Replacement for our "10"

[Hadron]

LG v20.

Two problems with that: (1) it's huge, so a different class of device, and (2) it's not globally available.

It has also been cited in the "bootloop fault" class action, though my impression is that it suffers a lot less than some LG models have. That would make me nervous personally though.

If LG made the properly specced G6 available here (64GB, quad DAC) I'd be considering it. But the European model doesn't offer much that the 10 doesn't.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

One of my co-workers came in with the Samsung Galaxy S8+ tonight. It's actualy wider than my 10 but feels more comfortable in the hand for some reason and I could reach all the way over to where the curve meets the flat (basically to the other side of the screen) but I can't get that far on my 10.

 

[lunatic59]

The curved edges of the S8+ go a long way to make the entire screen 'reachable', and if you have your 10 in a case, that adds just that much more obstruction.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

I'm thinking the Samsung Galaxy S8 would be a suitable replacement.

Now I just have to run some MP3 files through one.

It's kind of weird to ask someone to let you put a MicroSD card to their phone though?

 

[lunatic59]

Can't you just throw a few tunes in Drive or dropbox and share them?

 

[dontpanicbobby]

I'm not a cloud guy. I like a hard copy of my content.

 

[lunatic59]

Clouds are just solids in gaseous form.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

OT: Clouds have been known to fade away. Rust never sleeps.

 

[markdoc]

New video on the HTC U 11 posted on twitter but can be seen here with possible specs:
https://www.christiantoday.com/arti...ors.feature.of.the.upcoming.device/108112.htm
Most of the new information seems to be very similar. Is the general consensus go with the Galaxy S8 or wait for the U 11?

 

[dontpanicbobby]

I pulled the trigger on the Bling-Bling set from B&H. A platinum LG G6 with a rose gold LG Style smartwatch and just for frosting on the cake a 64GB MicroSD card for under $700USD.

 

[markdoc]

That sounds like a great deal. Best of luck with it. After a week or so, please give us your review. I can't wait to hear it.

 

[Hadron]

I'm going to wait and see what the U 11 is like, because it only requires waiting another fortnight (at least until the announcement - seeing the device will probably take longer).

But I am fearing that there's no right choice for me right now, including buying a 10 to replace my M7. Really the 10 is too large for me - I struggle to reach the back button on my wife's 10 without using my other hand hand - but it is the most robust option and probably the best audio. The U 11 is going to be wider, so even being thinner I think it unlikely I'll be able to handle it. The ability to customise the on-screen buttons of the G6, and well as it being marginally thinner than the 10, may make it better for me but I need to try one for real to know. But for that price I'd prefer 64GB storage at least. The S8 is a better size but I prefer to keep phones for a long time and Samsung do have a reputation for slowdowns, plus I have slight reservations about AMOLED longevity. Sony's XZ Premium is too large, and their Compacts are now mid-range devices. Moto don't make anything smaller than 5.5", nor do One+. The Huawei P10 is a mess (a lottery as to the grade of storage components, for example). And the Pixel is asking a lot of money for a 2016 design with no storage expansion (plus it's out of stock anyway).

So I don't know. I may buy a 10, a U11, a G6 or a S8, but none stands out as a clear answer right now. I can imagine it coming down to buying a 10 (because if there's no clear winner I may as well choose the cheapest) or seeing whether my phone can limp on until we see the Pixel 2 (which will at least have software support going for it).

 

[dontpanicbobby]

It'll be a while I think.The unlocked is still considered a pre-order.

Between the S8 and the HTC U 11. It's hard to call right now. I'm wondering if HTC have gotten over their Apple obsession and will bring back the headphone jack. I'm interested in HTC's take on the camera too. MicroSD slot is a must of course.

 

[Hadron]

The G6 is available unlocked in the UK already, I've just not been to a shop since it was released to see it.

Unless they have made a very late change to the design the U 11 does not have a 3.5mm jack. There are some hints that it might include the adapter, unlike the Ultra, but we won't know for sure until the release.

 

[markdoc]

Here is the latest "leaked" information on the U11, "
Exclusive: See all the HTC U 11 specifications and features here"
It has some new specs that were found on a picture of the box. Check it out here:
https://www.mysmartprice.com/gear/2017/05/01/exclusive-htc-u-11-specifications-features-price/
Some of the specs are cutting edge; the chip, the screen glass, the memory. Some are disappointing, like the power system. It repeats the 10 with 3000 mAh battery and quick charge 3. Again HTC goes out on a limb with a case made of glass that others have tried. And drag their feet with the same old battery from our 10. I can't figure them out.

 

[Hadron]

3000 mAh seems to be the default battery size this year. The S8 is using the same, and it's rumoured that the One+ 5 will too (which would be a sizeable step down from the 3T). Maybe there was a massive overproduction of 3000 mAh power packs and they are going cheap right now?

(No, I don't think that HTC have unused parts left over from the 10. The 10 uses the "pyramid stack" internal design of the M7/M8/M9, where a thin, wide battery lies under the screen and the motherboard under that. The U series have a more conventional design with the motherboard going around the battery. Since this moves the processor further from the battery I think it is a positive thing).

 

[markdoc]

I understand your reasoning and I'm not arguing with you but, (there's always a but). HTC has been in trouble for the past few years. They have lost the lead they acquired with the M7. Like you said, everyone else is using a 3000 mAh battery. Even if it costs a little more, this is the perfect time to regain some of their former glory. Come out with 3500 mAh or (heaven forbid) a 4000 mAh battery. Think of all the publicity it would create. Of course it has to be done well. They can't afford another M9 overheating issue. But if it worked....

 

[Hadron]

The M9 didn't overheat any more than any other device using the s810, they just had the misfortune to be first. And, TBH, to be HTC - the S6 got hot and throttled too, but few of the phone sites bothered to report that, and none made a fuss about it the way they did about the M9.

No, I don't know why they made that decision. I even less know why in a phone the size of the Ultra they still didn't pack a slightly larger battery in. But HTC's decision-making has been odd for years: I'd say that abandoning the dual front-facing speakers in the 10 was at least as odd a decision as going glass this year(*), both examples of giving up what was seen as a key feature that they had pioneered. Dropping the 3.5mm jack in a year when keeping it has become a marketing bonus also seems silly (it's not as if they didn't know how people were reacting to that months ago). I'm hearing that the display, processor, camera are all done very nicely, but if just making a better all round phone was enough then they'd not be where they are now. And I don't know whether they actually think that their "edge sense" will be a game-changer, but I don't really see it myself.

Spoiler: (*)

Of course Samsung, LG and Sony also use glass front and back, so if you want to avoid glass there aren't many places to go. But another way of looking at that was that this was an opportunity.

Maybe they just thought that their recent models hadn't worked commercially and they had nothing to lose by changing?

 

[markdoc]

I agree with you 100%. I'm sensitive about the M9 because I had one. It was always hot. If I tried to use it while it was charging, it got so hot that it would stop charging. Actually, my 10 gets a little warm also. OT: I don't know why they don't put vent holes in cases. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anyway, if HTC hired one of us to make the "Big" decisions, they'd be in much better shape! ;-)

 

[PyroSporker]

I'm not going to get started trying to talk about/defend/bash the M9 in this forum other than to say that I am still using mine to this very day as my daily device and it is in its originally shipped un-updated software form. Everyones usage and experience will vary. I was going to pop in and kindly defer the blame to Qualcomm and the media reporting, but Hadron has already done that.
At some point we have to look back at it, that it happened, let it go, and move on. Water under the bridge.

I'm eager to find out more about the U-11 directly from HTC. I ended up skipping the 10, the Pixel XL, and Note 7. I'm hoping to get a new device that fits the bill at some point

I've never heard of mysmartprice / Gear. Are they a reputable source of leaks? What is their track record with leak info vs. actual product? Has the mysmartprice / Gear leak been de-bunked yet? Any "Tom, Dick, or Sally" with Photoshop could have created that fake back of box. I'm surprised how many news sources have run the leak as fact without even hedging it as a leak or rumor or possible fabrication.
Here is an actual back of box I found on the net from the U-Ultra which could be easily manipulated to appear like a U-11 back of box, for example:

Big

 

[Hadron]

The "packaging leak" didn't really contain anything new - which may mean that it's accurate, or that it's a fake based on existing rumours

As for the M9, my daughter is still using hers. Indeed when her original one had a nasty and fatal accident (involving liquids) she insisted on replacing it with another M9 rather than something newer.

 

[markdoc]

Hey guys, I'm still an HTC fan. I used my M9 for 1½ years until it finally gave up. Then I got my 10 and I love it. As far as the back of the box information, it was stated in many articles. Here is part of the list from my Google alert:
You can decide the validity for yourself. I thought it was true because of the box, but you proved that can't be counted on. I guess I don't think that way. Thanks for opening my eyes.

 

[PyroSporker]

If their own information/back of box info were true, wouldn't they update their own product listing(s) for it to reflect every "true" detail they "know"?
http://www.mysmartprice.com/mobile/htc-u-msp12365
http://www.mysmartprice.com/mobile/htc-11-msp11762
On their site I still see multiple listings for the product with different info and not all of it exactly matches their "leak" in any case

 

[markdoc]

I never saw the Smartpractice site until now. Thanks for the link. I wouldn't put too much faith in it. Even with the 2 listings not agreeing, neither one agrees with the articles I read. So you were right. Whatever, on the 16th we're suppose to get the facts straight from HTC.

 

[Hadron]

If their own information/back of box info were true, wouldn't they update their own product listing(s) for it to reflect every "true" detail they "know"?

Who knows? After all, they have separate listings for the U and the 11, which are the same phone, and that doesn't seem to bother them. Maybe they just don't care about these made-up listings they put for products that haven't been announced yet? TBH I don't understand why they put such listings there in the first place.

I think we're at the point where we have a pretty good idea of the main specs of the phone though. There have been enough different leaks, including from generally reliable sources, that are all painting the same picture.