HTC U12+: One too many pressing problems

With the U12+, HTC somehow manages to mess up the one thing that all other phones get right: the volume and power buttons. I don’t generally pay much mind to the buttons on my phone—the Bixby key on the Galaxy S9 notwithstanding—but the U12+’s are so finicky, I actively tried to avoid them.

The U12+’s buttons notwithstanding, I’d still have a hard time recommending this phone. Yes, it improves on the U11 in some key areas—most notably, the camera—but it’s also a stark reminder of just how frustrating HTC’s phones have become. Ever since the glorious One changed our perception of what a high-end Android phone should be, HTC has consistently taken one step forward and two steps back with each new flagship phone.

I was hoping the U12+’s fresh design and mesmerizing transparent blue case would break that trend, but the phone’s quest to be different ultimately proves to be too much to bear. While there are some aspects of the U12+ that stack up to the Pixel 2 XL