The latest HTC phone is gorgeous, powerful, and probably doomed

There was a time, not so long ago, when HTC was the gold standard for Android phones. At one point, around the release of the HTC One, it wasn't outrageous to say its design chops were superior to Apple and the iPhone.

Things have not gone well since.

The company has kept churning out mostly decent phones, but has fallen further into obscurity as Samsung furthered its control at the top, competition from China grew, and the space below the highest-end phones became a morass of manufacturers.

The HTC U11, the company's new $650 flagship, probably won't reverse those fortunes. But if you're just not digging Samsung - or Apple for that matter - it's well worth a look. Here's why: