HTC introduces new flagship smartphone: the HTC 10

Source: HTC. HTC Themes enables personalisation with access to thousands of professional looking themes that come with their own icons, backgrounds and sounds.

HTC today unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the HTC 10. Playing to the Power of 10 - symbolising greatness and independence - the new addition to the HTC phone family combines what the company says is the best smartphone camera in existence, the world’s first stereo 24-bit Hi-Res audio recording capability, and unparalleled performance. 

The look

Inspired by light, the HTC 10 has contours carved out of solid metal. Chamfered edges contribute to a slimmer look with a full glass front merging seamlessly into the metal unibody. 

Design considerations

HTC is serious about durability. The HTC 10 is engineered to handle everyday knocks, bumps and scratches, the HTC 10 was subjected to over 168 hours of extreme temperature tests, ranging from -20’C to a 60’C, plus over 10,000 drop, bend, scratch and corrosion tests.

The camera

The HTC 10 has a DxOMark score of 88*, one of the highest scores for camera quality of any smartphone to date. With the world’s first optically stabilised, larger aperture f/1.8 lenses on both the front and rear cameras; new larger sensors, 12 million UltraPixels (1.55µm per pixel), faster laser autofocus powering the main camera and a wide angle lens and screen flash on the front UltraSelfie camera, this smartphone delivers sharp, high-resolution photos whichever way it is pointing, even in low light.

The camera is designed to launch in as little as 0.6 seconds, and a 2nd-generation laser autofocus that gives you focused shots faster, so it can even work in burst mode. A Pro Mode offers advanced options for more experienced photographers, including RAW format functionality.

Built for audiophiles

But it’s not only imaging that puts this smartphone at the top of its game - the HTC 10 combines vivid 4K video with stereo 24-bit Hi-Res audio recording, capturing 256 times more detail than standard recordings, across twice the frequency range. A headphone amp that delivers two times the power of a conventional headphone amp, the ability to upscale from 16-bit to 24-bit audio and high performance digital-to-analogue conversion combine to produce ten times lower the distortion than other devices on the market.

The HTC 10’s all-new Personal Audio Profile system dynamically adjusts specific sound frequencies to each ear, allowing users to hear music the way that the artist intended. Re-engineered HTC BoomSound Hi-Fi edition speakers feature the same separated tweeter and woofer design as leading acoustic systems and combine with a dedicated amplifier on each speaker, adding to sound clarity.

HTC has also made sure that its flagship phone comes with the best Hi-Res audio-certified inbox earphones** yet. Featuring an 8µm thin aerospace polymer diaphragm and 70% oversized drivers, the listener is treated to richer sound and twice the frequency range.

Works faster

With apps that launch twice as fast and that perform to the highest standard and a next generation quad HD display that is 30% more colourful and that is 50% more responsive to touch than its predecessor, even the smallest and fastest of finger movements track perfectly. 

The HTC 10 boasts the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with enhanced 4G LTE. Each device also comes with Boost+ which is designed to make the phone faster while consuming less power and providing effective security and application management. A smart boost feature automatically optimises memory, while a game battery booster uses less battery during gameplay. The Boost+ App Lock function also adds a new layer of security by enabling you to lock any app you choose, whilst App Manager provides an instant fix for when an app isn’t behaving. A new PowerBotics system autodetects and shuts down apps that use excessive power, improving battery life by 30% and delivering up to two days charge***.

The HTC 10 also includes the latest in-box quick charge 3.0 Rapid Charger** with improved thermal management, so the battery can be charged by up to 50% in just 30 minutes. 

Security

With security high on people’s agendas, HTC's fingerprint scanner unlocks in just 0.2 seconds and has been algorithmically designed to recognise fingerprints faster and more accurately over time. 

HTC also has a new Ice View case as an option. The semi-transparent single front-cover case allows activities like skipping a track, or snapping a picture without opening the case.

Interested?

The HTC 10 will be available in Carbon Grey exclusively on Lazada.SG from 1 to 15 August 2016 for S$898. The HTC 10 will be available on all key channels from August 16 2016 onwards. As part of the launch promotion 500 buyers will get a HTC Mini+ phone accessory free while 100 buyers will get Ice View covers free.

*All benchmarks (with the exception of DXO) have been produced as a result of testing both HTC and competitor products in HTC labs.

**Configurations and inbox accessories such as earphones and the 3.0 Rapid Charger may vary from country to country. Check with an authorised retailer or operator for availability.

***Battery life may vary based on cellular network, location, signal strength, feature configurations, phone usage, and many other factors. Actual results may vary. Battery tests are conducted in HTC laboratories using specific HTC devices. 

Roots opens flagship store in Beijing

Roots, a lifestyle apparel brand which also offers shoes and bags, has marked its success in Asia with its first flagship store in Beijing. In addition to the same Roots products available in the company's stores in Canada and the US, the Beijing store features a specialty athletic collection unique to Asia.

Source: Roots Tumblr. The Beijing store.

"It's extremely gratifying for us to see how much Canada and the Roots brand resonate with the Chinese," says Co-Founder Michael Budman. "The new store in Beijing is an exciting step forward in our expansion in this important market. It wouldn't have been possible without the tremendous work of our Asian partner, Branded Lifestyle. Based on what's happening in both China and Taiwan, the future looks incredibly bright for Roots in Asia."

The new store in Beijing is the largest of the 23 Roots locations in mainland China. Roots opened its 100th store in Taiwan in December 2014.

Jack Wills opens flagship store in Singapore, its 78th in the world

Cult British fashion brand Jack Wills has debuted in Singapore with the grand opening of its first store in Raffles City Shopping Centre on November 4. The brand has a strong following amongst some of the most quintessentially British style icons, including Princes William and Harry, Emma Watson and Cheryl Cole. Its registered trademark, “Fabulously British”, encapsulates the inspiration behind Jack Wills – quality goods that draw heavily on British heritage and style. 

A black-and-white store front
opens up to herringbone wood
flooring, bedecked with a hand-
painted Union Jack and a
colonial-inspired column divider
with velvet Union Jack curtains.

The Singapore outlet is the brand’s fourth store in Asia, and the first outside of Hong Kong since the company’s entered the region in 2011. 

The Fabulously British brand’s Global Business Development Director Sanjay Sharma said during the Grand Opening Party in Singapore that the Raffles City store had been two years in the planning. “Since we opened our first store in Hong Kong in 2011, I have watched Jack Wills grow and flourish in the region,” said Sharma. 

“In just three years, Asia has risen to become our second most important market, after the UK, and I am thrilled to be here in Singapore to launch our very first store in this sophisticated, fashion-forward country. The Raffles City store will become the 78th Jack Wills store in the world – with many more to come.”

Sharma said Singapore will be a regional hub from which to expand the brand into Southeast Asia, and as the flagship store, the store in Singapore will carry nearly all of the Jack Wills range.

Source: Jack Wills. Part of the
Christmas collection.

The 2,400 sq ft Raffles City store opens with the Jack Wills Autumn and Christmas 2014 collections. The Autumn 2014 collection includes a range of versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched to reflect several style tribes, while the Christmas 2014 collection features festive hues, soft textures and iconic “Made in Britain” outerwear. 

Men's long-sleeved shirts on display
at the store.

Jack Wills is renowned for the impeccable quality of their men’s shirting, and for the Christmas season the classic Salcombe Shirt is made from polished Oxford cotton for a nod to traditional dress shirts, and then reimagined in modern eye-catching prints. 

Women’s shirts are reinvented in lighter, more feminine fabrications like the semi-sheer chiffon. Tops have been crafted from intricate lace to build on the quality, indulgent feel on the range. The collections are available in-store and online, and visitors to the boutique can also shop for accessories, homeware and gifts (boxsets from the Christmas collection are pictured below). 

The three Jack Wills stores in Hong Kong are at Leighton Centre, Ocean Terminal and Festival Walk, with a fourth at New Town Plaza opening in December. A store in Macau is also opening this month.

M&M's unveils first M&M's World store in Asia

M&M's, the chocolate brand, has celebrated the grand opening of its first M&M's World store in Asia, adding another Shanghai destination to visit for souvenir shopping. M&M's World Shanghai is a 1,600 sq m (about 17,222 sq ft) 'retail-tainment' destination over two storeys of what the company calls 'colourful, chocolate fun'.

The store offers M&M's Brand Chocolate Candies in 22 colours and three varieties – milk chocolate, peanut and almond - and a wide range of M&M's merchandise, including apparel, kitchenware, plush toys and uniquely Shanghai- and China-themed M&M's branded products, such as mugs, tins and T-shirts, designed specifically for the Shanghai store. 

"Shanghai is the ideal city for the first M&M's World store in Asia due to the city's truly global feel and appeal," said Brian Schiegg, General Manager, Mars Retail Group. "The location in the Brilliance Shimao International Plaza made perfect sense for the world's largest chocolate brand, since East Nanjing Road is one of the busiest pedestrian streets in China and a highly visited tourist destination in Shanghai. 

"M&M's World Shanghai welcomes visitors to a unique retail experience that combines shopping and entertainment, with an eye-catching, iconic-looking store that engages and excites fans of the M&M's brand from all over the world."

The store combines iconic Chinese landmarks and cultural elements with M&M's characters, which are known by their colours. Blue and Green are dressed as Kung Fu Characters at the store's side entrance within the mall. Yellow is disguised as a panda among bamboo. A Lantern Garden features numerous hanging lanterns that illuminate and change colors as visitors step on the platform.

As guests walk up the stairs to the second floor, they are greeted by a large moon gate that previews the Great Wall of Chocolate. The Great Wall of Chocolate is the world's largest M&M's candy wall, with 132 individual tubes. Red and Orange stand guard here, dressed as Warriors. 

The Great Wall of Chocolate.

M&M's World Shanghai, open from 10 am to 10 pm every day is the fifth M&M's World flagship store, joining US stores in Times Square, New York; Orlando, Florida; two stores in Nevada, in Las Vegas and Henderson; and Leicester Square in London. The Shanghai store is one of the smaller M&M's World stores. The Las Vegas store is 28,000 sq ft while the London store is 35,000 sq ft. Both are four levels high.

*Images from M&M's.