Now that the new HTC 10 is available for sale in the United States, buyers have many choices. Between HTC 10, Galaxy S7 and even LG G5. That said, for those considering the switch, we’d like to take a look at the HTC 10 and the older HTC One M9.
HTC has struggled in the smartphone market over the past few years, but it still has loyal buyers who love a premium all-metal phone. HTC has been doing this for years, while other manufacturers are just catching up. The new HTC 10 is no different and perhaps the best ever. There are several reasons why it’s a worthy upgrade over the HTC One M9 and certainly the M8 from the previous year.
On April 12, the new HTC 10 was announced, abandoning the M brand and replacing the mediocre HTC One M9. For those who still enjoy an old HTC smartphone, here’s what makes the 10 one of the best ever and what you need to know.
The HTC One series has been an excellent phone for years, but continues to struggle with a similar overall design, mediocre camera and poor battery life. HTC’s struggles are well documented, but that’s all hopefully about to change. With its newly improved design, compatibility with Samsung in many respects, a good camera and long battery life, the HTC 10 has it all.
With the new LG G5 getting bad reviews, HTC is next in line to try and dethrone the popular Galaxy lineup, and this year it could really do just that. HTC focused on design and claimed it was made after customer support surveys and feedback. Now that Verizon is available on Sprint and is coming to T-Mobile soon, buyers need to know all about it.
HTC 10 vs M9: Design
New for 2016, the HTC 10 might just be the company’s best smartphone yet. They’ve replaced the one-piece aluminum frame, added a Samsung-like fingerprint scanner to the front, and perfected both the front and rear cameras. It has somehow lost the dual front speakers, something many love, but it’s still there and more than capable.
The HTC One M9 received a lot of criticism for looking the same as the previous year, so this time it got some subtle changes. It still has HTC’s signature design, but it’s better than ever. The huge bezels on the front and all those lines on the back are gone. There is still plastic on the back of the antennas, but it looks much better than before.
The HTC 10 has a larger 5.2-inch display with higher 2k resolution, but is almost the same size as the HTC One M9. Because they got rid of the frame, logo and speakers. Don’t worry, the sound is still very good.
Another area developed for 2016 is the replacement of these speakers with a Samsung-like fingerprint scanner for enhanced security and easy mobile payments. Another feature to users, easier methods to protect or unlock the phone and double as a home button.
Apart from the above, we have a similar design with power and volume keys on the side, a micro SD and a SIM card slot. One thing worth noting missing is the IR Blaster that doubles as a remote. HTC One M9 owners used it frequently, but it was removed in 10.
HTC 10 vs One M9: Display
The HTC One series has had slightly smaller screens than most of its competitors for years. Starting at 4.7 inches, starting at 5 inches for the last two years. They also stick to 1920 x 1080p Full HD resolution and claim it helps with battery life. Their phones still didn’t last as long as the competition.
The HTC One M9 had a 5-inch 1080p display and average battery life. In 2016 though, the new HTC 10 has a larger 5.15 (5.2 on paper) Quad-HD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and an S-LCD 5 display. It almost matches the Galaxy S7.
The HTC 10 has one of the best displays we’ve ever used. It doesn’t have Samsung’s super-vivid colors, but it’s not pale or shoddy like the LG G5. It has well-balanced colors, whites, blacks and viewing angles. White looks white, not bluish green.
Reducing the bezel size, HTC logo and speakers provided a bigger and better screen, the same size as the HTC One M9. So those considering upgrading won’t have to worry about getting a bigger phone, but will enjoy a bigger and better screen than the HTC 10.
HTC 10 vs One M9: Features
This is where things really change even more. Specs, battery life, camera and incredibly fast charging speeds. Both phones are flagship devices and very powerful, but obviously the newer HTC 10 brings more to the table. Here are the numbers for those who are interested. Pay attention to the camera and battery areas.
As you can see, this is a pretty big list of details. The HTC 10 matches Samsung in absolutely everything except wireless charging and clearly outperforms the older HTC One M9.
HTC 10 supports Quick Charge 3.0 technology. The HTC 10 charges from 0-80% in 35 minutes, while the older M9 only charges from 0-50% in about 25 minutes and takes about 95-100 minutes to fully charge. HTC 10 reaches 100% in 75 minutes.
A few things potential buyers will notice right away but need to be explained are the camera, processor, and battery. The new 10 charges faster and lasts longer, and both the camera and processor are better even if they don’t look like it.
Then One M9 has 8 core processor and 3GB RAM and now new HTC 10 only has Quad core processor. The quad-core processor (Snapdragon 820) and 4GB of RAM outperform the old 8 this year. – Core chip in all areas. Faster, better, more efficient, good for gaming and more. We don’t need to work with 8 cores and everyone realized that. Just know that the battery, camera and processor got better with the HTC 19 this year.
HTC 10 vs One M9: Camera
The original HTC One had an “UltraPixel” camera with a massive sensor, but it was ahead of its time. Eventually HTC gave up on that plan and switched to a large 20.7-megapixel camera on the HTC One M9. However, more megapixels does not mean better.
Now Samsung, Apple, Google and HTC have all dropped 12-megapixel cameras, but they’re much better than the old 16-20-megapixel lenses. It takes 10 great photos, 4k video, and reviews show it has the best camera on any smartphone. Losing to Galaxy S7 only in low light. The larger sensor is faster, captures more light in less time and also has a fast autofocus. The size of the photo isn’t that great, but nobody needs to print 5-7ft photos taken from their camera either.
HTC has eliminated the dual camera setup, not adding a massive 20.7-megapixel camera. Instead, it went back to its roots and offered a quality 12 Ultrapixel camera with fast focus and optical image stabilization. It’s a great camera and will consistently take better pictures than the old One M9. The front camera is also better.
HTC 10 vs One M9: Software
Here’s another area where things get interesting. HTC has always included a user interface called HTC Sense on stock Android. Some like it but more don’t. Just to do this and change things to make them stand out from other phones. Samsung does this too.
HTC One M9 had Sense UI 7.0 over Android 5.1 Lollipop and it wasn’t that great. Many like HTC Blinkfeed, but the rest is useless. In 2016, the HTC 10 is closer to a Motorola phone running almost stock Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with HTC Sense extras added. Adding features rather than spoiling the whole experience.
This results in less bloatware, fewer duplicate apps and faster software updates in the future. The HTC One M9 received Android 6.0 from two carriers in the US this week when it launched in October. That’s more than 7 months of waiting. HTC 10 will not have this problem. It also has two calendars, two email apps, two messaging apps, two photo galleries, and all of that. Instead, HTC uses Google’s pre-installed apps and then enhances them with minor changes like HTC Blinkfeed, customization themes and stuff. It’s a good choice and something many are excited to see.
Getting the HTC 10 offers a clean, latest version of Android without a lot of junk, fast updates and smooth performance.
HTC 10 Release Date and Price
There’s a lot going on for the HTC 10 this year. From improved design, bigger screen, great speakers, micro SD slot, fingerprint scanner and the latest and greatest specs and hardware. As a result, it is slightly more expensive. Many may find the HTC One M9 used or discounted from carriers, but the above information should take into account the HTC 10 most.
Starting May 5, the HTC 10 is available for sale in the US from Verizon Wireless, May 13 from Sprint, and May 18 from T-Mobile. This year AT&T doesn’t offer it, but for those interested, it can be purchased unlocked for use on AT&T or T-Mobile via HTC.com.
The HTC 10 is $21-28 a month for 24 months, $629-679 directly, or $199 with a new 2-year contract. Similar pricing will be available for the HTC One M9 if it’s still available on carriers. However, this is about upgrades. Those who own the older HTC One M8 or M9 should consider using or replacing their annual upgrade on the HTC 10. It’s better in almost every way, bringing plenty to the table, and it’s only missing an IR blaster that not many use. HTC 10 looks to be one of the best phones of 2016 and will be supported with updates for a long time.
