HTC 10 vs LG G5 – which is best?

Camera

The One M9’s camera was one of its biggest failings last year, but thankfully this isn’t the case with the HTC 10. Instead, HTC’s really upped its game when it comes to the HTC 10’s rear camera, as this time it’s used a 12-megapixel sensor with a wide f/1.8 aperture lens, and the ability to shoot in RAW as well as JPG. It also has very large 1.55um pixels. The bigger the pixel, the more light each one gets, so it should help theoretically help the HTC 10 when it comes to low light photography.

The LG G5, meanwhile, has the help of two cameras – one standard 16-megapixel sensor, and one 8-megapixel 135-degree wide-angle lens. This can also shoot in RAW by switching to LG’s Pro camera mode.

As for picture quality, it’s once again a pretty close race. In our side-by-side comparison shots, the HTC 10 had better overall exposure levels, particularly when it came to capturing the rather dark, moody clouds in the background, but its colours weren’t nearly as bright and vibrant as those on the G5.^ The HTC 10 (above) did a great job capturing the overcast weather conditions, as the G5 (below) was missing some of its brighter cloud detail

Both captured an excellent amount of detail, but the G5 came into its own when we switched to HDR mode, as this not only restored that missing cloud detail from Auto mode, but it also maintained its rich colour reproduction. The HTC, on the other hand, arguably got worse when we turned on HDR, and its resulting photos just weren’t quite as attractive as those we took on the G5.

^ This is the same shot but with HDR enabled. THe HTC 10 (above) does brighten up the image to some extent, but the G5 (below) has the much more attractive-looking shot

It was a similar story when it came to our indoor shots, too, as the G5 once again proved to have the superior sensor. Images not only had a lot more pop and contrast on show, but colours looked stunning even in low light. The HTC 10’s photos, on the other hand, looked rather drab by comparison, as they lacked the same kind of punch and contrast range that makes the G5’s picture stand out so much.^ The HTC 10 (above) still performed very well indoors, but the G5 (below) once again pipped it to the post

Conclusion: Both phones have very good cameras, but the G5 not only produces better shots in a wider variety of lighting conditions, but it also has the added benefit of that wide angle lens as well, allowing you to take some pretty artistic shots that simply aren’t possible on the HTC 10. You wouldn’t be disappointed with either camera for everyday shots, but for those that like to be a bit more creative with their photos, the G5 is definitely the better choice.  

Price and Conclusion

Both phones each have their own merits, but it’s clear from our testing that the LG G5 pulls ahead in almost every category. It might not have the fancy design of the HTC 10, but it’s ever so slightly quicker, it has a better camera, its battery life is more flexible, and its display is a lot more practical.

The G5’s also a lot cheaper than the HTC 10 – at least if you’re buying the phone SIM-free, as prices currently start from around £500, as opposed to £569. On contract, though, they’re both in roughly the same ballpark, with prices starting at around £40-per-month for a decent data package. With so little separating them on cost, the G5 is our undisputed winner.