New HTC U 11 Promo Video Teases '360 Real-Life Recording'

HTC has released a new promotional video on its YouTube channel teasing that the HTC U 11 will feature “360 real-life recording.” The upcoming flagship handset is expected to be officially revealed next week on May 16.

The video shared by HTC on its YouTube channel features a person being circled by four people on motorcycles. The person in the middle appears to be recording a video of the motorcycles as they drive around him. The accompanying video description simply says “360 real-life recording. 05.16.17.”

The most obvious conclusion is that the HTC U 11 will feature 360-degree video recording, as pointed out by Android Authority. HTC’s short teaser didn’t exactly show how its new flagship will be able to do this, nor did the company even say that the feature its teasing is for recording 360-degree videos.

However, any smartphone with decent cameras is able to shoot 360-degree photos and videos as long as it comes with the right software, as pointed out by Droid Life. The HTC U 11 is rumored to come with a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera with an f/1.7 lens and HTC’s UltraPixel 3 sensor. The camera up front is also pretty good as it comes with a 16-megapixel sensor.

If HTC has found a way to make those two camera work together, then recording 360-degree video recording is certainly possible when it comes to resolution. If the Taiwanese phone maker does indeed bring 360-degree video recording to the U 11, HTC’s new 2017 flagship will be the first smartphone to ever have that kind of feature.

HTC has also made a name for itself in the virtual reality technology with its Vive VR headset. It does make sense that the company would find a way to incorporate what they’ve learned from the Vive into one of its smartphones. Perhaps 360-degree videos recorded on the HTC U 11 will be watchable on the company’s VR headset, as speculated by Android Headlines.

Another possible feature that HTC is teasing is that the HTC U 11 might simply be capable of recording 360-degree sound, as pointed out by Phone Arena. After all, HTC’s promotional video didn’t really say that it was for recording 360-degree video, for the add only mentioned “360 real-life recording.”

Another thing that’s weird about the video is that it didn’t feature any music or sound, like its previous other teasers. It’s possible that HTC is doing this on purpose to make the reveal of the 360-degree sound recording a big deal.

HTC has also been experimenting with excellent sound recording and even added four omnidirectional microphones on the HTC U Ultra that is able to record positional sound. Perhaps that’s the precursor to the HTC U 11’s 360-degree sound recording. Another possiblity, and probably the most unlikely, is that the U 11 will feature both 360-degree video and sound recording.

HTC is scheduled to reveal the HTC U 11 on May 16 in New York at 2 a.m. The upcoming flagship’s rumored specs include a 5.5-inch 1440p 2K display, the Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

The HTC U 11 is also expected to come with a metallic frame that houses an array of sensors which will be able to detect the user’s gestures, swipes and squeezes. This will be the standout feature of the handset and will be called Edge Sense.