Initial Impressions of the HTC 10

[npaladin-2000]

HTC 10 - My thoughts vs the competition

There's been a bit of talk about how much HTC is charging for the 10, and who it competes with. Everyone's comparing it to today's flagships, which makes some sense (it's HTC's current flagship) but also might not. I just went through an agonizing couple of days trying to decide and justify my decision in my head...I did end up succumbing to and preordering the 10. I thought I'd share some of my thought process with the site, as it might help some people to understand the niche HTC is in here.

Galaxy S7/Edge - Obviously the first alternative for most people, understandably. I bought a GS6 last year, and really really tried to give Sammy a chance, but ultimately I can't stand TouchWIZ and it won't get out of my way. Plus, I don't find the glass backs all that premium-feeling, they feel more fragile instead. Great camera and UFS don't make up for these things, not enough anyway. Disqualified.

LG G5 - I used to love LG, I might have married my G2 a while back, but they've gone slowly downhill since then. Their UX has gotten as bad as Samsung with the bloat and not getting out of the way. And they ditched the rear mounted buttons that I loved. The add-on modules seem gimmiky, and it's been tried before: you can only get away with a proprietary add-on interface if you've got the market share of a Samsung or an Apple. They should have gone with USB-C host or something. Pass.

Nexus Line - I currently own a Nexus 6, and love the idea of a light-to-nonexistent skin. Unfortunately, the current Nexuses are on 2005 (fake) Snapdragons, also known as Crapdragons. 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.

Moto X - I've been hearing a few baaad stories coming out of Lenovorola lately, I'm not sure what's going on with them. But for some reason they're not including WiFi Calling in their Android builds, and that's a non-starter for me. I can't live without that feature.

And now back around to the HTC 10...ok we've got a 5.2 inch phone, so we're in the right size range. It's a custom skin, but it's closer to Moto/Nexus than TouchWIZ by far. Unlike Nexus, it's got an SD slot. Unlike Sammy/LG, it's got Adoptable Storage on the SD slot. It's got very good speaker audio for when I'm playing games, speakerphoning, or video calling.

Adoptable storage is a biggie, do you realize the ONLY ones doing that are HTC and NVIDIA? The only other lightly skinned phones don't support SD slots? The only other phones that do support SD slots are heavily skinned and don't support Adoptable Storage? That's HTC's niche, right there. It's an enthusiast niche, for the most part, but enthusiasts are more likely to know about HTC than Joe Bloe. Will it suddenly turn HTC around? No, but it's a place to start, and to build from.

 

[Jdroids]

Actually LG UI in G5 is way scaled down to the point of feeling like stock android. And I'm beginning to think G5 is better phone if they sort out the initial quality problems. The camera and battery life in 10 don't seem any better than G5 from what I see so far. Especially the lack of touch to focus/exposure on 10 is disappointing.

 

[KSDroid01]

Re: The HTC 10 is official - Initial impressions

Other than the camera Mrs. Lincoln how was the play? On all 3 of my M7s the cameras were unusable after a few months. Maybe you don't use your cameras often but it was a deal killer for me. This will be my first foray back to HTC since the M7 and hopefully they've stepped up in the build quality department.

I followed this issue a lot back in the day and the purple tint problem was far from universal. My M7 never had it, and for how I used it (mostly outdoor scenery shots) the camera performed fine for me for two years.

Posted via Turbo

 

[Mdbills484]

Re: The HTC 10 is official - Initial impressions

I followed this issue a lot back in the day and the purple tint problem was far from universal. My M7 never had it, and for how I used it (mostly outdoor scenery shots) the camera performed fine for me for two years.

Posted via Turbo

Was it universal? no. Widespread? certainly yes.

 

[LeoRex]

Can you provide a link directly to one of these pics? I have seen a few with blown highlights but to be honest, they are shooting indoors in a darkish room, more than likely pointing at a dark area so exposing for that and with a window with bright light coming in. Yes, there will be blown highlights. That happens even on a top range DSLR. Only way around that is bracketing which you are obviously not going to get on a mobile phone.

Here is one example

But I see it in some posts in reviews as well. The fact that the windows and lights are a bit blown out, that's fine.. you are exposing on a much darker, it happens. But all that diagonal light bleed is jarring. I see it here, in the shots that Android Authority posted inside the stadium... Having taken a ton of pics in similar situations on other phones (specifically the 6P, S7 and G4), they all will show a little bit of flaring, but not nearly to this extent. Maybe they are just messing up the imaging parameters and this is just a matter of tightening that up in the software... I hope it is as simple as that.

 

[RadiantDuck]

Re: HTC 10 - My thoughts vs the competition

There's been a bit of talk about how much HTC is charging for the 10, and who it competes with. Everyone's comparing it to today's flagships, which makes some sense (it's HTC's current flagship) but also might not. I just went through an agonizing couple of days trying to decide and justify my decision in my head...I did end up succumbing to and preordering the 10. I thought I'd share some of my thought process with the site, as it might help some people to understand the niche HTC is in here.

Galaxy S7/Edge - Obviously the first alternative for most people, understandably. I bought a GS6 last year, and really really tried to give Sammy a chance, but ultimately I can't stand TouchWIZ and it won't get out of my way. Plus, I don't find the glass backs all that premium-feeling, they feel more fragile instead. Great camera and UFS don't make up for these things, not enough anyway. Disqualified.

LG G5 - I used to love LG, I might have married my G2 a while back, but they've gone slowly downhill since then. Their UX has gotten as bad as Samsung with the bloat and not getting out of the way. And they ditched the rear mounted buttons that I loved. The add-on modules seem gimmiky, and it's been tried before: you can only get away with a proprietary add-on interface if you've got the market share of a Samsung or an Apple. They should have gone with USB-C host or something. Pass.

Nexus Line - I currently own a Nexus 6, and love the idea of a light-to-nonexistent skin. Unfortunately, the current Nexuses are on 2005 (fake) Snapdragons, also known as Crapdragons. 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.

Moto X - I've been hearing a few baaad stories coming out of Lenovorola lately, I'm not sure what's going on with them. But for some reason they're not including WiFi Calling in their Android builds, and that's a non-starter for me. I can't live without that feature.

And now back around to the HTC 10...ok we've got a 5.2 inch phone, so we're in the right size range. It's a custom skin, but it's closer to Moto/Nexus than TouchWIZ by far. Unlike Nexus, it's got an SD slot. Unlike Sammy/LG, it's got Adoptable Storage on the SD slot. It's got very good speaker audio for when I'm playing games, speakerphoning, or video calling.

Adoptable storage is a biggie, do you realize the ONLY ones doing that are HTC and NVIDIA? The only other lightly skinned phones don't support SD slots? The only other phones that do support SD slots are heavily skinned and don't support Adoptable Storage? That's HTC's niche, right there. It's an enthusiast niche, for the most part, but enthusiasts are more likely to know about HTC than Joe Bloe. Will it suddenly turn HTC around? No, but it's a place to start, and to build from.

I pretty much agree with you.

S7 would be the only real competitor to me, the edge seems to be fragile quite a few reports of easy cracked/phantom cracked edges. I'd still be worried for the normal s7 in terms of the glass back.

Had a G5, had all the issues that were well publicised. Sent back. Liked a lot about it but didn't fancy playing roulette trying to get a good one. Also unsure how the module connection would last over time.

Enter HTC 10, seems solidly built. Good specs, clean interface. Sound, especially over headphones is a priority to me as well as expandable storage. I don't mind some of its short falls

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Malek J]

Re: HTC 10 - My thoughts vs the competition

There's been a bit of talk about how much HTC is charging for the 10, and who it competes with. Everyone's comparing it to today's flagships, which makes some sense (it's HTC's current flagship) but also might not. I just went through an agonizing couple of days trying to decide and justify my decision in my head...I did end up succumbing to and preordering the 10. I thought I'd share some of my thought process with the site, as it might help some people to understand the niche HTC is in here.

Galaxy S7/Edge - Obviously the first alternative for most people, understandably. I bought a GS6 last year, and really really tried to give Sammy a chance, but ultimately I can't stand TouchWIZ and it won't get out of my way. Plus, I don't find the glass backs all that premium-feeling, they feel more fragile instead. Great camera and UFS don't make up for these things, not enough anyway. Disqualified.

LG G5 - I used to love LG, I might have married my G2 a while back, but they've gone slowly downhill since then. Their UX has gotten as bad as Samsung with the bloat and not getting out of the way. And they ditched the rear mounted buttons that I loved. The add-on modules seem gimmiky, and it's been tried before: you can only get away with a proprietary add-on interface if you've got the market share of a Samsung or an Apple. They should have gone with USB-C host or something. Pass.

Nexus Line - I currently own a Nexus 6, and love the idea of a light-to-nonexistent skin. Unfortunately, the current Nexuses are on 2005 (fake) Snapdragons, also known as Crapdragons. 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.

Moto X - I've been hearing a few baaad stories coming out of Lenovorola lately, I'm not sure what's going on with them. But for some reason they're not including WiFi Calling in their Android builds, and that's a non-starter for me. I can't live without that feature.

And now back around to the HTC 10...ok we've got a 5.2 inch phone, so we're in the right size range. It's a custom skin, but it's closer to Moto/Nexus than TouchWIZ by far. Unlike Nexus, it's got an SD slot. Unlike Sammy/LG, it's got Adoptable Storage on the SD slot. It's got very good speaker audio for when I'm playing games, speakerphoning, or video calling.

Adoptable storage is a biggie, do you realize the ONLY ones doing that are HTC and NVIDIA? The only other lightly skinned phones don't support SD slots? The only other phones that do support SD slots are heavily skinned and don't support Adoptable Storage? That's HTC's niche, right there. It's an enthusiast niche, for the most part, but enthusiasts are more likely to know about HTC than Joe Bloe. Will it suddenly turn HTC around? No, but it's a place to start, and to build from.

The HTC 10 is an amazing phone no doubt about it. Good choice.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[metz65]

Re: The HTC 10 is official - Initial impressions

HTC needed to produce a phone that made people say "look at what HTC brought to the table this year" and they did that in a big way. While I won't be getting rid of my edge for it they did peak my curiosity enough that next year I'll waite and see what they offer before I upgrade.

I think they did a good job of upping their game and offering a solid choice for a new phone. Competition breeds innovation and keeps oems from relying on past success. HTC nailed it in my opinion and it bodes well for what the manufacturers will bring to the table next year.

 

[DaveInFL]

Here is one example

But I see it in some posts in reviews as well. The fact that the windows and lights are a bit blown out, that's fine.. you are exposing on a much darker, it happens. But all that diagonal light bleed is jarring. I see it here, in the shots that Android Authority posted inside the stadium... Having taken a ton of pics in similar situations on other phones (specifically the 6P, S7 and G4), they all will show a little bit of flaring, but not nearly to this extent. Maybe they are just messing up the imaging parameters and this is just a matter of tightening that up in the software... I hope it is as simple as that.

Ok, I see what you mean in the Starbucks pic. Like you say, hopefully it is a software fix since the sensor is the same as the 6P.

 

[LeoRex]

Ok, I see what you mean in the Starbucks pic. Like you say, hopefully it is a software fix since the sensor is the same as the 6P.

Yep... That's why I am going to withhold judgement a bit until HTC gets out the first round of post-release patches.

 

[HaVoK_C89]

Re: The HTC 10 is official - Initial impressions

The reason why I switched away from the M7 was actually due to the camera. Even when it's working, it's not that good compared to the competition in the conditions I take my shots in. The rest of the phone is excellent, however. The speakers still sound pretty good, performance was still snappy and overall build quality is actually better than my G4, if you believe it or not.

I went with the LG G4, which has an excellent camera. It's being sold as it's becoming a pit of issues that's starting to pile up. Next up is the Note 6, though HTC has really got my attention with this.

Is there any way you could give me a comparison of picture quality of the G4 vs the HTC 10? As long as it's similar (or hopefully better) then I'll be preordering soon lol.

 

[LeoRex]

Re: The HTC 10 is official - Initial impressions

Is there any way you could give me a comparison of picture quality of the G4 vs the HTC 10? As long as it's similar (or hopefully better) then I'll be preordering soon lol.

Well, not side by side,

but our fearless leader, Phil, posted some more shots:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=aUdCRnJWSi05bWpVS1QxWW1XNEtRdTNUcWZiRkVB

 

[ram1220]

I read an article on Engadget yesterday. They liked the M10 but said its weaknesses appear to be the battery as well as the camera. This sounds eerily familiar. Engadget had the M10 for a week. They thought the new flagship from Samsung was better but thought the M10 was a bit better than the newest flagship from LG.

 

[Bearcats98]

Let me make it simpler for you then. The moment you have pictures on device connected to the internet there is an opportunity for something nefarious to occur. If you want to be 100% safe don't expose your picture to an internet connection.

Posted via the Android Central App

Oh geez, thats some fear mongering there. I guess because a criminal will always be able to steal your car you don't lock it? Thats kinda my point.

Yes if someone wants it they can get it. But to nonchalantly disregard it because you use certain tools is a little ostrich like isn't it? If you have a choice to run HTML5 or Flash which one do you use? I am just asking for an app that doesn't have a need to push stuff off the phone under the guise of convenience to me. I am a big boy I can move my files around as I desire and I back my phone up.

And yes I am the kind of person that doesn't use public wifi. Its not a perfect world but you take precautions where you can.

 

[petvas72]

No it won't, this phone is over priced. Why would anyone get this over a GS7 or an iphone? Pricing this phone in that ballpark makes you think HTC is in that league and they are not. They're trying to profit like Apple with crazy margins but they don't have nearly the same fanbase or volume of sales that Apple does. They are really in the Motorola, LG, and Nexus league. Those are the phones they should be competing with, not Apple or Samsung. They really needed to hit it out of the park which they may have done with the hardware, but they will still be hobbled with Sense and on top of that carrier bloat. This is a $500 phone at best and will most likely be sub $500 in the coming months. If anyone wants to buy this thing I would until summer and save yourself a few hundred bucks.

Because there are people who don't like Touchwiz and glass phones (fingerprint magnets). Many also do not want to have an iPhone.
I will get the HTC 10. I want the same build quality as an iPhone (if not better) and Android. I will never buy a Samsung product as long as they use Touchwiz and they use questionable business ethics. Never.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Almeuit]

Let me make it simpler for you then. The moment you have pictures on device connected to the internet there is an opportunity for something nefarious to occur. If you want to be 100% safe don't expose your picture to an internet connection.

Posted via the Android Central App

Anything can definitely happen but.. I make sure to take precautions and use really secure passwords, 2 step, and ensure I have alerts setup. I am not really worried about it that much due to these steps.

 

[Mike Dee]

Without factoring the price, sure it's a great Nexus alternative when it comes to user experience. But IMO, at $200 more than the Nexus 6P in the US - why bother? Just get the Nexus.

I just picked up a Nexus but it doesn't have all of the Verizon features. You have to use a third party app for Visual Voicemail and it is not compatible wireless calling. I may end up returning it.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Tadrift]

From what I remember with the M9, the camera was suspect out of the gate.

Posted via the Android Central App on the Moto X Pure Edition

That is true, from everything reported on the 10, it looks to be a good camera. I really like HTC phones, but I haven't owned one since the M7. I always thought that they were over priced in relation to their shortcomings. But since I posted, I have now seen the camera performance and the reviews on the 10 and the camera still falls short of the S7, G5, V10. I would put it a equal or a notch below the 6P, so that is a good camera. In every other way, it is equal to or better then everything else out there.

I think the phone is going to be a big success for HTC. They deserve it. They listened to their customers, worked hard to make it right. It will be the phone I get if HTC makes it available unlocked. The camera is good enough for me. After seeing the reviews I feel confident there are no hidden gremlins.

 

[npaladin-2000]

Re: The HTC 10 is official - Initial impressions

It's already available unlocked

 

[Tadrift]

Because there are people who don't like Touchwiz and glass phones (fingerprint magnets). Many also do not want to have an iPhone.
I will get the HTC 10. I want the same build quality as an iPhone (if not better) and Android. I will never buy a Samsung product as long as they use Touchwiz and they use questionable business ethics. Never.

Posted via the Android Central App

I have the some of the same feelings about Samsung, but perhaps not a strongly as you. I disagree, I think their quality is every bit as good if not better then Appple. I think TW is much better now, but I still don't like it. And as far as trust goes, I trust them about as much as any other Android manufacturer, which is not a lot of trust.

I am big on privacy and security, but the truth is, Android being open source for free is by its own nature the entity to be concerned with privacy. IOS and Apple, they make money up front and have no need to gather and sell your data to cover costs or to allow bloatware. So there is no equal to them in privacy or trust. Google is at least open about what they collect and for the moment, you can easily control what data they get and see. But there is going to be data leakage. When you get into these comparisons of Android vs IOS in regards to privacy and trust, you can't exclude the business model of how they make money in the discussion. They are completely different models, thus you are giving up some privacy for the sake of better devices at cheaper prices with Android.

Aside from that and getting back to the HTC 10, this phone is hands down better quality then Apple. And the software seems to be in line with what Google wants, meaning near stock, correct layouts, compatible and optimized for speed. So, just like a Nexus, it is going to be one of the best true Android experiences you can get. In short, if someone wants to leave IOS, I don't think there is any better phone right now for those people to buy then the HTC 10 unlocked.