HTC 10

[Tig Bitties]

Verge's review:
http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/14/11429858/htc-10-review

HTC 10 review: great isn’t good enough
The 10 is just a phone in a world where other phones are so much more

With the 10, HTC has done what it’s very good at: making a well-made smartphone that excels at all of the things you want a phone to do. Again, it’s easily the best phone that HTC has ever made.

Give HTC a trophy of participation for making a phone that actually competes in the big leagues this year. But then give your money to somebody else, because you can get more for your dollar with an iPhone, Galaxy, or Nexus.



HTC 10
8.0VERGE SCORE
GOOD STUFF

• 
  
  
  • Fast performance
  • Reliable battery
  • Great sound
  • Good software

BAD STUFF

• 
  
  
  • Boring design
  • Slow camera
  • High price

F. the Verge, that site blows ever since Josh T. left couple years ago. They are so brainwashed by crApple and the lame iPhone, they pretty much diss Android any chance they can.

The Verge has really gone downhill, becoming a generic and useless site to even visit anymore.

 

[Kiezpirat80]

That is Not true. S7 edge has reached the highest Rating of all time on the verge.

 

[AppleRobert]

I've got a problem. Got a S7edge at launch, but still just placed an order for an HTC 10. Oh well might as well try it out and then decide which one to keep.

That isn't a problem, you are going to choose between them. I have a real problem as attested to my drawer full of smartphones I could not decide which to keep or never sold because the resell value was not worthwhile.
[doublepost=1460902595][/doublepost]

No because the Galaxy handsets are always inferior to the Note range. To me the Note models are always Samsung's true flagships.

Most of us flip one for the other when it is released, best of both worlds.
[doublepost=1460902933][/doublepost]

I stopped by a TMO store today. They hinted that they would not get this phone in the store until well after people already have it.

Same story on my end and whatever happened to them carrying the A9 I'll never know.

 

[T5BRICK]

Unless something crazy happens later this year, I may be buying one of these. I miss my M7.

 

[AppleRobert]

Probably a purchase for me as well since I'm liking the A9 I have been messing with at AT&T store. So long as there aren't any issues, I would be good to go. Even the rather smallish screen to body ratio was not bothering me really and it should be better with the M10. And the battery life has to be better than the A9 considering how small it is in that device. I know the M10 will pack QHD but it still shouldn't be bad for my usage whereby it will die on me before the day is over.

No hurry though, I'll let you guys mess around with it first and check reviews once it is in the wild.

 

[Surf Donkey]

The battery is holding me back until further reviews and/or discounts. Given the screen, we should be hearing about awesome battery life like with the Galaxy S7. Especially comparing the Snapdragon variants. So far, I have seen from "pretty good" to possible concerns even getting through a day. No way am I going to pay for a flagship phone in 2016 with any real chance of running out in a normal day of usage.

 

[tbayrgs]

I found this poll over at Android Police a bit interesting and was admittedly a bit surprised by the results.

 

[jamezr]

I found this poll over at Android Police a bit interesting and was admittedly a bit surprised by the results.

I can't see the poll results here at work. They have IE locked down so much it won't refresh with the data. But I think I would guess the HTC 10 might come out on top? It is the newest flavor Android flagship phone and there has been a ton of excitement about it. I would love to see a poll after about 30 days of use and see which one people prefer then.

 

[tbayrgs]

I can't see the poll results here at work. They have IE locked down so much it won't refresh with the data. But I think I would guess the HTC 10 might come out on top? It is the newest flavor Android flagship phone and there has been a ton of excitement about it. I would love to see a poll after about 30 days of use and see which one people prefer then.

Yes, presently the results show 46% preferring the HTC 10 vs. 39% for the Galaxy S7 (S7 edge) with the G5 a distant third at 16%. I understand how the HTC 10 is the hot new thing but while early reviews are generally good, impressions are far from consistent and overall, the Galaxies still seem better overall in most areas.

I took the results to show that in the tech community there still is a pretty noticeable bias against Samsung's software because there really are few significant criticisms against their hardware at this point.

Completely agree with you on your final point though--I'd love to see the results of the same poll in another couple months.

 

[jamezr]

Yes, presently the results show 46% preferring the HTC 10 vs. 39% for the Galaxy S7 (S7 edge) with the G5 a distant third at 16%. I understand how the HTC 10 is the hot new thing but while early reviews are generally good, impressions are far from consistent and overall, the Galaxies still seem better overall in most areas.

I took the results to show that in the tech community there still is a pretty noticeable bias against Samsung's software because there really are few significant criticisms against their hardware at this point.

that's a great point and I agree with you. Samsung needs to do more with TW. They need to overcome the reputation TW has acquired, and deserved for the most part. I think they are on the right path...but still needs improvements.
I would love to see a lot of the TW apps be additional downloads if a customer wants them. Then a way for us to fully remove a lot of the underlying services we don't want or need. Anyway that is my opinion.

 

[Surf Donkey]

Nice overview of Sense 8 (but as stated in the article, not really 8):

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/137...-7-0-new-features-tweaks-and-changes-reviewed

tldr;

HTC Sense 8.0 marks a change of direction for HTC as it focuses on getting the basics right and drops a lot of software bloat from previous devices. There's still a fair amount available to differentiate HTC from other Android phones and we can't say we'll miss anything that's gone.

Compare Sense 8.0 to TouchWiz, LG's Optimus UX 5.0 or Huawei's EMUI and you now have HTC sitting closer to Android than ever before. That makes the Android with HTC Sense position work, and that's going to be the future for other HTC devices too.

Sense 8.0 is for the better, leaving HTC with a modern Android handset that's slick, fast, and mercifully free from clutter.

 

[epicrayban]

that's a great point and I agree with you. Samsung needs to do more with TW. They need to overcome the reputation TW has acquired, and deserved for the most part. I think they are on the right path...but still needs improvements.
I would love to see a lot of the TW apps be additional downloads if a customer wants them. Then a way for us to fully remove a lot of the underlying services we don't want or need. Anyway that is my opinion.

Not to derail the thread, but I think the major areas TouchWiz needs to improve on are more related to what Samsung can pull off with the carriers here in the US: How to negotiate less carrier bloatware and more control over software updates. That's the question Samsung needs to answer in the coming years.

TW should continue to improve, of course, but the focus should be in those aforementioned areas.

 

[tbayrgs]

Not to derail the thread, but I think the major areas TouchWiz needs to improve on are more related to what Samsung can pull off with the carriers here in the US: How to negotiate less carrier bloatware and more control over software updates. That's the question Samsung needs to answer in the coming years.

TW should continue to improve, of course, but the focus should be in those aforementioned areas.

Just putting out a fully functional, unlocked version here in the US would go a long ways toward solving these problems. Keep up the carrier branded versions if you like Samsung, but give people the option to pay for the phone outright outside of the carriers.

I personally think the bias goes deeper than that as I see so many comments praising the lighter touch HTC has taken with their software, how 'near stock' it appears to be. Most praise for Motorola seems to involve very similar sentiments about their software. As capable as TW maybe, there's a noticeable undercurrent in tech towards stock or 'near stock' Android---a desire for a 'less is more' approach.

Samsung appears to have made significant strides in improving TW over the past but it's a stigma associated with their devices that they are obviously still fighting against, at least amongst the tech community.

 

[Fernandez21]

that's a great point and I agree with you. Samsung needs to do more with TW. They need to overcome the reputation TW has acquired, and deserved for the most part. I think they are on the right path...but still needs improvements.
I would love to see a lot of the TW apps be additional downloads if a customer wants them. Then a way for us to fully remove a lot of the underlying services we don't want or need. Anyway that is my opinion.

Yup. They also need to fully support their handsets longer, would love to see the latest version of touchwiz Marshmallow come out for the S5.

 

[jamezr]

Yup. They also need to fully support their handsets longer, would love to see the latest version of touchwiz Marshmallow come out for the S5.

oh yeah forgot about that! I don know why Samsung doesn't do this...really...it should be something that can be an OTA or a simple download.

 

[epicrayban]

Just putting out a fully functional, unlocked version here in the US would go a long ways toward solving these problems. Keep up the carrier branded versions if you like Samsung, but give people the option to pay for the phone outright outside of the carriers.

I personally think the bias goes deeper than that as I see so many comments praising the lighter touch HTC has taken with their software, how 'near stock' it appears to be. Most praise for Motorola seems to involve very similar sentiments about their software. As capable as TW maybe, there's a noticeable undercurrent in tech towards stock or 'near stock' Android---a desire for a 'less is more' approach.

Samsung appears to have made significant strides in improving TW over the past but it's a stigma associated with their devices that they are obviously still fighting against, at least against the tech community.

For sure. Samsung is slowly but surely chipping away at that outdated perception of TouchWiz.

Still, you're right. Other skins are even lighter, and I do appreciate what HTC has done with eliminating duplicate software. As I said before, Samsung could definitely learn a thing or two from the HTC 10, including selling an unlocked version (I still believe that must be some sort of contractual obligation with the carriers because otherwise, it's stupid not to).

I will say though that I think Samsung has found the right balance of just enough extra useful features to inject on top of the fast and stable Marshmallow. Even Android N is adopting some of these useful features (finally!). They just have to get rid of carrier control and everything that results from that (bloat, delayed updates, etc.) and I think TouchWiz will shake that stigma for good.

 

[Tig Bitties]

I have the T-Mobile Note 5, still on Lollipop, which has a 3,000mAh and I get routinely 5.5h Screen On time daily, sometimes 6h. I know the processor is vastly different, but I think the SD820 is somewhat maybe similar to the Exynos 7420 in terms of efficiency ? The HTC 10 has a 3,000mAh battery, can I say they may get close to similar battery life ?

 

[Surf Donkey]

Ah the Samsung crowd comes in to applaud HTC but still talk about how much better Touchwiz is getting these days

Honestly, bottom line, if you own your phone less then a year (like most everyone here) it doesn't matter. But if you go longer than a year, the Samsung honeymoon is over. The phone slows down, updates stop, battery life tanks. They suck period. So really, there just doesn't seem any point to boast Touchwz or Samsung when you don't own the phone long enough to be exposed to any of the downsides. 95% of people keep their phones more than a year. And for the vast majority, they need to consider this as a part of their purchasing decision.

 

[jamezr]

Ah the Samsung crowd comes in to applaud HTC but still talk about how much better Touchwiz is getting these days

Honestly, bottom line, if you own your phone less then a year (like most everyone here) it doesn't matter. But if you go longer than a year, the Samsung honeymoon is over. The phone slows down, updates stop, battery life tanks. They suck period. So really, there just doesn't seem any point to boast Touchwz or Samsung when you don't own the phone long enough to be exposed to any of the downsides. 95% of people keep their phones more than a year. And for the vast majority, they need to consider this as a part of their purchasing decision.

lol...oh please.......if Samsung and Touchwiz is soooo bad then why does it outperform stock android in battery life? My Note 5 got waaaay better battery life than stock Android on the 6P...just saying.
I have a co worker that has a Note 2 as his daily driver. He loves it...still gets all day battery life. Another has a Nexus 5 and it sucks big time with battery life and performance.
Careful with blanket statements...they are almost always proven false.

 

[Surf Donkey]

lol...oh please.......if Samsung and Touchwiz is soooo bad then why does it outperform stock android in battery life? My Note 5 got waaaay better battery life than stock Android on the 6P...just saying.
I have a co worker that has a Note 2 as his daily driver. He loves it...still gets all day battery life. Another has a Nexus 5 and it sucks big time with battery life and performance.
Careful with blanket statements...they are almost always proven false.

Note 5 = less than one year, right? Why does it outperform the 6P???? Again, nothing to do with OS, everything to do with the SD 810 v Exynos.... haven't we been over this? And the difference is the Note 5 will continue to degrade over the months while the Nexus 6P stays supported with battery optimizations in the new OS releases. And I have a Note (I think 1?) right next to me. I highly doubt your coworker "loves it" and gets all day battery life.

My point is again and again you guys talk about Samsung needing to improve. Well speak with your wallets. Stop supporting them and their bad carrier behavior. And enough with the Samsung has turned some corner talk. Time might prove it to be the case, but given their track record, I highly doubt it. It hasn't been long enough to declare a brand new Samsung. All over people are still waiting on Marshmallow until this week. That is just ridiculous.

And Epicrayban had ever intention of derailing this thread with a Touchwiz discussion, I am very sure of it. Why else bring it up? If you want Samsung to improve, again, don't support them. Simple as that. Look at HTC as an example (to bring us back to topic).

 

[gotluck]

Gs4 gpe is the only true comparison we have of stock vs tw and it's too old!

 

[jamezr]

Surf Donkey...relax...take a deep breath...no one is trying to derail this thread. Don't take things so personal. The thread is open for discussion for everyone.
If you read what I said about TW it was not in a particularly glowing light.
Then to your comments about TW and Samsung....i know you don't like both. It's ok i don't care what you prefer or don't prefer. But my Note 5 with TW .... blows stock phones like the 6P out of the water in battery life. How could it do that if TW was so bad? Why doesn't the 6P with stock get better battery life.....
I do speak with my wallet...i buy a lot of phones and have first hand experience with them...
Then your rant is derailing this thread just as you claim the other discussion did....

Now let's get back on topic with the HTC 10 shall we?

 

[Surf Donkey]

LOL... Trust me, I am relaxed as can be. I don't get emotional, especially on the internet, about phones. I laugh the entire time I read and write most of these posts. I find pure entertainment in it. Big smile on my face.

Epicrayban mentioned derailing the thread, like he does everytime, he compares everything to Touchwiz. And it gets very

Let me say it Garret Morris style for you since you don't seem to get it:

THE SOC IN THE 6P IS CRAP. NONE OF THE SD 810 PHONES GET GOOD BATTERY LIFE.

Touchwiz is **** (my opinion of course) and has NOTHING to do with the good battery life you get on the Note 5. The Note 5 has an awesome processor, and has a kernel very in tune for that processor. Samsung did good there. Their software is still absolute garbage and their support is worse (my opinion of course- don't let it rattle you).

If you want Touchwiz to improve, put the pressure on Samsung. Not by talking about it over and over and over on a forum. Don't support it. I have, it is very easy to do! Every time you give them money, you are reassuring them they are doing the right thing. Kinda like the Apple rut.

And yes, back to the Topic.... and can we leave the Touchwiz garbage out of this thread? Little less of that in everyones life will make it better.

 

[jamezr]

LOL... Trust me, I am relaxed as can be. I don't get emotional, especially on the internet, about phones. I laugh the entire time I read and write most of these posts. I find pure entertainment in it. Big smile on my face.

Epicrayban mentioned derailing the thread, like he does everytime, he compares everything to Touchwiz. And it gets very

Let me say it Garret Morris style for you since you don't seem to get it:

THE SOC IN THE 6P IS CRAP. NONE OF THE SD 810 PHONES GET GOOD BATTERY LIFE.

Touchwiz is **** (my opinion of course) and has NOTHING to do with the good battery life you get on the Note 5. The Note 5 has an awesome processor, and has a kernel very in tune for that processor. Samsung did good there. Their software is still absolute garbage and their support is worse (my opinion of course- don't let it rattle you).

If you want Touchwiz to improve, put the pressure on Samsung. Not by talking about it over and over and over on a forum. Don't support it. I have, it is very easy to do! Every time you give them money, you are reassuring them they are doing the right thing. Kinda like the Apple rut.

And yes, back to the Topic.... and can we leave the Touchwiz garbage out of this thread? Little less of that in everyones life will make it better.

My point still stands.......if TW is as bad you always claim.....ANY PHONE RUNNING STOCK SHOULD BLOW IT AWAY IN BATTERY AND PERFORMANCE. Later this year when the new nexus phones come out and they have the same processor as current phones.....what will the excuse be then?

 

[Surf Donkey]

My point still stands.......if TW is as bad you always claim.....ANY PHONE RUNNING STOCK SHOULD BLOW IT AWAY IN BATTERY AND PERFORMANCE. Later this year when the new nexus phones come out and they have the same processor as current phones.....what will the excuse be then?

What is it with you and battery life?? LoL. Such a strange obsession. If a battery gets through the day, what is the big deal if it gets through a day and a half? It is like a d*** measuring competition with you

Touchwiz is awful for waaaaaay more reasons than battery life.

And any 820 phone with the same specs, that comes in a Nexus device, I would expect it to get the same battery life as a Samsung 820 device. But without ugly colors, gimmicks, lag and with update support.