HTC 10 Review: A Comprehensive Look

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A close-up of a hand holding an HTC smartphone with visible apps on the screen, in an outdoor setting.
Credit: pexels.com, A close-up of a hand holding an HTC smartphone with visible apps on the screen, in an outdoor setting.

The HTC 10 is a flagship device that packs a punch, with a 5.2-inch Super LCD 5 display that's a real treat for the eyes. It boasts a Quad HD resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels, making it perfect for watching movies or browsing through your favorite shows.

The phone's design is sleek and minimalist, with a metal unibody that feels premium in your hands. The device measures 145.9 x 70.9 x 9.0 mm and weighs 161 grams, making it comfortable to hold and use.

Under the hood, the HTC 10 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. This setup provides seamless performance and efficient multitasking, making it ideal for heavy users.

Design and Hardware

The HTC 10 has a sleek and durable design, featuring an aluminum body with a unibody design. It's made to withstand daily wear and tear.

Credit: youtube.com, HTC 10: Design

The phone's display size is 5.2 inches, with a 1440x2560 Gorilla Glass 3 screen. This provides a great viewing experience.

The HTC 10 is 9mm thick, which is 1.8mm thicker than the iPhone 6S Plus. It's also worth noting that the phone curves up when it lies flat on a desk, making it thinner at its thinnest point of 3mm.

A Familiar Look

The HTC 10's design is quite familiar, with a 5.2-inch display that's 0.2 inches larger than the HTC One A9.

You'll notice the phone curves up when it's flat on a desk, making it thinnest point 3mm, but overall it's 9mm thick, which is 1.8mm thicker than the iPhone 6S Plus.

The lack of front-facing speakers is a notable change, and the chamfered edges on the back and front of the phone add a nice grip when handling it.

The back design features a solid aluminum matte finish with a thick chamfered border around the frame, which is also visible on the front, albeit thinner.

HTC VIVE Controller
Credit: pexels.com, HTC VIVE Controller

The full-glass front replaces the metal frame found on previous HTC devices, and the dedicated home button is a nice touch, similar to the HTC One A9.

You'll find the 3.5mm headphone jack at the top-center of the phone, and the fingerprint sensor on the front unlocks the device in just 0.2 seconds.

The HTC 10 also features IP53 certification, which means it's protected from dust and can handle a light stream of water, but it's not as water-resistant as some competing handsets.

Hardware

The HTC 10 features an aluminum body with a unibody design.

One notable change from previous HTC smartphones is the removal of dual front-facing audio speakers, which were a hallmark of the HTC One M9.

The phone still has 2 speakers, but they're now located on the top bezel and bottom edge of the phone.

The HTC 10's 5.2-inch 1440x2560 Gorilla Glass 3 screen is protected and provides a high-quality viewing experience.

Credit: youtube.com, How to Design Hardware Products with Hosain Rahman (How to Start a Startup 2014: Lecture 17)

A fingerprint sensor is conveniently located under the screen, making it easy to unlock your phone.

The HTC 10 is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and 4 GB RAM, which provides fast performance and seamless multitasking.

The phone also features Adreno 530 integrated graphics, which handle graphics-intensive tasks with ease.

For charging, the HTC 10 uses USB-C and Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0, making it quick and convenient to top up your battery.

The HTC 10 also includes a dedicated DAC (Digital Audio Converter) provided by Qualcomm, which enhances audio quality.

The HTC 10 boasts the first optically stabilized front camera in mobile phones, providing clear and stable images.

Performance and Specs

The HTC 10's processor is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, an Adreno 530 GPU, and 4GB of RAM.

The device also features a Quad HD resolution of 2,560 × 1,440 pixels and a pixel density of 564 ppi.

You can choose between 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, and the 10 offers MicroSD support to expand up to 2TB of Flex storage.

Credit: youtube.com, HTC 10: Performance

Flex storage lets you use external storage as your internal one, an Android Marshmallow feature that HTC has incorporated into the 10.

The HTC 10 includes support for Quick Charge 3.0, which can get you to 50 percent in 30 minutes.

A large 3,000mAh battery powers the device, and it uses a USB Type-C charging port for higher-power output, bidirectional charging, and a reversible connector.

Camera and Features

The HTC 10's cameras are truly world-class, with optical-image stabilization on both the rear and front-facing cameras.

This unique feature makes it stand out from the competition.

HTC's Ultrapixel 2 camera tech is another notable improvement, which increases the size of individual pixels to absorb more light, especially in low-light scenarios.

The 12-megapixel rear camera boasts a larger pixel size of 1.55μm, making it perfect for capturing great shots in dimly lit environments.

The rear camera also features laser autofocus, an f/1.8 aperture, dual LED flash, RAW format support, and 4K video recording with hi-res audio.

Take a look at this: Computer Camera Windows 10

Credit: youtube.com, HTC 10 Camera Feature Focus

You can even shoot videos in slow motion at 720p and 120 frames per second.

The front-facing camera is no slouch either, allowing you to record videos at 1080p with a 5-megapixel sensor and 1.34μm pixel size.

Both the rear and front-facing cameras have optical-image stabilization and a f/1.8 aperture, making them well-suited for capturing great photos and videos.

DxOMark, a reputable software company, gave the HTC 10 a score of 88, putting it side-by-side with the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – the highest score for mobile devices.

User Experience

The HTC 10's user experience is impressive, especially with its iconic design featuring a tank-like metal body.

It's a testament to HTC's craftsmanship that they were able to create a phone with such a solid build quality.

The HTC 10's metal body gives it a premium feel that's hard to find in other phones.

UI and Accessories

The HTC 10's user interface is a notable improvement over previous models. It now looks even closer to stock Android, thanks to a partnership with Google that reduces preloaded apps and bloatware.

Credit: youtube.com, 6 UI Hacks I Wish I Knew As A Beginner

One of the most exciting features of the HTC 10 is its support for Apple's AirPlay out of the box, making it the first Android phone to do so. This means you can easily stream content from your iPhone to your HTC 10 without any hassle.

The 10's themes app has been revamped to include a "Freestyle Layout", which allows you to drag icons and widgets anywhere on your home screen. This is a big departure from the traditional onscreen grid.

You can also completely get rid of icons and replace them with "stickers" from HTC Themes, which offers thousands of customization options. This level of customization is a game-changer for those who love personalizing their home screens.

The Ice View case is a successor to the popular Dot View case, and it offers a translucent front-cover that lets you see notifications without having to open the case. This is a convenient feature that's perfect for staying connected on the go.

User Opinions

Credit: youtube.com, Extracting usability and user experience information from online user reviews

Users often praise the design of iconic phones like the HTC 10, which features a tank-like metal body.

The HTC 10's metal body is a standout feature, giving it a premium feel that many users appreciate.

Some users express hope that HTC can make a proper comeback in the future, implying that the company has a loyal following.

HTC's reputation for producing high-quality phones is evident in user opinions, which often mention the device's durability and build quality.

Intriguing read: Sprint Phones Htc Evo 4g

Pros and Cons

The HTC 10 is a phone that's definitely worth checking out, especially when it comes to its design. It's got an all-metal body, which is a big improvement over some other phones on the market.

One of the things that really impressed me about the HTC 10 was its amazing audio. It's clear and crisp, making it perfect for music lovers.

Here are some of the key pros and cons of the HTC 10:

  • Amazing audio
  • Great design
  • Battery improved

The design of the HTC 10 is definitely one of its strongest features. It's a big departure from the iPhone-like design of the One A9 from 2015, and it's a welcome change.

The HTC 10 also has some great specs and performance, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a powerful phone.

Price & Release Date

Credit: youtube.com, HTC 10 with 4 Variants, Specs. Features and Release date price in India

The HTC 10 was launched in May 2016. It initially cost £570 / $699, but now you can get it for £470 / $400.

The price drop is partly due to the arrival of its successor, the HTC U11. The HTC 10 is still a bit pricey, but it's cheaper than its launch price.

You can buy the HTC 10 from various carriers, including Verizon and Sprint. Verizon is selling it for $27 a month for 24 months, or you can buy it outright for $648. Sprint has an installment plan of $26 a month for 24 months, or you can buy it for $624.

AT&T won't be selling the HTC 10 directly, so you'll need to buy it from HTC.com or another retailer.

Here's a summary of the HTC 10's pricing and availability:

TechRadar Verdict

The HTC 10 has made some significant improvements over its predecessor, the One M9. It's easy to get genuinely excited by the HTC 10.

HTC has addressed the foibles of its previous model, making it a compelling choice for those in the market for a new smartphone.

The HTC 10 has received the Android Nougat update, which brings new features and improvements to the device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do HTC make phones anymore?

HTC still produces smartphones, but not as frequently as in the past. They now focus primarily on VR technology, including the HTC Vive headsets.

Desiree Feest

Senior Assigning Editor

Desiree Feest is an accomplished Assigning Editor with a passion for uncovering the latest trends and innovations in technology. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for identifying emerging stories, Desiree has successfully curated content across various article categories. Her expertise spans the realm of Azure, where she has covered topics such as Azure Data Studio and Azure Tools and Software.

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