No one can deny that HTC has made some of the most beautiful phones, but they always came up short in many ways. The camera was one of these deficiencies, as it was always several steps behind Samsung’s flagships. However, HTC promised the HTC 10 would have a “world class” camera this time around.
One of the most popular camera review sites, DxOMark, was able to get its hands on the HTC 10 to find out just how good the camera is. We’re happy to say that HTC delivered on its promise, but the HTC 10 will have to share the crown.
The HTC 10 touts very similar camera specs as the Galaxy S7 Edge, but each phone uses different technology to achieve greatness. The HTC 10 boasts UltraPixel 2 tech, which is more of a marketing term than anything else. Its main rear camera is 12 megapixels and sports an aperture of f/1.8 and a large pixel size of 1.55μm.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge also sport 12 megapixels, but the aperture of f/1.7 is better. On the flip side, the 1.40μm pixel size is smaller.
The lower the aperture is and the larger the pixel size, the more light the camera lens can capture. Samsung has a lower aperture, but HTC has a larger pixel size.
Both phones sport laser autofocus, but Samsung’s dual-pixel technology uses 100 percent of the pixels to offer faster, more precise focusing. How much faster it is than the HTC 10 remains to be seen.
When you add up all of these features, both phones have top-notch specs, but it’s probably difficult to pick a clear winner. DxOMark seems to agree with that interpretation as it gave the HTC 10 an overall score of 88, the same exact score the Galaxy S7 Edge received last month. This means that both phones share the top spot, and that each of them obliterates the iPhone 6S Plus and 6S, which scored 84 and 82, respectively.
DxOMark found the HTC 10 to have a fast and accurate autofocus, along with good exposure, white balance, and noise reduction in low light situations. The camera also preserved good details in all conditions, which means that you should be able to crop out images and maintain quality.
On the downside, the HTC 10 showed a loss of sharpness in the corners and highlights were slightly blown out in outdoor shots.
When it came to videos, the HTC 10’s score of 86 was actually lower than the 88 score given to the Galaxy S7 Edge. DxOMark says the HTC 10 experienced an accurate and fast autofocus, along with good stabilization, exposure, and white balance. However, residual motion was present in walking movements and the autofocus failed occasionally.
While both phones share the crown, it doesn’t mean that they are identical. One phone might perform slightly better in one situation, but not as good in another. But the bottom line is that you can’t go wrong with either of them in terms of the camera. You’re getting the best of the best either way.
