HTC 10 Can't win (Even though I want it to)/ Ramblings of a fortysomething
Why HTC can’t win (and other Android arguments)
I made the jump from Apple to Android in 2014, when I saw HTC release the M8. In comparison to my iPhone 5, it was the most beautiful smartphone I had ever seen. The metal body, larger screen, excellent camera (vs. iPhone at the time) was all it took. I knew nothing about Android, other than “that was what you got when you couldn’t afford an iPhone”. That thing was incredible. Everything about it blew me away. Switching information over from the iPhone was a breeze. Once I made the change, I’m hooked on Android. So, why don’t more people do it? When arguably many devices running Android are better in specs and performance? Because Apple has positioned itself as THE premium device, and everyone believes it. Outside of the younger demographic that reads Android Central and the like, all you know is Apple. Everyone has one. (At a Super Bowl party this year, with roughly 75 people in attendance, I was the only person in the house without an iPhone.) You don’t switch, because it’s a pain the @ss to explain to everyone you know why you are switching to another device. I’m 40 years old, and my friends fall into that age group. It took me 6 months to get all my friends to understand that they can’t iMessage me anymore. I had to walk most of them through the process of going into their settings and enabling Send/Receive SMS. Most people don’t want to fool with that headache. And to tell you the truth, the average user doesn’t care about most things that Android offers. 95% of the general public doesn’t understand why you would want an unlocked phone, or be able to unlock the bootloader, or flash custom ROM’s, or install Cyanogen Mod. And frankly, most of it doesn’t apply to me either. I’m running my girls to cheer or golf practice, or drinking a beer while I watch the Walking Dead. Not trying to unlock my bootloader.
Now, on to HTC. I don’t think I qualify as an HTC “fanboy”, but I am partial to their devices. I have owned an M8, M9, A9, and my 10 is on pre-order. I have also owned an LG G3, and G4. (I have never been able to get on board with Samsung. While they are currently the King of Android, I just don’t like them, but that is a tirade for another day). All of these devices were great phones. They all had their own strengths and shortcomings. I will lose any credibility beyond this point, but the A9 is my favorite of the bunch. I’ll touch on that later. After reading a few hundred articles, and untold user comments, I have come to the conclusion that HTC is doomed. Doomed I Say! Not because of their devices, but because of us. Take the M9 for example. By all counts this was a great phone. Beautiful design, feels great in the hand, performs like a champ. But due to a camera that in comparison to the G4, was subpar, and an issue with the 810 overheating, this phone was crucified. The M9 was a “total piece of garbage, and you should kill yourself if you were stupid enough to buy this phone”. Come on people. In order for the 10 to be a successful device, it has to fulfill a wish list a mile long. This phone better have a QHD Amoled screen, be fully waterproof, front facing stereo speakers, wireless charging, removable battery, Qualcomm Quick charge 6.0, USB C, Snapdragon 2000 processor, 15 GB of RAM, no black bar at bottom, ship with Android Q, have a Canon EOS Mark III camera in it, and have a laser that will disintegrate anyone with an iPhone. If it had all that, it MIGHT be able to compete with the S7Edge. The 10 has been a HUGE improvement over the M9, and seems to be a fantastic device. People underestimate how great UH OH protection is as well. But it still won’t be enough. Some guy wrote a comment about “any company that would remove front facing speakers must have mush for brains”, and copied and pasted it to every HTC article on the internet. I know you’ve read it. I don’t think any phone released by HTC, no matter the specs, will be enough to satisfy everybody. If you buy anything but an Edge, you are an uneducated fanboy with “mush for brains”.
OK, let’s talk A9. Just for a minute. This phone is great. It is without question an iPhone clone. I don’t care who copied who initially, or what you say about “natural evolution of design language.” It looks like iPhone 6, not like an M7, M8, or M9. Put it to rest. But you know what, I don’t care. This phone just flat out works. Small battery? Check. Lesser processor? Check. No FF stereo speakers? Check. It doesn’t matter. The screen is better than any previous HTC screen. It absolutely flies during day to day use. It’s faster than the M9. It’s a beautiful phone, IMHO. The fingerprint scanner works great. The camera is better than any previous HTC device. Does it compete with the S7? Of course not. I have had zero issue with the battery getting through a full days use. (I’ve already told you my age, so I will concede I don’t spend 2 hours a day playing Asphalt 8, whatever that is). Mine is unlocked, and I can say the updates are timely. Much better than waiting for ATT&T to upgrade my M9 to Marshmallow. I am sure the 10 will take its place when it gets here, but put specs aside and actually use an A9, and it will show you specs aren’t everything. Admittedly, the price isn’t ideal, but after having used for a few months, it was worth it. But it still gets trashed. Another HTC piece of garbage from a dying company.
I’m not banking on the HTC 10 to save the company, but man I hope it does.
Plus, Nexus generally don't have SD slots, meaning no adoptable storage. There's a reason I haven't bought FF9 yet after all. Not to mention, as clean as they are, Nexuses are NOT the most stable of devices (I have to reboot mine once a week or it loses T-Mobile WFC or LTE capability until I do). Finally, their 5.2 inch device is really short of being a true flagship. And while I like the Nexus 6 well enough. I'm out of space on it, and it's a BIT too big for me, my sweet spot is 5.2-5.5 inches.
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