Apple Has ‘Secret Team’ Working on App Store Changes, Including Paid Search Results
Apple has assembled a secret team dedicated to exploring potential changes that could be made to the App Store, reports Bloomberg. Among the features being considered is an option that would allow developers to pay a fee to have their apps “more prominently displayed,” perhaps at the top of a list of search results. Changes to “improve the way” customers browse in the App Store are also under consideration.
Among the ideas being pursued, Apple is considering paid search, a Google-like model in which companies would pay to have their app shown at the top of search results based on what a customer is seeking. For instance, a game developer could pay to have its program shown when somebody looks for “football game,” “word puzzle” or “blackjack.”
Apple is said to have approximately 100 employees working on its App Store project under vice president and former iAd leader Todd Terisi, including engineers who formerly worked on the iAd team. According to sources who spoke to Bloomberg, the search team is relatively new and it is not yet known if and when changes will be introduced to the App Store.
News of work on App Store changes comes four months after Apple made a significant change to App Store leadership, bringing it under the umbrella of Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller instead of iTunes chief Eddy Cue.
App discovery has long been an issue in Apple’s App Store. With upwards of 1.8 million apps available in the App Store, it is difficult for users to discover content that isn’t available via Apple’s featured section or through Top Charts, which often favor big name developers able to spend a lot of money on advertising. Paid discovery via search offers another avenue to help customers find new apps, but it is unlikely to be popular with many of the independent developers that struggle to get their apps noticed.
Apple’s last major change to the App Store came in November, introducing significant improvements to App Store search algorithms to return more relevant, intelligent results.
Tag: App Store
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Apple Ending Support for QuickTime For Windows, Users Should Uninstall
The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team today issued an alert recommending Windows users with QuickTime installed uninstall the software as new vulnerabilities have been discovered that Apple does not plan to patch.
Computers running QuickTime for Windows will continue to work after support ends. However, using unsupported software may increase the risks from viruses and other security threats. Potential negative consequences include loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data, as well as damage to system resources or business assets. The only mitigation available is to uninstall QuickTime for Windows.
The recommendation comes following a report from Trend Micro outlining Apple’s plans to deprecate the software, which means no more security updates will be issued. At the same time, two new critical vulnerabilities have been discovered that affect QuickTime for Windows, and with no security updates forthcoming, the only defense against a potential attack is to remove the software.
For Windows users who want to uninstall QuickTime, Apple has published a support document that outlines all of the necessary steps. QuickTime for Mac is not affected.
Tags: Windows, QuickTime
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Air Hogs Ultimate Millennium Falcon Quad drone review – CNET
The Good The Air Hogs Ultimate Millennium Falcon is a ready-to-fly toy quadcopter that’s very easy to get the hang of and soft enough to not do any damage to furniture and walls while you’re learning. It can be charged off the controller’s batteries or via USB to a computer or wall adapter.
The Bad Battery life is between 5 to 8 minutes. Nonremovable battery takes about an hour to recharge. High-pitched whine from its motors can get irritating.
The Bottom Line Move over, BB-8: The Air Hogs Ultimate Millennium Falcon is a good fit for anyone — young or old — who just wants a cool little quad to fly around the house.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
I’ve flown many toy drones around CNET’s offices, but none have resulted in the same childlike glee as Air Hogs’ Ultimate Millennium Falcon. It’s the one everyone wants to fly — or at least try to.
A foam replica of the most iconic ship from the Star Wars universe, this quadcopter originally sold for over $100, but now it’s down to about $70 (about £80 in the UK and AU$145 in Australia). And at 2.24 ounces (64g), it doesn’t require FAA registration.
More drone coverage
- The best toy drones you can buy right now
- Best drones of 2016
- Seven things you should know before buying your first drone
The soft frame and ducted propellers make it a good choice for first-time pilots as it just bounces off walls and furniture without damaging it or your stuff. That’s good since replacement parts aren’t available (the props do pull off just in case something gets tangled up in them).
Overall, the Falcon rockets around with ease, although the lack of trim switches on the controller means there’s no way to correct for uncontrollable drift when flying. Also, because of its lightweight design and motor positioning, going full-tilt forward can make it flip, and it doesn’t do well outside in more than a light breeze for the same reason. The motors also emit a high-pitched whine, but that can be drowned out with sound effects triggered with the controller.
Flights last between 5 to 8 minutes, but with the Falcon’s battery sealed inside, you’re waiting about an hour to take off again. Built into the controller is the drone’s charging cable, letting you use the controller’s six AA-size batteries to recharge. There’s also a pass-through Micro-USB port, so you can use a computer or USB charger to power up.
There are less expensive and more capable toy drones out there, but, you know, this is the Millennium Falcon.
Hasselblad H6D-100c and H6D-50c Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Hasselblad held events around the world to celebrate its 75th anniversary and its new H6D medium-format system, putting the $26,000 (£17,900) 50-megapixel H6D-50c in the hands of the press for brief, supervised shooting sessions. I’ll admit to a brief, supervised bout of giddiness, even though it seemed like the camera took an immediate dislike to me.
The company launched its H5D series of medium-format camera backs almost 4 years ago, with the last update — a 50-megapixel back with Wi-Fi — about two years later. The H6D has a similar body design, but with new electronics on the inside. It launches with two backs: the H6D-50c and the 100-megapixel H6D-100c. The latter can shoot 4K video, a first for medium format.
Relative sizes of bigger sensors.
Lori Grunin/CNET
While medium-format cameras are expensive — without a lens the 100c will go for $33,000 (£22,600) when it ships in June — they offer image quality significantly better than most full-frame models, in part because the sensors are huge in comparison. (I don’t have Australian prices, but the US prices directly convert to AU$33,700 and AU$42,900.) You’ll also be able to trade in your old Hasselblad gear for nontrivial sums (US trade-ins, UK and European trade-ins)
Hasselblad H6D photos and photo samples
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The larger sensor also gives you more creative control over depth of field (the ratio of in-focus vs. out-of-focus areas). But despite its size, these days it’s not a given that a medium-format camera will always deliver better image quality, depending upon your needs; for instance, the Nikon D810 has larger image-sensing areas (4.9 microns compared to 4.6 microns on the 100c) and a comparable rated dynamic range (the same 14 stops as the 50c). But even if it’s comparable, it’s for a much higher resolution.
Though they’re both part of the H6D series, the 50c and 100c are somewhat different animals. The 100c is the more groundbreaking model; there’s no standard for sensor sizes in medium format, but many of Hasselblad’s past sensors have been rather small. That includes the 42.8 x 32.9mm sensor for the 50c, the same sensor used by the H5D; in contrast, the Sony-produced 100c’s is a much larger 53.4 x 40mm.
In fact, the specifications for the 100c are quite similar to those of the 100-megapixel model of the Phase One XF IQ3: 15 stops of dynamic range with a maximum sensitivity of ISO 12800. Hasselblad leapfrogs Phase One slightly with a new series of leaf-shutter lenses that support flash sync speeds of up to 1/2000 sec, compared to Phase One’s 1/1600 sec. Plus the H6D seems to be substantially lighter.
Because the body design hasn’t changed that much from the H5D, the shooting experience is very similar. It has a smoothly operating and well-designed touchscreen interface plus a huge viewfinder and necessarily hefty and comfortable grip and thumb rest. It’s not nearly as big or heavy as you’d think; with a lens, it’s a little lighter than, say, a Nikon D5-sized camera plus lens. Although it’s a lot more idiosyncratic than a dSLR — the autofocus system is a lot less sophisticated, for example — in most ways it’s very much like shooting with one. I can’t wait to try it out in natural light rather than a studio setting, as well as see how the 100c handles the 4K video.
2016 Land Rover Range Rover review – Roadshow
The Good The Range Rover’s new diesel engine delivers incredible range and torque for a reasonable $2,000 premium, while its standard air suspension system yields a comfortable ride and competent handling. The interior is beautifully trimmed.
The Bad Slow infotainment interface response to input, lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and false alarms from its precollision warning system signal the need for some tech improvements. There’s also slightly more diesel clatter from the engine than some competitors under light throttle.
The Bottom Line Land Rover’s big luxury SUV icon is at its best with this Td6 diesel engine under the hood.
With nearly 100 miles on the trip odometer, the fuel gauge on the big Land Rover Range Rover HSE Td6’s TFT display hasn’t really budged. I wonder aloud to myself if there’s a problem. Maybe a bad sensor or some other electrical glitch? Given the checkered history of British vehicle electronics, a faulty gauge isn’t out of the realm of possibility, right? Turns out, the gauge did work and began to drop — slowly.
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Diesel heart
Under the Range Rover’s clamshell hood sits a new Td6 3.0-liter turbo diesel V-6 engine, which explains this leather-lined behemoth’s fuel-sipping tendencies. Rolling out a new diesel power plant in the aftermath of the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal certainly seems less than ideal, but Land Rover is confident its engine meets emission standards thanks in part to its urea-injection system. In any case, it’s hard to deny the merits that diesel power brings to this 4,900-pound vehicle (and its slightly smaller Range Rover Sport sibling).
What merits? There’s the fuel economy I already alluded to, with 22 miles-per-gallon city and 29 mpg highway EPA ratings. Those numbers are a significant improvement over the base supercharged V-6 gas engine’s 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway figures. Plus, Land Rover says the Td6 gives the Range Rover up to 658 miles of bladder-busting cruising range. Then there’s the 443 pound-feet of delicious torque, which dwarfs the gas engine’s 332 pound-feet to shoot this SUV out of the hole with ease, getting it to 60 mph in just 7.4 seconds. Land Rover’s claim is certainly a believable one, because even at half throttle, this thing gets moving in a hurry, with its ZF eight-speed automatic transmission smoothly working through the gears.
Land Rover’s new diesel engine makes its big Range Rover not only quick, but efficient.
Jon Wong/Roadshow
As for trade-offs, the Td6 can still sound like a diesel engine at light throttle and lower speeds, with more noticeable clatter than Mercedes-Benz’s diesel engine in its GLS350d, yet overall refinement is very good. Of course, urea injection also means adding diesel exhaust fluid to the system every 10,000 miles. It’s not difficult, but it is another cost and general-maintenance procedure to keep in mind. Then there’s the upfront cost of upgrading your Range Rover HSE from the base gas engine to the diesel, which runs an additional $2,000.
A non-diesel-related beef I have with the Range Rover is that its stop/start system is very aggressive, killing the engine almost immediately upon coming to a stop. That’s ideal for efficiency, but its haste can be problematic in brief-pause situations, like in a left-turn-lane queue, or at some stop-sign intersections. Thankfully, it can be turned off with the press of a button on the center console, but it always kicks back on at every startup.
Capable everywhere
Being a Land Rover, the Range Rover HSE Td6 has the equipment to be a serious off-road runner, with four-wheel drive, a Terrain Response System that adjusts transmission, air suspension and traction settings for the best drivability in various conditions like mud, sand and snow, good approach angles and clearance, deep wading depth capabilities and hill descent control. However, like the majority of people plunking down $100K for a full-size luxury SUV, I didn’t really have the occasion to venture off paved roads on this test.
Instead, my adventures were in the city on lots of broken roads, and out on expressways where the Range Rover effortlessly covers the miles. Its air suspension system provides the damping needed to take the edge off of large rut and pothole impacts. It feels like it’s gliding down the road, even on the large 20-inch wheels, and it stays confident and quiet at highway speeds. Through corners taken at speed, the Rover not surprisingly feels top-heavy with some body roll, but it’s not overly sloppy. In fact, with this generation’s substantial weight loss thanks to the use of aluminum for the entire unibody structure and various body panels, it handles quite well considering its size and high center of gravity.
The Range Rover HSE Td6’s beautifully trimmed interior.
Jon Wong/Roadshow
The Range Rover is a very pleasant vehicle to drive on a daily basis, being potent, comfortable and easy to handle, thanks to steering that’s lightly weighted and responsive. Brakes are also stout enough to confidently scrub off higher speeds, and they’re matched to a nicely firm pedal feel. The Range Rover never feels like a lumbering, overweight oaf, even though its dimensions might suggest otherwise.
The Range Rover’s sheer size has advantages, too. You can carry passengers in supreme comfort thanks to spacious confines both front and back, and those in the rear can enjoy the optional entertainment system. The driver is treated to a commanding view of the road thanks to a high seating position. And it’s possible to carry lots of stuff in the nicely appointed cargo area — 32.1 cubic feet of stuff to be exact. If you fold the rear seats down, cargo-carrying capability grows to 82.8 cubic feet, enough to easily swallow huge shopping runs or gobs of outdoor gear.
HTC 10 review – CNET
The Good The HTC 10 has an elegantly chiseled design, brilliant audio quality and a highly customizable user interface.
The Bad The handset’s non-removeable battery doesn’t last as long as its competitors and its camera doesn’t always render exposure correctly.
The Bottom Line Get the HTC 10 if you want a phone that delivers great audio. For all your other needs, look elsewhere.
CNET Preorder Guide
If there’s one thing the HTC 10 can do, it’s deliver great sound. Its dual speakers, coupled with some fancy software technology, means your music and movies are going to sound fantastic. It also looks pretty damn good too — a hard feat to pull off in a world filled with black slabs.
But at $699 unlocked or £569 in the UK (Australian pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but that converts to about AU$940), it fails to offer the same hardware performance and value as its Android rivals. For instance, its performance is comparable to the Google Nexus 6P even though the 6P is cheaper. Its battery doesn’t last as long as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5, and there are times when its camera exposure misses the mark.
While those competing handsets could stand to have better audio quality like the 10, HTC’s flagship phone ultimately doesn’t have all the other things that elevate a good phone into a great phone.
Up close with the streamlined metal HTC 10…
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Design: Handsome and refined
The 10 has an aluminum construction with angular edges that adds to the polished, industrial aesthetic HTC is famous for. Its unibody design does mean you can’t take out the battery, but the phone feels solid and looks handsome.
With its high-end look, the 10 is a stunner when it comes to design.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
HTC got rid of the dual front-facing audio speakers seen in previous years. Now the phone has one speaker grille on the top bezel and a home button (which doubles as a fingerprint reader) on the bottom bezel. The second speaker is still there though, except now it lives on the bottom edge.
As for the fingerprint reader, it provides extra user security and it launches Google’s digital assistance service, Google Now, after you longpress it. Though it’s not a deal breaker, this Now shortcut can get irritating. There were a bunch of times when I accidentally launched Now just from resting my finger on this home button and it was no fun having to quit it constantly throughout the day.
Software: More fun at your fingertips
The 10 runs Google’s Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system with HTC’s Sense user interface skinned on top. HTC has gone for a deeper integration with Google, meaning the only web browser you see is Chrome, the only music player you have is Play Music and the only gallery you have is Google Photos.
I love getting rid of bloatware as much as the next person, but I wish HTC kept the native gallery app. I’m super wary about cloud security, and even though you can turn Google syncing off, I just don’t want my personal photos linked in any way to any cloud or Google service.
The HTC BlinkFeed (left) and a playful theme option with “stickers” as app icons (right).
Lynn La/CNET
There are some welcomed software goodies though. HTC’s signature BlinkFeed gives you a feed of your news and social networks. And Themes lets you customize parts of your interface like the layout, wallpaper and app design. The cool thing about some of these themes is that their home screens aren’t restricted by any grid lines, so you can place apps and widgets anywhere.
Apps also don’t have to look like labelled, uniform icons. Instead, HTC calls them “stickers” and they come in different size and shapes. If you play around with Themes long enough, your home screen can end up looking like a page out of a children’s storybook, with little objects that launch apps only you are privy to knowing.
Sound and audio: Here comes the Boom
A marquee feature of HTC flagships is an emphasis on audio quality, which the company brands as BoomSound. Music through the dual audio speakers definitely sounded louder and clearer than the usual thin and sharp audio I get from other devices.
But what really impressed me was listening to music through the included earbuds. To get the most out of the buds, I configured my “audio profile,” which tested the frequency range that I could hear in each ear, and optimized audio output accordingly.
Music through the earbuds sounded amazing — bass was deep without becoming too overwhelming and I could discern each layer of instrumentation. (If you’re curious, I was listening to Gallant’s “Ology” album. Do yourself a favor and go listen to it.) Undoutedbly, the audio quality is one of the strongest features of this phone.
HTC 10 review!
It would be an understatement to say that HTC has hit a bit of a rough patch over the last couple of years. While HTC’s 2015 flagship brought with it everything the company is known for, including an impeccable design and fantastic software experience, the device failed to live up to expectations in key aspects, such as the camera, which was especially disappointing in a year where the competition was particularly focused on camera performance.
HTC may have dropped the One moniker this time around, but are certainly hoping that their latest high-end offering will be the one that results in a reversal of fortune.
Is this truly the complete package from HTC that we’ve been waiting for? We find out, in this comprehensive HTC 10 review!
Buy the HTC 10 now
Design
The all-metal unibody construction that the company is known for makes a return with the HTC 10, but with some refinements and additions to the design language to create some separation from its predecessors. At its thickest point, the HTC 10 is 9 mm thick, which is a bit more than its competition, and the overall footprint of the device is also slightly larger than other high-end smartphones. However, with a subtle change in the backing, the device does sit comfortably in the palm of your hand, and the slightly higher height, width, and thickness will largely go unnoticed.
Up front is where the majority of the difference can be seen between the HTC 10 and its predecessors. Gone are the dual front-facing speaker setup and more importantly, the highly disliked black HTC bar below the display that is seen with almost every other smartphone from the company. While the lack of previously standard speaker setup may be disappointing, the good news is that BoomSound is still around, this time consisting of a front-facing speaker above the display, and a sub woofer at the bottom, next to the USB Type-C port. Just below the top speaker grill is a notification LED, and next to it is the larger front-facing camera package.
On the back, the same great metal material remains HTC’s calling card, but there is a nice change made here as well, with new chamfers all around that give the device a bit of a curve. This is a nice subtle addition to the rear aesthetic, as light reflects off of the edges to provide a silhouetted look.
Of course, the slight curve and chamfers contribute to the handling experience as well, allowing for the device to sit nicely in the palm of the hand, making this slightly wide smartphone easier to manage in one hand. However, the metal does make for a very slippery device, and while that isn’t something new and was seen with previous generations, it can be a bit of a nuisance if you aren’t careful.
HTC proves once again with the 10 that it is very capable of making very attractive smartphones. For fans of previous HTC devices, some elements that distinguished those phones from others have been removed, such as the usual BoomSound speaker setup, and even the dreaded black bar. However, the updates to the design language are enough to please anyone that wanted a more neutral looking smartphone all around, while also differentiating itself from its predecessors.
Display
The HTC 10 comes with a 5.2-inch Super LCD5 display with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 565 ppi, and making this the first smartphone from the company to feature this resolution. The Super LCD5 display performs well, with high brightness, that allows for easy visibility even in direct sunlight, as well as good amounts of saturation. Granted, it isn’t as vivid as an AMOLED display, but HTC has made sure that this screen adheres to the NTSC standard.
The color temperature can be changed in the settings, but the default option hasn’t raised any concerns thus far. As expected, given the higher resolution, text is very sharp, and gaming is also a joy on this display. Speaking of gaming, a nice feature of the Boost+ application is the ability to lower the resolution of certain high-performing games to save on battery life, and when using this, we still had a lovely time playing games on this device. It has to be mentioned that some banding can be seen at certain angles, with the color fidelity also falling a touch. Though these viewing angles won’t be a huge deal to most users, it does take a tiny bit away from what is otherwise a fantastic display experience.
Performance
Much like any other flagship smartphone that has been released so far this year, the HTC 10 comes with the latest and greatest processing package currently available. The device is powered by the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, clocked at 2.15 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 530 GPU and 4 GB of RAM.
We’ve already mentioned gaming in the display section above, which has been as smooth as ever, and as expected, this excellent performance is seen across the board. HTC did say that they wanted to have the touch latency to be as low as possible to add to the snappy experience.
However, what is more noteworthy is the streamlining of the HTC Sense UI. Instead of having multiple versions of the same application, as has been the case before, Sense now keeps either the company’s own version, and in other cases, sticks to Google’s iteration. As an example, the device now comes with Google Photos instead of, or along with, HTC Gallery.
The device flies through the various elements of the user interface, without there being any slowdown when loading applications, or switching between them via the Recent Apps screen. We also haven’t experienced any major holes in app performance, with no major crashes, or even lag, to report.
Hardware
Moving on to hardware, HTC has made a few key additions in this area that further enhance the experience, starting with the fingerprint reader found in the capacitive home button up front. This implementation is similar to what is seen with the HTC One A9, and works the same way as well. It can sense the fingerprint when in standby, and unlock the device and go straight into the home screens. The scanner is easy to setup and fast and accurate, but as was also the case with the One A9, it poses a bit of a conundrum.
Motion Gestures is still available with the HTC 10, where the phone knows when it has been picked up by the hand, and will then react to a number of different commands. Swiping in different directions directly opens different apps like Blinkfeed, and a new addition is the gesture of swiping down twice to launch the camera app.
However, having the fingerprint reader somewhat eliminates the usefulness of the Motion Gestures, since it doesn’t make sense that you perform a swipe action, and then have your fingerprint scanned anyway. With that in mind, it would have been nice to have an easier gesture to launch the camera, like a double tap of the home button, instead.
The device comes with a standard suite of connectivity options, including NFC. Using the full speaker up top as the phone grill as proven useful, with the call quality being good thus far, and speaker mode provides an even better time with the dual-speaker setup. The only thing that is really missing compared to previous generations is an IR Blaster, and while some users have appreciated its availability before, HTC did mention that it isn’t a widely-used feature anymore.
The audio experience that is possible with the HTC 10 is one of the marquee features of this device. BoomSound is still available, but in a different implementation this time around, with a single front-facing speaker up top, that is paired with a bottom-mounted subwoofer unit that helps provide richer lower tones. This speaker setup doesn’t get as loud as the front-facing stereo speakers from previous generations, but the sound stage has been improved due to the better lower end. However, don’t expect to share the sound with people around you as easily as before.
The headphone jack, centered at the top, is where the magic happens. Plug in a good pair of headphones, or the high-res earphones that are included in the box, and you will hear the difference that the HTC 10 really makes. HTC put a 24-bit DAC and a headphone AMP here to really make BoomSound earn its name.
This also due in part to the available Dolby enhancements, which come in the form of user-definable audio profiles that adhere the sound to your listening habits. These settings are found in the BoomSound section of the Settings menu where, either a few simple questions, or full control over the equalizer, help create these profiles for better listening.
The HTC 10 can really drive headphones, and it is a lot of fun to get lost in the sound. Especially with good headphones, there is no need for a separate DAC or AMP anymore, which is great. Overall, listening with headphones results in some of the loudest, and best quality audio that we’ve ever gotten from a smartphone.
Battery life
In battery, the HTC 10 comes with a non-removable 3,000 mAh unit, and given that this is current capacity standard with this year’s flagships, it’s no surprise that HTC has followed suit. We haven’t had a difficult time getting a full day of work and play out of this device, with the phone allowing for around 4.5 hours of screen-on time.
Of course, your mileage may vary, but with more frugal usage, it can certainly be possible to get a couple of days of battery life out of this phone, helped along with the battery-saving Boost+ application. This app helps in a few ways, and as mentioned before, allows for games to be scaled down to a Full HD resolution to save power.
HTC does boast the phone offers two days’ worth of battery life, and with its fast-charging capabilities via Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 3.0, a charge for half an hour will give you back one full day of use. The USB Type-C port also helps in this regard, but it is still a standard that we are yet to get used to. You will definitely have to keep a mindful track to make sure that you have the appropriate charger and cable when the battery is running low.
Camera
While HTC’s previous flagships may have been up to the mark in other aspects, the performance of the camera has unfortunately been a point of contention, and one of the main reasons for HTC’s poor run over the last couple of years. HTC is hoping to put the past behind them this time around, with the return of Ultrapixels, now in its second generation.
Much like a couple of other smartphone cameras we’ve seen this year, HTC is prioritizing pixel size over megapixel count, and as a result, 12 Ultrapixels is what we get, with a 1.55 micron pixel size. An f/1.8 aperture further bolsters low-light performance, and the camera also comes with optical image stabilization.
The camera application has been streamlined somewhat in its latest version, with all of the different modes found in a single main menu area. Auto-HDR helps get a good shot in almost any situation, and does a pretty good job of knowing when to activate as well. Various modes available include panorama, hyper lapse, slow motion, and more, and work as well as expected. The only real issue with the camera app is when using the Pro mode with full manual control. All the settings occupy most of the space on the viewfinder and covers the frame, until you pick the setting and put the slider away again.
Going back to the camera performance, the change to a lower amount of larger pixels certainly gets the job done, and it feels almost uncharacteristic for an HTC smartphone camera to provide decent shots consistently. Details are captured well in well-lit conditions, and colors are accurately depicted as well. Zoom into any of these pictures, and you will see the noise appear, as is expected from having less detail captured because of the lower megapixel count. This is exacerbated in lower-light conditions, where the exposure might be decent, but details suffer further.
HTC still has a big problem with back-lit subjects, or just about any blown out area in a scene, and is something that even HDR can’t seem to fix in most situations, so you can expect to see quite a lot of flares in situations like this. In low-light conditions, the HTC software usually opts for a slower shutter speed, and as a result, steady hands are still required, even with OIS helping out. All said and done, the consistent quality in most situations makes this a worthy camera companion, as long as you know some of the drawbacks when shooting indoors or at night.
Perhaps the best addition to the camera experience has been the 5 MP front-facing shooter, which also comes with OIS, a first for a front-facing camera, and allows for high-res audio recording when shooting video. While OIS might help with taking selfies in low light conditions, I found its main usefulness when it came to recording videos, such as vlogs.
The stabilization is a great idea for anyone who wants to make selfie videos for social media, or even use the Full HD footage for longer form content. The inclusion of OIS with the front-facing camera is a good move on the part of HTC, and is the HTC 10’s distinguishing feature, compared to the 2K video capture possible with the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the wide reaching wide-angle lens of the LG G5.
The overall camera experience available with the HTC 10 is far from the best, but it is also by far the best the company has managed in a long time. Unlike its predecessors, there is less rhetoric about how good the camera is and instead, real-world results to prove it. It may not surpass the other flagship smartphones in this category, but this phone camera certainly belongs within the ranks.
Software
On the software side of things, we have Android 6.0 Marshmallow with the latest version of the HTC Sense UI on top. HTC Sense is about the same as it has always been, and given some of the major changes Android has been going through recently, this can be taken as a very good thing.
For starters, an app drawer is available, for anyone fretting about its omission, and is a vertical scroll that is simplistic, but functional. The home screens may have a little too much gap between apps and widgets, but Blinkfeed is still around, and is one of our favorite built-in second home screen experiences, allowing for a good glimpse at the headlines, your social media feeds, and more.
Where HTC tried to streamline things is in the app spread. No longer are there duplicate apps for the same functions, with users getting either HTC’s or Google’s version. For example, HTC’s internet browser is no longer available, replaced by Google Chrome. The idea behind this is to lighten the load on the phone, but a few questionable choices have been made, such as, the inclusion of HTCs own messaging app, when Hangouts is available, or having a Zoe Video Editor, when Google Photos already creates “highlights” from all of the captures. Nonetheless, the result has been a very smooth and snappy experience, in line with HTC’s claims regarding these changes.
Additions to the software suite include Boost+, an app that can, among other functions, find and clean out junk on the phone, and help with RAM management. As mentioned before, a favorite function of ours is a toggle to make certain high-performing games play at the Full HD resolution rather than Quad HD, which seems to help with battery consumption.
The other addition is in Themes, which is as robust as ever, but now includes a Freestyle layout that doesn’t adhere to grids the way typical Android home screens do. It is an interesting concept that requires special icon or image packs, and with only one of these Freestyle themes currently available, it is still a young feature that needs to be hashed out further.
Aesthetics is always a matter of personal preference, but for most Android enthusiasts, functionality is king, and HTC Sense provides a lot of it. The app drawer is a fan favorite that already elevates this version of Android, and without any overly cartoonish elements or flourishes, HTC Sense is a user interface that simply works.
We might stop short of saying that Sense is our favorite version of Android, but it is certainly nice to come back to something familiar.
We might stop short of saying that Sense is our absolute favorite version of Android, but with all the changes we’ve seen so far, and will continue to see in the future, it is certainly really nice to come back to something familiar.
Specifications
| Display | 5.2-inch Super LCD 5 display with curved-edge Gorilla Glass 2560 x 1440 resolution 564ppi |
| Processor | 2.2GHz quad-core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 32/64GB of on-board storage |
| MicroSD | Yes, up to 2TB |
| Fingerprint sensor | Yes |
| SIM type | Nano SIM |
| Connectivity | USB Type-C 3.5mm stereo audio jack Bluetooth 4.2 Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5GHz) NFC DisplayPort DNLA Miracast Google Cast AirPlay HTC Connect |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow HTC Sense |
| Cameras | Rear: 12MP HTC UltraPixel 2 (1.55µm pixel size) with laser autofocus, OIS and f/1.8 aperture Front: 5MP (1.34µm pixel size) with OIS and f/1.8 aperture |
| Sound | HTC BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition Dolby Audio 4 |
| Battery | Non-removable 3,000mAh battery Quick Charge 3.0 compatible with cool charge |
| Dimensions and weight | 145.9 x 71.9 x 3.0 – 9.0mm 161 grams |
| Colors | Carbon Grey, Glacier Silver and Topaz Gold |
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
The HTC 10 is available for pre-order now, and will be shipping in May, with the unlocked version of the device starting at $699. Its main competitors obviously include the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the LG G5, and stay tuned for in-depth comparisons between these three high-end smartphones.
There you have it for comprehensive look at the HTC 10! While retaining some of what HTC is loved for, like the all metal design, the 10 shifts its focus on what matters most, audio and camera, to great effect, and it really feels like this phone has been a long time coming. The sound experience is second to none, proving that BoomSound is not only back, but here to stay.
It might not a perfect 10, but the HTC 10 just might be the comeback we’ve been waiting for from HTC.
Though the camera may not be the best out there, it is certainly on par with the competition, which is something the company hasn’t been able to claim for a while. What is most compelling about the HTC 10 is that, this year, HTC has managed to find themselves back among the other flagships. It might not a perfect 10, but the HTC 10 just might be the comeback we’ve been waiting for from HTC.
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Buy the HTC 10 now
Google’s new Nexus Live Cases let you customise design, live wallpapers
Remember that Skrillex Live Case? Well, Google has just introduced new ones for Nexus phones.
These cases are unique in that they are customisable and interactive. You can print either a photo or a map onto the case, as well as customise the design with various filters and colours, and then once you snap it onto a phone, you will see an animated (“live”) wallpaper appear on your screen.
Each case costs $25, works with the Live app found in Google Play, and comes with a button you can program to launch a specific app. This function uses NFC to transmit wallpapers. There’s only one case-shape to choose from, but you can control the design. Whatever you choose during the design process will affect the animated wallpaper.
Google is selling Live Cases for the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, and Nexus 6P. It introduced them last year for the Nexus 6. The Skrillex case not only dresses your phone in Skrillex’s artwork but also serves up Skrillex content and a live wallpaper that extends the case to the screen (it updates to display images of Earth shot from the stratosphere).
To make your case today, go to this site, choose from a Photos Live Case (it pulls photos from your Google Photos account) or Place Live Case, and click the “Make Yours For $35” button to select your phone, design, style, finish (matte or glossy), and other options.
A generation without colorful phones
We get it, these colors are working for Apple. Stop it anyway.
We’ve reached the middle of April, which means all of the big names in the smartphone world that aren’t based in Cupertino have unveiled their big offerings for the year. They all seem really impressive, too. Samsung’s refined design language almost comes off as a piece of jewelry, LG has jumped on the all metal train, and it looks like HTC is actually going to show up and be interesting this year with the 10. Across the pond we saw Huawei drop some dual-camera love in an impressive new body, giving folks in the U.S. some serious fear of missing out.
There’s another thing all of these phones have in common, and it sucks. All of these phones come in nothing more than some variant of black, silver, and gold.
Rewind a bit to last year. LG’s G4 launched with half a dozen amazingly colorful backplates. Samsung released colors for the S6 that were so incredible people paid almost double the worth of the phone to import them to the US. Nextbit stunned the 100,000 people who were paying attention by releasing phones that had no boring option. Motorola released three phones with more color combinations available than people still willing to buy their phones anymore after getting burned on software updates. For the most part, it was a good year for colorful phones.
This year? Forget about it. Samsung’s colorful flair is gone. LG’s primer supplier only had four colors this year, and no one is going to carry the pink one. HTC is going to sell a crimson variant exclusively to a single carrier in Japan. There’s no guarantee that Lenovo is going to continue Moto Maker in this new generation, because there are no guarantees with Motorola anymore.
When Alcatel can offer more colors than the ‘premium’ phones it makes that mid-range look even nicer.
This may seem like an odd complaint. After all, each of these manufacturers are releasing multiple colors around the world. In years past, we’d get one or two colors tops. HTC has a history of releasing exclusive color variants months after the initial launch to draw in new users, after all.
It’s true, each of these manufacturers released multiple colors this year. Nearly identical, terribly boring colors. Grey, silver, and gold are the primary options available to everyone. Each offer a difficult-to-find fourth variant that almost no one will buy because of that fact.
It’s not hard to see why this is happening. In the smartphone world right now there are only two manufacturers doing well, Apple and Samsung. Samsung’s color set this year matches what Apple released last year, and when the two biggest players pick a design the others are likely to follow suit. These colors are also a lot easier to anodize and paint, with fewer opportunities for scratches to reveal a clearly different color underneath. When every phone sale matters, especially when trying to justify your higher price point in a world where mid-range phones are getting really good, differentiating on color might be tougher than it looks. On the other hand, when Alcatel can offer more colors than the “premium” phones it makes that mid-range look even nicer.
There’s nothing in these words that are going to change the minds of anyone making decisions at phone companies right now, but it’s still worth pointing out just how dramatic a shift we’ve seen in the last year when it comes to color. When every phone looks the same on the shelf, customers will go with the brands they recognize. In a carrier store, that isn’t necessarily a good thing for names like LG and HTC.
Here’s hoping the second half of the year has a little more color in it.
AIVAnet 