Hey all,
I thought it'd be good to give those who are on the M9 a comparison of the HTC 10 vs the M9 as an every day user. Feel free to pitch in where I've left some gaps, as I'm sure I don't use all the functionality on the phone.
Build quality - it's definitely as solid if not better than the M9. I find the metal chassis is really smooth and slippery compared to the m9 so I put a clear case on just so it can rest on my hand without it slipping off all the time. The side buttons for volume and sound are less confusing now. However, HTC have decided to lock down the back and multitasking buttons as capacitive buttons on one side. So what does that mean? Compared to the m9, what this means is you'll no longer be able to just flip your phone around and use it whichever way you like because the buttons aren't on screen anymore, it's dedicated. I found I needed to get used to this when watching videos and wanting to navigate.
Camera - huge improvement but not perfect... But then again no camera is perfect. Front is awesome, back is awesome. You won't complain unless you are sitting next to a guy with a Samsung s7 and you take the same picture and compare. This is hard coz you're using different screen technology to look at a picture but you'll easily tell that the focus on the s7 is pretty decent, but like I said, it beats the m9 hands down and you'll love it.
Charging - ok. USB type c is fast and great, the only thing is, like everyone else, I've got so many micro USB cables... anyway, now my biggest trouble is finding compatible type c USB 3.1 cables without spending big bucks so I can use fast charging etc. Other than that, the charging and stuff is great and you'll notice it immediately compared to the m9.
Sound - definitely not as loud and clear as the m9 but the headphones and plugged in sound definitely beats the old m7/8/9. I used to play videos and music in the open, or when I'm showering having some music on, now with the HTC 10, that's definitely not audible anymore. But I don't feel like I've lost too much.
Fingerprint - this is an awesome inclusion. Fast and accurate. Nothing more to say.
Software - OK . My biggest gripe on this phone is how they've streamlined everything but I think they took away too much customisation and they forgot their Android roots. Si what do I mean?
Widgets - no longer are the widgets available but the equivalent functions are a lot harder to get to. On the m7, m8 and m9, I used the GPS widget so I could turn it off and on easily before I launched maps. But now? The quick access shortcuts in the notification menu has a Location shortcut but that doesn't toggle between battery saving and high accuracy. So what does this mean? If you switch it off, your weather stops working. Whilst the previous widget would toggle and keep weather location working when off. Now, to do the same function, you need to go to settings, location, switch to battery save mode or high accuracy, then get out. Takes a lot more clicks. Definitely inconvenient compared to the m7/8/9.
Customisation of drop down notification shortcuts - so I can't toggle NFC easily anymore, can't change these, and they think calculator is the most useful shortcut? This hinders productivity a lot compared to the m7/8/9.
Silent mode - on the m7/8/9 to get to silent mode you would pass the volume rocker all the way down then press volume up once. This would then switch off all haptic feedback and ring volume etc. In the HTC 10 you would pass the volume down button till it reached vibrate, then press the volume down button one more time however, the difference is the haptic feedback on the keyboard (if you have it turned on) still remains. Even if you put the phone on DND the haptic feedback still stays. The only time it turns it off in a 'mode' is when you put it in power save mode but you manually have to navigate to the settings, power menu, there's no shortcut because you can't customise the notification dropdown and only the Extreme power saver shortcut is available.
Anyone else care to add to the comparison or have any similar experiences? Would love to see how I can resolve my software gripes.
