HTC U23 pro smartphone review – Back to old strength?

HTC gives the U23 pro five lenses, four on the back and one on the front. As so often in the mid-range, only the main camera on the back can convince. It has a maximum resolution of 108 MPix, but the smartphone usually uses pixel binning to increase the resolution to 12 MPix. The color reproduction is natural, sometimes a bit dark, and the pictures are usually sharp and detailed.

The pictures of the ultra-wide-angle camera clearly fall behind those of the main camera in terms of quality. The pictures are less sharp, there is also image noise, and the pictures are distorted at the edges. The digital zoom also does not add much value because the pictures lose a lot of sharpness. The macro camera offers decent results in bright light.

However, the U23 pro also allows taking pictures with full resolution. However, the subject has to be well-lit for these to be good. In addition, the smartphone has a Pro mode in which ISO, exposure time, aperture, white balance, and focus can be set manually. However, this mode can only be used with the main camera.

The front-facing camera boasts a maximum resolution of 32 MPix, but the results often lack sharpness. In return, the portrait mode works very reliably. HTC has a special night mode for low-light situations. There is little image noise, but the pictures remain quite dark overall.

The U23 pro records videos with a maximum resolution of 1080p at 60 FPS on the front. Recordings in 4K are also possible on the back, but only with 30 FPS. HTC only supports video stabilization at a resolution of 1080p. The U23 pro reacts promptly to lighting changes and the autofocus is also convincing. However, sound recordings have background noise. The slow operating speed when switching between the different camera modes is annoying.