Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the HTC 10 takes on the new OnePlus 3 in a battle of specifications – which one will come out as the winner? Both devices are covered in metal, although they present a very different look. After years with the same look, HTC finally took out their chisel and carved us a nice new look and then threw in all of the right pieces to make the HTC 10 a top contender. OnePlus completely overhauled their OnePlus 2 to put out one of their best smartphones – and still at a reasonable price. These two devices do have a few similarities that we will take a look at now and then later we will look at each individual device to try to determine a winner of this specification comparison.
The HTC 10 and OnePlus 3 do have a few things in common, or close to it – even their physical dimensions are close with the OnePlus 3 being slightly larger, yet lighter by 3 grams. The displays are nowhere near the same, other than size – the HTC 10 is 5.2-inches while the OP3 is 5.5-inches. The main processor and GPU is where they are spot-on as they both use the newest 64-bit Snapdragon 820 and the Adreno 530 for graphics. Both models offer a 64GB variant, but only the HTC 10 has expandable memory. Both offer an excellent camera area, but go about it in a different way. They both have a fingerprint sensor that can unlock the device or authorize Android Pay mobile payments thanks to them both running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow under their skins. Both have a non-removable 3000mAh battery with rapid charge capabilities. They both have the usual suspects – WiFi, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, NFC, and the both use the new Type-C reversible USB connector for charging and data transfer.
Please take a deliberate look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each individual device in greater depth and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information, we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.
Specifications
HTC 10
HTC has been hitting fouls for the past few years – no QHD displays, single UltraPixel cameras, and then duo cameras, stale designs, etc. – however, this year HTC finally got all of the players in the right position and hit a home run with the HTC 10. Gone is the same old boring shape, in comes the QHD display, the best processor on the market, 4GB of DDR4 RAM, expandable memory, and a great camera area. It is nice to see HTC back as a true flagship device – but is it too little, too late for the unpredictable public?
The HTC 10 comes with that sweet spot – a 5.2-inch Super LCD5 QHD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and a remarkable 565 pixels-per-inch (PPI.) HTC did not fool around and used the best processor currently on the market – the Qualcomm 64-bit Snapdragon 820 quad-core with dual cores clocked at 1.6 GHz and dual cores clocked at 2.15 GHz. The excellent Adreno 530 GPU accompanies the Snapdragon 820. The HTC 10 packs 4GB of the faster DDR4 RAM and 32GB of internal memory that is expandable to 2TB via a microSD card.
HTC has not had a decent camera in years, and while they still use their UltraPixel 2, the HTC 10 carries a 12MP sensor that allows it to capture more light and image for better low light pictures. HTC added the fast laser autofocus, a dual-tone LED flash, a large aperture of f/1.8 and OIS. HTC did not forget about their front-facing camera (FFC) – not only is it a 5MP sensor, but HTC also added the large f/1.8 aperture, a wide-angle lens, OIS, and even included a screen flash to ensure excellent low-light selfies and video chatting. A 3000mAh, non-removable battery powers the device and it comes with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 – which will give you up to a 50-percent charge in only 30 minutes.
HTC did have to make a few design changes in the BoomSound area. They added their fingerprint sensor on the bottom front of the device rather than on the back and this meant moving the front speaker. They moved the low sounds or ‘woofer’ to the bottom of the device and the high-end sounds now originate from the earpiece. HTC did rename the popular BoomSound to BoomSound Hi-Fi, to show the distinction. HTC also included Hi-Fi circuitry for great sounding music for your earphones. The HTC 10 measures 145.9 x 71.9 x 9mm and weighs in at 161 grams. It comes in Carbon Grey, Topaz Gold, and Glacier Silver and it will cost you about $650 with 32GB of memory.
OnePlus 3
OnePlus is an up and coming company from China. Known for producing a well-built device at a reasonable price, they are also known for leaving out some critical specifications. The OnePlus 3 is their most complete device yet and it is certainly able to take on the other smartphones. The only two glaring omissions are the lack of a Quad HD display and lack of ability to expand its internal memory. The all-new metal design looks very similar to the rest of the OnePlus lineup – it is clean and solid, but nothing to really get excited about.
Even though OnePlus did not use a QHD resolution display, they have still improved the display area by replacing the dull IPS LCD with a new 5.5-inch FHD Optic AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 401 PPI. OnePlus just cannot let go of that FHD resolution, but at least they did make a good decision to switch to an AMOLED display. The OnePlus 3 came out in time to use the newest Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with a dual-core clocked at 1.6GHz and another at 2.15GHz and an Adreno 530 GPU providing the graphics. OnePlus then packed in not four, but a full 6GB of DDR4 RAM and 64GB of the much faster UFS 2.0 internal storage, although there are no means to expand.
OnePlus upgraded the camera area with a new 16MP primary shooter that uses the fast PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus), an LED Flash, a larger f/2.0 aperture, and both OIS and EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization). The FFC camera increased from 5MP to 8MP and keeping the f/2.0 aperture for better selfies and video chatting. OnePlus lowered the battery size to 3000mAh in the OnePlus 3, but OnePlus did include their new rapid charging system they call ‘Dash Charge’ that provides a 60-percent charge in only 30 minutes.
The OnePlus 3 runs mostly stock Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out-of-the-box with OnePlus’ OS called OxygenOS on top. Please note that the OnePlus 3 does not operate on as many US LTE bands, so make sure it will work on your network. The OP3 finally includes both the fingerprint sensor and NFC on the same device – allowing for authorizing mobile, or Android Pay purchases with a tap of your finger. The OnePlus 3 measures 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.35mm and weighs in at 158 grams. It will cost you about $400 USD for the 6GB/64GB model. It will come in Graphite, with Soft Gold arriving later.
…And The Winner Is…
The Final Word
This was a real tough one, as the HTC 10 is certainly the superior device when it comes to a few technology features – QHD display, expandable memory, screen flash for selfies, and BoomSound HiFi – but what you have to ask yourself, are those features worth an extra $250?
The OnePlus 3 is the most complete flagship that One Plus has ever made – yes, it lacks the QHD display, but it offers up a FHD AMOLED display with superior contrasts and vivid colors. It uses the same processor/GPU as the HTC 10, 6GB of DDR4 RAM (2GB more that the HTC 10), it uses much faster UFS 2.0 internal memory and provides an excellent camera area. The OP3 does not have a means to expand external memory, but the standard 64GB should suffice for most users. It throws all of those parts together for only $400.
Clearly, the HTC 10 offers a few extra features. If you must have the QHD display and expandable memory, then the HTC 10 is the way to go. However, if you want a fundamentally solid smartphone at a real bargain, then OP3 for $400 is the way for you.
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