Product test

HTC 10 Evo - Of big footprints and competitors

13.1.2017

Translation: machine translated

The HTC 10 Evo is not officially sold in Switzerland, but you can still buy it from us. The name alone implies a lot, as the Evo model of the HTC 10 is not only intended to get the Taiwanese company back on track, but also to outperform its predecessor. I have tested the device.

"Wait a minute," I hear you say, "the HTC 10 Evo isn't even available in Switzerland!" That's right. But it's still wrong. Although HTC does not officially sell the smartphone in this country, our product manager has managed to ensure that we can offer the phone in our shop. That's good news, because the Evo is a good device that you're sure to enjoy.

Smartphones

HTC 10 evo

32 GB, Gunmetal, 5.50", Single SIM, 4G

Smartphones

HTC 10 evo

32 GB, Glacier Silver, 5.50", 4G

Smartphones

HTC 10 evo

32 GB, Pearl Gold, 5.50", Single SIM, 4G

Smartphones

HTC 10 evo

Smartphones

HTC 10 evo

Smartphones

HTC 10 evo

Even better: I tested this smartphone, which is not available in Switzerland, for several weeks. So you don't have to buy a pig in a poke, but you can already find out what the HTC 10 Evo can do.

Look and feel

Black. Rectangle. Rounded corners. Metal plate at the back. Glass at the front. The HTC 10 Evo - marketed internationally as the HTC Bolt - makes a solid impression visually, but does a lot more right under the bonnet than it does on the outside.

Our product manager put the phone on my desk one afternoon and said that I was interested in the thing. I didn't quite realise what the black mobile on my table was. Flat, metallic, looks like a lump, a bit heavy in the hand. HTC's design language is recognisable as soon as you see anything other than the front. Unlike the HTC 10, however, the Evo is flat at the back and not rounded. Evil tongues claim that either HTC has copied the iPhone or the iPhone has copied HTC. But let's be honest, who cares? I think it's good that there is now an iOS and an Android version for people who like this design.

In short: a nice phone.

But if, like me, you're presented with smartphones without any packaging or warning, then let me tell you something: The HTC 10 Evo no longer has a 3.5mm connector. That's pretty stupid if you're leaving the office in the evening, want to listen to music against the commuter noise and only have wired headphones (unless you have an adapter with you). Of course, this rather specific incident didn't happen to me. The reason I've tested wireless headphones in the recent past is a different one. For sure. Believe me. It's like this.

This brings us to the point where we talk about operation. After a brief excursion into smartphone philosophy, if there is such a thing.

Somehow we've seen it

I admit: The HTC 10 Evo doesn't knock my socks off like the HTC 10 did. Not just because it's the logical evolution of a phone that was already great in its own right, but because we've kind of seen it. Let's be honest, the design of the HTC 10 Evo is not directly inspiring. Neither is the iPhone. It's simple, sleek and there's actually nothing wrong with it. Nevertheless, I can leave my mobile, which isn't even available in Switzerland at the time of writing, lying around in the gym and no one even looks at it funny.

Product test
HTC 10 - the inconspicuous favourite
by Dominik Bärlocher

I've probably had more mobile phones in my recent past than some people have had in a decade, as I now test the devices and insist on holding every mobile in my hands and testing them for at least a few hours in everyday life. So it may well be that I'm saying this out of a sense of abundance, but I think it's time for smartphones to reinvent themselves again. A look at history shows that the basic shape and controls of smartphones have hardly changed since the first iPhone in 2007. I mean, if I describe a mobile phone to you and talk about the home button or the volume control, you know that I could be talking about any phone. Boring, isn't it?

Something must have happened in the nine years since the iPhone, right? Some technological development that redefined the smartphone without further ado. Thinner, lighter, more battery simply can't be the last word in wisdom.

In use

In use, the HTC 10 Evo is a gem. It reacts quickly, both in operation and with the camera. 1440x2560 pixels on the 5.5-inch screen are quite something.

Shooting from the hip this quickly produces clean snapshots

In almost every respect, the HTC 10 Evo is actually an evolution compared to the HTC 10. The screen is larger, the performance is higher and the camera is faster. It's funny to note that the Evo is inferior to the HTC 10 according to the data sheet. The difference is barely noticeable. The only noticeable difference is that the device runs a little hot when it's busy.

All in all, it's difficult to write a review here because the HTC 10 Evo is a close second to the HTC 10: It's worry-free to use. Things just work when and how I want them to. And even after weeks of use, when I pick up the device, I'm sure that everything is exactly as it should be. Error messages and all that? Not a thing.

The only aspect in which the HTC 10 Evo is inferior to the HTC 10 is the battery. Where its big brother's battery easily survives a night, the HTC 10 Evo's battery is dangerously low after around 13 hours. This is despite the fact that the 3200mAh battery should actually provide more power than its big brother's 3000mAh battery. The Evo clearly lasts a normal working day, but the carefree nature of the HTC 10 is gone. I don't know how you see it, but I think that fewer worries offer a better quality of life. And when I don't have to worry about my battery, I really enjoy it.

On the other hand, the Evo's screen is slightly larger. The screen diagonal of the HTC 10 Evo is 7.6mm longer than that of the HTC 10 and measures 5.5 inches, or 13.97cm. Nice. There's not much more to say. The picture is sharp, bright and clear. The developers have also thought of polarised sunglasses. The Evo even looks good in the sunshine. Good work, HTC.

Fundamentally, the HTC 10 Evo remains true to HTC's company philosophy: It works. Fast, reliable and worry-free. The design, although more timeless than other devices, looks a little old-fashioned and visual accents can be set differently. Nevertheless, if you want to buy a good mobile phone today, the HTC 10 Evo is a very good choice.