HTC U: IP57 water resistance, dual SIM variant, and no audio jack

More details about HTC’s new Snapdragon 835-powered flagship have surfaced ahead of its rumored launch this month.

LlabTooFeR, noted HTC ROM developer and frequent leaker, revealed some new tidbits about the HTC U, which you may know under its Ocean codename.

The HTC U will feature an IP57 ingress protection rating, according to the leak, which means the phone should be able to survive being immersed in up to one meter of water and withstand most dust particles. For comparisons, U competitors like the Galaxy S8 and LG G6 are both rated at a slightly better IP68.

The U won’t be the first water-resistant smartphone from HTC – that distinction goes to the Sprint-bound Bolt (and its international variant, HTC 10 Evo), which hasn’t seen a wide release however.

Like the Bolt and its lesser namesakes, the U Ultra and U Play, the HTC U will not feature an audio jack, LlabTooFeR claims. The device will be available in single and dual-SIM versions, depending on the market.

Over the weekend, Evan Blass shared the first live picture of the HTC U (seen above), and there’s not much to write home about. It’s the same design language we’ve seen on the U Ultra and a bunch of previous HTC devices. It’s rather generic too, though the grainy leaked image might obscure its true appeal. That said, there’s something special hidden beneath the U’s mundane skin – sensors embedded in the phone’s metallic frame will reportedly allow users to control it with squeeze gestures.

Other leaked HTC U specs include: