How long will it receive OS updates for?
Android phones/tablets have a habit of not receiving updates after a few months.
How long is this likely to receive updates for?
HTC has unwrapped its make-or-break flagship for 2016, the Ten, and we’ve had a look. The successor to the hit M8 and flop M9 features much-improved cameras front and back, sports a close-to-stock implementation of Android, and packs one major surprise... it’s the first non-Apple phone to license Apple’s AirPlay. TVs and …
Trolling AC or just couldn't be bothered to google?
The M8 2 years old at this point is on Marshmallow
the M7 3 years old at this point is on Lollipop.
Not amazing but not too shabby either given that Sense is one of the more customised UI's on Android.
One of the HTC phones from a couple of years back was offered in a Google Silver edition (ODM-branded phones but sold through Google with vanilla Android and a guarantee of a certain period of prompt updates), so its HTC-only sister-handset also received prompt updates.
*"...One of the HTC phones from a couple of years back was offered in a Google Silver edition..."*
The HTC One M8 was also available in Google Play Edition and, with a bit of hackery-pokery, you can convert one from HTC Sense to GPE. This gives you access to vanilla Android, OTA updates, and saves you quite a few pennies, as the GPE versions were dearer to buy than the HTC Sense ones.
As regards the new model..
Meh! Still a step down from the M8 in the looks department [though not as bad as the M9] and replacing the front facing speakers with a plasticcy Samsung-esque fingerprint scanner is a daft move. The speakers need to be on the front —the fingerprint scanner doesn't.
Not much else to comment about seeing as, apart from battery capacity and camera megapixelage, we're not given much to go on. Processor speed? RAM? SD Card?
Loved my M7, M8 was 'fine', never felt the urge to get an M9 - nor this one really.
From the sound of it, they've fixed the glaring issues with the older ones, but can't for the life of me understand why Boomsound has gone (feature you never knew you needed until you had it).
Not just gone, but weirdly borked with this treble on one side, bass on the other - we now have 'great mono!'
Boomsound was great to get a nice stereo effect when watching video in portrait mode.
Put the fingerprint reader on the back, the side, anywhere but where you did..
It does have SD support btw.
You know that KitKat, lollipop and marshmallow are all getting OS updates from google right?
Android is not like iOS, much of its functionality and security is updated via the play store (core apps) and play services (OS functionality and SSL ) in a much timlier manner that apple.
The actual version of underlying operating system is mostly irrelevant, Android API is very stazble targeting Android 4 gets you over 98% device coverage and most of the useful apis.
The press are responsible for spreading this fragmentation and no updates horseshit. We have a mix of nexus, Xperia, LG and moto in our house, and they all have been patched to at least Jan 1st 2016 patch level, of course the Nexus is best, but the others aren't far behind, and I have never ever seen any Android security or malware issue in real life, despite 2 billion devices in active use.. Go figure...
But some of the exploits are in the Android kernel, meaning the ONLY way to fix it is to update the kernel with an OTA update. Try convincing device manufacturers dependent on repeat business to continue supporting old phones (which means less repeat business).
Assume you mean few years.. And then only cheap androids. Good lines receieve updates for much longer. My wife's motong is getting 5.1 security updates at 3 years old. My 2 year old Xperia just got Android 6.01 including Feb security update, the April one to follow I guess
battery... how long will it last on this phone? Not very long I imagine.
Why can Sony make a phone that has a battery that can last the thick end of two days between charges but no other bugger can? And why do reviewers *never* mention how good Sony's are in this regard when reviewing other mobeys ?
Just recently I had reason to have both a sammy s4 and my xperia z1 side by side. I do all the normal things with my Sony, make a call or two, bit of browsing,the odd email...play music and games.
After half a day my sony reads 92% , the sammy? bearing in mind that all it had done all morning was sit on my desk.... 86%
Are they using special electricity generated from unicorn poo that's accessed via Nicad fairy's? Why can no other manufacturer achieve this?
Its nice to have a phone that doesn't need to be tethered to a charger while all I do is sit at my desk all day if I want to be able to use it on the way home from work.
I agree the Xperia has excellent battery life (I also use a BB Passport and Lumia 1020 for context), and my Z3 is very good too. The Xperia Z series do seem to be the best of a bunch at the moment although the Z3 is superior in a few ways to the Z5 (especially since I hate the new UI rubbish on Android 5 and above that they give you).
The Xperia's do seem to go under the radar for some reason.
You are so right there, its become the winner for me.
Few years back went to see some friends in Thailand, had a Galaxy S2 by the time I had travelled down on an overnight train, got a ferry across to the island I was meeting them on. My phone was long dead even though it had been switched off on the train journey and I had not used it for much during the remaining day, spent a while finding someone where I could plug in and charge enough to call them, and then had to travel to the other side of the island to find them, pain in the arse when you have been up all night.
Took a Z3 this year and happily spent a month wandering round Vietnam at Christmas, You need Google Maps permanently on when walking round Hanoi it's a bloody maze, likewise used the same for motorbike journeys down the coast between cities, and I got to use it as a bloody smart phone as well, surfing stuff when stopped for a coffee, making calls the usual stuff. Still would have charge at the end of the day which often meant the thing had been on the go by then for a 16hr day without me caring about preserving battery life, (Did occasionally get a bit hot though).
Felt like I had a mobile phone again, rather than a devce I had to coddle between charge points.
Yep, I'll add my +1 on there no problems. I've had my Z2 for 18 months, and although other brands still seem to have caught up a bit, I am still regularly pointing out to workmates that you can get a smartphone that not only lasts a whole day, but will still be working the next day without an overnight charge...they usually believe me too as I'm pretty much constantly on my phone. The only time I need to charge it during the day is if I've fallen off the wagon and spent the evening on clash of clans...
One downside of the Z2 though, the sharp corners have eaten through pretty much every left trouser pocket I have. Having said that, considering I've had mobile phones for almost 20 years now, I think the Z2 was my best choice ever...although my old Sony Ericsson T39m would challenge it...
My HTC One M8 normally lasts two days on a full charge (it is two years old now, still works fine). No complaints there. By contrast, my wife's Samsung seems to be dead after (way) less then a day most of the time, by comparison (the kids' Samsung seem to last longer). I would hope the new M10 has similar battery life to the M8 (no guarantees of course). The Sonys have a good rep on that count. I might well consider one when I upgrade
My S3 Neo currently manages over a week (typically down to 30% Sunday night when it goes on charge). Admittedly though I don't do a huge amount with it. A few texts per day, an hour of bluetooth audio streaming every day. IMAP mail which detects half a dozen mails a day. One or two phone calls a week.
No Facepalm or any other social media mind so no constant updates and pings. It does have a 4.3AH extended battery to help as well.
No idea how long it would last with a 'real' user but it provided sat-nav services on a four and a half hour journey when I failed to notice the charger plug had fallen out. It only lost about 50% of its power doing that.
I have a Z3 Compact, and the battery life is excellent. However, the two days time largely comes from 'Stamina Mode' which means the phone isn't using its data connections all the time. The side effect, which doesn't bother me, means that you might not receive social media notifications until you manually turn the screen on. (And turning the screen on can be done with a double tap - one of those feature you only appreciate when using a handset that doesn't have it.) Such a Stamina Modo has come to stock Android, I believe.
I imagine that the smaller, lower resolution screen of the Z* Compact phones helps too.
I'm starting to come to the opinion that for me, any high endish phone has a good enough screen (the difference say between dpi on the screens for me seems pretty irrelevant for day to day), is quick enough, and usable enough day to day whatever the make, looks mostly don't care it goes in a case.
Give me a memory card slot and a good battery, (preferably easy to replace).
Last HTC I had, I ended up having to abandon and upgrade past it, simply because the battery wouldn't hold much charge anymore. I didn't want to, but I had no choice. I vowed never again with HTC unless they change their designs to allow me to replace the battery myself (which is also handy for hard reboots when crashes go deep.) No user-replaceable battery means I won't be getting one.
My M8 is getting on for 2 years old, the battery still lasts well over a whole day, sometimes two at a push. It's been so reliable that I can count on one hand the number of reboots (not update related) it's needed. A rock solid phone I can trust, if the 10 comes anywhere close I will be ordering one for my upgrade this summer.
No removable battery = dead brick after 2 years that can't hold charge
No removable battery = can't go away for a weekend without power
No removable battery = a guarantee to kill the phone if it gets wet
No removable battery = no sale
If HTC thought they might revive their fortune with this - I can't see it, unless its pricing undercuts the wileyfox swift. The audio offering might have been impressive had the LG G5 not already grabbed the audiophile niche with their B&O tie-up, the reversion to stock android is a welcome change (though sounds like bloatware is still an issue) , but otherwise, what is innovative? what spells it's flagship status? Airplay? do I look like an Apple supporter? OIS for selfies? yes, because teenage girls can afford flagships... Did they even put in a micro SD card slot? The only thing I can tell from this review is that it isn't the droid I'm looking for...
No removable battery = dead brick after 2 years that can't hold charge
What on Earth are you doing to your phones? Or is it that Android phone batteries are that bad? I've got an iPhone 4s with is considerably older than two years and it holds a charge for days. But then I didn't abuse the thing.
No removable battery = can't go away for a weekend without power
There are things called 'external battery packs' and 'car chargers'.
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aexternal%20battery%20pack
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cell+phone+car+charger&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acell+phone+car+charger
Note that it's considerably easier to just plug in an external battery pack than it is to open the back of a phone, remove the battery, and put in a new battery. Note also that you don't have to turn the phone off to use the external battery pack.
Note that car chargers work anywhere there's a car. Are you going somewhere for a weekend where there is no motor transport? And, if so, why not just take along an external battery pack or two?
No removable battery = a guarantee to kill the phone if it gets wet
Oh? Really? I'm pretty sure that my phone has got wet a time or two over the years and still works.
A battery lasts me 8 months before I typically replace it. Because yes, I abuse the life out of it. I visit countries with climates that kill lithium-ion cells. My phone is in constant bluetooth communciation with other devices, and is utlised most of the working day. For £500, I get my monies worth, I am what the industry considers a "power user." Something your average happy iPhone 4S user is never going to relate to. I recently got my mums 4S battery replaced because it was completely dead. took 4 weeks for the resulting apple fuckup to get resolved.
Would you accept a non-removable battery on your car? No, because batteries are consumable - they die before the device dies. Which means any engineer worth their salt will make them replaceable. Why make that process difficult?
Power banks are no replacement for a removable battery. Bulky. Require cables. Require attachment to phone for HOURS. Very difficult to find ones that output 10W+.Their use is banned or restricted by various countries' FAAs and CAAs on aircraft (not all, but enough). They are of dubious quality even when branded (EE fiasco?). I own some, they are completely inferior to the removable batteries I also own. Need I go on...
Car charger - you try pursuading a foreign taxi driver that you need to unplug his satnav. Go on.
And as for getting wet - I'm talking complete immersion. I have a chance to get the back cover off my phone and rip out the battery before it's completely internally shorted. You don't. Niche case, perhaps, but I'm sure you know someone who has water-damaged their device. Call it my replacement for phone insurance.
Removable batteries are not a gimmick. They are a necessity for some people, particularly those who travel a lot. Back in the day, phones used to last 2 weeks between charges. Maybe when that rings true for smartphones, will I consider that it is no longer a necessity to have a removable battery. Though probably not, because of the obsolecence argument.
It will cost me £20 to replace the battery on my M8 once my 10 arrives. It still usually lasts a day but its 2 years old so best get it replaced before I pass the old phone on to a relative. What makes you think that non removable by user batteries aren't easy to replace if you get a techie to do it.
And yes I have been hammering the hell out of it.
I don't know a single power user who doesn't have access to an entire other device or can't walk into a shop and buy one if their main device fails (by which i mean gets chucked at the wall when a deal goes south or an employee screws up).
Most of those guys use IPhones...
Samsung S6 FTW
You seem to believe that the battery is "non-removable". No. It's just difficult to remove. For an end user without the right tools, at least. That is exactly the same as your automobile analogy. In the tiny, cramped spaces of a modern car, only people with skills and the correct tools can replace a battery easily. Everyone else takes it to an expert. Phones are the same. I've replaced a Nexus 5 battery before - easy as pie with the right thingamabobs. I've also done a Hudl2, but I didn't have the right shims and whatnot so it doesn't fit completely snug any more. Call it a lesson.
For extra juice on the move, the extra packs are a superior solution to power cycling the phone and ripping the back off. There are ones the size of your thumb for carrying around with you, and ones the size of a good paperback to use when you can put it down for an hour or two. Added bonus that the large packs are equivalent to *several* extra batteries, which I think would be difficult to keep charged at all times. Mine will charge an iPad at full speed, so it sounds like you've just used duff ones for speed. For safety concerns, an enclosed battery pack is *much* safer than a spare battery with exposed contents rattling around. Both are banned from hold luggage. Packs a specifically allowed in cabin in EU/NA at least, but they don't like the look of bare batteries.
There are definitely people out there who can justify a need for an easy, user-replaceable battery. But you're going to have to realise that there aren't very many of them and accept the limited choice this brings you. Go buy a G5, it'll be a great phone once they work their usual LG QA kinks out of it.
I understand your point, but almost no smartphone manufacturers make phones with removable batteries anymore. In fact, off the top of my head, I can only think of one: LG. And if it has to be waterproof, that would limit you even more. I'm guessing you have a Samsung Galaxy S5 Active, as the S6 Active doesn't have a removable battery. Am I correct? If so, what are you going to get when it's time to upgrade? I'm not sure what you seek is even manufactured anymore.
Simple. I don't. It's not like S4's and up can't do things most of today's phones can. S5 and Note 4 are on Marshmallow, and there's really nothing about Nougat that would compel me to switch. They have plenty of power under the hood, good RAM, SD slots, and since I can change the battery as needed, battery life is rarely an issue. And PS, if the battery isn't designed to be removed, I don't trust it to be removable even by a tech. The last time I had it tried, the tech cracked and bricked a Galaxy Tab 7.
So, yes, a non-removable battery is essentially a deal-breaker for me. Same with a lack of SD slot. I don't trust internal storage (especially if I have to reset it), plus the SD is transportable between devices, which I use to hold media files.
Lithium ion/polymer cells age based on time and discharge cycles. Based on published graphs I'd expect a two year old battery to be well below 70% capacity whatever the manfacturer.
External chargers don't work if the battery has degraded to the point of failure. One study I read estimates 50% failure after 3 years.
>No removable battery = dead brick after 2 years that can't hold charge
No, it means you pop down your local electronics emporium (or flea market stall) and pay someone £20 to fit a new battery. Against the cost of a phone, it's not a king's ransom.
>No removable battery = can't go away for a weekend without power
Use an external battery pack or two. Probably no pricier than buying a dedicated phone battery (which itself is only a good investment for the original phone which you might choose to upgrade for other reasons) Also handy for other camping gear, such as mp3 players, cameras, speakers, kindles etc.
>No removable battery = a guarantee to kill the phone if it gets wet
Just buy a waterproof phone. Any of the well-regarded Xperia Z models, some of the recent Samsung flagships, some other big names also use a limited form of internal waterproofing but don't advertise it. Or buy a waterproof case. I can't think of any non-waterproof Android phone that can do what its aquatic cousins can't. The best screens and cameras on Android handsets are all available on water-resistant models.
There are things called 'external battery packs' and 'car chargers'.
And when my unreplaceable battery failed to hold charge, it ended up chained to them for the rest of its life. They don't use that battery shape anymore. Replacing with a Chinese copy didn't work.
The next model up had an unremovable SIM..
"There are things called 'external battery packs' and 'car chargers'."
You have to carry external batteries (and cable) around with you all the time, and they are considerably bulkier than a spare battery.
They also have to have plugged in to your phone for a long time to give a significant charge - not great if you are out-and-about and your phone is in your pocket, not least because the aforementioned bulky external battery plus phone is going to be very uncomfortable or even impractical to anyone without large pockets.
Car chargers are also useful, but only if you are in the car for a reasonable length of time otherwise you need both car charger and external battery.
I stuck with Samsung for years due in large part to the external battery (mainly because they always needed replacing after 8-12 months). Now only LG still offer removable batteries AFAIK - this was one factor in my decision not to enter into a 2 year contract. Instead have bought a OnePlus since it's lower price means a much less expensive brick if the battery does die (and it's functionality means buying a mainstream flagship would have been a waste of money).
my HTC M7 turns off at 36% (think that was mostly due to me using a case battery pack) the moment i got the phone i had to use an external battery pack
every phone i have had as phones don't last more than 2-3 hours "screen on time" under my normal use and other people seem to just about make it for the day unless they are using viber or skype
i am considering the m10 but need to see battery life (be hard going from a CUBOT H1 that has 2 days Real battery use or 7 hours flat out tomtom use)
"We’ve worked with Google to reboot the UI,” HTC says...
... its excellent Gallery app, with funky thumbnail video previews, has been retired in favour of Google’s Photos. Google has grabbed the design in other ways, forcefully injecting a Google search bar into the Recent Apps / Task Switcher
If that's what's easily visible to the end user, I dread to imagine how much big-brother nastiness Google have "forcefully injected" under the hood.
Bugger- thats pricey.......
I like the phone- for numerous reasons (I currently have an M8S that I didn't see any point in upgrading to an M9. The 3000mAh battery- is a big plus.......
Don't know if my budget stretches to £570 though- I guess thats 700 Euro'ish?
Arrghh..... its actually 800 Euro........ http://www.htc.com/ie/go/buy-htc-10/
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This is weird. Flagship phones haven't got any cheaper. Yet I can have a brand new iPad for that, and still have change for Motorola G, or Lumia 735. Or 2 7" iPads.
Or I can have 2 of the rather nice Lenovo Android 10" tabs - and enough change for a really cheap phone.
The losers who buy Windows phones really do get a bargain then:
Lumia 950: £420 from MS, less from Carphone. 200GB SD slot, removable battery, really rather good camera. 564ppi and a very nice screen. Also a free year of Office 365 personal, which will be handy when the other free sub I have expires.
Since it has free downloadable maps, one can put vast tracts of the World on the SD for those important little trips. Music too of course.
Turns out that it can be £50 cheaper too, for each of you, if you can get someone else to buy one, or buy it for them.
It is £150 cheaper, for what appears to be a very similar device. The Lumia has a plastic case but the body is aluminium rigid and the glass is Gorilla. The on board sound capability would be the area that the HTC appears superior. Personally, I prefer using Bluetooth to a sound system or a headset but I get that lots of people don't - the phone still won't compete with a proper sound system or even headphones I expect.
Obviously, if you must have Android/iOS or the app(s) that comes with it and not WP, or you just hate WP on general principle, I guess you are stuck.
I prefer it, in spades, so I guess I am lucky, albeit heavily down-voted, boohoo.
950 XL owner here. Don't regret the purchase at all. Lovely piece of kit. Its Continuum feature makes it a surprisingly good machine for getting work done on as well.
And yet, even the 950 XL model is cheaper than HTC's new toy, despite doing a lot more, and it has been available for a couple of months already.
I was expecting better from HTC. All I get from this is a big, fat, "meh."
Windows phone.. Lol, you beloved downloaded maps are about to become history, even Nokia maps has dumped the failed platform to focus on platforms that people use (85% of the world using Android and 13% still using ios). Both these platforms have downloadable maps, and a future ..
http://360.here.com/2016/03/15/important-information-about-here-apps-on-windows-phone/
In most aspects, it is superior; the screen is much better, in terms of pixels and resolution. The camera is not quite as good. The battery is almost twice the capacity. Have a look for yourself:
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=7242&idPhone2=7884
edit - and £50 cheaper.
Market number one??? It's not 2012 anymore....
Samsung sell more, Android has 85% marketshare, the iPhone camera quality barely makes it intyo the top10 on DXO, they didn't have waterproof or 4k, HD audio, hardware noise cancelling or any other premium features. An Xperia Z5, a S7, a LG g5 or a HTC 10 all totally destory the hipster phone..
Stereo, aka stereophonic sound has two channels of sound, left and right with different sounds coming from each channel.
A woofer focuses on low frequency sound whilst a tweeter focuses on higher frequencies NOT left and right.
So which is it? Left and right through the top and bottom or lows and highs through the top and bottom - or does it have a pair of tweeters for stereo - and a single woofer because bass is non-directional
Had to read the comments to find out whether it had a terminally fixed battery. Again, microsd slot was only mentioned in the comments.
Why do android reviews talk about built in apps? If you don't like what the manufacturers apps do, just replace them. The hardware matters and is hardly mentioned.
Anyway, I've always found phones which can't be used when laying on a table annoying. It'd have to have a case which made the back flat so I could type on it without having to hold it with the other hand.
Why is everyone so concerned with Skinny Minnie phones? Frankly, I wouldn't mind a fatso phone because it would allow room for a bigger battery. I have big hands, and Skinny Minnies feel too flimsy in them. I wouldn't mind one with a bit of bulk to them: a more solid feel in my hand.
Why are they still persisting with a physical home button and two capacitive buttons? The thing looks like a Samsung or iPhone with the 'dumbass' physical button.
By adopting Android's soft buttons they could have reduced the height of the phone or made the screen larger for the same form factor.
Good that they are adopting Google Photos though - it really is a no brainer. Our family uses Google Photos across web, iPhone and Android and it really is excellent.
"Why are they still persisting with a physical home button and two capacitive buttons? The thing looks like a Samsung or iPhone with the 'dumbass' physical button."
It's more consistent (sometimes the interface doesn't get it right and the soft buttons don't appear), plus with no need for soft buttons, apps have more real estate (which gets stolen with soft buttons). Also, the physical button doubles as the fingerprint sensor.