Software

HTC is one of the very few Android OEMs that knows how to produce an really decent custom software offering. The peel they've applied to Android vi.0.1 doesn't include some of the frustrations I've experienced recently with competitors, and the features HTC has included are either useful, or unobtrusive.

Firstly, though, I want to heap bucket loads of praise on to HTC for resisting the urge to include spam and duplicate applications. The HTC 10 is completely devoid of unnecessary crap: there's merely one browser (Chrome), just ane gallery app (Google Photos), and just one app store (Play Store). I accept not seen a single pop-upward dialog while using this device that asked me to choose between two apps. Fantastic!

The design HTC has used throughout their software is a minor comeback on previous skins, and it fits in well with the current design practices of Android 6.0. The few non-Google apps that HTC includes on the ten (like the contacts and SMS apps) could very easily be stock Android apps, and the design used throughout the Bone is consequent and visually appealing.

My one principal complaint well-nigh the skin would be that the home screen layout is not very information dense. A 4x4 grid on a smartphone with a v.2-inch display isn't really suitable whatever more, and I would accept liked to meet an option that switched the home screen grid to 5x5. Both the Galaxy S7 and LG G5 include this selection for their smartphones and I really missed it moving to the HTC ten.

HTC includes decent theming options for their software through a defended Themes app. These themes change the wallpaper, icons, colors, and general design of the HTC aspects of the software to whatsoever you want. Desire a stock Android look? You lot tin actually download i through the theme store for gratis and transform the design of your HTC 10'southward software to friction match a Nexus handset.

BlinkFeed is one of the meliorate news aggregators included with an Android launcher, simply I however disabled information technology shortly afterwards I set up the HTC x. I'm glad that HTC notwithstanding gives you lot this pick because several generations ago, BlinkFeed was permanently on your domicile screen.

The apps pinned to the home screen dock are also included on the lock screen, and tin can easily exist launched from this screen (after you lot go through any security). The notification pane is the default Android version, so yous unfortunately tin can't change the social club of the setting quick toggles. The settings screen is also very familiar, although the gild of some items has been adjusted.

There aren't whatsoever really interesting features plant throughout the HTC 10's software. There are a few minor things, such equally the ability to modify how the navigation buttons perform, a telephone migration utility, and a HTC Connect sorcerer for sharing media with other devices. Considering Android'south feature set is already very strong, and almost extra features I see in other phones can be added through 3rd-party utilities, I'm pretty happy with what the HTC 10 provides on a software front, specially the lack of bloatware.

A special mention must exist made to the stock keyboard likewise. The predictive software HTC uses with their keyboard (a variant of TouchPal) is excellent, which makes the typing experience fantastic out of the box. There's a lot of features packed into the keyboard likewise, such as support for resizing and easy access to emoji.