If you are looking for a high-end android flagship phone in 2016, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge must have crossed your mind. The HTC 10 has a daunting task of overshadowing rivals which now stand taller than ever, and the fact that it has just had a couple of rough years in a very aggressive and volatile market, further adds to the steep climb.
HTC certainly makes beautiful, meticulously crafted handsets. And the new HTC 10 is as gorgeous as it has to be. But can it make for a compelling flagship alternative? Here’s what we think.
Also Read: Nextbit Robin First Impression – An Elegant Design You Can’t Reduce To Labels
HTC 10 Specifications And Features
| Model | HTC 10 |
| Display | 5.2-Inch, 2K S-LCD Display, Gorilla Glass 4 |
| Processor | 2.15 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 820 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Internal Storage | 32GB, expandable up to 2TB |
| Software | Android 6.0.1 Lollipop based HTC Sense 8 UI |
| Primary Camera | 12MP (Ultrapixel 2), f/1.8, OIS, laser autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash, 4K recording |
| Secondary Camera | 5MP, f/1.8, OIS, autofocus, 1.34 µm pixel size |
| Dimensions and weight | 145.9 x 71.9 x 9mm, 161 Grams |
| Battery | 3000mAh with Quick Charge 3.0 |
| Others | 4G LTE, Wifi, NFC, Fingerprint sensor |
| Price | 52,990 INR |
Design and Build
After the One M7 success formula was done to death, HTC started doing things differently starting with the One A9. The 10 takes forward the One A9 story, stuffs in powerful innards and feels wonderful. The biggest attraction is the broad chamfered edges on the back which gives it a unique, comfortable feel when held in hands. The relatively small chamfer is also present towards the front engulfing the front display glass.
Subtracting the chamfers, the side edge is reduced to a thin lining with a grooved texture power key that feels great. The camera module isn’t flush with the rear casing though.
The super LCD 5 display on the front has 2K resolution and it’s certainly a flagship grade display. The whites lean towards colder tones, but without going overboard. Most people should be pleased by the display on HTC 10, but if you are extremely picky about your smartphone displays, and prefer warmer tones, Galaxy S7 display (in Basic mode) would suit you better.
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S7 VS HTC 10 Vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Vs LG G5
Right below the display, you will find a capacitive home button that doubles as a fingerprint sensor, flanked by navigation keys.
HTC 10 Photo Gallery
Camera
Samsung Galaxy S6 is widely regarded as the comeback phone for Samsung. A phone that put Samsung back on track, when critics had just started writing it off. It was far from perfect, but was still well received – largely because it had a refreshing design and a camera that even made iPhone 6 camera look cheap. It was thus easier to forgive other flaws.
A stunning camera that consistently takes perfect shots with minimum effort is perhaps the key ingredient for successful comebacks.
With HTC 10, Ultrapixel shooter is back. This time, HTC has increased pixel count to 12MP and has also included f/1.8 lens, optical image stabilization (OIS) dual-tone flash and a laser autofocus system. That is might hardware for a phone camera and we were pretty convinced in our initial testin. Going by what’s circulating the web, HTC finally has a flagship-worthy camera.
Also, it must be noted that HTC 10 is the first smartphone which offers OIS for the front camera.
Performance expectations and Software
Powered by Snapdragon 820 quad core chipset, HTC 10 inherently has enough hardware muscle to tackle everything a conventional or aggressive user might throw at it. The HTC sense is closer to stock Android than ever and that’s a good thing.
The 3000 mAh battery on HTC 10 supports rapid charging, and if company claims are to be believed, it goes from 10 percent to 50 percent in 30 minutes.
Then there is boomsound setup which audiophiles will appreciate. HTC has paid due attention towards audio prowess of 10 – and this is perhaps the only area where it could clearly outshine its formidable rival Galaxy S7.
Also Read: All you should know about Smartphone Chipsets
Conclusion
HTC 10 is a very compelling handset which is more than capable of doing what you expect it to. Rest are just numbers or is just nitpicking. Whether or not you side with HTC 10 as against other compelling rivals should be more a matter of personal taste than anything else. If only it was a bit cheaper….
