NEW YORK (AP) — HTC is promising a better camera — along with refinements in audio and design — as it unveils its latest flagship phone, the HTC 10.
The camera has long a weak point in HTC devices. At first, HTC sacrificed image resolution and made the size of individual pixels larger to capture more light. However, the resulting 4 megapixel images were often fuzzy, especially when cropped or enlarged. HTC went with smaller individual pixels in a 20-megapixel camera last year, but it still underperformed in extreme situations, such as indoors and close-ups.
The HTC 10 tries to strike a balance — larger individual pixels, but not as large as before. The camera is now 12 megapixels, the same as the latest iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones.
HTC’s flagship phones have drawn good reviews in the past, but it’s had trouble translating those into sales. The company doesn’t currently rank as one of the top five phone manufacturers worldwide, according to the market-research firm Gartner. In recent months, HTC has branched out to fitness and virtual-reality devices. However, it isn’t giving up on phones.
Announced Tuesday, the HTC 10 phone is expected to be available in late April. The company didn’t immediately announce pricing.
Other notable features in the HTC 10 include a powerful battery — promised at two days — and the ability to customize the home screen so app icons don’t all have to stay in a grid. There will be stickers of different sizes to move around and create a personalized design.