HTC 10: First view of the new flagship

HTC 10 was officially presented to the world, after an impressive series of leaks, namely images and specifications. We reviewed HTC 10, and below you get our first impressions about the best phone ever made by Taiwanese.

HTC 10 was officially released, and could be the smartphone that everyone expected from HTC. The company managed to shine with HTC One M7, but the M8 and M9 have disappointed both HTC fans and press. With a slightly modified design, but with interesting top specifications and features – HTC 10 is the Taiwanese phone which claims to be perfect.

HTC 10 – specs:

First thing, let’s talk about HTC specs. HTC 10 has a Super LCD 5.2 inch display with QHD resolution. It is powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB RAM .The storage capacity is 32GB and there is the option to increase the space through a microSD card. HTC has a 3,000 mAh battery which should last for two days without problems, a fingerprint sensor and stereo speakers. The cams are as follows: a 12MP and a front 5MP, and both have optical stabilization and the main one is Ultrapixel type.

HTC 10 knows how to render HiRes sound, and the package includes a pair of compatible headphones, also, rapid charging is done through a special charger from Qualcomm, which ensures that the smartphone is always at an optimum temperature. The phone runs on Android 6.0 OS and HTC has significantly reduced the bloatware.

The smartphone does not withstand immersion, but withstands a splash, also resists at very low temperatures (-20 degrees Celsius) or very high ones(more than 60 degrees Celsius).

Until now, all rumors were confirmed, let’s see what news we can tell about this smartphone.

HTC 10 looks exactly like the pictures leaked on the Internet, but it is a phone to be seen up close, to truly appreciate the design philosophy. It is made from a single piece of metal and it is a robust phone, but compact enough and heavy enough, but not so heavy to hold, as to cause discomfort. The “sculpted” design line surrounding the phone is an interesting design element, and reflects light beautifully, and also offers a better grip on the device. The metal design is interrupted by plastic antenna strips, but that does not disturb visually in any way. The camera is slightly out of the case, as shape, but will not make it difficult for users.

Regarding its front, HTC listened to the fans and gave up the dead space on the screen, also the company logo does not appear there. Moreover, the smartphone has now physical capacitive buttons under the display, and the central one functions as a fingerprint sensor. Speaking of this, it should unlock the phone in just 0.2 seconds, and the fact is, that it’s fast. The volume buttons and the screen lock one are placed on the right side, and on the left we find the SIM slot and microSD card. The edges surrounding the display are not very thick, and the aspect of the phone is elegant.
HTC 10 is a nice phone, whatever you’ll say. In our opinion, it is not over the Samsung Galaxy S7, but compared to LG G5 – is a real gem. Phone looks like it’s worth the money.

The QHD display is bright and offers vivid, yet natural colors. This QHD resolution is an important addition compared to last year’s model, and HTC10 also has wide viewing angles. We used it under the blind light of a neon, but also in bright sunlight and had no problems with viewing the information on it.

HTC 10 – Performance and interface

HTC 10 functions pretty well.
There will be benchmark testing and gaming tests, to prove if it moves better than other flagships or not, but in the short time we had with the phone, we found a performant smartphone up to the various tasks you will throw at it.

This is due, of course, also to its interface. HTC gave up bloatware, meaning they removed all duplicate applications and kept a minimum of useful programs for users. Furthermore, the Sense interface has always been one simple and easy to use, and the optimizations made by the Taiwanese could bring joy to even the most ardent Nexus fans. Company representatives say that the transition from one app to another is very quick, requiring only 120 milliseconds to perform this operation.

Also on the performance chapter, HTC Boost + function should be mentioned, designed to properly manage resources of the smartphone, depending on how much those are needed by an application within a certain time.

Those who wish of a high degree of customization will not be at all disappointed by HTC 10, given that one of the themes allows you to move app icons in any pixel on the screen, no longer constrained by the traditional Android grid.

HTC 10 – cam and sound

The cameras are the stars of the HTC10. The main cam has 12MP and is a Ultrapixel (pixels have 1.55 microns, the largest on a smartphone) and it also has optical stabilization. What does this mean? Maximum detail images, even in the worst light conditions. I can’t say that I played a lot with the cam, but in decent light conditions, it snaps very good photos. It remains to test it more, but I was really excited to what we have seen until now. HTC 10 might have the best integrated camera ever on a smartphone.

Speaking of “best integrated camera ever on a smartphone”, front camera too deserves a mention. HTC is the first company that has a cam for selfies, with optical stabilization, and besides that, it also has 1.34 micron pixels. Because we do “self-portraits” in the dark, right?

Moving from cams to sound, must say I am glad this rumor has not been confirmed. When first HTC 10 images began to appear online, everyone assumed that the Taiwanese have given up the BoomSound exceptional technology. Fortunately, BoomSound is there, but uses the speaker above the display) in combination with the one next to the USB C port, to broadcast sound directly at the listener. It is an impressive technology, and I heard how a gadget of a few centimeters, which contains a lot of other components, fills a room with low and high frequencies at very good quality. Also in the sound section, it is worth mentioning again that HTC 10 can output Hi-Res sound directly in the headphones, and the pair included in the package does a very good job on this.

HTC 10 Price and conclusions

HTC 10 price is $699 dollars, somewhere between the price of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7edge. Quite sizable, but given the added value users receive only by the premium accessories (headphones and Qualcomm Quick Charge 3 charger), could be an inspired choice.

The HTC 10 smartphone could be saving the company (at least in the smartphone segment) and is, undoubtedly the gadget fans awaited for years. HTC 10 is at least at first impression, a brilliant phone and I hope this rating not to change after a detailed review.