HTC 10 review
Does the new UltraPixel camera live up to the hype?
Update: HTC has knocked £100 off the price of the HTC 10 during the summer. Those looking for a SIM free model can enjoy the saving between 28 July and 18 August 2016 by using the 'SUMMER100' discount code at HTC.com
HTC has long been criticised for the camera tech in its phones, despite lofty claims of innovation. The new HTC 10 shows another stab at turning the tide, but how does it really fare?
That new UltraPixel camera may get top billing, but further investigation suggests that the HTC 10 is really a handset for those serious about their audio. So why aren't they making more of a fuss?
Design The HTC 10 case is crafted entirely from aluminium and glass. You'd be forgiven for calling the angular design unremarkable if it wasn't for the precision chamfering of the edges and the two-tone finish that really makes the chassis shine when caught by the light.
The HTC 10 measures 145.9x71.9x9.0mm. HTC would have us believe that this shrinks to just 3mm at the narrowest point, but this is somewhat misleading as the HTC 10 is anything but svelte. It's been 12 months since the M9 and, while HTC may have used that time to refine the design, the dimensions haven't shrunk at all. It also feels weighty at 161g.
Take a tour of the handset and you'll notice some differences. Gone are the imposing dual front-facing speakers to be replaced with one across the top bezel and another on the bottom next to the USB-C port. This bottom speaker grille gives the appearance of a set of gnashing metal teeth, and underpins the HTC 10's cold, industrial facade.
A ridged power button can be found below the volume controls on the right, while a dual SIM and microSD slot sit on the opposite side. In a change from the norm, the 3.5mm headphone port (with built-in headphone amp) now lives on the top of the device.
We really had to dig to find this, but the HTC 10 is not fully protected from water. It has resistance to the IP53 standard, which is more commonly referred to as rain protection. This could save you from the odd spillage or drop into a shallow puddle. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 4.
The HTC 10 is available in four colours: Topaz Gold, Carbon Grey, Glacial Silver and Camellia Red.
Performance The UK/Europe model is powered by the formidable Snapdragon 820 chipset. This is the same as in the LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge US variants. It offers a quad-core 64-bit array of up to 2.2GHz backed by 4GB of RAM.
The Snapdragon 820 has a good pedigree, and we were pleasantly surprised by the speeds and results in our benchmark tests.
The HTC 10 was the fastest handset on the market by Antutu standards, at least on our first run.
Antutu 152,509 (S7 Edge 126,904). On second run Antutu dropped to 151,012
PCMark work performance 5,907 (S7 Edge 4,670)
3DMark 2,372 (S7 Edge 2,185)
Geekbench single-core 2,379 (S7 Edge 2,155)
Geekbench multi-core 5,233 (S7 Edge 6,505)
The HTC 10 also scored highly in 3DMark and in the Geekbench single-core test, but falls behind in multi-core.
However, the JavaScript benchmarks didn't live up to the earlier performance. In both cases, a lower score is better.
Kraken 3,307.9ms (S7 Edge 2,557.5)
SunSpider 627.8ms (S7 Edge 316.2)
Unfortunately, HTC has reined back the hardware on the HTC 10 in India, where it's also billed as the HTC 10 Lifestyle.
The Snapdragon 820 is replaced with the Snapdragon 652 (quad 1.8GHz and 1.2GHz cores) and 4GB RAM reduced to 3GB.
Elsewhere, we were impressed with the fingerprint scanner that sits between the capacitive buttons on the front of the device.
Recognition is super-quick (HTC quotes 0.2 seconds) and highly accurate, so we're inclined to agree with this figure.
HTC 10 review
Does the new UltraPixel camera live up to the hype?
Display The 5.2in Super LCD display offers a Quad HD resolution running at 2,560x1,440 pixels. At 564ppi it's plenty sharp and it could be one of the most natural-looking displays we've seen, as the colours are almost restrained. This is made all the more evident when you compare it with the popping colours and extra gloss exhibited in the Super AMOLED screens of Samsung's Galaxy S7 lineup. It's certainly not the brightest of screens.
We've no way to scientifically test the responsiveness of the touchscreen but there is a tangible smoothness and elegance here. It makes the HTC 10 a pleasure to use which is not something you'd normally say out loud.
You can also take advantage of Motion Launch Gestures which, when mastered, put buried settings and apps right at your fingers. For instance double-tapping the screen wakes it up or puts it to sleep, swiping down twice when the display is off launches the camera, and a three-fingered upward swipe launches HTC Connect allowing you to play media through a variety of nearby devices. These are all nice touches.
Camera The handset has a second-generation HTC UltraPixel sensor, this time with a 12MP camera at f/1.8, which manages to pack in 1.55µm per pixel thereby absorbing more light. For all the HTC claims, we see nothing here that knocks our spots off. At the time of writing DoXomark hasn't published any of the sample photos to go along with the highly impressive score the HTC 10 was awarded. In any case we'd love to see what led it to those conclusions.
The camera opens in a flash, it's quick to focus and there are myriad shooting options that'll please even the most competent photographer. But we found that the HTC 10 lacks any real sense of perspective or depth when compared with the Huawei P9 and Galaxy S7. It provides perfectly pleasant results but these often left us wanting more. It's almost as if colours appear too natural, which might be a silly thing to say and leads us to question whether we are conditioned by hyper-real hues and vivid details. But we can't shake the sense that when you take a picture you want to be wowed by it.
We wanted to emphasise the flag in the image below, but the camera had a hard time differentiating it from the other elements in the scene. As a result it just appears a little flat.
A few more sample photos follow, each with their own niggly issues.
We sometimes struggled to review our pictures, as double-tap or pinch to zoom didn't always provide the desired effect and instead scrolled through the gallery.
The handset informed us on numerous occasions that the laser auto focus was blocked, but our hands were nowhere near the camera array. Odd.
HTC also seems to have done away with Burst mode, but it takes pictures so fast you don't really need one.
On the plus side, when you first fire up the camera app you're greeted with an at-a-glance view of remaining storage (how many more pictures you can take, duration of recorded video left). It's a nice addition and one that other phone manufacturers should follow.
We also have to question the need for optical image stabilisation on the front-facing 5MP 'UltraSelfie' camera. But maybe this reviewer isn't the young, Snapchat demographic HTC is hoping to target. Look to the freestyle layout and this theory holds water, until we consider the handset's industrial-chic, that is. Maybe not. So when it comes to OIS on that front camera, just because you can do it doesn't necessarily mean it's a winning idea.
HTC 10 review
Does the new UltraPixel camera live up to the hype?
Audio We can't judge the HTC 10 fully without commenting on its audio prowess. BoomSound is back, this time in the shape of a new Hi-Fi edition. The handset has also been certified for Hi-Res audio, so if you plug in a pair of cans to the double-powered headphone amplifier you'll be treated to professional level sound quality (24-bit, 96KHz).
You'll be prompted to create a personal audio profile when plugging these in for the first time (it can be accessed later through Settings if you decline). A wizard will then tailor the sound output to your hearing abilities. You can put as much effort into this as you like, although we'd recommend going the whole hog and choosing the frequency test (over the questions-based hoop jumping).
It helps that the HTC 10 comes with some of the comfiest buds we've used in a long time. Don't be fooled by their unassuming appearance as we were quietly taken aback when using them in conjunction with the tailored audio profile. A wide soundstage is present and detail was rich, making it possible to pick out individual instruments. There's just enough bass, too, which could have been overbearing if HTC hadn't put in the work here.
The audio output from the BoomSound speakers is equally impressive. A dedicated tweeter and amp help to deliver outstanding clarity but the end result is perhaps not as loud as we'd like. The HTC 10 is definitely serious when it comes to audio, but you'll want to stick with a decent pair of headphones to get the best from it.
We were treated during our first look at the HTC 10 to a highly impressive demonstration that showcased the handset's recording prowess. It was hard to distinguish between audio recorded live at a gig and a studio-quality recording. Suffice to say HTC has nailed it on this occasion.
Also worthy of note is the newly introduced compatibility with AirPlay. The HTC 10 is the first Android device to officially support the Apple protocol, and it's a welcome addition to HTC's already impressive Connect feature.
Software We applaud HTC for attempting to innovate, but the freestyle layout is ultimately a bit of a non-starter. The idea is grand in theory: having the freedom to arrange apps and widgets exactly where you want and not be constrained by Android's conventional grid system. But when this freedom is saddled with the quirky and cartoonish designs on offer, we can't see anyone (apart from the very young) wanting to give their phone such a drastic makeover.
The HTC 10 fares better when it comes to doing away with the bloatware usually associated with its Android siblings.
HTC worked with Google to create a purer Android experience, meaning in theory that there's no doubling-up of native apps and their close cousins. A world where you're served with one browser and one photo viewer is a place we'd very much like to spend more time in.
However, it does highlight a potential privacy concern. The HTC 10 is so embroiled with Google that you'll need to remember to turn off Google syncing if you're wary of having all your pictures and documents automatically sent to the cloud.
HTC 10 review
Does the new UltraPixel camera live up to the hype?
Storage The HTC 10 is available in 32GB and 64GB models, both of which can be expanded via microSD to a whopping 2TB. This is impressive enough, but the HTC 10 also supports adoptable storage that trumps the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Huawei P9 to name but two.
Adoptable storage is a feature introduced in Android Marshmallow that allows any external storage to be viewed as one with your phone's internal storage. Your microSD will need to be formatted for this to take place, but once completed this extra space will be used as the go-to location for all your saved data and apps. If you want to take advantage of this feature we recommend microSD storage that supports nothing less than 80-90Mbps.
Battery The HTC 10 contains a non-removable 3,000mAh battery, and the addition of Quick Charge 3 technology does indeed put sub-30 minute charging times within touching distance. We went from a 50 per cent charge to full capacity in the 30 minutes promised. A big plus point.
We were also pleased to see that the HTC 10 stayed relatively cool while raiding and queuing downloads at the Google Play store, running intensive benchmarks and putting in some serious gaming hours. This is no doubt thanks to that hardy all-metal construction. In terms of stamina the phone ably entered a second day of use on the original charge. As usual, this was based on real-world use as our primary handset and not on some fantastical looping tests.
Also worthy of note is HTC's Boost+ app. This is a suite of tools designed to boost performance. Smart boost automatically clears your memory, all the time keeping a handy tally of the megabytes cleared. There's also a game battery booster that forces games to render at 1080P resolution (a reduction from the standard 2K), thereby providing a gaming experience that is playable and battery efficient but still looks good.
Price and availability At the time of writing the 32GB edition can be pre-ordered direct and SIM-free from HTC.com for £569.99. It will also be available from Carphone Warehouse from 4 May, and on O2 from £36.50 with a £79.99 upfront cost. Carphone Warehouse offers £50 cashback on many of the HTC 10 tariffs.
Summary Ultimately the HTC 10 delivers in more areas than not. Performance is top-notch owing to that Snapdragon 820 chip, the battery is long-lasting and there's plenty of storage. The sleek lines and clean industrial finish aren't only skin deep thanks to the tidy Android OS experience, and the improved BoomSound speakers and additional support for hi-res audio make it the ideal choice for those looking to up their audio game.
We do, however, have to question whether the camera is really all it's cracked up to be, whether the screen is too muted and whether the HTC 10 truly excites in the face of such stiff competition.
The HTC 10 is a formidable titan that's ominously rolled onto the frontline in the hard-fought smartphone battlegrounds of 2016. But instead of wanting to chase glory and make history, it has chosen to just stand there, stationary. All the while the enemy is advancing and making its own kills, and we fear that HTC may once again get left behind.
HTC 10 review
Does the new UltraPixel camera live up to the hype?
We put the HTC 10 through its paces on video. Watch our video review in the player below.