

HTC U23 Pro review

6. Alternatives, pros and cons, verdict

The competition

At the time of writing, an HTC U23 Pro will set you back about £499/€550/$670 for a 12GB RAM and 256GB storage unit and €519/£449 on promo. Availability seems pretty good with Amazon US, Canada, UK and Germany listings. You can also get one straight from HTC.com in a bunch of other countries. That is not exactly a budget price point, and plenty of alternatives are available at a similar price point. Many similar devices are quite a bit cheaper, putting into question the value proposition HTC is making here.

Let's kick things off with Samsung and the popular Galaxy A54, which fits the same budget. A 128GB/8GB model will run you just around €350, while a 256GB/8GB variant costs about €399, making it notably cheaper than the U23 Pro. The Samsung phone matches the expandable storage of the U23 Pro and also offers IP67 ingress protection and Gorilla Glass 5 protection for its display. The Galaxy A54 also has a 120Hz AMOLED panel with HDR10+ support. Battery life is notably better on the Galaxy, although the Samsung mid-ranger is limited to 25W charging. The Galaxy A54 also has better 50MP OIS-enabled main and 12MP ultrawide cameras but lacks a telephoto shooter.

Another Samsung phone worth mentioning is the much cheaper Galaxy A34, which brings a similar overall experience on a much tighter budget.

Unsurprisingly, there are a couple of viable options over in camp Xiaomi. For less than the U23 Pro, you can get a Poco F5 with Gorilla Glass 5, stereo speakers, a large 5,000 mAh battery with 67W charging, a 12-bit 120Hz HDR-capable AMOLED display, a potent Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset and a pretty versatile camera setup with a 64MP OIS-enabled main shooter.

Alternatively, you could lower the budget quite significantly and go for something like the ever-popular Redmi Note 12 Pro. Despite its lower price, it still offers much of the same Xiaomi experience, including the stereo speakers, 5000 mAh battery with 67W charging and a 10-bit 120Hz HDR AMOLED display. The Xiaomi Poco X5 Pro is another option quite similar to the Redmi with a Snapdragon chipset and better battery life, but also some concessions, like no OIS.

Samsung Galaxy A54 • Xiaomi Poco F5 • Realme 11 Pro+ • Google Pixel 7a

Another alternative is vivo's V27 Pro. It missed on a European launch, but where available, it represents a great choice for less money than the U23 Pro.

It is hard to ignore the Realme 11 Pro+ in that category. Its starting MSRP is less than €300. All the while, it offers stereo speakers, a large 5,000 mAh battery with a whopping 100W charging and pretty good battery endurance. It also has a large 6.7-inch HDR10+ 120Hz OLED display. The Realme 11 Pro+ has a very interesting camera setup in its own right, with a 200 MP f/1.7 main snapper with OIS.

Last but not least, why not consider a Google Pixel? As long as a large display isn't high up on your wish list. The new Pixel 7a would naturally be our first choice with its 90Hz OLED display, 64MP main camera and nicer 13MP selfie.

If that happens to be a bit too pricy for you, then there is the older Pixel 6a, which is far from outdated. Sure, you'll have to live with a 60Hz refresh rate and a much smaller display, but one that is still HDR-capable. The Pixel 6a also offers IP67 ingress protection stereo speakers and decent battery endurance. Its camera system is still world-class, mostly thanks to Google's prowess in computational photography. And all of this, plus pure Android and very long software support, can be had for just around €330 at current pricing.

Our verdict

As mentioned multiple times, the U23 Pro is not a cheap device. While technically, it happens to be the HTC's headliner, that is simply due to the lack of better hardware in the company's roster. In objective terms, it cannot rub shoulders with competing flagship offers.

In fact, most of the U23 Pro's competitors out there are noticeably cheaper. It's just not a great value proposition. You can get better hardware out there for less.

That being said, prices change constantly, and it is always a good idea to try and evaluate a phone as a product regardless of pricing. There are certain aspects of the HTC U23 Pro we found quite enjoyable. Its design is nice and classy. The inclusion of Gorilla Glass Victus and an IP67 ingress protection rating are both highly appreciated and stand out in the midrange. We also like the inclusion of a 3.5mm audio jack, an RGB notification LED and a very capable USB 3.0 Type-C interface with video output.

Unfortunately, the U23 Pro fails to nail many of the basics. Its display could be brighter and more color-accurate; the thick bezels are quite noticeable, too; the high refresh rate handling leaves a lot to be desired. The battery life is disappointing, and the camera experience is decent at best.

Frankly, the U23 Pro left us a bit wanting. We expected a lot more out of HTC's return to the international phone scene, even if it's a midrange device.