I'd like to welcome the HTC 10 to my desk.
I do durability tests on phones so you can get an idea of what your phone will look like
after 2 years of daily use... without having to wait 2 years to see it.
This has been one of my most requested phones recently.
Probably because the HTC M9 did not do so well with my test last year.
Sorry about that HTC.
Lets jump in and see what happens with This years model the HTC 10
Ive tested over 20 phones now.
And most of them survive these extreme situations.
Only 3 phones so far have catastrophically failed.
Lets start with the scratch test.
I have a set of picks that tell me where the screen falls on Mohs Scale of Hardness.
If the phone has a hard tempered glass screen.
Like the Gorilla Glass 4 on this HTC 10, It'll start scratching at a level 6.
With a deep scratch using a level 7 pick.
This smart phone is on par with the rest of the major flagships.
One of the features I am most excited for on this phone is the 5 megapixel front camera
with OIS image stabilization.
A World First.
And luckily this year they decided to protect the front camera with glass, instead of using
plastic lens like last years M9.
Ill do a front and rear camera test with the HTC soon.
So make sure you are subscribed so you don't miss it.
Lets get back to scratching.
The HTC logo is integrated into the back aluminum.
So it will scratch equally with the rest of the device.
It wont be popping off like the Lumia 950 or the Nexus 6.
This phone is pure metal.
It is not covered by plastic or 'primer'.
Fun fact, the back metal of this phone scratches at a level 5.
The plasticky LGG5 scratched at a level 3.
When I scratch the back of this phone with keys... you can see the scratch initially...
but they can easily be rubbed off and almost entirely disappear, it's like magic...
I always recommend a case no matter what.
But Its still nice to see how durable this phone is without it.
Thumbs up if you are glad my phone is being tested and not yours.
;-)
The 12 megapixel rear camera is protected by a very thick glass layer.
Way thicker than last years M9, which actually cracked during the lens scratch test.
You wont have to worry about this lens being damaged easily.
Even though it does stick up a little bit from the back of the device.
The side buttons on this phone are made of metal as well.
Which is awesome.
They are much less likely to distort or warp with long term use like a plastic button would.
Check out the ridges on this power button.
Beastly.
The ridges are sharp.
So its easy to find and pres the power button in the dark or as you are pulling it out of
your pocket.
Onto the flame test!
The LCD5 screen of the HTC 10 lasted 9 seconds before the screen reacted to the heat.
The pixels turned off and went black.
BUT did completely recover after the heat was removed.
For reference the LGG5 lasted 3 seconds and the Nexus 6p lasted 8 seconds.
The phone is cool to the touch within seconds of the heat being removed.
The fingerprint scanner does scratch.
BUT it does not effects its functionality at all.
I was able to set my fingerprint AND it still us it, with a snappy response time.
No issues there.
Now onto the bend test.
I've tried bending over 20 phones now.
And only 3 have catastrophically failed.
One of them being the HTC M9 from last year... lets see if HTC made any changes to their
design.
Ill start bending from the back.
You can see the screen flex out of the frame just a bit.
You can also see the amount of pressure my thumbs were applying.
Ill flip it over and try again...
There is zero flex with this device.
It is incredibly strong.
I'll analyze it a bit more during my teardown video, but I imagine that a lot of its strength
comes from the design of the metal back.
The extra ridge along the back edge helps add strength to the phone.
Just like with canned fruit.
These ridges along the side of the can keep it from crumpling under pressure...
the same way that the extra crease on the side of the HTC 10 will keep the phone straight.
Overall I am very impressed with this phone.
HTC took the physical hardware flaws of the M9 and improved them in every single way.
Let me know in the comments below what phone you would like to see me test next!
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Thanks a ton for watching!
I hope to see you around.