The HTC 10, not the HTC 11, has not been received well by Chinese buyers, Taiwanese media said. (Photo : GR1/ YouTube)
Many fans were surprised when the HTC announced Tuesday morning that its flagship smartphone HTC 10 will be capable of playing audio wirelessly via devices and speakers supporting streaming via Apple's AirPlay. This feature, in fact, makes HTC 10 the first Android-run device to support Apple's AirPlay out of the box.
While there are several third-party apps in the Play Store that can perform the same function, the presence of the AirPlay icon on the HTC 10 display screen is more important as it hints at a noteworthy partnership between two popular tech manufacturers. HTC has acknowledged that this is a part of the company's long-term policy that entails embracing the maximum options for users, even if it has not developed by them, Slash Gear reported.
Emphasizing that HTC is not "platform agnostic," Darren Sng, vice-president (product marketing) at the Taiwanese tech firm, said they are willing to go beyond just the streaming standards. For instance, if Apple and Samsung made Apple Pay and Samsung Pay available to third-party brand manufacturers respectively, HTC would certainly lap up the opportunity, the report quoted Sng as saying.
Sng substantiated his company's stand on the issue saying that if one wouldn't like credit card companies to decide what he/ she would want in their wallet, why would they go for a specific vendor to determine the payment system they want in their phone, Mac Rumors reported.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time that Apple is releasing its in-house apps for Android users. Previously, the Cupertino tech giant rolled out Move to iOS app, enabling Android users to move their data from old Android phones to their new iPhone, and Apple Music, which was developed from scratch for Android users with a view to expand the market for Apple's music service. By releasing AirPlay for HTC 10, which was launched on Tuesday, Apple has once again made it clear that it is willing to work with rival companies.
All said and done, there is one downside of the HTC 10's support for AirPlay. While the new Android device supports audio streaming, it does not support video streaming. This year, HTC has been focusing on an improved music experience, and this is proved by the company's restructured BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition tech. By incorporating the AirPlay audio streaming into the HTC 10, the company looks forward to be a step ahead over the devices from its rivals like Samsung, LG and many others.
Watch the video on "HTC 10 Impressions" below:
