HTC is finding itself slightly on the back foot when it comes to the flagship Android smartphones, but it is now attempting to refine its efforts with the newly-launched HTC 10.
Following on from the lacklustre launch of the One M9 last year, which just expanded upon the success of the One M8, the HTC 10 is the Taiwanese manufacturer’s attempt to regain some of the ground lost against its major Android competitors like Samsung, Huawei and LG.
At a launch event today (12 April), HTC revealed the spec for its latest flagship phone, which seems to be par for the course when it comes to phones in its price range.
For starters, the phone comes in a typically HTC all-aluminium chassis, which contains the 5.2in Gorilla Glass screen that promises up to 30pc more colour than the One M9.
50pc faster than One M9
It certainly looks sleek, with its chamfered edges and machined ports, with HTC having said that it subjected the phone to 168 hours of extreme conditions during testing.
As for performance, the HTC 10 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and RAM of 4GB in addition to 32GB of internal storage with room for an external microSD card.
HTC’s promises for its latest phone include a major overhaul of its speed, with claims that the 10 is 50pc more responsive than the One M9, thanks to some tinkering with the hardware and software.
Battery life of two days
On a similar point, HTC said it has done similar work with the phone’s battery in optimising the phone’s system to give it a battery life that will last as long as two days using its 3,000mAh battery.
It is also getting in line with many other manufacturers to include charging using USB-C, which is compatible with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 that allows for 80pc charge from zero in 35 minutes.
Given Huawei’s new phone is focused heavily on its new Leica-designed dual cameras, HTC’s traditional lack of camera development appears to have been ditched in favour of bringing it more in line with its competitors.
Double the stabilisation
The HTC 10’s main camera comes in at 12MP with ƒ/1.8 lens, which promises up to 136pc more light with the help of its UltraPixel sensor and optical image stabilisation (OIS).
The 5MP selfie camera also has OIS – a first for smartphones according to HTC – but is different in that it has a wide-angle lens for getting more people into a photo.
Perhaps where the phone is selling itself most is its audio system, particularly its headphone amp, which puts out double the power of other smartphones in its class.
In terms of price, HTC’s website prices the phone, unlocked, at the princely sum of €699, with it coming in three colours, black, silver and gold.
