Samsung Galaxy S7 vs HTC One M10 Perfume: preliminary specs comparison

posted by Victor H. / Feb 12, 2016, 10:02 AM

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs HTC One M10 Perfume: preliminary specs comparison

The new wave of Android phones is coming: Samsung, HTC and LG will unveil their best phones soon, and while none of them is official, a lot of information and images have already leaked out. And when there is so much smoke, there must be fire.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and HTC One M10 (codenamed 'Perfume') in particular are two of the most powerful phones that will soon enter direct competition.

It's about time we compared the Galaxy S7 versus the HTC One M10 in a cold-blooded specs battle to see what each brings to the table.

Which phone are you more excited about?

Samsung Galaxy S7 | S7 Edge

60.34%

HTC One M10 Perfume

39.66%

#1: Design and display

Samsung made a giant leap forward with its design last year when it unveiled the glass and metal Galaxy S6. After years of boring plastic phones, Samsung reinvented itself. The Galaxy S7 won't be a change of that gigantic scale, but it does not need to be: it will bring slight improvements that further refine the design of the S6: it will add curves around the edges of the phone so that it fits more comfortably in the hand and it will reduce the size of the camera hump (but the camera will still stick out the back slightly).

It's worth noting that Samsung will unveil both the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge at MWC, with the main difference being that the Edge version features dual-edge screen, but also a larger, 5.5" display and bigger battery.

HTC, on the other hand, has always been a front-runner when it comes to design. It was among the very first to use metal in its phones and its industrial design has won praise, but at the same time, HTC is guilty of adding that dreadful additional raw below the display with no buttons and no functional use except to hold the HTC logo.

The HTC One M10 will deal with this annoyance, but it will also be a big departure from the current design of the flagship M series. Yes, it will still be made out of metal, but gone are the dual front-firing speakers, and the looks of the new M10 are expected to resemble those on the One A9 a lot. For the first time on the M series, a physical home key appears right below the display, and chances are it will feature a fingerprint scanner, a feature that has become essential overtime.

When it comes to display, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are said to have a 5.1" and 5.5" ones, both with Quad HD resolution, and both - naturally - with the latest generation Super AMOLED panels. HTC, on the other hand, is said to use a 5.2" Quad HD display on the One M10, but it's not yet clear whether it'd be an AMOLED or LCD panel.

#2: Performance: Snapdragon 820 and a sprinkle of Exynos

In the United States, both the Galaxy S7 and HTC One M10 are expected to come with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 820 system chip. Benchmarks from the Snapdragon 820 have already surfaced and it's a beast: the first custom 64-bit CPU core by Qualcomm finally catches Apple's A series chips in terms of single core performance and delivers on all other fronts.

It's worth saying that in some markets, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will come with a different chip, Samsung's Exynos 8890, which could perform even better. This is the topic of a future comparison, though.

Both the Galaxy S7 and HTC One M10 are expected to also feature 4GB RAM, and we are hopeful that Samsung has fixed its TouchWiz-related RAM management issues.

Adreno 530 is the GPU that will take care of the graphics and gaming tasks on the S7 and M10, and we expect absolute parity in this aspect as well.

Then, there is storage. Both come with 32GB of internal storage, and both support microSD cards. We're particularly happy to see expandable storage with microSD cards return on the Galaxy S series, after Samsung ditched support for cards in the S6.

#3: Cameras

Samsung has made some of the best cameras on phones in the recent past, and we expect the Galaxy S7 to up the ante. Rather than increasing megapixel count, it will get a 12-megapixel camera (the Galaxy S6 features a 16MP shooter). What's the deal with that? Simple, less megapixels mean that each singular pixel is larger and capable of collecting more light, so this new sensor comes with the promise of much better low light shots. Of course, expectations are that it will feature optical stabilization (OIS) and be able to record 4K videos. Hopefully, it will also be the first Samsung to not have a 5-minute limitation on 4K videos!

HTC, on the other hand, has been an absolute disaster with its cameras. The UltraPixel concept sounded promising, but never delivered, and while this new One M10 is also expected to have 'UltraPixel' camera, it will be a totally new sensor and technology. The latest rumors agree that the HTC One M10 will have the Sony IMX377 sensor, one of the largest sensors on a phone and the same one used on the Nexus 5X and 6P. Both Nexus phones have proven that the sensor captures stunning images, and with the computational power of the Snapdragon 820 chip, we expect faster performance and further improvements.

#4: Battery life

Battery life is consumer's number one concern these days, and Samsung seems to have listened: the Galaxy S7 is rumored to come with a larger, 3,000mAh battery, but it is the Galaxy S7 Edge that really goes one step further with a massive, 3,600mAh battery that should last in the two-day range. With the same design used before, we expect the batteries will be sealed and not user-removable.

HTC, on its part, has made phones that are known to last for quite a while. We don't know the exact battery size of the One M10, but expectations are that battery life will be a priority for HTC as well.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge renders

View more + 3 images

#5: Extras: pressure sensitive display

Samsung is really bringing all guns out with the S7 series: rumors say it will add water-resistance with support for the IP68 certification (this means you can submerge your phone in up to 3-feet deep water for as long as 30 minutes without damage), but that's not the only cool new extra. The other big new feature of the S7 is said to be a pressure-sensitive display, similar to that on the iPhone 6s. We expect it to work similarly: press harder to get a pop-up menu or additional options. Samsung should bake this in its own apps, but the big question is how long it will take developers to implement the feature.

HTC, on the other hand, is taken features away: the praised, but space consuming dual front-facing BoomSound speakers are said to be removed in the One M10. In fact, so far, we have not heard about anything special that will really add some flavor to the standard Android smartphone experience on the One M10.

#6: Prices and conclusion

Finally, what will be the price of the Galaxy S7 and HTC One M10? While there is no official info, we can make some educated assumptions. Based on prices of the phones in the past few years, here are the expected prices of these two:

Samsung Galaxy S7 32GB version: $650
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 32GB version: $750
HTC One M10: $650

The Galaxy S7 release date is allegedly set for March 11th in the United States, and the phone will be officially unveiled at the Mobile World Congress on February 21st. Samsung will livestream the event and we will be on the showroom floor giving you a first look at the new gadget.

The HTC One M10, on its part, is expected to come later on. The official unveiling is allegedly set for sometime in March, while the actual release date would most likely be in April.

Options

66 Comments

1. shaineql

Posts: 522; Member since: Apr 28, 2014

We all know S7 will crush all phones 2016. Next level equipment , next level android optimizations with TW 6.0.1 versus M10,G5 and other OEM bullshit which is just bunch of random phone parts glued together by fake companies pretending to still matter.If there wasnt for SD820 they would ALLL die.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 10:09 AM 33

2. Biernot unregistered

true story

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 10:10 AM 4

16. MSi_GS70 unregistered

Don't know but that s7 looks so cbeap on the back with that shiny plastic

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 11:20 AM 9

17. TBomb

Posts: 1662; Member since: Dec 28, 2012

I wouldn't look too much into it.... It's just a picture they made look shiny. wait until we have real photos and videos out there... i think it'll look better

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 11:45 AM 2

3. SamsungPhanboy

Posts: 765; Member since: Mar 31, 2015

1. The GS6 and Note 5 did not "crush" all phones, so don't think we should make this assumption with the s7. 2. Touchwiz still needs major improvement. Lag issues are still evident in the latest build (and yes, before some idiot points it out, I know all phones lag. But some lag/stutter more than others) 3. It's time for people to admit they made a huge mistake by doing away with microsd in the gs6 and Note 5.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 10:16 AM 26

5. shaineql

Bought G4 the moment it was available in my country , after 2 weeks of HORRIBLE Interface lag i went for S6, no lag till today. SDCard , yeah that was a major problem ill admit. And yes Samsungs Exynos 7 Series did crush ALL phones in ALL the possible ways there is to crush them.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 10:26 AM 19

8. SamsungPhanboy

Oh really? If it crushed all phones, why does the Nexus 6P perform better using an SD810 in real world use? Multiple sites claim the 6P as the fastest and most consistent Android device on the market. But stop saying "crush" .....the gs6 doesn't even come close to crushing a Nexus 5.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 10:37 AM 21

20. rd_nest

Posts: 1656; Member since: Jun 06, 2010

nexus apologists have same dialogue : real-life usage. As if rest of us have artificial lives.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 12:05 PM 4

26. SamsungPhanboy

*Tech Fans have the same dialogue: fan of what the final product actually brings and not what the spec sheet says. In your case however, Samsung apologists have your same dialogue. Trying to act as if Nexus phones aren't smoother, when it's widely accepted. Have fun lying to yourself.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 1:39 PM 16

63. another1

Posts: 157; Member since: Dec 25, 2015

Damn you owned him LOL

posted on Feb 13, 2016, 5:43 PM 0

33. SenorThrottles

Posts: 284; Member since: Dec 23, 2015

Whilst I agree that the 6P is the better phone, the S6/Note 5 is a very close second and I don't think any other android phone came close.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 3:02 PM 1

44. WPX00

Posts: 511; Member since: Aug 15, 2015

I wouldnt actually say that. The Note 5 is absolutely THE best phone on the market, the display is more accurate, the processor more powerful, the camera better in low light thanks to OIS (before you get angry, this is according to The Verge) - lots of sites recommend the 6P because it's almost as good for over 200 dollars less at full retail.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 6:02 PM 3

64. another1

No man, a lot of people reccoment the 6P despite the cheaper price. The Note 5 is NOT the best phone on the market. Touchwiz absolutely ruins the experience.

posted on Feb 13, 2016, 5:49 PM 1

40. keithtae

Posts: 564; Member since: Mar 25, 2015

Nexus performs better in real life usage? Had a nexus 7 and that s**t can go to hell. Still lagging like hell running marshmallow. Real life usage? Nexus and pure android can suck my arse.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 4:21 PM 2

43. Commentator

Posts: 3723; Member since: Aug 16, 2011

He didn't say anything about Nexus tablets, only Nexus phones. For the record, which Nexus 7 did you have: 2012 or 2013? The 2013 model performed perfectly in my usage. If it was a 2012, I don't doubt it. Tegra-powered devices seem to always lag.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 5:14 PM 3

57. rubyonrails3

Posts: 375; Member since: Oct 01, 2014

When all talking about S7 how come you bring 2 year device here. Nexus 6p is absolute beast when it comes to UI. Fast is word I would use for it.

posted on Feb 13, 2016, 10:52 AM 1

41. Shocky unregistered

But the Nexus 6P doesn't perform better. It does especially well in two areas, the fingerprint scanner is slightly quicker and multitasking because it's a stock device with bugger all running in the background. Although Nexus devices don't support split screen. For raw performance, CPU and gaming performance the Exynos 7420 devices are faster, they handle games better and throttle less, Samsung users also have the option to lower the resolution to further increase the framerate. Try opening a large game and watch how far behind the Nexus 6P trails, the larger the application the more apparent the difference becomes. The youtube videos posted showing apps reloading are curious, I can follow them exactly and get no reloads on a Galaxy S6 or Note 5.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 4:32 PM 5

49. mitchytan92

Posts: 92; Member since: Mar 02, 2015

Sadly, that is what people failed to see. Running all those simple applications like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Netflix and all those, you are not going to see the full potential of those new SOCs. Just go YouTube and watch any speed test of the Exynos 7420 or the Apple A9 or Kirin 950, they all blow S810 away when they load up games.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 9:54 PM 2

58. rubyonrails3

Yes but Samsung uses UFS 2.0 which have very fast read and write speed. when I've upgrade my laptop from HDD to SDD card my laptop could open apps way faster than any powerful CPU which have HDD.. Same about iPhone 6s/plus they have next level of internal storage which is real fast.. Nexus, HTC, LG most uses eMMC 5.0/5.1 which isn't as fast as what are on Galaxy S6 series(including Note 5) it seems its less to do with processor and more to do with internal storage speed.

posted on Feb 13, 2016, 10:56 AM 0

46. Diezparda

Posts: 941; Member since: Oct 23, 2013

"the gs6 doesn't even come close to crushing a Nexus 5". We know you are Samsung haters, your comment & history wouldn't fool anyone. Older device beat newer one that comes with latest specs? some revision over the UI, much better camera, best screen in the market & not to mention it's a flagship phone. What a joke!

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 8:48 PM 2

9. marorun

Posts: 5029; Member since: Mar 30, 2015

ram management on samsung phone is crap. Quality check is also horrible. 30% return ratio on all samsung phone sold is pathetic. Sure its crush competition ;)

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 10:38 AM 7

48. mitchytan92

I only know its Samsung Gear return rate is 30%. Where is the source about Samsung phone return rate been 30%? But I agree with you. Samsung ram management is fked up!

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 9:41 PM 1

50. DarkVader777

Posts: 52; Member since: Feb 10, 2016

They will crush all phones again.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 9:58 PM 0

56. rubyonrails3

You seems like Samsung fan. I had all Samsung phones from 2015 S6, S6 edge, Note 5 and S6 edge +. I used each for almost 25days after 2 weeks in most of phones I see lag.. thing is I don't see any phone which don't lag or stutter. I have iPhone 6s Plus, Nexus 6p and Moto X pure.. no matter how much fast or smooth iPhone looks it also lags, same happens at times with Nexus. so your Samsung phone is not from different galaxy ;)

posted on Feb 13, 2016, 10:50 AM 0

6. Shocky unregistered

You don't need to double post your nonsense, please go somewhere else for attention.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 10:36 AM 5

47. mitchytan92

But they gave us UFS 2.0 so the sdcard is forgiven.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 9:39 PM 1

7. marorun

So we have here a troll thats know future before its happen. Pathetic!

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 10:36 AM 0

24. Orion78

Posts: 217; Member since: Mar 27, 2014

Lol crush all phones. Another mindless Sammy roach. TW sucks.

posted on Feb 12, 2016, 12:32 PM 4

54. abc_xyz

Posts: 17; Member since: Aug 22, 2015

optimizations and touchwiz in the same line! nice joke

posted on Feb 13, 2016, 3:43 AM 0

55. rubyonrails3

Don't seem like it. feels like mostly Samsung fans will say this. cuz this time all phones seems on par to each other.. You are right if it wasn't Exynos 7420 last year Samsung would be no batter. and SD810 made all other inferior cuz of its issues. now what Samsung will do? its just an other Samsung phone on par with others except its samsung phones so it will sell millions.