After a lengthy wait and a series of hints, we officially have the word on HTC’s refreshed flagship for 2016, the HTC 10. If you caught yesterday’s promo video leak, not much was left in the way of surprises regarding the design. However, we can now gaze upon clear angles of that exaggerated chamfer in all its glory.
A subtle name change implies a new outlook for the company. Both the “One” moniker and “M” prefix have dropped from the flagship’s name, simplified to just “10”. The design still definitely looks like an HTC phone, with a mix of new and old. The front looks very A9-like (ugly fingerprint scanner included) and the back resembles 2013’s One M7 (aside from the considerable chamfer). That’s not a bad thing, it’s just not very exciting either. At least, it’ll keep people from calling it an iPhone clone (or will it?).
Fortunately, the specs of the HTC 10 sound killer. Take a look:
- Display: 5.2″ QHD (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) Super-LCD 5
- Chipset: Snapdragon 820 (quad-core, 2.2GHz)
- Memory: 4GB of RAM
- Storage: 32GB/64GB with microSD expansion up to 2TB
- Cameras: 12MP UltraPixel (OIS, laser AF) rear and 5MP (OIS) front
- Battery: 3,000mAh (non-removable)
- OS: Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) with Sense 8.0 UI
It’s also worth mentioning that HTC did not forget that there’s a new USB standard in town (Samsung apparently didn’t get the memo), Quick Charge 3.0 in tow. Fans of HTC’s dual speakers were not left behind like we thought. Although there is a bottom speaker, it is coupled with a speaker in the earpiece to still deliver a BoomSound experience. Additionally, a 24-bit Hi-Fi DAC (digital-to-analog converter) lies within, for headphone listeners who value high quality audio. Not many smartphones have this feature, so the HTC 10 should grab a fair amount of attention from the audiophile community.
After a pretty big fail last year in the camera department, the 10 reintroduces the UltraPixel camera. Only, this time, fans of the technology finally get what we’ve been asking for, more megapixels. The original UltraPixel sensor only had 4MP, which despite its low-light benefit, was hard to swallow compared to sharper images from the competition. The new sensor has 1.55µm sized pixels (same as the Nexus 5X and 6P), f/1.8 aperture, 26mm focal length, OIS, and laser auto-focus. The 5MP front camera is impressive too, with 1.34µm sized pixels, OIS, f/1.8 aperture, and 23mm focal length.
The HTC 10 will be available in grey, silver, and gold colors (although, we don’t see the gold option in the preorder page at the moment), at a retail price of $699. You’ll also be backed by HTC’s Uh Oh protection (a free one-time replacement if your phone dies over the first year).
You can check out the unveiling video below. What do we think about the HTC 10? Has HTC nailed it this time?
