HTC 10 Owners: First Impressions, Initial Reviews Thread

[Rails Ruby]

I owned the M8 and M9 and just purchased the Verizon M10. I am a fan of HTC but have owned many other phones including Lumia Icon, Iphone 6 Plus, Nexus 5X, LG G4, Droid Turbo, etc. I have owned most brands except Samsung. I am just not a fan of Samsung products in general and tend to ignore all of them.

My first impressions are positive to say the least. There is not much bloatware from Verizon and it's easy to disable...The battery life is in another league than the M8 and M9 but not as good as the Iphone 6 Plus. 2 days is stretching it based on my usage. The camera is more than satisfactory to me. I do not use a phone for anything but casual day to day photos where conditions are optimal for cell phones. When the lights get dim, I use my DSLR or RX100.

The build quality is top notch and the phone is the perfect size. Not too big and not too small...The screen is awesome without being too saturated. I am not a fan of AMOLED screens but to each his own. I do not wear sunglasses either so polarization is a non issue for me.

The phone is super fast as expected from a flagship and the quick charging is for real. The speakers are a step back from the M8 and M9 but the sound quality is still great and even better with headphones.

The freestyle themes are fun to experiment with to give the phone a different look.

My complaints are minor. Blinkfeed sucks now - used to be much better...Just disable it...It's still too slippery and a case is a must (at least for me). The fact that the Verizon version when purchased from Verizon does not have uh oh protection makes no sense either. Probably a Verizon scheme to get you to buy their insurance...

Maybe you are not fan of AMOLED cuz you've not used Samsung latests phones. I'm not samsung fan or even not into samsung but I do buy them to add them to my experience my first Samsung phone was Note 4 then S6, S6 edge, Note 5, S6 edge + and last was S7 edge, I used each for a month or less only cuz last year I kept trying every new phone and there was a lot.. I do admit samsung makes best phones especially with S7 edge only thing I will miss on HTC 10 would be its display cuz I watch a lot of movies and there is nothing better than AMOLED display on a mobile for movies. BTW I do prefer iPhone 6s plus over an other phones (except for HTC 10) cuz I think experience matter most to me. I had great experience in past with HTC so I'm not hoping for less. actually I think I'm coming back to HTC after a year I sold my HTC One M9 after a month and went to LG G4 and then went to samsung phones then to motorola to nexus to iPhone to nexus again and now I'm coming back to HTC and I'm hoping to stay for long or at least keep 10 with me even if I sell other phones like Nexus 6p which is great but soon new will be coming out also iPhone 7. I think I'll love iPhone when iPhone have AMOLED display. and iPhone also need a fast charging tech otherwise iPhone OS so awesome.

 

[anon(1733)]

That was hard to read. Try shorter sentences maybe. I'm still not sure what device you prefer.

 

[Bpschoon81]

This is the most frustrating thing about Android. No one gets it completely right. HTC used a screen you can't see with polarized sunglasses. Samsung's software and updates are a dumpster fire, especially on AT&T. The nexus 6p is too big. LOL at LG. There is always something keeping these from being great. And a lot of times its something small. If the 10 had an amoled panel it would be perfect.

Sigh.

 

[anon(1733)]

For me the screen on the HTC 10 doesn't bother me at all. I understand why you don't like the screen but for me the 10 is the best phone I have owned. From the software to the build and style I love it.

 

[neo905]

I root for system-wide adblocker and for little things (like system wide themes which HTC doesn't have, and I'm very curious why)

Posted via the Android Central App

Not necessary for system wide adblocking anymore. There are many options out there these days. Even ones that have little to no impact on battery life. For instance, the one I am using now which is this one.

https://block-this.com/

 

[Bearcats98]

That was hard to read. Try shorter sentences maybe. I'm still not sure what device you prefer.

This for sure and why are we touting how great other phones are in a HTC 10 initial impressions thread. Just another poster stating AMOLED is the only possible screen to be put in devices that is usable.

 

[oldtimefighter]

OK, here is my first impressions of my carbon grey unlocked HTC 10 which I have had for five days now... I am Nexus fan by trade and have owned the Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus 5 which still own. I did buy the Nexus 6P which really liked but returned because it was just to big to carry around.

PROS

Design and build: The phone looks great and feels great in your hand but could be a little more compact for it's screen size. Personally, I think it looks sharper than the Samsung S7. Everyone I have seen looks like it has a cheap chrome finish with a bunch of fingerprints on it at a foot away.
Performance: It's damn fast.
Camera: It's not bad at all as the shots I have taken look good and the app itself is really good. All reviews say the S7 camera is a little better in some situations but I will never know since have never used one.
Battery: Good! I have only needed to charge it at night (with 10% to 70% battery life left) but note I am not one to be playing on Facebook three hours a day.
UI: Sense is pretty nice and very stock LIKE but wouldn't call it near stock. You can really customize it with the fancy looking theme manager if that it is your thing.
Almost no bloat: It only has four 3rd-party apps installed (Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and News Republic)

CONS

NAV buttons: The home button is nice because it is NOT a button and they are also all in the right order but that's the best I can say about them. HTC not going with on-screen NAV buttons seems like a big step back to me.
Phone app: It's bad and the layout is just awful. The Google Phone app is not compatible with the HTC 10. :-(
Bloat: Only the News Republic app can be uninstalled. The Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram apps can only be disabled. WTF HTC?

Overall I really like the HTC 10 (it's almost worth $600 but NOT $700) but it could be a short lived purchase depending on what Google does with the next Nexus release. I have always preferred the polish of a stock Android experience on a phone and while HTC is better than most in this regards they haven't changed my mind on skins and OEM apps.

 

[yomny Martinez]

Reasons why i decided to return mine.


Screen auto birghtness-- a bit inconsistent: I get really bright screen indoors and less bright outside, not always the case but it happens.

Camera- has difficulty focusing at times, 1 or 2 out of 5 times i take it out to shoot, i get the "covering the laser focus..." which im not covering at all, it just cant focus specially on dark objects

Launcher - had to use nova to get a camera quick launch from within the phone as the only option with Sense was to quick start it with the locked screen gesture.

The software: After exiting the camera app, the brightness would always shoot up.

I know there are several work arounds and things that could be done but i just dont have the patience for a $600+ flagship. I was much happier with my nexus not to mention the 7 edge.

Honestly if you're truly happy with the phone then it does have its great things, but i just cant see myself trying to find reasons to like a brand new 2016 flagship, if it doesn't surprise, please or simply charm me, then i rather have my 600 to spend on another one. Just my opinion. Cheers to all, it was good sharing with you guys/gals.

 

[Wildo6882]

This is the most frustrating thing about Android. No one gets it completely right. HTC used a screen you can't see with polarized sunglasses. Samsung's software and updates are a dumpster fire, especially on AT&T. The nexus 6p is too big. LOL at LG. There is always something keeping these from being great. And a lot of times its something small. If the 10 had an amoled panel it would be perfect.

Sigh.

This has been my general experience with everything Android. I LOVE Android, but it keeps me constantly hunting the perfect device. Something is always missing. With the 10 it seems like the polarization will kill it for some people. And the camera, while it does seem pretty solid, isn't as good or consistent as some of the other cameras out there. I definitely agree with your assessment.

 

[y2jdmbfan]

At this point, between the screen and inconsistent camera on 1.2, I'm not sure the phone is worth keeping over my Nexus 6P, the one thing the 6P lacks is a microSD card slot, which normally I wouldn't have cared about in the past, but I have been carrying high-res audio files on a 200GB microSD Card.

I really wanted to give one to my wife as a replacement for her iPhone 6 as she hates the iPhone 6 battery life, but I'm not confident the HTC 10 will be any better. I need to give her something that I can just hand her and she goes, not have to adjust camera settings manually or stuff of that nature.

 

[radgatt]

OK, here is my first impressions of my carbon grey unlocked HTC 10 which I have had for five days now... I am Nexus fan by trade and have owned the Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus 5 which still own. I did buy the Nexus 6P which really liked but returned because it was just to big to carry around.

PROS

Design and build: The phone looks great and feels great in your hand but could be a little more compact for it's screen size. Personally, I think it looks sharper than the Samsung S7. Everyone I have seen looks like it has a cheap chrome finish with a bunch of fingerprints on it at a foot away.
Performance: It's damn fast.
Camera: It's not bad at all as the shots I have taken look good and the app itself is really good. All reviews say the S7 camera is a little better in some situations but I will never know since have never used one.
Battery: Good! I have only needed to charge it at night (with 10% to 70% battery life left) but note I am not one to be playing on Facebook three hours a day.
UI: Sense is pretty nice and very stock LIKE but wouldn't call it near stock. You can really customize it with the fancy looking theme manager if that it is your thing.
Almost no bloat: It only has four 3rd-party apps installed (Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and News Republic)

CONS

NAV buttons: The home button is nice because it is NOT a button and they are also all in the right order but that's the best I can say about them. HTC not going with on-screen NAV buttons seems like a big step back to me.
Phone app: It's bad and the layout is just awful. The Google Phone app is not compatible with the HTC 10. :-(
Bloat: Only the News Republic app can be uninstalled. The Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram apps can only be disabled. WTF HTC?

Overall I really like the HTC 10 (it's almost worth $600 but NOT $700) but it could be a short lived purchase depending on what Google does with the next Nexus release. I have always preferred the polish of a stock Android experience on a phone and while HTC is better than most in this regards they haven't changed my mind on skins and OEM apps.

I can't stand the phone app either! That is another negative about this phone.

 

[dmack0706]

Spot on!

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[dmack0706]

Initial thoughts;

-Charges FAST and battery life is excellent.
-Feels wonderful in the hand. No slip, no grime build up. I won't be needing a case.
-External speakers have same vol as M8, but the 10 distorts at max. M8 has better bass and balance but vocals are slightly recessed. 10 has greater midrange clarity and vocals are very intimate.
-Headphone quality is a game changer. M8 was very good but the 10 actually makes me want to use my high-end headphones. Great dynamics, detail, bandwidth, and a nice sense of depth. So good you can easily hear flaws in the source material, but not clinically accurate (there's definitely a little flattering going on). Audio is my living and I'm very pleased with the headphone jack audio.
-Runs normal, temp-wise. Considering the screen size/brightness, it's actually running cooler than expected.
-Screen is way brighter than expected (after reading the various complaints). It's more than capable for anything I would ever need. Color tone is vivid but not obnoxious like the S7 was for me. I can stare at this one without fatigue.
-Very snappy/fast response and the screen sensitivity is excellent. Best I've ever used.

Negatives;
-I hate google apps and miss the old HTC gallery and such. I generally think HTC does things better than google.
-Reaching all the way to the bottom isn't as easy as having capacitive buttons on the screen, but that's not so much a complaint as it is me needing to get used to the way phones are made now.
-Cam needs a beginner's guide. I am experienced and started understanding the exposure thing quick but average users are going to be confused and not understand how good this cam is.
-No eyecandy on initial start-up. This is minor but since I can't find anything to complain about I'll mention it; that ugly orange and green wallpaper that (ironically) looks like a downward trend in a chart is not an impressive way to display the phone to a first-time user. WTH were they thinking??

Overall though, I'm SOOO glad I didn't jump on the 6s and S7 when they came out because I'd be hating myself right now. Not that they are bad or incapable, but the "little things" and attention to detail and overall user experience is what makes the 10 great. THIS is the phone for me. Bravo HTC!

This what I meant when I said spot on.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[DaveInFL]

I can't stand the phone app either! That is another negative about this phone.

What exactly is wrong with the phone app?

 

[Aphelium]

i agree with all but one. i had m7 and still have m9 to sell and have 10 for few days now. i must say that speakers on 10 sound a lot better then those in m9 and 10 is also a little bit louder. no need to worry about sound quality in 10. they are far superior then most of phones on the market. nexus 6p is louder but sounds worse. i am very happy with this phone. m9 was average, especially camera. been waiting since m7 for a true phone to upgrade and its finally here.

 

[thejesse]

What exactly is wrong with the phone app?

My biggest complaint is that it opens to the phone tab instead of the favorites tab.

 

[radgatt]

What exactly is wrong with the phone app?

It has way too much going on. It's not as clean as the Google Phone app. I remember trying to hit my recent call at the top of the numbers to dial but when I did it thought I was dialing another country. I also don't like the fact that it combines the phone and contacts together.

Posted via the HTC 10

 

[DaveInFL]

My biggest complaint is that it opens to the phone tab instead of the favorites tab.

Agreed, but not anything major.

 

[DaveInFL]

It has way too much going on. It's not as clean as the Google Phone app. I remember trying to hit my recent call at the top of the numbers to dial but when I did it thought I was dialing another country. I also don't like the fact that it combines the phone and contacts together.

Posted via the HTC 10

Can't say I have seen the Google one so can't compare. I have no issues with the phone app. It does what it says and no biggie that it also have the contacts in there too..One less app. It's easy to navigate around, just slide to the tab you want.

 

[laspahr]

It has way too much going on. It's not as clean as the Google Phone app. I remember trying to hit my recent call at the top of the numbers to dial but when I did it thought I was dialing another country. I also don't like the fact that it combines the phone and contacts together.

Posted via the HTC 10

Almost all stock dialers come combined with phone and contacts in one app.. I'm curious as to what dialer you use/prefer?

Posted via the Android Central App