HTC 10 was born on April 12, 2016. The phone is already turning out to be a decent replacement for last year’s HTC One M9, which according to HTC, resulted in a drop in sales of up to 35%.
Many expected HTC to unveil this device as early as this year’s MWC in Barcelona, the same event that saw the birth of Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5, among other 2016 flagships. However, the newly released HTC 10 proves that the wait was worth it. The phone appeals in areas where last year’s model failed, but it remains to be seen whether it will indeed be the device to revive the poor performance of the Taiwanese smartphone maker in the handset industry.
Here’re 7 most important features that the new HTC 10 brings to the fold.
Larger, QHD resolution
HTC One M9 had a 5-inch Full HD display with 1080p resolution. On the other hand, the new HTC 10 has a 5.2-inch QHD display with a resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels. This is not the first time an HTC device will be coming in with a QHD display. This has appeared before on models such as HTC One M9+, Butterfly 3, One E9+; however, these devices were exclusive to certain regions. This means that the HTC 10 will be the first company smartphone to ship to all parts of the world with QHD resolution. HTC also says that the new 10’s touchscreen is 50% more responsive when compared to last year’s flagship.
Improved 12MP UltraPixel 2 camera
Smartphone cameras are a very crucial area for today’s buyers. HTC was aware of this and in the new HTC 10; there is a new 12MP UltraPixel 2 sensor that boasts an aperture of f/1.8, OIS as well as laser autofocus. The snapper is capable of shooting RAW image files, 720p slow-mo as well as 4K videos. According to DXOMark, a camera review website, the HTC 10’s snapper is currently the best as far as smartphones are concerned.
It gets even better when it comes to selfie camera. The HTC 10 carries front-facing selfie with the same aperture as the rear camera as well as featuring OIS. With this capability, you will be sure of getting the best shots even when in motion.
Premium hardware on board
Under the hood, the 2016 HTC flagship packs the latest hardware. Similar to the U.S. variant of Samsung Galaxy S7 and the LG G5, HTC 10 comes with the latest Snapdragon 820 SoC in addition to 4GB RAM. As a result, expect the same performance levels as those available on the other flagships, including the Xiaomi Mi 5 Pro.
Larger battery with Quick Charge 3.0
Most 2016 flagship smartphones have resolved to larger battery units to help give users longer usage time. HTC 10 is not an exception and just like the Galaxy S7, it spots a 3000mAh unit. However, it gets an upper hand with its Quick Charge 3.0 technology, which is an upgrade when compared to Samsung’s Quick Charge 2.0.
Trimmed-down Sense 8 UI
Many users have been complaining about the heavy bloatware that OEMs add to smartphones in the name of user interfaces. HTC has its own version and its known as Sense. This year’s version is Sense 8.0. Unlike in previous cases where the company customized almost every bit of the stock Android OS, the new HTC 10 has ditched a good number of the company’s apps in a bid to de-clutter the phone’s interface. There are also more customization options available via the Freestyle layouts availed in the new skin.
Adaptive fingerprint sensor
Most flagship devices come with an additional protection or privacy measure in the shape of fingerprint sensors. The HTC 10 has one embedded in the physical home button and according to the tech giant; this scanner can unlock this device in less than 0.2 seconds. Pretty fast huh! One thing that only time will tell is whether this sensor is faster than those installed in the Galaxy S7, LG G5 or even older devices such as iPhone 6S and Nexus 6P.
The most interesting part of this HTC 10 fingerprint scanner is its adaptive abilities. What this means is that the scanner can increasingly get better at what it does with time as it gets used to your prints and activities in general.
USB Type-C port
USB Type-C ports are gradually becoming the standard type of connections on most smartphones. Other than Samsung Galaxy S7, most of the newly released smartphones spot a USB Type-C port. HTC 10 is not left out of the latter group, something that makes this phone future-proof.