HTC U23 Pro: A Snapdragon 7 Gen 1-powered, ‘Metaverse’ smartphone

It’s been a long while now since HTC was relevant in the smartphone scene, with most of their work in recent years being more to do with virtual reality and augmented reality products such as the HTC VIVE. Perhaps that’s why then that with their return to the smartphone space, they’ve come up with the HTC 23 Pro, a midrange device that’ll also supposedly ‘blend the real and virtual worlds’ in the metaverse.

Let’s first take a look at the hardware on offer. The HTC U23 Pro features a 6.7-inch, FHD+ OLED display capable of a 120Hz refresh rate along with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus over it for scratch resistance. You’ll also find the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 system-on-chip from last year under the hood, mated to up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage with Android 13 out of the box.

Elsewhere, there’s a quad rear camera setup with a main 108MP, f/1.7 camera with optical image stabilisation flanked by an 8MP, f/2.4 ultrawide shooter along with a 5MP, f/2.2 macro lens and a 2MP, f/2.4 depth sensor. Up front meanwhile is a front facing 32MP, f/2.45 camera for all your selfie needs.

Other features of note include a 4,600mAh battery with 30W fast charging along with 15W wireless charging. You’ll also find a 3.5mm headphone jack, an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor as well as reverse wireless charging. The HTC U23 Pro also supports WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 5G and NFC wireless connectivity, and will be available in either Coffee Black or Snow White.

As for what actually makes it a Metaverse-focused smartphone, according to HTC you’ll be able to ‘begin your Viverse story’ with the U23 Pro. Essentially, the device comes with HTC’s Viverse app pre-installed, which is a VR platform that HTC says allows users and communities to get connected in the metaverse. You can use it to message others via augmented reality, manage your crypto assets with Vive Wallet as well as a companion for your HTC VIVE VR headset, which unfortunately does not come bundled with the U23 Pro.

There’s no word just yet on whether or not the HTC U23 Pro will be coming to Malaysia, but it is available not just in their home country of Taiwan but also some regions outside it such as the United Kingdom, where you can currently pre-order it for £499 (~RM2,818.77). For more information about the HTC U23 Pro, you can check out its product page here.