A fresh start

The HTC 10 gets a new look, but keeps the experience intact

Talk about hitting the reset button! HTC has joined in the craze of smartphone makers overhauling their flagships and there are a lot of noticeable changes. Let's get straight to them! 
First up, gone are the iconic dual front-facing speakers in the previous Ones that helped HTC shoot up the ranks. The design that we've all been used to and loved has also changed. But audiophiles needn't despair: the HTC 10 has certified Hi-Res Audio - technically it's termed as the "BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition" - and, along with those neat headphones bundled in, you won't miss a beat.
Despite the rehashing of its design, it still maintains a solid uni-body metal form. That said, I do miss the overall design of the predecessors, especially because of the new home button. It now acts as a fingerprint scanner, which is actually very quick. But the whole thing is very vanilla.
The latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 4GB of RAM means that it performs pretty well. Its display is now at 5.2" and boasts a QHD Super LCD 5 screen - good upgrades from the M9's 5" Super LCD 3 screen. As for battery life, I was able to eke out power just short of two days - of course, this will vary depending on how you use it - still, another improvement from its predecessor.
The camera takes a bump down from the M9's 20MP sensor, but it's now a 12MP UltraPixel one. Honestly, I like the M9's snapper better, although the 10's camera still works well, save for some shots in areas that aren't brightly lit.
AND SO...
I've always been an advocate of retaining the identity of a product, as much as possible. However, it is imperative to change when times require it. The HTC 10 can be considered a reboot, and while others may miss the design and swag that the 10's predecessors had - those gizmos were among the most talked-about in their glory days - HTC can certainly build upon the 10 to tangle it out with the rest.
The Lowdown:
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, quad-core 64-bit 2.2GHz
Memory: RAM - 4GB; storage - 32GB, up to 2TB microSD
Platform: Android 6.0 Marshmallow with HTC Sense
Display: 5.2" quad-HD Super LCD 5, Corning Gorilla Glass on Curve Edge Display
Camera: Main - 12MP UltraPixel, 4K support; front - 5MP
Sound: BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition, Hi-Res Audio Certified
Battery: 3000mAh, up to 27h talk time
Connectivity: Up to 4G LTE; NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, DLNA, AirPlay, Miracast, Chromecast; USB Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack; nano SIM
Price: Dh2,399
Pros: Better battery, nice audio
Cons: New design makes you miss the old one, camera in low light
Editor rating: 8.5/10
 
Extra Byte:

Panasonic HJX20/HJX5 earphones  
The first one (pictured) claims to deliver "crisp, powerful sound directly to your ears thanks to a dual axial drive, while the second features enhanced 12mm driver units with magnetic forces to lower distortion" and "rich, powerful bass and neutral treble". Either way, they sound like a good deal, especially price-wise. (Dh349/Dh179)

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 series  
The first of this series of tablets comes with more battery juice and a 3D imaging module; the Yoga (pictured) is only 0.66" thin and comes with an optional Samsung OLED display; and then there's the Carbon, which is still the world's lightest 14" Ultrabook. In short, Lenovo continues to spoil us for choice. (Dh5,200, Dh6,200, Dh5,700)
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com

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