[Opinion] BoomSound speakers should not be abandoned on the HTC One M10

Another day, another rumor about an upcoming smartphone.  Tis the time of the year!

What is being examined under the microscope today?  None other than the HTC One M10.

Rumor has it…I repeat… rumor has it that the upcoming HTC One M10 may not include the iconic BoomSound stereo speakers.

Say what?

Apparently several leaked renders have hit social media and have started several debates about what HTC may or may not be thinking.

The rendering in question is this…One.

A render of the HTC One M10 making its rounds online.

All puns aside I think that if HTC does go the route of abandoning their iconic BoomSound speakers, it will not bode well for them in 2016.

Considering HTC had a bit of a rough 2015 simply for not updating the aging design of the One series, they might not want to get rid of their stand out feature.

The main selling point of HTC devices since the One M7 has always been the front-facing stereo speakers.  Only one other company, Sony, has even bothered to compete with HTC in this area of smartphone design.

Why should any other manufacturer try to one-up HTC’s BoomSound speakers?  I mean they could try, but would probably not come anywhere close to the gold-standard set by HTC in 2013.

Maybe from HTC’s standpoint they have a good amount of data indicating that mobile users today just do not care about listening to music through their smartphone’s external speakers.  If they do care, they might not desire a high-quality audio experience.

If the 2015 HTC One A9 is any hint of whats to come from the their design team in 2016 then we may as well consider BoomSound speakers dead.

The One A9 did not include stereo speakers.

This would be very disappointing because I have been a longtime HTC admirer.

Heck, I’ve owned four HTC devices during my lifetime because I used to have a strong sense of brand loyalty with them.  The keywords are “used to” as of right now which is unfortunate.

It is why I decided to go the Sony Z3 route when I had the opportunity.  I got everything that the One M9 had plus more.

The Sony Xperia Z series of phones are ones that I consider to be the best devices on the market, assuming you can get your hands on one.

Now I do recommend other devices based on consumer needs and wants.

For example, if you need to be more productive during work and are more of a “businessy” person, then the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 would be for you.

Maybe you want an incredible camera.  I would recommend the LG G4.

Security updates?  Go buy an Apple iPhone because you know you are going to receive updates like crazy straight from the source.

So what about the media junkies who love watching video on their smartphones or often listen to music while cooking or doing other activities around the house?  The HTC One M7, M8, and M9 have always been my top recommendations.

Should these rumors be true I would definitely have to reconsider my top spot.

Honestly I don’t really know what the selling point of an HTC One M10 would even be at that point.  Every other company specializes in one feature.  Why would HTC give up theirs?

A few people I’ve debated this with have mentioned that if you want to listen to high-fidelity audio with your smartphone then you should use headphones.  I completely agree to an extent.

Because I really doubt you do. Besides, for an enriched audio experience you should be using headphones.

— HTC Bro (@htcbro) February 11, 2016

Top tier headphones like Sennheiser, Audio Technica, and Beyerdynamic will sound better than the output of BoomSound speakers ten out of ten times.  I can attest to this with my Sennheiser HD 25-1 ii’s.

The same goes for physical speaker setups with amplifiers.

However, headphones and BoomSound speakers serve two completely different purposes.

For starters the big difference is money.  Not everyone has disposable income to spend on high-end audio equipment.  Having a smartphone that doubles as a set of speakers is a very appealing deal.

Headphones are also typically used for private, enhanced listening experiences.

Physical speakers are used more for quick and easy communal listening.

Say you are the type of person that likes to listen to music while you cook dinner.  I happen to be one of these people.  With knives and other hazards around the kitchen I prefer not to have a dangling headphone cable all over the place.  I also want to be able to hear timers from the oven.  More times than not my hands are messy while cooking and there is no way I want to constantly touch my phone to set alarms.  BoomSound speakers have the edge.

Maybe you are a college student who is hanging out with your friends for fun  or maybe studying for a test.  It is all too common for someone to bust out an iPhone so the group has background music to listen to.  Again, this was a very common occurrence while I was at college.   BoomSound speakers have the edge.

Finally, while you are trying to wind down after a long day and want to watch some videos on your phone, BoomSound speakers are clearly a winner.  You never have to worry about covering up the speaker grille when holding the  phone in landscape. Earbuds would be the only exception.

The One M7 and my current Sony Z3 are the only two devices I have ever watched full-length movies on.  I can say that the experience is unmatched.

Holding a One M7 never covers up the speakers

I really hope that HTC does not continue to remove features from their devices.   I know that they want to capture as much of the mainstream market as possible, but I don’t think abandoning their trademark feature is such a good idea.

Let us all be patient and see what HTC has in store for us this year.  Maybe the rumors are true, maybe they aren’t.

All I know for certain about the HTC One M10 renderings is that it leads to a lot of smartphone discussion.  I do love that.

What do you think?  Think HTC would be in trouble if they abandoned their BoomSound speakers?  Let me know in the comments below!