HTC U Ultra unboxing and first impressions

HTC's new flagship phone, the U Ultra, is a bit of a departure from its predecessors. The most noticeable change is in the design, which really hadn't changed much throughout four generations of the One series of handsets. Now, the U Ultra has what the firm is calling a 'liquid surface', and while it definitely makes for a beautiful device, it does catch fingerprints easily.

It also features a two-inch second screen, similar to LG's V20. The 160x1040 display sits on top of the 5.7-inch 2560x1440 Super LCD5, which frankly looks great.

But there's only one problem. The U Ultra is not sold by any carriers, so you can only buy it unlocked for $749. And other than the display and the body, not all that much has changed since the HTC 10. The Snapdragon 821 is a modest improvement on the 820, the rear camera seems to be the same, and the screen is also identical.

At this point, the question doesn't seem to be whether the U Ultra is a good phone or not - as the 10 was great - but whether it's worth laying down $749 for. Take an early look by checking out our unboxing and first impressions video below.