HTC 10 review
1-Design and screen
PROS
- Iconic design
- Fantastic version of Android
- Great audio quality
- Best selfie camera on the maket
- Really fast charging
CONS
- Some camera niggles
- Slight pinkish tinge to the display
KEY FEATURES
- 5.2-inch quad-HD display
- Snapdragon 820
- 4GB RAM
- 32/64GB internal storage
- USB-C
- 3,000 mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 & Sense 7.0
- 12 UltraPixel camera w/OIS
- 5 UltraPixel selfie camera w/OIS
- Manufacturer: HTC
- Review Price: £569.99
WHAT IS THE HTC 10?
2016 has been a fine year for smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5 and Huawei P9 have all been excellent devices and now it’s the turn of HTC. After a poor 2015 – both the One A9 and Desire 530 disappointed – I can safely say the Taiwanese company is back.
The HTC 10 is a fantastic device. Probably the best HTC has ever crafted. It combines a lovely build with a strong set of software features to create one of the best Android experiences out there.
All that I can say is that the iPhone 7 better be something very special to match the Android big-boys this year.
Awards
- image: http://www.trustedreviews.com/images/awards/tr-recommended.png
SUMMARY
OUR SCORE:
USER SCORE:
PROS
- Iconic design
- Fantastic version of Android
- Great audio quality
- Best selfie camera on the maket
- Really fast charging
CONS
- Some camera niggles
- Slight pinkish tinge to the display
KEY FEATURES
- 5.2-inch quad-HD display
- Snapdragon 820
- 4GB RAM
- 32/64GB internal storage
- USB-C
- 3,000 mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 & Sense 7.0
- 12 UltraPixel camera w/OIS
- 5 UltraPixel selfie camera w/OIS
- Manufacturer: HTC
- Review Price: £569.99
Awards
-
image: http://www.trustedreviews.com/images/awards/tr-recommended.png
Awards
- image: http://www.trustedreviews.com/images/awards/tr-recommended.png
SUMMARY
OUR SCORE:
USER SCORE:
PROS
- Iconic design
- Fantastic version of Android
- Great audio quality
- Best selfie camera on the maket
- Really fast charging
- Iconic design
- Fantastic version of Android
- Great audio quality
- Best selfie camera on the maket
- Really fast charging
CONS
- Some camera niggles
- Slight pinkish tinge to the display
- Some camera niggles
- Slight pinkish tinge to the display
KEY FEATURES
- 5.2-inch quad-HD display
- Snapdragon 820
- 4GB RAM
- 32/64GB internal storage
- USB-C
- 3,000 mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 & Sense 7.0
- 12 UltraPixel camera w/OIS
- 5 UltraPixel selfie camera w/OIS
- Manufacturer: HTC
- Review Price: £569.99
- 5.2-inch quad-HD display
- Snapdragon 820
- 4GB RAM
- 32/64GB internal storage
- USB-C
- 3,000 mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 & Sense 7.0
- 12 UltraPixel camera w/OIS
- 5 UltraPixel selfie camera w/OIS
- Manufacturer: HTC
- Review Price: £569.99
WHAT IS THE HTC 10?
2016 has been a fine year for smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5 and Huawei P9 have all been excellent devices and now it’s the turn of HTC. After a poor 2015 – both the One A9 and Desire 530 disappointed – I can safely say the Taiwanese company is back.
The HTC 10 is a fantastic device. Probably the best HTC has ever crafted. It combines a lovely build with a strong set of software features to create one of the best Android experiences out there.
All that I can say is that the iPhone 7 better be something very special to match the Android big-boys this year.
2016 has been a fine year for smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5 and Huawei P9 have all been excellent devices and now it’s the turn of HTC. After a poor 2015 – both the One A9 and Desire 530 disappointed – I can safely say the Taiwanese company is back.
The HTC 10 is a fantastic device. Probably the best HTC has ever crafted. It combines a lovely build with a strong set of software features to create one of the best Android experiences out there.
All that I can say is that the iPhone 7 better be something very special to match the Android big-boys this year.
HTC 10 – DESIGN
While the HTC 10 takes the brand’s flagship smartphone in a new design direction, it’s still very familiar. The front is stripped from the One A9, and the back is a tweaked and tuned version of the rear casing from the One M9.
It’s far from original and looking at it face-on you’d be forgiven for confusing it with an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S7, but for me it’s the perfect mix of style and substanc
104w133/htc10-2.jpg
SUMMARY
OUR SCORE:
USER SCORE:
PROS
- Iconic design
- Fantastic version of Android
- Great audio quality
- Best selfie camera on the maket
- Really fast charging
CONS
- Some camera niggles
- Slight pinkish tinge to the display
KEY FEATURES
- 5.2-inch quad-HD display
- Snapdragon 820
- 4GB RAM
- 32/64GB internal storage
- USB-C
- 3,000 mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 & Sense 7.0
- 12 UltraPixel camera w/OIS
- 5 UltraPixel selfie camera w/OIS
- Manufacturer: HTC
- Review Price: £569.99
WHAT IS THE HTC 10?
2016 has been a fine year for smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5 and Huawei P9 have all been excellent devices and now it’s the turn of HTC. After a poor 2015 – both the One A9 and Desire 530 disappointed – I can safely say the Taiwanese company is back.
The HTC 10 is a fantastic device. Probably the best HTC has ever crafted. It combines a lovely build with a strong set of software features to create one of the best Android experiences out there.
All that I can say is that the iPhone 7 better be something very special to match the Android big-boys this year.
Video: Watch our HTC 10 video review
HTC 10 – DESIGN
While the HTC 10 takes the brand’s flagship smartphone in a new design direction, it’s still very familiar. The front is stripped from the One A9, and the back is a tweaked and tuned version of the rear casing from the One M9.
It’s far from original and looking at it face-on you’d be forgiven for confusing it with an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S7, but for me it’s the perfect mix of style and substance.
- image: https://assets0.uswitch.com/s3/uswitch-assets-eu/mobiles-web/handsets/htc-10-gold/front-small.png
image: https://assets0.uswitch.com/s3/uswitch-assets-eu/mobiles-web/networks/o2-regular.png
24 monthsimage: https://assets0.uswitch.com/s3/uswitch-assets-eu/mobiles-web/retailers/mobiles_co_uk-regular.png
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First off, this phone is clearly made from metal – and proud of it. The back is cool to the touch, with an elegant curve that helps it sit comfortably in your hand. This curve flows into some heavily chamfered edges that add a bit of much-needed flair.
It's a divisive design choice, though. I really like them as they give your fingers somewhere to sit, but the some of the TrustedReviews team were less impressed, claiming they’re far too shiny.
The camera sensor sits bang in the centre, and while it doesn’t have what I'd consider a ‘hump’, it does jut out ever so slightly. Alongside it is an LED flash and a space for the laser autofocus system.
Like any metal phone, the sleek design is broken up by two bands of antenna lines that run around the top and bottom. These don’t stand out anywhere near as much as they do on the iPhone and they feel like part of the design, rather than something that has to be there.
Along the side you’ve got the usual combination of a volume rocker and sleep/wake button, the latter of which is bevelled and easily identifiable even when the phone is in your pocket.
Most other phones have switched to a single tray that houses both the Nano SIM tray and a microSD card, but the HTC 10 still has one tray on each side. I’d like to see this combined to makes things sleeker, but it makes little difference in reality.
Flip the phone over and the HTC 10 is one of the cleanest devices around. HTC has even removed its brand logo – a minimal change that makes a big difference.
Compared to last year’s One M9 flagship, there are a couple of major differences here.
There’s now a capacitive home key sitting below the display that isn’t so much of a button but a touchpad. Like pretty much every worthwhile Android phone this year it features a fingerprint scanner inside, but coming from the Galaxy S7 it feels strange not to get get that satisfying ‘click’ when I press down.
HTC has also switched to capacitive Back and Recent Apps keys, as opposed to on-screen versions, and these sit either side of the home button. It’s all down to personal preference whether you prefer physical or virtual buttons, but it does free up that extra bit of screen real estate.
HTC Desire 530 
PROS
- Unique Micro Splash design
- Android Marshmallow
CONS
- Abysmal performance
- Dull display
- Poor camera
KEY FEATURES
- 'Micro Splash' design
- Android Marshmallow
- 2,200mAh battery
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 CPU
- 16GB storage, upgradable via microSD
- Micro-USB input
- Manufacturer: HTC
- Review Price: to be confirmed
WHAT IS THE HTC DESIRE 530?
2015 wasn’t a great year for HTC phones. While the company’s flagship HTC One A9 smartphone looked great, it was overpriced and offered middle-of-the-road hardware. Then the company disappointed everyone by not unveiling the HTC One M10 at MWC.
So you could be forgiven for missing the arrival of the Desire 530. It's a phone that, on paper at least, has the potential to be one of 2016 best affordable smartphones – although its UK price hasn't yet been confirmed.
Its standout design feature is its 'Micro Splash' finish, which is created using nozzles that spray paint at various pressures and different thicknesses at the back of the phone. As a result, HTC claims each Desire 530 is unique.
HTC DESIRE 530 – DESIGN
As budget phones go, the Desire 530 genuinely feels like it's been designed with care. The phone looks like a stripped-down version of HTC’s selfie specialist, the Desire Eye, which is no bad thing.
During my initial hands-on with the Desire 530 at the MWC show, I was a big fan of the Micro Splash finish, as it made the white model I tested look like a Jackson Pollock painting. Curiously, the model HTC sent me for review was the one edition that doesn't get the Micro Splash treatment, instead being a fairly dull grey. It still feels good to hold, but it doesn't have that visual 'wow' factor that the splashed models create.
The inclusion of a lanyard slot is another unique design feature. For those who missed the boat, lanyards were a fashion accessory that could be seen on many '90s school kids' Nokia 3230s. They’re basically bits of shoelace that let you connect the phone to your wrist – making it harder to lose.
HTC claims the lanyards will prove a hit with younger buyers looking to accessorise their phone, and while this might be a stretched claim, I can see the feature being useful for people who use their phone to capture photos in crowds at festivals or sports events, where the chance of an accidental drop is high.
HTC is also offering a range of 'snap cases' for people who want to further customise their phone. The snap cases have the same Micro Splash finish as the Desire 530, but offer a more varied number of colour options. If you're unfortunate enough to end up with the plain grey version, this could be a great substitution.
Interesting design features aside, the Desire 530 is fairly well built – by budget handset standards, at least. The plastic undeniably looks a little drab without its speckled finish, but it's more than solid enough to survive the odd accidental drop. The grey unit I tested came out of an encounter with my flat’s stairwell without so much as a scratch.
With a 5-inch screen, it also hits the same size sweet spot as the Nexus 5X, which makes it one of the few small-hand-friendly smartphones on the market. Overall, it's a lovely device to hold, if not to use.
The phone comes equipped with a microSD and Nano SIM slot. The inclusion of a microSD slot is a key positive, as it’ll let you add up to 200GB of extra space to the Desire 530’s 16GB of built-in storage.
Thanks to the inclusion of Android Marshmallow’s Adoptable Storage feature, if you're using an SD card that's fast enough, you'll be able to seamlessly expand your storage. The phone automatically assigns where apps and files are stored without any management required on your part.
HTC DESIRE 530 – DISPLAY
The Desire 530’s 5.0-inch Super LCD screen is a little less impressive, but reasonable for the money. The specs match the Desire 530’s arch-rival, the Moto G, which is the same size and has an identical 1,280x720-pixel resolution.
The Desire 530’s screen is more than sharp enough for regular use. Colours are a little drab for my liking, but there’s also a useful temperature control in the phone’s settings that lets you tweak the screen to meet your preference.
The temperature control is a nice touch, but I found a few serious issues that hamper the screen’s overall appeal.
For starters, viewing angles aren’t great. Viewed from even slightly off-centre, whites quickly distort and take on various hues including blue, grey and yellow, depending on the angle you view them from.
The phone’s maximum brightness is lower than I’d like. Even maxed out the phone looks dull and becomes unusable when hit with even moderately bright light. During my time with the Desire 530, even on grey overcast days in London the phone’s screen regularly became unreadable outdoors.
Being fair to HTC these are issues I experience on most affordable smartphones and even 12 months ago I’d have found them forgivable. But with the arrival of handsets such as the Moto G, EE Harrier and Honor 5X, this is no longer the case.
By today’s standards the Desire 530’s screen isn’t good enough, even at the budget end of the market.
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