Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer Hisense announced last Friday the H11, its latest Android smartphone meant to compete in the mid-range segment of the market. The device is being advertised as a photography-focused offering available at a reasonable price point which starts at approximately $411.
No specific release date has yet been provided by Hisense, with the H11 only being announced as coming soon. The smartphone will be offered in Blue, Gray, and Gold variants, none of which are likely to make their way outside of the Far Eastern country anytime soon.
Like many other phone makers, Hisense opted to embrace the 18:9 (2:1) aspect ratio popularized over the course of 2017, with the H11 featuring the same elongated form factor that’s been commercialized on numerous occasions in the last 12 months.
The smartphone’s 5.99-inch display panel stretches to its long sides but is sandwiched between relatively regular-sized bezels, as revealed by its first official renders seen in the gallery below. The screen supports an FHD+ resolution of 2,160 by 1,080 pixels and covers nearly 85 percent of the H11’s front panel, Hisense said. The H11 utilizes a metal-and-glass design characterized by a curved rear plate but doesn’t support wireless charging and isn’t waterproof, though its 3,400mAh battery can utilize Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 solution.
The newly announced device is powered by the Snapdragon 630, a 2017 mid-range chip which was already commercialized as part of a broad range of Android smartphones including the HTC U11 Life, Sony Xperia XA2, and Motorola Moto X4. The base model of the H11 ships with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal flash memory, with its more premium variant boasting twice the storage space and 6GB of RAM.
Hisense didn’t reveal how much the more expensive model will cost but a price tag of around $490 seems likely according to some reports.
The dual-camera setup of the H11 entails a 12-megapixel sensor supported by an 8-megapixel one, with the system allowing for 2x optical zoom and being backed by an LED flash. The top bezel of the handset accommodates a 20-megapixel camera with another flash unit and support for various beautification modes. The H11 runs Android 7.0 Nougat but it’s currently unclear whether it will eventually be upgraded to 8.0 Oreo.
Facial recognition and an integrated voice assistant are also included in the newly announced mobile package.
The availability of this device in Africa is yet to be announced. Tech Voice Africa will keep monitoring to report on any new developments regarding the Smartphone’s debut on the continent.
