In just a couple of days, we will be introduced to HTC’s latest smartphone, or even smartphones (note the plural), but before that takes place, I’d like to share a few ideas I have with regard to what I would like to see from the company in the new year.
You can probably ask most people in the Android community and they’d say HTC has their work cut out for them in 2017. The last major US launch from the company was for the HTC 10, announced in April of last year then released in May. And no, the Bolt for Sprint doesn’t count as a major launch. Needless to say, it’s been a while since we saw a real phone launch from HTC, while other major Android OEMs tend to have two big launches – one for the first half of a year and another for the second half.
It wasn’t exactly a bad 2016 for HTC, though. To go along with the solid HTC 10, even though it didn’t exactly offer anything too tantalizing, the company partnered with Google to manufacturer the Pixel and Pixel XL, two phones that Google has been marketing nonstop since their unveiling. While that’s probably brought in a nice chunk of change for HTC’s books, it’d be nice to see HTC’s name front and center on a device that can get everyone in the Android ecosystem excited.
Don’t be courageous
Just because Apple does something, doesn’t mean we all have to follow suit. The people have spoken, and for the time being, they want a headphone jack. The latest leaked pictures we’ve seen of the Ocean Note detail a phone that lacks a headphone jack, and if there’s one way to piss off a large group of potential Android customers, it’s by providing a new set of problems without having a real solution. Until all headphones are shipped as USB Type-C or are completely Bluetooth, just keep the headphone jack. Not only is the Ocean Note apparently not going to ship without a headphone jack, but Sprint’s exclusive HTC Bolt also didn’t have one, and I’m quite curious to see sale numbers for that device. It’s not like you can’t ship a slim phone without one, and we know damn well that slim phones can also have large capacity batteries.
Also, for a company that championed its love of music and desire to please music lovers, the idea of removing a headphone jack seems odd. The HTC 10 shipped with a stand-alone DAC, plus a headphone amplifier, leaving many audiophiles pleased with what they heard. To not include a headphone jack or to make people use an adapter just seems rude.
HTC, come back to making mobile music-bumping machines and champion the hell out of it.
Maybe try actual water resistance?
I’m sure the work that goes into water-proofing a smartphone is exhausting and costly, but you know, that’s a feature people seem to want these days. Now that I had to give up my Galaxy Note 7, I find myself being more cautious with my phone around liquids, as one should be when their phone doesn’t have real water resistance.
While the Pixel, Pixel XL, and HTC 10 all feature IP53, that’s what I’d label as a half measure. If you’ve ever watched Breaking Bad, you’ll know that half measures are unacceptable, and the only real minimum we should be discussing in 2017 is IP67 or IP68. You will hear some people claim water resistance isn’t necessary and that it’s a waste of resources, but you know what, they don’t know what they’re talking about. They obviously don’t live in the PNW where it’s raining or at least damp in some sort of way 80% of the calendar year.
Water resistance is king, and if you want my business in 2017, I gotta have it.
Use the Pixel’s camera
Let’s just forget the word “UltraPixel.” To the average consumer, it’s completely meaningless. In the end, we (consumers) want results, and as HTC should know, the Pixel delivers results without the need/use of gimmickry or marketing buzzwords.
Taking a look back, the One M8 was a gimmick machine, sporting its dual rear cameras for 3D effects, the M9 delivered lackluster photos, and the HTC 10 was actually pretty good. That leads me to believe that HTC has the best intentions on delivering a stellar camera experience, but I want it without the jargon. On the bright side, the HTC 10 camera software is also quite good, so really, HTC is already lined up to delivery what should be a great photo-taking experience.
Back to my point, though, Google’s Pixel phones deliver one of the best smartphone photography experiences available. If HTC can utilize anything they learned in working with Google in the manufacturing of that phone, they should go for it.
Continue slaying the update game
We have seen HTC hand out promises and guarantees before concerning Android updates, and instead of words, I would like to see continued and undeniable action. Should HTC launch its new phones with Nougat and then consistently deliver updates shortly after Google releases the code, as they seem to have been doing for the past year or so, they could garner even more positive attention from the public and blogs.
Unlike Samsung, HTC is in an advantageous position that they don’t have a countless amount of devices to focus on, meaning they should be able to pump out updates like no other. While carrier models will likely always be a bit behind schedule, there’s no reason an unlocked model, the type of phone we recommend to everyone, can’t be updated quickly. That goes hand-in-hand with my other hope to see HTC’s 3rd-party software stay minimal and lightweight. After looking over our posts regarding Nougat updates, I’d say HTC is doing a great job so far, so the continuation would be a bonus.
The point is, if HTC keeps coming straight out of the gate with updates left and right shortly after Google releases it, people will take notice and there’d be no denying that HTC cares about customers running the latest and greatest OS available.
What would you like to see from HTC in 2017?
Built in VIVE with TELEDILDONICS support.
In Sense/BlinkFeed – the ability to select and deselect specific media sources, not just topic categories. Also let us know whether media sources are paying to show up on the feed. If so, let us turn that off.
Super impressed with the pixel xl. Never thought I’d use a HTC phone as a daily driver. 6″ screen, 64gb internal with expandable memory option, 4gb of RAM, water proof the damn phone, OLED display (lg’s terminology), better camera then the pixel. Hell why not a dual camera that’s not fugly. Headphone jack is a must. Hell a removable battery would be sick!!! Miss front facing speakers!!!
I want
AMOLED display
HTC 10 sound
Stereo speakers
Pixel camera
Water resistant
I guess you can somewhat say I already have an HTC phone since I have the Pixel and even though Google told them what to make you can clearly see the HTC design language in the phone. But here would be my perfect smartphone:
5″-5.5″ screen
AMOLED display with adjustable color management
4 or 6GB of RAM
Snapdragon 835
128 GB internal storage
Dual front facing speakers
Fast and reliable upgrades to newer versions of Android
Pixel’s camera
High quality DAC
Fast charging
I think that’s it’s for me. I don’t really care about waterproofing and wireless charging. I’m actually satisfied with a 1080p screen even.
Go back to dual front facing speakers.
AMOLED
“Don’t be Courageous”… HTC already courageously put their label on a P6 in their design concept video. LOL
I loved my Incredible, H7 and H8, and my PXL is so far the best phone I have owned. They are going to have to really wow me get back to a regular HTC device. Ever since my N6 it’s hard to not to the Google route, esp when HTC made the Pixel, and I love me some HTC hardware.
Pixel is the best phone you’ve ever owned? Seriously?
Yep, Incredible-Droid X-Gnex-GS3-M7-G2-M8-Nexus 6-PXL. What phone would be better? I’ve always liked Notes but I never liked TouchWiz until recently. I was very likely to get a Note 7 until the whole debacle made them unavailable. I’ll never own another LG phone after the G2, I couldn’t stand the UI on that thing. I don’t like trying to hold and use my wife’s S7E.
The only downside to my PXL is the speaker IMO, I miss the speakers of my HTC and N6 phones, but I honestly just use earbuds more now to solve that issue.
I’m also on VZW bc TMO doesn’t get 4G on half of my sales route or in 2/3 of the stores I’m in so that limits it a bit.
– Waterproofing ala Galaxy S7/Edge
– Better camera ala Pixel/Galaxy S7
– SD Slot
– Wireless charging with fast charge support (If a Lumia icon with a metal back can do it so can they)
– Continued refinement and simplification of Sense
– Stereo speakers
– Latest Gorilla Glass
– 5.5″ phone size that fits nicely in a pair of jeans
Lumia Icon didn’t have a metal back. It was polycarbonate. The frame was metal, though.
Just goes to show how well designed it was then I guess. it so seamless you can’t really tell.
That’s 90% S7 edge.
– The S7 Edges speakers leave a lot to be desired (It’s my current daily driver since my One M8 died)
– Sense is a LOT better than TouchWiz
– The form factor of the Edge is nice but not great and those rounded edges, while a nice visual feature, doesn’t really do much for me.
– It doesn’t have the latest Gorilla glass and is still prone to scratches (fortunately I don’t have any yet)
– Not a big fan of the whole glass back thing.
Just get an S7/Edge and be done with it.
ew..
As much as I understand “premium materials” I’m hoping the glass and/or metal casings trend stops soon. They look cool, feel nice in hand etc, but they are SUPER SLIPPERY AND FRAGILE (yes, even metal, scratches easily).
What’s the point of these materials if you need to cover them up with a case to solve the slippery problem and protect their fragile finishes?
2 plus years with glass/metal phones. Not *that* delicate nor slippery even, but anyone who is worried about it always says that.
10000000x better than cheap feeling plastic.
My Sony X Compact is plastic. I’ve never dropped a phone more.
Sony > HTC when it comes to updates
LOL!
HTC: Famous for great front facing stereo speakers.
What do they do? Ditch FF speakers entirely.
Okay, that sucks, but at least now they have a quality built in amp for great headphone sound quality, “Boomsound” lives on!…somewhat.
What do they do? Ditch the headphone jack entirely.
I’ve been somewhat of an HTC apologist for years, always had a soft spot since the Incredible was my first smartphone, and it was pretty great, and was impressed with the DNA I later owned as well. The M8 and 10 were both great phones, with just a couple small flaws (camera, losing ff speakers, respectively) that in the end prevented me from buying, and that they could easily fix if they set themselves to it.
If they don’t get some clear design leadership and stop making bad decision after bad decision year after year – this year – after so many opportunities, I’m done. And they will be too, as a company.
I’m still surprised anyone cares about dual facing speakers. What is the scenario in which that’s a must have? Laying in bed watching netflix on your tiny screen?
Yeah. Or any situation where I want to listen to anything on my phone. YouTube, Netflix, sports or any type of video, speakerphone calls, podcasts, everything. Sure you can get by without, but it’s all way better with the sound coming out the front rather than the bottom.
If you’ve ever owned a phone with front facing speakers? You notice how stupid it is to cup your hands while watching a 2 minute YouTube video. Being on speaker phone or how much better the speakers sound when pointing towards your actual ears…
I guess I just don’t have that issue, even with the not very loud single bottom speaker on my S7E. I can hear it just fine.
I’ve had the gs7e which is a great device! I’d prefer the front facing speakers that I had with my Nexus 6 and 6p. Would take the gs7e over both those phones. If the phone doesn’t have front facing speakers it’s not a deal breaker. Once you use a device with front facing speakers you wonder why not everyone uses them…. If the note 7 had front facing speakers and didn’t have the fire issue. It would’ve been my perfect Android phone.
Very simple requests
Easy to grip design for 1 handed use!
Pixel Quality Camera
Water Proof IP68
3200+mAh Battery
Quick Charge 3.0
128GB Future Proof Storage
S7, close enough.
Or did you leave out “not samsung”
Yeah, unfortunately until Samsung fixes their three big problems:
Buttons
Speakers
Software
Hoping they finally get wise and take care of at least the first two of those this year.
I’d like to see a proper unlocked US model. I know there was a workaround to get the unlocked HTC 10 working on VZW, but I’d rather have it come standard. HTC seems to be the only ones who treated their unlocked model properly. Both Samsung and LG have left their unlocked US models lagging behind the carrier models.
After the nexus 9 I’ll never buy another HTC product ever. That’s the only reason I passed on the Pixel.
I wonder how much money HTC gets/got from manufacturing the Pixel phones. If making their own phones doesn’t work out for them, maybe they should just stick to hardware. They tend to do a great job with that.
Why the emphasis on the camera? I thought the HTC 10’s camera was rated highly on photography websites ?
-6 to 6.8″ screen (1080p is fine with me, I don’t care about Daydream or VR at all)
-6 GB RAM
-5000 mAh battery
-Qi wireless charging
-IP68
-3.5mm Headphone jack
-at least 64GB Storage with SD Card slot
-latest processor (Snapdragon 835?)
-USB-C w/ quick charge 3.0
-Decent camera (doesn’t even have to be as good as the pixel, as long as the shutter and focus are fast)
-doing Sense UI is fine, but don’t screw with notifications or settings. Basically mimic the Nexus/Pixel like Moto was doing, while adding your little cool stuff like themes and Blink Feed or whatever.
I’d love a small tablet with basically these specs.
I’m excited about the Zenfone 3 Zoom for the battery. But at 5.5″ it’s a bit small for my Nexus 6 replacement small tablet.
lol. You said small tablet a lot. I get it, my N6 is basically a small tablet. I’m cool with that. I want a newer better small tablet then…. I don’t really care what we call it, I’m tired of tiny 5 to 5.5″ screens when we’ve seen the gloriousness of the 6″ Nexus 6.
I wouldn’t touch that phone with a 20′ stick. That’s humongous imo, but if they have a 5″ variant it’d be nice
I wouldn’t touch a 5″ phone with a 20′ stick. That’s tiny IMO.
Call it a small tablet, or whale or whatever; I have no use for a screen smaller than 6″. I will settle for a 5.7″ if it meets all the other requirements and has razor thin bezels.
What I forgot was:
-dual front facing speakers
-SMALL bezels all the way around.
That’s swinging for the fences, but yes to all that
Definitely. That’s what they need to do too, swing for the fences. But they didn’t! This U-Ultra thing is shaping up to be just absolutley HORRIBLE.
Why do people keep wanting fast updates just behind Google releasing them? So we all can have battery, Bluetooth and other problems like Nexus users are used to whenever Google releases a major update?
You can sit on an old version if you want. It just gives another choice so still an improvement.
My main point is that it’s better to get the update a few months after Google releases it rather than right away. There’s just too many bugs when they first drop. That might be OK for Nexus users but not OK for the rest of the world. Heck they couldnt even get it out the door at the same time of release for one of their very own devices (N6)! It baffles me when people have to start taking anxiety pills if they don’t get the update the day Google drops it.
A company that doesn’t care about updates is not one i want. Think about it this way what if they finally update to some new version 6 months late and there is a bug in it and it takes them a few months to update it. Would you want to live with a bug like that? What if they never update it to fix the bug? I can understand not wanting them day 1 but fast updates are definitely a good thing.
HTC 10 I wanted to like but it was over priced, and big for a 5 ” phone. If the make a 6″ phone and remove things like headphone jack, or dont Include front facing stereo speakers, then they weren’t even trying.
If those leaks prove true, it doesn’t matter what we want. HTC has shown they just don’t give a damn anymore.
Just make a damn variant of the pixel and charge less. So simple.. These companies.
You realize that just because they have the Pixel schematics doesn’t mean that they use them for themselves.
And, since they have the schematics, it makes patent/copyright lawsuits harder to defend against.
You realize the pixel is basically the htc 10 and A9 with different bezels and stock pixel software and that htc makes it. Google basically took the existing htc parts and slapped their version os on it.
just lol @ “schematics”
There is the 10 which is basically that, a full metal variant. I like it better than the XL, saw no reason to get the XL.
I basically want a smaller HTC 10 with AMOLED and an always-on OK Google/voice control feature. Waterproofing is a bonus but not a necessity for me, and the camera is more than good enough. Headphone jack is an absolute necessity too.
What I want is really simple:
Front Facing speakers
Sense
Pixel’s Camera
SD Card Slot
Headphone Jack
What I want is really simple:
Front Facing speakers
Stock Android
OIS Camera
SD Card Slot
Headphone Jack
USB-C
Fixed it for you. 😀
USB-C is not a necessity. The rest yeah, also a 6 and 5 inch version with all the same specs.
Thanks but no thanks. I like Sense and don’t care one bit about USB-C.
Google is paying 97$ per hour! Work for few hours and have longer with friends & family! !mj42d:
On tuesday I got a great new Land Rover Range Rover from having earned $8752 this last four weeks.. Its the most-financialy rewarding I’ve had.. It sounds unbelievable but you wont forgive yourself if you don’t check it
!mj42d:
➽➽
➽➽;➽➽ http://GoogleFinancialJobsCash42TopMobileGetPay$97Hour… ★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★::::::!mj42d:….,…..
Amen. The reason I am writing this from my ZTE Axon 7 is HTC elected to have the fingerprint scanner on the front at the expense of the second front facing speaker.
I’m an Axon 7 fan too.
Thats it. And a price point of 550 would be awsome. There is no people willing to pay 750 for an HTC. Only the geeks know the brand… If they spend that money, they prefer to have a Samsung or an iPhone, despite they work worse…
The HTC Ocean of tomorrow is going to be a disaster… I hope i am wrong. I hope
Wireless charging as well.
Oh and epic SOT.
I’d like to add the IR blaster back too. But doubt they’ll do it. I miss it so much from my M8.
Bring back the dual speakers, BUT figure out how to get rid of that chin
keep skinning Sense (become the new moto) and reintroduce front stereo speakers (and get rid of home button “a la” Samsung)