FEATURE
- The HTC 10 runs on a Snapdragon 820 SoC, with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage
- It's the first phone to feature a front camera with OIS
- The HTC 10's build quality, display, software and camera are strong
KEY FEATURES:
- 5.2-inch quad-HD display
- Snapdragon 820
- 4GB RAM
- 32/64GB internal storage
- USB-C
- 3,000 mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 & Sense 7.0
- 12 UltraPixel camera w/OIS
- 5 UltraPixel selfie camera w/OIS
- Manufacturer: HTC
- Review Price: 38999
Design:
- 154.9 x 71.9 x 9mm, 161g
- Full metal body with deep rear chamfer
- IP53 protection rating
The HTC 10 is an evolution of the body design of the HTC One models that came before it, retaining importantly the full metal unibody that previous handsets evolved. This is anodised and bead-blasted aluminium giving a slick, but understated finish. There's a feeling of competency in the HTC 10 that's a result of experience in design and manufacture. The biggest design differentiator in the HTC 10 is the deep rear chamfer. It adds a unique look to the handset, although it's a fairly simple solution: HTC isn't reinventing the wheel, it's very much working with what it knows. There's the fingerprint scanner on the front, flanked with capacitive controls, meaning the HTC 10 makes better use of space than previous devices, as there's less on the display, the HTC branding has been removed, as have the BoomSound speaker grilles.
Although the HTC 10 doesn't offer the sort of water-resistance that Samsung is now including (in the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 edge models), it does carry an IP53 rating. This means a light spraying with water should be ok like checking Google Maps quickly in the rain, not standing in the shower.
Display:
- 5.2-inch display, 2560 x 1440 pixels, 564ppi
- Super LCD panel
HTC has made the display move that many have been calling for: stepping the HTC 10 up to a 5.2-inch Quad HD display. That means you have a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels (564ppi density), making this one of the sharpest displays out there. This is a Super LCD 5 panel, rather than the AMOLED that we saw on the One A9 and as preferred by some rivals. The display is sharp, detailed, and you can tune the colour slightly if you want it warmer or cooler, as well as pick from sRGB or Vivid colour profiles. It's worth playing around here too, because if you like the screaming colour of AMOLED then you can do a good job of replicating it here.
However, this isn't the best display out there and that's not solely due to the choice of display technology: the auto-brightness is a little sluggish and doesn't give you the boost you will need to see the phone in bright conditions outdoors. You can swipe up using the slider in the quick settings pane, but really you shouldn't have to. The result is that the HTC 10 can look a little dim at times and that makes it seem less impactful than its rivals, when actually it's just not upping the brightness enough. Combine this sluggish auto-brightness with the power saver option and you can be left with a display that's not very visible outdoors, especially if you're wearing sunglasses. As a final point, the viewing angles on the HTC 10 aren't hugely impressive, with the display taking a pinkish tinge when viewed from oblique angles. Set on a table, for example, and that might mean things aren't quite as impactful as rivals, but in face-on use it makes little difference.
Camera:
HTC has flip-flopped with cameras over its past three flagship phones, but in the HTC 10, the company has settled for conventionality and the results are much better for it. The HTC 10 is equipped with a 12-megapixel rear camera, with a Sony sensor offering large 1.55µm pixels. This is being called an UltraPixel camera, but you can safely ignore that branding, as that's all it is. There is a f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilisation, as well as laser autofocus. That's a packed spec sheet and the results bear that out: this is HTC's best smartphone camera for a long time. It now offers auto HDR (high dynamic range) which has been missing for some time, balancing out highs and lows within shots without getting too unrealistic. In good conditions, the HTC 10 camera takes consistently good photos, with natural colour balance. It's all packed into a brand new app as well, that's easier to use than the previous one.
These raw files are typically lacking colour, so the HTC 10 is putting a lot of colour correction back into photos to make them look natural again, for all shooting conditions. Luckily, everything looks good in the final images you get, and that's the important point. Low-light performance is pretty good too, along with the good results we've got from a wide range of conditions. The front camera is also very capable. There's a 5-megapixel camera offering both autofocus and optical image stabilisation, as well as featuring an adaptive selfie flash. This will flash the screen in the right tone to match the conditions you're in to keep you looking natural. It works well and selfies are produced with plenty of detail. When the light dims things are a little more mottled, but it's still a pretty good performer.
Battery:
One of HTC's claims was that optimisations and efficiencies were going to result in a 2-day life from the 3,000mAh battery. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to be the case and our experience is that the HTC 10 offers average performance for such capacity. That means you're likely to get through most of the day before it's begging to be charged and typically we have found it lasting to the early evening before it's time for a top-up. In that sense, the HTC 10 isn't such a battery marvel and doesn't really push things forward. It's not hugely different to the real world performance of the Samsung Galaxy S7 (which has the same battery capacity), both obviously falling short of the larger SGS7 edge with its 3,400mAh battery. There is a battery saving mode in software that's an extension of the previous offering from HTC. It will let you engage power saving when you hit a particular battery level (from 50 per cent or less), but it then alerts you that the battery is running low and flashes an orange light at you, so you're better engaging it manually to save power when you need to. This will extend the life of your device at the cost of screen brightness and by throttling the hardware, so things are a little slower.
Performance:
But performance is what keeps people upgrading every 24 months, and if the HTC 10 is hoping to compete with the Galaxy S7 and the iPhone 6s, it needs to be speedy. On paper, the specifications of the HTC 10 are pretty much identical to the LG G5 both contain the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, and in both the processor is backed up by a beefy 4GB of RAM. The main theme for the HTC 10 is going back to basics and getting things right. Launching originally on Marshmallow, the HTC 10 has now been updated to Nougat (Android 7.0), so visually you're on the latest version of Android, although there's no sign of features like Google Assistant. There was a time when HTC changed everything in a phone, but that time has gone and the future is all about customising and making Android better.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 is still the phone that crushes most of the opposition including the HTC 10 in Geekbench’s multi-core test, but it offers weaker frames per second in the gaming benchmarks. Despite having ostensibly the same hardware, though, the HTC 10 is a fair bit behind the LG G5. The Nexus 6P fares retailing for more than 7000 cheaper. What you really need to know is that the HTC performs as slickly as you had hope a top of the range handset would. Swiping between screens is seamlessly quick, and everything performs very smoothly indeed. With the kind of specs included, you wouldn’t expect any current games to struggle. The HTC 10 packs a 12-megapixel are extremely good. Even in lower light conditionsm where some cameras struggle, the HTC 10’s shots are crisp and vibrant. Up close and personal, the camera retains its sharpness, with every hair on my cat’s decidedly disinterested face highlighted for the world to enjoy. The lack of overzealous edge enhancement or noise reduction is a joy to behold. This is a great smartphone camera.
Overall, the software on the HTC 10 is a little like the phone's design: it's serious. Some of the fun has been removed with the loss of some of HTC's quirks, but we can't say we miss anything. The reduction in bloat is welcomed and we've found the HTC 10 to be slick and fast in operation, which is always good. Battery life is slowly creeping up consumers list of desirable qualities in a smartphone, and it’s arguably even more significant in the HTC 10, thanks to its adoption of USB Type-C charging. So, the HTC 10 is slightly above average, but a long way behind the Galaxy S7, which thoroughly distorts the graph. That’s far from a bad result especially as there's a fast charger in the box but, given you can’t replace an ageing battery like you can with the LG G5, you’d hope for a better result fresh out the box.
Other than that, HTC has gone quite easy on Android, reflecting how solid the operating system has become with each improved version. There are a couple of HTC apps built in HTC Club and a help system but unlike on previous handsets these can be deleted at will. The other additions Boost+, for example, which clears memory and theoretically improves gaming performance by clever power management are welcome.
PROS and CONS:
PROS:
- Amazing audio
- Great design
- Battery improved
CONS:
- Camera not impressive
- Boomsound not great
- Slight bugs still in system
Verdict:
We know HTC is struggling in the premium smartphone market. It wants to regain the lost space, and HTC 10 is as good a bet as any to do that.But I felt what’s missing was that extra factor to give this phone the edge, to justify the Rs 50,000 plus price tag. The S7 edge has the dual edge display, which makes it stand out. The LG is going the modular way with the G5 phone. And the iPhone 6s has 3D touch, which others don’t. HTC 10 doesn’t disappoint on any crucial aspect. But the problem for HTC is there are other options in the market, offering a similar experience that comes very close. Two phones I think of are: Nexus 6P, which is my personal favourite, and yes the newly launched OnePlus 3 that so far has wowed reviewers across the board.
You have got to hand it to HTC, though this is a confident return to form for the company. If you can find it for a good monthly price, then you won not be in any way disappointed with the HTC 10: it’s a great handset, and jumps straight into our league table of the finest smartphones. But, given the strength and popularity of the opposition,There are some negatives though: the Wi-Fi signal isn't especially good; the display isn't the best; and the battery life isn't exceptional. None of these points are critical failings alone, but might be distracting when viewed in the context of rivals. Having lived with the HTC 10, it's proved its long-term appeal. It has been updated, it's remained fast and it still offers a great experience. That metal bodywork also ages well, carrying scars with dignity, rather than looking tatty.
HTC 10 the challenge is not convincing users it is a great phone, the challenge is the pricing.
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