[RockStar2005]

Has anyone compared these 2 phones side by side for sound quality? Which one sounds better via speakers? Which one sounds better via headphone listening??
 
I owned the 10 for about a week then a few weeks later got the X Perf, so I didn't have a chance to compare them side by side. If you have, please elaborate here. I'd like to hear about headphone audio quality more so (but either is good), including clarity, bass/mids/highs quality, soundstage, etc. 
 
Also, does anyone know what model or brand DAC and/or amp each one uses? What I know so far about the 10 is that aside from it having its own dedicated headphone amp, each speaker has its own dedicated amp (not a common thing I guess), and also the Snapdragon 820 chip on the phone, which is typically used to handle DAC duties, is not used for this on the 10. Instead, the 10 also has its own DEDICATED Hi-Fi DAC as well, which everyone is saying is amazing, and as good if not better than the V10's and/or LG G5 + B&O DAC module. The HTC site offers more details as well. I know that the Xperia Z3 had twin dedicated DACs and amps on it, but I'm not sure how the newer X Performance's sound set up is. I get the feeling the 10's is better overall, only because I've heard so much good news about it, where I haven't really heard much at all on the sound quality of the X Performance (just that it's "pretty good"), though I know first-hand it's at least better than the super lousy S7's and also the G5's, which both use the typical integrated (Snapdragon) design.  
 
Thanks in advance to all who reply!

 

[RockStar2005]

Update: 
 
It appears that the X Performance doesn't have as high a quality amp/DAC chipset as previous Xperia phones like the Z3 I used to own did (which had 2 dedicated DACs). It appears (not 100% sure) now on the newer X Performance that the amp is integrated into the phone's dedicated but poor quality DAC, and this review even compares it to the awful LG G5's audio quality (see quote from review below). 
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Headphone audio however is particularly sad. We’re a long way removed from the classic days of Sony standing as a multi-media juggernaut. Both Xperia’s use the same hardware. A fairly weak AMP paired up with a DAC that sports numbers almost as bad as the built in DAC on the LG G5. For a premium phone line, it has some of the poorest signal to noise and distortion performance we’ve yet tested.

 
So while this doesn't tell me the brands of amps and DACs used by each company, it does tell me that HTC is now the clear victor not just in speaker quality, but more importantly to me..........headphone audio quality too. 
 
I myself still prefer the X Performance over the HTC 10 overall, but it's a bit disappointing that Sony not only took a step backwards with regards to battery life since the Z3, but with audio quality too. I will most definitely be keeping my eye on future HTC flagship phones like the HTC 11. If they happen to improve their camera even more than the 10's and (preferably) bring back front-facing stereo speakers (by removing the fingerprint sensor from the front and putting it on the side Power button like Sony did) too, there is a very strong chance that I may go back to HTC once again (I used to have the M8 for several months, until the Z3 came out). 

 

[RockStar2005]

Update: 
 
The Xperia XZ is the newer Sony phone. It has been getting praise (see quote below too from that link) for its sound quality, so one would think Sony had improved upon the sound technology used. Turns out they didn't, so that makes me have at least SOME doubt as to whether the HTC 10 is actually better sounding (headphone-wise) than the XP/XZ or not. I'm sure the HTC 10 will get louder when used for headphone listening, but that doesn't mean it's better. If someone has access to either an XP or an XZ phone AND an HTC 10, and has good headphones, please post here and let us know what you think. 
 
From 3rd to last paragraph: 

 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

While its camera is up there with the best, it’s musically that this device really stands out. Compared to the other recent model phones I’ve used in recent months, the Sony has better sound by default, thanks to a new DAC. But pair the Xperia ZX (correction: XZ) with a set of Sony headphones that are compatible with its DSEE HX tech and it’s a musical experience superior to any other I’ve tried. DSEE HX ‘upgrades’ the quality of compressed audio, but only works with the right Sony headphones, and not all of them are compatible. I tested the Xperia ZX (correction: XZ) with Sony ATH-1000x headphones, with DSEE HX enabled, and then off, and the differences were clear. If you remember the old Crystalliser function on Creative sound cards it’s much like that. Trebles are cleaner and sharper, and bass is tighter while mid-range noise is cleared up.

So perhaps the XZ, using the same technology as the XP, is actually a step up and back to "better days" for Sony Xperia? lol I wonder though if that new DAC is a dedicated DAC or integrated like (crappy) Samsung's and LG G-series are? I'd still like more opinions/reviews on the XZ vs. other phones though. And again I know the HTC phones have a stronger volume output than Sony, which is still a big plus for them.

 

[aertus]

everyone phone always has higher volume output. This has been discussed extensively in the z3 audio quality page where people have said that sony puts a software limitation so as not to do damage to your years. Without the software limitations, the sony is actually really powerful more so than the iphone 6 plus according to peopel who have rotted the device. 
 
 
With that said i think the XZ and the HTc10 are definitely the two best phones and most underrated without a doubt. Given it to teh XZ overall though for the camera, looks/design, ip68 rating and software. It looks beautiful and im sure samsung will copy the alkaleido shiny metal. 
 
 
Also heard someone say that the DAC chip in the XZ is of outmost high quality similar to that of HTC10. Talk about this in this thread plz http://www.head-fi.org/t/824293/sony-xperia-xz-range-audio-quality   that I started 

 

[RockStar2005]

  everyone phone always has higher volume output. This has been discussed extensively in the z3 audio quality page where people have said that sony puts a software limitation so as not to do damage to your years. Without the software limitations, the sony is actually really powerful more so than the iphone 6 plus according to peopel who have rotted the device. 
 
 
With that said i think the XZ and the HTc10 are definitely the two best phones and most underrated without a doubt. Given it to teh XZ overall though for the camera, looks/design, ip68 rating and software. It looks beautiful and im sure samsung will copy the alkaleido shiny metal. 
 
 
Also heard someone say that the DAC chip in the XZ is of outmost high quality similar to that of HTC10. Talk about this in this thread plz http://www.head-fi.org/t/824293/sony-xperia-xz-range-audio-quality   that I started 

 
Hey aertus, 
 
I dunno if it's really for not damaging our ears. I think it's more b/c of the waterproofing. Every phone out there including Samsung, HTC, etc all have that same feature where it RANDOMLY lowers the music once in a blue moon and gives you that pop-up message saying that loud music can damage your ears. As time goes on though, they may figure out a way to get around the need to do that with the volume as well while still keeping it waterproof, just like they did with figuring out a way to make the MicroUSB ports no longer need a cap in order for the phone to remain waterproof. 
 
Yeah the XZ is nice looking (though I didn't think so at first), and the HTC 10 is a great phone overall too, with the XZ having the stronger camera. But I feel like the HTC 10 still is the better of the two for sound b/c the XP and XZ have the same audio technology, and I read that they both have a dedicated DAC but still an INTEGRATED amp, where the 10 has a dedicated DAC AND a DEDICATED amp as well. As you've seen in this thread, the Sony XP got rated somewhat poorly by one reviewer, while another gave the XZ very high remarks. My concern is that there isn't as much to go on there, where with the 10, like 99% of all the many reviews I've read all say the sound on it is excellent. The fact that it can get louder DOES matter to me b/c some of the Hi-Res albums I've bought were mastered at a lower volume, so I really need that extra amp output to compensate. 
 
I would even say the LG V20, which I had the pleasure of checking out last night (my cousin just bought it as a Note 7 replacement), might be the superior one of the 3. It is a phablet, which I'm not a fan of, but it has that Hi-Fi Quad DAC on it, and the ability to turn it on & off in order to hear a difference. And I could hear a difference too. You get more detail and clarity with it on, which is of course what I expected. The volume control is handled via analog, not digitally. They say analog volume is better for achieving even clearer audio than what digital can offer. The phone also (like the HTC 10) has a dedicated headphone amp too. One very cool thing about the V20 is you get the 2nd screen at the top. So now when I wanna control my music, I WOULD NOT have to leave the app I'm using to go change songs or albums in the music player, I can just go to the 2nd screen and do that, then resume what I'm doing. AWESOME feature by LG. Ironically, 2 years ago, they were rated as having the WORST audio quality of all the flagships. Now they're arguably #1. Crazy. 
 
I read through your thread................just responded there. One big issue I have with the XP and even XZ phones is the battery life. It's literally rated as the 1st and 2nd worst (XP is 1st) of all the 2016 flagships. They have the shortest battery life AND the longest charging times of the bunch. Part of what makes it a big issue for me is Sony gives us this BS that having a 2K screen is a waste of battery power so they keep it at 1080p. That was fine 2 years ago when Sony's Xperia phones were the battery life KINGS! But the truth is, that all died with the Z series. The X product pages on Sony Mobile's website don't even mention the 2 day battery life anymore too, so it's official. So while all or pretty much all of the competition offer 2K screens AND longer battery life, Sony keeps pushing regular HD screens AND charges the same prices the other makers do ($800 retail). This is the kind of thing (in addition to not being #1 for audio anymore either it seems) that makes someone like me, who was a HUGE Sony fan, lose a lot of love for them. I can say it's very likely my next phone will not be a Sony unless they change the battery thing. More likely, it will be the HTC 11 or else the LG G6 perhaps. 

 

[FYLegend]

Actually the DAC on the HTC 10 is made by Qualcomm and uses the Aqustic codec - it's "discrete" from the SoC. The thing is HTC adds their own amps which makes it louder and they also design it to minimize stereo crosstalk and distortion.
 
https://www.qualcomm.com/news/snapdragon/2016/06/02/qualcomm-aqstic-sets-new-standard-audiophiles

 

[RockStar2005]

  Actually the DAC on the HTC 10 is made by Qualcomm and uses the Aqustic codec - it's "discrete" from the SoC. The thing is HTC adds their own amps which makes it louder and they also design it to minimize stereo crosstalk and distortion.
 
https://www.qualcomm.com/news/snapdragon/2016/06/02/qualcomm-aqstic-sets-new-standard-audiophiles

 
Yeah I'd seen this before. I still have not confirmed whether or not Sony's Xperia XP or XZ uses a dedicated/discrete DAC (and dedicated amp?) too or not. I know the Xperia Z3 had twin DACs on it at least. 
 
Yeah one thing I love about HTC is they ALSO give you dedicated speaker amps as well as a dedicated headphone amp, with GOOD volume output on both! That's cool about the stereo crosstalk & distortion too. 
 
Does the Aqstic codec come IN the dedicated DAC? A codec is just software. That's how I read it, but just reconfirming. (From article: "The Qualcomm Aqstic audio codec has an integrated DAC (Digital-to-Analog) converter that supports up to 192-kHz/24-bit playback." But then later it ALSO says this: "Maybe the most impressive part of the Aqstic solution is that it combines the best of both worlds in performance and power consumption. Every aspect of the Aqstic audio solution is highly integrated in the Snapdragon 820, engineered to provide Hi-Fi audio quality while maintaining great battery life." So the codec works with BOTH the 820 AND the dedicated DAC??!)
 
More info here from HTC's "10" page about its audio. 

 

[FYLegend]

   
Yeah I'd seen this before. I still have not confirmed whether or not Sony's Xperia XP or XZ uses a dedicated/discrete DAC (and dedicated amp?) too or not. I know the Xperia Z3 had twin DACs on it at least. 
 
Yeah one thing I love about HTC is they ALSO give you dedicated speaker amps as well as a dedicated headphone amp, with GOOD volume output on both! That's cool about the stereo crosstalk & distortion too. 
 
Does the Aqstic codec come IN the dedicated DAC? A codec is just software. That's how I read it, but just reconfirming. (From article: "The Qualcomm Aqstic audio codec has an integrated DAC (Digital-to-Analog) converter that supports up to 192-kHz/24-bit playback." But then later it ALSO says this: "Maybe the most impressive part of the Aqstic solution is that it combines the best of both worlds in performance and power consumption. Every aspect of the Aqstic audio solution is highly integrated in the Snapdragon 820, engineered to provide Hi-Fi audio quality while maintaining great battery life." So the codec works with BOTH the 820 AND the dedicated DAC??!)
 
More info here from HTC's "10" page about its audio. 

I think they are referring to the hardware since they say it "has an integrated DAC". I've seen quite a few reviewers use "codec" when they were referring to the audio system as a whole including the DAC.
 
The twin DACs on the Xperia Z3 is still a thing of debate since Sony has not disclosed full details. However it makes sense the twoDACs are for the external speakers, not the headphone output...
 
I wish I could try either XZ or HTC 10 but I don't think I'll be upgrading my phone anytime soon. I'm more bothered by the Z5's slow camera than its audio quality though. I was hoping for a good amp and DAC for the HTC Butterfly s but it was pretty disappointing at higher volumes (thanks a lot GSMArena for "excellent measurements").  The audio is quite flat and detailed, but there's hissing with IEMs and clipping distortion at the highest volumes (anything above 12/15). Later I found the Butterfly s had only 0.35V output voltage like the Z5, but the Z5 doesn't distort at a volume higher than the HTC (max volume on Z5 is about 13/15 on the HTC). The headphone jack on my HTC also broke in less than a year. I've read a lot of good things about the M7/M8/M9 as they had  proper amp, although there are some reports of clipping but the volume is louder on those (higher output voltage). The M9+/E9 series have Mediatek SoCs which come with an integrated Wolfson DAC which also measures very well. The Z5 I find pretty good most of the time, but the highs are a bit brittle compared to the HTC. Both have slightly rolled off bass but the Z5 seems slightly more bloated.

 

[RockStar2005]

  I think they are referring to the hardware since they say it "has an integrated DAC". I've seen quite a few reviewers use "codec" when they were referring to the audio system as a whole including the DAC.
 
The twin DACs on the Xperia Z3 is still a thing of debate since Sony has not disclosed full details. However it makes sense the two DACs are for the external speakers, not the headphone output...
 
I wish I could try either XZ or HTC 10 but I don't think I'll be upgrading my phone anytime soon. I'm more bothered by the Z5's slow camera than its audio quality though. I was hoping for a good amp and DAC for the HTC Butterfly s but it was pretty disappointing at higher volumes (thanks a lot GSMArena for "excellent measurements").  The audio is quite flat and detailed, but there's hissing with IEMs and clipping distortion at the highest volumes (anything above 12/15). Later I found the Butterfly s had only 0.35V output voltage like the Z5, but the Z5 doesn't distort at a volume higher than the HTC (max volume on Z5 is about 13/15 on the HTC). The headphone jack on my HTC also broke in less than a year. I've read a lot of good things about the M7/M8/M9 as they had  proper amp, although there are some reports of clipping but the volume is louder on those (higher output voltage). The M9+/E9 series have Mediatek SoCs which come with an integrated Wolfson DAC which also measures very well. The Z5 I find pretty good most of the time, but the highs are a bit brittle compared to the HTC. Both have slightly rolled off bass but the Z5 seems slightly more bloated.

FY, 
 
I dunno. It's a bit vague to me. The HTC 10 has been proven to have a dedicated DAC just for the audio (aside from the 820), and dedicated amps too for the speakers and one for the headphone. That is all mentioned in this stellar (& detailed) review (I highly suggest reading it if you haven't yet) as well as on HTC's website. 
 
Hmm, that may just be right? So the twin DACs were for the speakers, not the headphone perhaps? I guess it's possible. But then again, that would mean it has THREE DACs? lol 
 
Yeah, I'd suggest sticking with the flagship phones if you want best audio. I'm definitely looking forward to see what HTC does with the 11, as well as LG with the G6. 

 

[FYLegend]

  FY, 
 
I dunno. It's a bit vague to me. The HTC 10 has been proven to have a dedicated DAC just for the audio (aside from the 820), and dedicated amps too for the speakers and one for the headphone. That is all mentioned in this stellar (& detailed) review (I highly suggest reading it if you haven't yet) as well as on HTC's website. 
 
Hmm, that may just be right? So the twin DACs were for the speakers, not the headphone perhaps? I guess it's possible. But then again, that would mean it has THREE DACs? lol 
 
Yeah, I'd suggest sticking with the flagship phones if you want best audio. I'm definitely looking forward to see what HTC does with the 11, as well as LG with the G6. 

The Galaxy S7 doesn't have Aqstic, while the HTC 10, Xiaomi Mi5 and Galaxy Note 7 have it. So I think Aqstic refers to the dedicated DAC and codec, while the 820 already has an integrated DAC. So all SD820 devices have an integrated DAC but manufacturers can choose to add a dedicated DAC be that Aqstic or something else like ESS DAC on the LG V20 or the VKM DAC on the ZTE Axon 7.
 
Interesting how PocketNow says the X Performance headphone is that bad. Yet their measurements show much lower stereo crosstalk than GSMArenas (maybe they're using an external amp). AndroidAuthority's review wasn't that favourable for the Z5 but it was no slouch either - they were a lot more disappointed with the ZTE Axon. Of the phones they tested the Z5 had one of the highest signal-noise ratios but dynamic range and other things were slightly below average...
 
If you look at the Z3 thread, there's a whole debate about whether it has dual DACs for headphones or for speakers. The Z2 also has the dual DACs, but the Moto X 2014 only has one and only has one speaker, so it makes sense that it's being used to amplify the speakers.
 
I've only tried the Z3's briefly from a friend's phone. I thought the audio quality was fine but the amplification was inadequate for the Xiaomi Piston 3 - while it has a higher impedance than many IEMs it was still pretty disappointing.
 
The Butterfly s was sorta a flagship at the time. Most of its specs were above the One M7, except for no OIS in the camera.  Its predecessor, the HTC Butterfly/Droid DNA had a 2.55V headphone amp. Part of the problem was probably Qualcomm's DAC that came with the 1.9gHz SoC, as the Galaxy S4 had similar problems.
 
The 10 seems to be overall a great phone but I'd still prefer to have front-facing stereo speakers.

 

[RockStar2005]

  The Galaxy S7 doesn't have Aqstic, while the HTC 10, Xiaomi Mi5 and Galaxy Note 7 have it. So I think Aqstic refers to the dedicated DAC and codec, while the 820 already has an integrated DAC. So all SD820 devices have an integrated DAC but manufacturers can choose to add a dedicated DAC be that Aqstic or something else like ESS DAC on the LG V20 or the VKM DAC on the ZTE Axon 7.
 
Interesting how PocketNow says the X Performance headphone is that bad. Yet their measurements show much lower stereo crosstalk than GSMArenas (maybe they're using an external amp). AndroidAuthority's review wasn't that favourable for the Z5 but it was no slouch either - they were a lot more disappointed with the ZTE Axon. Of the phones they tested the Z5 had one of the highest signal-noise ratios but dynamic range and other things were slightly below average...
 
If you look at the Z3 thread, there's a whole debate about whether it has dual DACs for headphones or for speakers. The Z2 also has the dual DACs, but the Moto X 2014 only has one and only has one speaker, so it makes sense that it's being used to amplify the speakers.
 
I've only tried the Z3's briefly from a friend's phone. I thought the audio quality was fine but the amplification was inadequate for the Xiaomi Piston 3 - while it has a higher impedance than many IEMs it was still pretty disappointing.
 
The Butterfly s was sorta a flagship at the time. Most of its specs were above the One M7, except for no OIS in the camera.  Its predecessor, the HTC Butterfly/Droid DNA had a 2.55V headphone amp. Part of the problem was probably Qualcomm's DAC that came with the 1.9gHz SoC, as the Galaxy S4 had similar problems.
 
The 10 seems to be overall a great phone but I'd still prefer to have front-facing stereo speakers.

 
So the Note 7 has a dedicated DAC on top of the 820? Must not be very good as I don't really hear anything good about Samsung's Galaxy audio. lol I'm still not really sure that Aqstic necessarily MEANS the device has a dedicated DAC (and dedicated amp) though. Maybe. 
 
Speaking of Samsung...........................WOW, even MORE bad news for them! LOL 
 
Yeah..............that's one of the turnoffs of the 10. They say the "new BoomSound" layout is better, but I don't buy it. Neither do a lot of people from what I've gathered. To me, HTC was trying to be more like Apple or even Samsung with the HTC 10's look. They need to go back to BEING HTC. Move that front fingerprint sensor pad over to the side and INTEGRATE IT into the Power button like Sony did........then move back the bottom speaker to the front bottom (optional: bring back the HTC logo to the front too)......give the camera just a LIL more detail in its shots too. THEN they will have a hit I think! 

 

[aertus]

   
So the Note 7 has a dedicated DAC on top of the 820? Must not be very good as I don't really hear anything good about Samsung's Galaxy audio. lol I'm still not really sure that Aqstic necessarily MEANS the device has a dedicated DAC (and dedicated amp) though. Maybe. 
 
Speaking of Samsung...........................WOW, even MORE bad news for them! LOL 
 
Yeah..............that's one of the turnoffs of the 10. They say the "new BoomSound" layout is better, but I don't buy it. Neither do a lot of people from what I've gathered. To me, HTC was trying to be more like Apple or even Samsung with the HTC 10's look. They need to go back to BEING HTC. Move that front fingerprint sensor pad over to the side and INTEGRATE IT into the Power button like Sony did........then move back the bottom speaker to the front bottom (optional: bring back the HTC logo to the front too)......give the camera just a LIL more detail in its shots too. THEN they will have a hit I think! 

I don't want HTC to do that cuz thats copying Sony though. Let them do their own thing. And the z3 has duo DAc thats how they support 24 bit high resolution audio. They both work to produce that. 
 
And yeah, I think people will finally realize that samsung has always been cheap and poor quality. I would trust japanese appliances over that ****. 
 
 
the HTC i think has a dedicated dac somebody in a youtube comment mentioned teh XZ's dac is amazing like that of the htc10. But I had forgotten to double check the DAC model of the HTC10. And the battery life on the HTC10 and the XZ is superior to that of the s7 btw. never trust phoenarena. 

 

[FYLegend]

  I don't want HTC to do that cuz thats copying Sony though. Let them do their own thing. And the z3 has duo DAc thats how they support 24 bit high resolution audio. They both work to produce that. 
 
And yeah, I think people will finally realize that samsung has always been cheap and poor quality. I would trust japanese appliances over that ****. 
 
 
the HTC i think has a dedicated dac somebody in a youtube comment mentioned teh XZ's dac is amazing like that of the htc10. But I had forgotten to double check the DAC model of the HTC10. And the battery life on the HTC10 and the XZ is superior to that of the s7 btw. never trust phoenarena. 

Well HTC had the stereo speakers before Sony did. Heck, even the concept render of HTC M9 looks a lot like Xperia Z5.
 
I don't trust PhoneArena as their reviews are quite mediocre but the fact they measure the output voltage instead of giving a subjective "loudness" like GSMArena. Plus GSMArena's measurements have not been reliable recently.
 
The TFA9890 was announced as a speaker driver, not a headphone amplifier. http://www.nxp.com/video/nxp-tfa9890-breakthrough-sound-quality-on-mobile-devices:TFA9890-SOUND-QUALITY
 
http://www.nxp.com/products/media-and-audio-processing/audio-amplifiers/audio-amplifiers-for-portable-devices/boosted-class-d-audio-amplifier-with-speaker-boost-protection-algorithm:TFA9890UK
 
Some people thought the Z2 only had one (because a teardown only showed a picture of one of them) and the Z3 had two, but they both have two to power the speakers. The Moto X 2014 only has one, as it only has a bottom speaker.
 
Qualcomm's integrated DAC is already able to support 24-bit audio, it's just not always enabled or the stock player doesn't always support it. The HTC M8 could support 24 bit as well (especially the Harman Kardon edition but other units can get the same thing through software mod).

 

[RockStar2005]

  I don't want HTC to do that cuz thats copying Sony though. Let them do their own thing. And the z3 has duo DAc thats how they support 24 bit high resolution audio. They both work to produce that. 
 
And yeah, I think people will finally realize that samsung has always been cheap and poor quality. I would trust japanese appliances over that ****. 
 
 
the HTC i think has a dedicated dac somebody in a youtube comment mentioned teh XZ's dac is amazing like that of the htc10. But I had forgotten to double check the DAC model of the HTC10. And the battery life on the HTC10 and the XZ is superior to that of the s7 btw. never trust phoenarena. 

 
Well the only other thing they can do is put it on the back, but LG already "cornered the market" on that one. lol HTC has that "Ocean" concept coming out at some point in the future where the entire front of the phone is screen only (or just about all of it, hopefully still has room for TWO speakers!). MAYBE they could somehow make it where the fingerprint sensor would be embedded IN or underneath the screen itself? If not, then I'm fine with side Power button. lol Sony and HTC already share a few similarities (i.e. smart call handling, double tap to wake/sleep, etc) that most other phones DO NOT have, so this can be one more for all I care. I just want it CONVENIENT, and Sony's approach most definitely meets that requirement. 
 
Yeah F Samsung. lol 
 
The HTC 10 MOST DEFINITELY not only has a dedicated DAC but also a dedicated headphone amp too (and a dedicated amp for EACH speaker perhaps??). Yeah PhoneArena can be right, but it also said the LG V20 has horrible battery life but from what I saw of my cousin's V20, after checking the battery info on the phone, that doesn't appear true. It was right when it showed that my XP had the worst battery life of all 2016 flagships. Trust me, I was NOT shocked to read that. lol Battery life on my XP is f'ing joke. 

 

[aertus]

Sharp phones already have that. If you check their acquos line they have phones with near bezeless display. And the xiami mi mix which came out that copied sharp has come up with one thats nearly 90 percent screen. No front facing speakers though that would be kind of hard to do. 
 
everyone said the z3 had twin dac if you check out the z3 forum thread nothing but positive things coming out in terms of the z3's sound. Yeah, the HTC10 sound quality cannot be replicated by a dac that comes integrated with qualcom. Those tend to be no good at all so I think a dedicated DAC is needed for better sound quality. 
 
Phonearena and gsm arena are both unreliable. Yeah, the XP has terrible battery life but come on man its not their true flagship!!! hahahah. It's just like a filler phone. You should really sell the XP man and just buy the XZ haha. 
 
have you tested out the HTc10 yourself btw?