HTC 10 hands-on: A return to form, or too little too late?

Hands on with the HTC 10 (video link)

Specs at a glance: HTC 10
Screen	5.2 inch, Quad HD (2560x1440, 564 pixels per inch) Super LCD 5 with curved-edge Gorilla Glass
OS	Android 6 Marshmallow with HTC Sense
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad core up to 2.2GHz
RAM	4GB
GPU	Qualcomm Adreno 530
Storage	32GB or 64GB, plus micro SD expansion
Networking	802.11 Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5 GHz)
Ports	USB 3.1 Gen1, Type-C, headphone jack
Camera	12MP "Ultrapixel" rear camera with 1.55 micron pixels, OIS, laser autofocus, and f/1.8 lens. 5MP "Ultrapixel" selfie camera with OIS and f/1.8 lens.
Size	145.9mm x 71.9mm x 9.0mm
Weight	161g
Battery	3000mAh
Network Bands	2G: 850/900/1800/1900MHz, 3G: 850/900/AWS/1900/2100MHz; 850/AWS/900/2100 MHz (US), 4G: (EMEA/Asia): FDD bands B1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 32; TDD bands B38, 40, 41 4G (USA): FDD bands B1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 17, 20, 28, 29, 30
Other perks	Quick Charge 3.0 support, 24-bit DSP and DAC, RAW image support
Price	£570 / $700 / €700

HTC has taken the wraps off its latest and greatest flagship, the HTC 10 (yup, the company has dropped both the "One" and the "M"). But it isn't some grand reinvention of the smartphone—it isn't even a reinvention of an HTC smartphone. Instead, what we have here is the result of years of refinement from a company that's in sore need of a win. The HTC 10 is a phone that focuses on nailing the basics: the screen, the camera, and the battery life. And while that might not make for the most exciting of product launches, perhaps that's exactly what the company needs right now: a solid, well-designed smartphone with mainstream appeal.

Inside, there are few surprises. The HTC 10, like nearly every other 2016 flagship, sports a Snapdragon 820 SoC with 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of storage. There's an SD card slot that supports Android 6.01 Marshmallow's adoptable storage feature. There's NFC support, too. Wireless charging isn't available, but Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 is, and a quick charger is bundled in the box. HTC says the charger can charge the phone's pleasingly large 3000mAh battery to 50 percent in under 30 minutes. Promised battery life is up to two days thanks in part to the larger battery and improvements like a screen that dynamically changes its refresh rate based on the kind of app that you're using.

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