HTC 10:Things to Know

HTC 10: 5 things you need to know

A whistle-stop tour of HTC’s new smartphone.

No time to pore over spec sheets or wade through endless news reports? Just want the key facts and an overview of its major features? Look no further.

1 It’s very metal (and glass)

HTC never skimps when it comes to build quality. The 10 features an all-metal unibody frame that feels reassuringly weighty in your hand and marks it out as high-end ‘premium phone’.

That might not suit you if you prefer a featherweight, barely-there phone, but we’re big fans.

Colour options are silver, gold and grey. And apparently there’s a lesser-spotted red colourway too, but we’ve yet to see it.

2 The battery sounds excellent

According to HTC, the 10 gives you up to two days of use on a single full charge. That’s twice as long as we’re used to with most rival smartphones.

The secret of its longevity? Some clever software tweaks on HTC’s part, as well as the huge 3000mAh battery that powers the phone.

In the event that you do run out of charge, the battery supports quick-charging via Quick Charge 3.0 technology. This’ll get your battery up to 50% from half an hour of charging.

3 Camera is the lead feature

HTC is billing the 10’s cameras as the best in the business. That’s quite a claim. But given that they were was named as such by camera-lens rating company DxOMark, it’s perhaps not without merit.

The 12-megapixel UltraPixel camera focuses in 0.6 seconds (that’s twice as fast as the HTC One M9) and records video in lush 4K. That means you get footage that’s four times as detailed standard HD.

The front-facing camera has had a major upgrade too and is the first to feature optical image stabilisation technology for superior selfies.

4 Music is its first love

The 10 is equipped with hi-res audio technology for richer, fuller sound. And it comes with free hi-res audio-certified headphones in the box too.

Handily, it’s also the first Android phone to support Apple AirPlay out of the box. So you’ll be able to send your music from your phone to AirPlay-enabled speakers and to Apple set-top boxes.

5 Super-responsive, more colourful screen

The 5.2-inch quad HD display is fashioned from robust Gorilla Glass and is 30% more colourful than the One M9’s screen.

But perhaps its real sell is that the screen is purportedly the most responsive in the smartphone world. HTC claims its almost twice as fast as the Sony Xperia Z5 and is substantially quicker than Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and Galaxy Note 5 too.