HTC 10 brings stunning design, awesome specs, best BoomSound yet

HTC 10's color options. Photo: HTC

HTC 10’s color options. Photo: HTC

The HTC 10 smartphone we’ve been waiting months for is finally here — and it’s just as pretty as the leaks promised it would be. It’s also packing a long list of awesome specifications, including a Quad HD display, a Snapdragon 820 processor, and HTC’s best cameras yet.

Although HTC has been nailing smartphone design for years, its most recent handsets have struggled to compete with strong competition from the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Motorola due to disappointing cameras and lower resolution displays.

With the HTC 10, the Taiwanese company is going all out to step up its fight in 2016.

The handset sports the curved aluminum unibody we’ve come to expect from HTC flagships, but this time it’s got shiny, chamfered edges running around its back. It’s also HTC’s first phone with a Quad HD, Super LCD 5 display that measures 5.2 inches diagonally.

HTC promises that the 10 has stellar cameras, too. On the back, you’ll find a 12-megapixel UltraPixel 2 sensor with laser autofocus, optical image stabilization, 4K video recording, and a 12x slow-motion mode.

On the front of the device, there’s a 5-megapixel sensor that also boasts optical image stabilization, a wide-angle lens, and HTC’s Live Makeup feature that makes you look pretty. Both cameras also feature “the world’s first optically stabilized, larger aperture f/1.8 lenses.”

HTC 10 also features “the world’s first stereo 24-bit Hi-Res audio recording, capturing 256 times more detail than standard recordings, across twice the frequency range.” And you’ll be able to enjoy that with HTC’s best smartphone audio to date.

Not only does the HTC 10 have a headphone amp built-in with support for 24-bit audio and digital to analog conversion, but it also boasts the best BoomSound speakers yet, with dedicated amplifiers in each and a separated tweeter and woofer design.

Other specifications include 4GB of RAM, up to 64GB of storage, a microSD card slot, Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 820 processor, a 3,000 mAh battery, USB-C connectivity, and a physical home button with fingerprint scanner.

HTC 10 also ships with Android 6.0.1 pre-installed with HTC’s new Sense 8 user interface and the Freestyle UI. The device begins shipping in May in Carbon Grey, Glacier Silver, Topaz Gold, and Camellia Red, with prices starting at $699 off-contract.

You can pre-order yours today from HTC’s online store.