The HTC U12+ will sell only through HTC in Australia
HTC skips carriers and physical retail for the premium HTC U12+ handset, which will cost $1,199 locally.
We liked the HTC U12+ a lot when we reviewed it recently. Indeed, it's HTC's best phone to date and a very solid competitor in the premium phone space. However, that review was in advance of its availability locally, or indeed any concrete pricing information.
HTC has just announced that the HTC U12+ will go on sale through its website only in Australia, and only in the translucent blue finish. It will cost $1,199, and is on "pre-order" from HTC's local website today, with a bonus Harman Kardon wireless speaker valued at $179 with each pre-order. HTC says that pre-orders will ship from the end of July.
That means that if you were keen on the HTC U12+, you're not likely to be able to score one through a carrier partner. That pricing does put it slightly at the pointy end of premium non-Samsung/Apple pricing, given that competitors such as the Huawei P20 Pro, Sony Xperia XZ2 or LG G7 ThinQ all retail at $1,099. Or in other words, if you're in the premium outright phone market, you've got some tricky choices to make.
