
HTC 10 - the inconspicuous favourite
The HTC 10 is big, bulky and powerful. It is one of our customers' biggest favourites. Time to take a look at a mobile that nobody expected, but that many people like.
When the smartphone was launched on the market in spring 2016, the device received good reviews but never achieved great fame. Wrongly so. Because the HTC 10 can easily keep up with the flagships of other manufacturers. The system performance, the cameras and the screen are all at the top end of the performance spectrum. The installed Android is close to the stock ROMs from Google.
Our users' favourite
"The HTC 10 is an exciting case," says Dario Pellanda, Product Manager Mobile Devices at Digitec. It is rare for a mobile to receive so many good reviews. Because our users really like the HTC 10. With 31 reviews received, the phone has an average of 4.8 stars. A maximum of 5 stars is possible.
Some voices from the user reviews:
But not everything is sunshine and roses. There are complaints about the somewhat high price of the device and some say that the colour intensity of the screen leaves something to be desired. Furthermore, the speakers are excellent and the sound via headphones is great, but the built-in Dolby Boom system does not offer any extra features or greater sound depth.
The expert tested
When I evaluate smartphones professionally, I apply all kinds of criteria that have little or no influence on their actual use. As an expert, it's not just the device per se that counts, but also the manufacturer's strategic decisions and the smartphone's influence on the market. Arguments such as "The phone shows that HTC can play at the top again" can carry far more weight than they actually should.
That's why I took a look at the HTC 10 from a user's perspective. I always have it in my trouser pocket at the moment and use it consistently. I've had the rather heavy device with me for a few days now. If I wasn't buying a Pixel XL - now affectionately known as the "Pixelixel" - for professional reasons, I would probably opt for the HTC 10.
Good handling, great sound, some buts
In addition to the good handling and the good feeling that the mobile phone won't break immediately if I look at it a little crooked, the HTC 10 has a lot to offer. With a Snapdragon 820 processor and four processor cores - 2x2.15 GHz Kryo and 2x1.6 GHz Kryo - the smartphone can deliver decent performance. No matter what I tried, the mobile never slowed down.
The camera produces razor-sharp images even in poor lighting conditions. HTC makes this possible with laser autofocus and celebrates it as a major innovation. All hogwash. In reality, I can take my mobile out of my pocket, turn around, pull the trigger and a sharp photo comes out. And I don't have to hold still for long. As a user, that's all I'm interested in. Laser autofocus works and leaves nothing to be desired - well done, HTC!
However, I think Digitec users are right: the HTC 10 is a great device. The HTC 10 shows that the Taiwanese can still keep up after a few average devices. And if you want a mobile, then the HTC 10 is certainly not a bad choice. <p
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
