HTC U Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S10e: A Detailed Comparison of Two Aging Flagships
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user in 2024, the Samsung Galaxy S10e emerges as the better choice. Its more modern Exynos 9820 (or Snapdragon 855 in some regions) provides a significant performance uplift, coupled with the convenience of wireless charging and a superior display. While the U Ultra boasts impressive contrast, the S10e’s overall package is more compelling.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | HTC U Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S10e |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global, USA |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (3CA) Cat11 600/50 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| - | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2017, January 12. Released 2017, February 21 | 2019, February 20. Released 2019, March 08 |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5 or Sapphire crystal), glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 162.4 x 79.8 x 8 mm (6.39 x 3.14 x 0.31 in) | 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm (5.60 x 2.75 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 170 g (6.00 oz) | 150 g (5.29 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (64 GB version)Sapphire crystal glass (128 GB version) | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2560 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~513 ppi density) | 1080 x 2280 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~438 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.7 inches, 90.3 cm2 (~69.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches, 82.8 cm2 (~83.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super LCD5 | Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+ |
| Secondary display, 160 x 1040 pixels, 2 inches | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad-core (2x2.15 GHz Kryo & 2x1.6 GHz Kryo) | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.31 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA/LATAMOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA/China |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 821 (14 nm) | Exynos 9820 (8 nm) - EMEA/LATAMQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Adreno 530 | Mali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAM Adreno 640 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 7.0 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo) | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| - | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video |
| Features | Laser AF, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.3", 1.55µm, PDAF, OIS | - |
| Video | 4K@30fps (24-bit/192kHz audio), 720p@120fps | 4K@60fps (no EIS), 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm | 10 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (USA & Canada only) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, QC3 | 15W wired, PD2.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Stand-by | Up to 312 h (3G) | - |
| Talk time | Up to 26 h (3G) | - |
| Type | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3100 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Brilliant Black, Cosmetic Pink, Ice White, Sapphire Blue | Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Prism Blue, Canary Yellow, Flamingo Pink |
| Models | U Ultra, U-1u, 2PZF1 | SM-G970F, SM-G970U, SM-G970W, SM-G9700, SM-G970U1, SM-G970N, SM-G970X |
| Price | About 250 EUR | About 130 EUR |
| SAR | - | 0.56 W/kg (head) 0.70 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.58 W/kg (head) 1.57 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | - | Noise -92.9dB / Crosstalk -89.4dB |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 81h | Endurance rating 83h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 1831 (nominal), 3.453 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: infinite |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 61dB / Noise 73dB / Ring 86dB | Voice 71dB / Noise 76dB / Ring 80dB |
| Performance | GFXBench: 10fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 325192 (v7), 389694 (v8) GeekBench: 10081 (v4.4), 2141 (v5.1) GFXBench: 40fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
HTC U Ultra
- High display contrast ratio (1831 nominal)
- Compact form factor
- Quick Charge 3.0 support
- Older Snapdragon 821 chipset
- No wireless charging
- Less advanced camera features
Samsung Galaxy S10e
- More powerful Exynos 9820/Snapdragon 855 chipset
- Wireless charging and reverse wireless charging
- Superior display technology (AMOLED)
- Slightly lower nominal display contrast
- May be harder to find in good condition
- Software support nearing end-of-life
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S10e’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, indicative of its AMOLED panel, immediately sets it apart from the HTC U Ultra’s 1831 nominal and 3453 sunlight contrast ratios. While the U Ultra’s contrast is respectable, the S10e delivers deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. Both phones offer a good viewing experience, but the S10e’s AMOLED technology provides a more visually striking image, particularly in challenging lighting conditions. The S10e's display tech is also more power efficient, contributing to overall battery life.
Camera Comparison
Both devices offer capable photo and video recording, but details are sparse in the provided data. However, given Samsung’s history, the S10e likely benefits from more advanced image processing algorithms and potentially larger sensor sizes. The U Ultra’s camera performance is likely good for its time, but the S10e’s more modern image signal processor (ISP) and software features provide a more refined and versatile photography experience. The absence of specific sensor details makes a definitive comparison difficult, but Samsung generally prioritizes camera innovation.
Performance
The chipset is where the S10e truly shines. The Exynos 9820 (or Snapdragon 855) built on an 8nm/7nm process, offers a substantial performance advantage over the HTC U Ultra’s Snapdragon 821 (14nm). The S10e’s octa-core CPU, with its Mongoose M4 cores (EMEA/LATAM) or Kryo 485 cores (USA/China), handles demanding tasks and multitasking with greater ease. The U Ultra’s quad-core configuration, while capable, feels dated in comparison. The smaller manufacturing process of the S10e’s chip also translates to better thermal efficiency, reducing the likelihood of performance throttling during extended gaming sessions.
Battery Life
Both phones achieve an endurance rating of 81-83 hours, suggesting comparable real-world battery life. However, the S10e’s inclusion of 15W wireless charging (Qi standard) and 4.5W reverse wireless charging provides significant convenience. The U Ultra relies solely on 18W Quick Charge 3.0 wired charging. While the U Ultra’s charging speed is respectable, the S10e’s wireless charging capabilities offer greater flexibility and usability. The S10e's more efficient chipset also contributes to its battery performance.
Buying Guide
Buy the HTC U Ultra if you prioritize maximum display contrast in a relatively compact form factor and are comfortable with a slightly older chipset. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S10e if you prefer a more powerful processor for gaming and multitasking, benefit from wireless charging, and value a more modern software experience, even if it means slightly less impressive nominal contrast.