Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the phone that started our love affair with an all-metal body, the HTC 10 takes on the newest all-metal designed, LG V20. These phones are as robust and well-built as you can expect from a smartphone. The nod in looks would probably go to the LG V20, although it is a larger device to pocket. The devices do share many of the same internal parts and specs, but the overall feel and purpose of both devices are quite different. Let’s take a look to see just what these two devices have in common and then we will take a closer look at each device.
The HTC 10 and LG V20 do have a few things in common, but display size and physical size are not one of them. Both displays do use the LCD technology and both enjoy the QHD resolution. In a very important area, these two devices use the same processor – the 64-bit Snapdragon 820 quad-core coupled to an Adreno 530 GPU to handle the most intense graphics. Both devices are packing 4GB of DDR4 RAM, and both offer 32GB/64GB of expandable internal memory. The two devices offer excellent photos but go about it in a different manner. They both use a 5MP front-facing camera (FFC) for selfies and video chatting. The HTC 10 and LG V20 both include Hi-Res audio; however, the V20 tops the two in circuitry, while the HTC 10 offers better external speakers. Both provide a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device as well as authorizing mobile purchases. Both have a battery that uses Quick Charge 3.0. The usual suspects are there – WiFi, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, NFC, and the newer Type-C reversible USB port for charging and data transfer.
Please take a careful 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 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 started all of the excitement with the use of a metal body in a smartphone a few years back, but HTC came out with the same basic design each year and consumers were getting a little bored with its looks. The HTC 10 is the best smartphone they have made to date. New bold design, high-end specs, QHD display, great sound, and a great camera – it has it all. Let’s see just how well it stacks up to the new LG V20.
The HTC 10 sports a 5.2-inch Super LCD5 QHD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 565 pixels-per-inch (PPI.) HTC put in the best processor they could – the Qualcomm 64-bit Snapdragon 820 quad-core with dual cores clocked at 1.6 GHz and dual cores clocked at 2.15 GHz and an Adreno 530 GPU for graphics. The HTC 10 packs 4GB of the faster DDR4 RAM and 32GB of internal memory that is expandable to 256GB via a microSD card.
The camera area is one that HTC has always treated as ‘the great experiment’ – The HTC 10 finally has all of the right pieces – a 12MP sensor with its UltraPixel 2 for capturing more light and image and then added laser autofocus, a dual-tone LED flash, a large aperture of f/1.8 and OIS. The FFC uses a 5MP sensor, with a large f/1.8 aperture, a wide-angle lens, OIS, and even includes an on-screen flash to ensure great low-light selfies and video chatting. Powering the device is a 3000mAh non-removable battery. It uses Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0, which will give you up to a 50-percent charge in only 30 minutes.
Because HTC decided to put the fingerprint sensor on the front right where the speaker for BoomSound used to sit, they had to place the ‘low-end’ speaker on the bottom of the device, and the high-end sounds now originate from the earpiece. HTC did rename it 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 9 mm 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.
LG V20
The new LG V20 switches metals this year from stainless steel (v10) to aircraft grade aluminum while maintaining its durability and making the device lighter. Although many LG V10 admirers loved that stainless steel look, the new design is smoother and more refined. The silicone was moved from the back of the device to the top and bottom of the LG V20 as ‘bumpers’ for added safety if dropped. The V20 kept the same sized 5.7-inch display and smaller secondary display over the top.
The LG V20 sports two displays – the primary is an IPS Quantum QHD display measuring 5.7-inches with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 513 PPI. The secondary display that sits on the top of the device is a 1040 x 160-pixel display and is also 513 PPI. The secondary display is designed to function while the primary display is locked and helps to save battery life. This year LG seriously brightened the second display making it easier to see your notifications. The LG V20 uses the same processor found in the HTC 10 – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with dual cores running at 1.6GHz and dual cores running at 2.15GHz. The LG V20 packs 4GB of faster DDR4 RAM and 64GB of faster UFS 2.0 internal storage with room to expand by an additional 2TB.
The camera area uses the 16MP sensor found on the LG G5, but LG added another 8MP wide-angle lens that operates independently – for those times when you need a wider view. LG added laser and phase detection autofocus (PDAF,) a large f/1.8 aperture (f/2.4 for the 8MP), OIS and a dual-tone LED flash. Then, LG decided to go back to the single 5MP FFC with an f/1.9 aperture for selfies or video chatting. The LG V20 packs a 3200mAh removable battery that should last through the day, and Quick Charge 3.0 makes charging faster.
The LG V20 includes four DACs (Digital-to-Analog Convertors) to improve the sound quality and provides an excellent EQ with left/right balance controls that is B&O Play certified – but they only included ONE speaker. The solidly built LG V20 has achieved the MIL-STD-810G certification. The V20 measures 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6 mm and weighs in at 174 grams – cost should be around $700. The LG V20 is available in the colors Titan, Silver, and Pink. Last, but certainly not least, the LG V20 will be running Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box.
…And The Winner Is…
The Final Word
This decision was very tough, but I am selecting the new LG V20 as the winner of this comparison. Both devices have so much in common and are priced so close to each other, picking a winner was hard. Both are made of metal, both use the same type of display, the same resolution, the same processor/GPU, and even the same amount of memory.
The LG V20 has a larger display, the secondary display (which you will find very useful), the dual cameras, the additional sound enhancements, is Mil-STD-810G, and it has a removable battery.
The HTC 10 is a terrific device, and you can save yourself a few dollars by leaning in that direction. However, the newer LG V20 takes advantage of some newer technology – like the secondary display – and some older technology – like the removable battery – to make it a win-win situation.
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