HTC used to be a name to be taken seriously once, but in the past few years, it seems to have lost its value quiet significantly. It got to the point where its stocks were traded below their cash reserves, meaning that the investors thought of the brand to be worthless.Talk about harsh realities.But when you are at the bottom, there is only one way to go – up. And so the situation has improved since then. After a series of failures in the higher end of the smartphone spectrum, HTC had a lot riding on HTC 10. One can only imagine the hard work they put into the device as it may very well end up deciding their existence – or the lack of it – in the future. It has all the HTC’s hopes and dreams packed into it.
With that in mind, we have to remember that the consumer does not care about a capitalist company and they aren’t going to be soft when evaluating the device. So we will do the same and look at HTC 10 as a competitor, a flagship competitor. We will evaluate it on the basis of the following criteria: Design, Display, Fingerprint Scanner, Camera and Worth. Let’s begin.
Design
Oh boy, oh boy…
Chamfered edges, full metalic body, great weight balance and above all else – an amazing feel in the hand!
These all make it an amazing device, one you will be proud to hold. It is not exactly a lightweight or a thin device when we see the competitors. At 9mm thickness level, it is relatively fat – but, and it is a big BUT – it doesn’t feel thick at all. The chamfered edges make it easy to hold and gives it a good grip. I believe that it is all that matters. I am not going to look at its thickness in daily usage, but I will worry about its feel in my hands. That’s why the design of the HTC 10 feels superior despite being thick and heavy.
Talking about feel, design of HTC 10 is stellar with its full metallic body which gives you a sense of pride holding the device. The device is surprisingly well balanced and doesn’t feel too heavy despite being made completely out of Aluminium. It is just brilliant.
Having said all that, I would say that looking at it straight on, it isn’t a very pleasing device. The front is characterised with disproportionate bezels and awkwardly sitting home button/ fingerprint scanner.
Overall, I am very satisfied with the design and will give it 8.5/10.
The HTC 10’s Display
Keeping it simple, keeping it real…
One thing we used to appreciate HTC devices for were the display panels the company used. They were bright, mostly color correct and without the gaudy colors typical of AMOLEDs, and never went for stupid-high resolutions, trading efficiency for just a tiny bit more clarity. Up to a point, this remains the case with the HTC 10’s display.
There have been changes though. The screen has jumped from 5′ to 5.2′ inches for the HTC 10. Nothing troublesome here. The screen employed is the Super LCD 5 display panel which features no air gap between the front glass and the display itself, helping prop the image closer to your finger.
A major change is the ramp up in the resolution. HTC 10 uses a Quad HD display with 1440 x 2560 resolution giving it a pixel density of a whopping 565 PPI! The screen is epitome of clarity and you will need a microscope to notice any pixel. (read: In your face apple!)
While this might sound amazing, there is a big price – battery life & performance. A Quad HD display requires more power to light up those pixels, plus, to render the screen for 2k resolution, even the processor takes a toll. This can sometimes lead to heating issues (as we saw in HTC M9).
Despite that, the phone seems to hold its performance well and has a decent battery life. So I guess HTC managed to effectively use the Quad HD display by giving us its perks and dumbing down its shortfalls.
Overall, the display is well balanced and produces very true to life colors. I will give it a 10/10, because you can also adjust the color balance and have it just the way you like it!
Fingerprint Scanner in the HTC 10
I thought this was a HTC, not a Samsung…
The home button below the screen doubles up as a fingerprint sensor – a first for HTC. It is lightening fast and touch based, very similar to what we have already seen in Samsung devices.
While the sensor is fast and mostly accurate, the button is awkwardly placed and shaped. It is somewhat similar to what samsung does with their buttons, but worse. It actually reduces the beauty of the device.
While you cannot do much with the sensor once you have securely unlocked the device, I am hoping many uses of it will appear soon enough thanks to Marshmallow’s fingerprint API.
But that’s my only complaint with it, and it is more of a design issue, so I will give it 10/10.
Camera of HTC 10
Took HTC long enough….
HTC has a horrible history with its flagship cameras. Right from HTC M7 till HTC M9, none of their cameras have been praised, thus reducing their overall value.
All that is in the past now as HTC has finally brought us an amazing setup – a 1/2.3”, 12-megapixel sensor with large, 1.55μm pixels and wide, f/1.8 lens with optical image stabilization. Every single term in that setup shouts one thing – MORE LIGHT! This means the hardware is apt for clicking amazing shots even in the low light.
On the front camera side, we have a 5MP camera with optical image stabilization. That’s the first time we have seen that it will certainly ramp up your club selfies game.
The camera interface has been debloated and only the bare minimum is given to the user – and we love that! Simplicity should be the way of life after all, right?
The camera is a great performer, almost on par with The S7 Edge and 6S Plus, so it deserves a 9/10.
Specs of HTC 10
Price of HTC 10 in India
The HTC 10 will launch with a hefty price tag of Rs 52990.
Worth of HTC 10
Should I pay Rs50k+ for it?
It is an amazing device. Great screen, great camera, brilliant design. You cannot really go wrong when you buy the device. But still, you have to consider your options in the same price range before making a decision, right?
So is the device worth the hefty price tag it carries?
I would say that is a tidbit expensive. I would be very happy buying it for Rss45000 maybe but at Rs52000, I will start eyeing the Galaxy S7, which in my opinion is a better device. It all depends on your opinion though, and you will not be wrong to make the purchase. I just don’t think the price is right, even with the rebates that we offer.
So there’s that. I hope this analysis of the device helps you in making a decision. I will be back with another review of latest gadgets soon.
