When it comes to tech, Bronxmama founder Nicole keeps it simple. She’s all about basic functions and of course, photos. Lots and lots of photos. Bronxmama writer Eric is quite the opposite- following the latest releases and paying close attention to tech details. So when Verizon sent over the HTC 10 for the team to review, what better way to see it from two points of view than to combine both their opinions.
2 POVs on the HTC 10
Eric: Full disclosure. I haven’t had a Android Phone in my hands since Android 2.0! So Imagine how much awe and wonder my mind was filled with when Nicole passed this phone to me! First thing I noticed immediately was how good this phone felt in my hands. I have pretty big hands and this phone was the perfect match!
Nicole: After going from a large Galaxy Note size to a small Motorola that I loved after reviewing, believe it or not I’ve gotten used to the smaller screen. I kind of like having a phone I can easily grip with one hand, but by the end of the week I was again used to a large screen and my phone seemed tiny in comparison.
Speaking of screens…
Eric: The screen is gorgeous! Next thing I did was load up HD Video games to tax this phone and see how it would perform. I loaded up Hungry Shark which can get graphic intensive and it did not disappoint. The controls felt better due to the size corresponding with my hands and everything was crisp!! A few other games were tried and the experience was great!
Nicole: I saw when Eric was comparing the graphics on this phone and his, and I did see a difference. The objects on the HTC 10 are so crisp they almost appear 3D, especially when it came to photos I took outdoors in natural lighting. The focus is also great on this camera, with the ability to play around with the depth. Also, when it comes to having toddlers it is easy to end up with a bunch of blurry photos on your phone- but this camera is amazing at capturing moving objects.
Gia was in full on run mode in this photo- it’s like time slowed down to capture this shot- not even her hands are blurry.
Even indoors with bad lighting, objects came out crisp and caught whatever light source was nearby.
Why is that?With 12 megapixels, optical image stabilization (OIS) and super-fast laser focusing, you’re getting a pretty awesome camera with this phone. For selfie lovers, HTC 10 also has the first front-facing camera with OIS as well.
Eric: Everything feels snappy on this phone! One thing I feel I MUST point out is this phones performance everyday wise.
1. The battery is amazing! Lasts a long time and even when you use draining apps the quick charge will astound anyone who isn’t familiar with it.
2. The reception! Everyone knows Verizon has the leading Wireless network performance but I was in the basement of the Chrysler building (which doubles as a Nuclear fallout shelter) and reception was like I was outside!
The 411:Charge the 3000 mAh battery up to 50 percent in as few as 30 minutes, and HTC says you should get up to a whole day’s use on a single charge.
Nicole: While I agree that the quick charge is pretty amazing, I did notice that my battery percentage went down pretty early on and I found myself needing to charge at some point during the day. Perhaps I use more apps that continue to run in the background, or that I’m checking emails or posting more often- so a portable charger is no stranger to me anyway but I did feel like those double stars in the disclaimer are for users like me.
As far as reception, Verizon is well known to be a great carrier, and it did not disappoint on the HTC 10. Of course, I tried to use WIFI as much as possible to preserve the data- and I liked the easy drop down box ability to just slide both the mobile data and WIFI on and off when needed.
The Specs
5.2 inch, Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels)
* Pixel density at 564 ppi (pixel per inch)
* Super LCD 5
* Corning Gorilla Glass on a Curve Edge Display
* Display colour personalization
Battery and Charging Speed
Capacity: 3000 mAh
* Talk time on 3G/4G network: up to 27 hours
* Standby time on 3G/4G network: up to 19 days
* Power saving mode
* Extreme power saving mode
* Quick Charge 3.0 with cool charge
* Up to 50% charge in 30 min
What You Should Know
- The home button is placed below the volume on the HTC 10, so getting used to this can take some time. There is a different texture on the home button to help.
- The charger on this phone is a USB-C- so borrowing chargers while out won’t be as easy
- You might think by now that all new phones should just be water resistant, but this one isn’t. So a good case is oh so needed
- Nicole found the sound was great in headphones, but not as loud as it could have been on the speakers
Final Thoughts
Overall the HTC 10 did not disappoint in most areas. The camera alone was enough to win Nicole over (see below for more image details) and the other details had Eric a bit more open on his choice of phone when it comes time for an upgrade. It was also nice to test a phone that is more of an underdog when it comes to some of the competitors who are constantly asking their users to move on to the next new thing. To see for yourself, visit www.verizonwireless.com
We received the HTC 10 for review purposes. As always, all opinions are our own.
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Got my update today around 2:30. Took a few pics outside. Camera launches fast, no issues focusing, didn’t really have any before but didn’t notice any delays in focusing, pictures and video came out great. Will learn more in the next couple days as I will have the opportunity for more pictures. So far, icing on the cake.
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Awesome! Have you played around with the different camera modes? I love the camera, especially daytime photos outdoors- they come out so good. And moving objects turn out great!