Could The HTC 10 Save HTC?

Oh, HTC. I've written a whole article about HTC's failing revenue and business practices, and with the release of their next flagship, it's time to take another look. In my last post about HTC, I talked about various things that HTC needs to address if they want to stay competitive in the smartphone industry. Now I'm going to see if they did address these issues with the HTC 10.

Firstly, I said HTC should release a phone like the leaked (fake) version of the HTC One M9. What I meant by that wasn't an exact copy of that design, rather just something different. I think HTC has succeeded in this part. I absolutely love the chamfered edges of the HTC 10. The 10 keeps many of the elements that made the One line popular, namely an all-metal unibody, while at the same time changing up the design to look more modern. A definite win for HTC.

Secondly, I urged HTC to create a better skin that doesn't exploit its customers for advertising money. I think, again, they succeeded with the HTC 10. The HTC 10's UI is very minimal, staying fairly close to stock Android. HTC did something I wish all manufacturers would do, (even Google) they worked with Google to remove duplicates of stock apps with the same functionality. For example, we don't want three different web browsers, personal assistants, health apps, etc. all on the same device when we first get it. It wastes space and is confusing to the user. HTC has done a great job at showing restraint with Android, I approve.

Lastly, I asked that HTC release their next flagship for an affordable price. And while we may still see that this year if HTC does indeed make the next Nexus, it's not quite the same as making your flagship affordable. The HTC 10 definitely fails in this department. It's $699, which isn't that bad for a smartphone, but still definitely not affordable. HTC seems to think it can compete with Samsung on an even playing field still, but that isn't true. HTC's reputation has gone down significantly in just a few years, they can't just release their flagship for the same price as Samsung and expect to get as good of sales.

The HTC 10 looks to be one of the best phones of 2016 so far. If nothing else, it is a solid software package in a solid hardware package. Whether that's enough to get HTC back on its feet, only time will tell.

Source: Android Authority, Verge