MobileTechTalk Today HTC revealed their new flagship for 2016, the HTC 10. Sadly I don’t have a review unit (yet), so take what I say with a grain of salt.
From the impressions so far in the social space, the HTC 10 has very favourable feedback among the masses.
It has top of the line specifications with the Snapdragon 820 (the latest chip from Qualcomm) 4GB of RAM (same as the others flagship of this year), a QHD LCD screen, a 12MP camera with OIS on the back and an impressive 5Mpx camera on the front since it has OIS as well. For the record, the camera has been rated 88/100 by DxO, the same score as the Galaxy S7. If that wasn’t enough, you can insert your own SD Card (adoptable storage, too). Also, a fingerprint scanner is embedded on the front. All of that in a beautiful metal casing.
But wait, there is more!
The HTC 10 features a dual speaker setup. It’s not front-facing for both of the speakers, but it’s probably better than the very weak one on the S7. Also it supports 24-Bit High-Resolution audio.
But wait, there is more!
The HTC 10 runs on the latest version of Sense UI which is very close to stock Android. The OS also doesn’t have duplicate apps like many other Android phones. HTC partnered with Google, so instead of having two calculators for example, you only have the one from Google. What does this mean? Less work for HTC to update it to the coming versions of Android and straight updates via the Play Store from Google for those apps.
So let’s recap, shall we?
- Top of the line specs in a beautiful body made of metal
- Emphasis on the sound with the dual speaker and high-resolution audio
- Very close to stock skinned version of Android which is very light since it eliminates the usual duplicated apps you find on other android phones
Does it sound like a really, really great smartphone to you? It sure does seem so to me!
But why doesn’t it matter then?
The answer is really simple. In the world of technology, it doesn’t matter if your product is the best. Just the name on it.
We aren’t saying that Apple releasing a brand of toilet roll will sell regardless, but there’s some middle ground here – and we all know why that is.
The two biggest smartphone sellers are Apple and Samsung, at least here in Switzerland. If someone wants to stay on Android they will just get the Samsung Galaxy S7. They know the brand; the marketing game for Samsung is stronger than ever. If they liked the Galaxy S5 or the Galaxy S6 or the Galaxy S4 if he didn’t upgrade for more than the regular two years contract the upgrade to the Galaxy S7 is a no-brainer for him. If he was happy with the iPhone 5 or 6, he just wants to get the newest iPhone on the market. The story ends here.
This is a bit sad for a company like HTC. Even if you put a LOT of work on your product and even if it’s the greatest this doesn’t mean success like, at all. To be completely honest here, I think I even prefer the HTC 10 compared to the S7 and the LG G5. Why? Mainly the design, the audio part and the software. And yes, enthusiasts may prefer it as well. Or your weird outsider friend that only buys HTC for some reasons you don’t understand.
This year, I think HTC proved that they can make a really great overall smartphone. Will it sell well? Certainly not. But I wish it did, because it deserves it.
