The key difference between HTC Sense 7.0 and 8.0 is that the HTC Sense 8.0 is very much closer to the Android than ever before. It also comes with Google’s own apps for a better user experience and is accompanied by the refined Android marshmallow 6.0 OS. This means the new UI is slick , fast, and user-friendly without the clutter that came with the previous UI’s of HTC.
The latest HTC 10 comes with a new user interface known as Sense 8.0. This leap from HTC Sense 7 to Sense 8 may seem to be the largest leap yet. The main reason is that it is very similar to the Android Marshmallow 6.0 platform it sits on. The new user interface has been tweaked when compared with the previous version, which enables it to be faster lighter and cleaner. A prism effect is also available for creating a cover for an album.
HTC Sense 8.0 Review – Features and Specifications
Apps
Most of the apps that come with the new UI is updated with the help of Google Play. These apps are not tied up to the Android Marshmallow OS.
Home
Blink feed is present as the content aggregator of the new UI. When roaming, the clock converts to a travel clock which is very convenient. The theme that is available with the phone can be changed with the new freestyle layout.
Themes
The freestyle layout is a new addition to the new UI. It is capable of even making changes to icons, fonts, wallpapers and sound on the theme that is active on the device.
App Tray
The app tray is very much similar to that found on the Sense 7.0 UI. The main addition is the ability to add a wallpaper to the app tray with the use of the app tray menu. Previously this change had to be made from the theme edit section.
Volume Quality and Control
The new HTC coupled with the new UI offers a personal audio profile which tunes the headphone according to the user’s ear. This feature is also Dolby enhanced.
Quick Settings
The Quick settings menu is very similar to that found on stock Android. The clutter has been reduced to facilitate easy access. The Sense 8 does not let the user customize the quick settings menu.
Photos
The HTC Gallery app has been replaced by Google Photos app. The Google photos app comes with clever features which are easy to navigate as well. Google photos come with its own editor which can be used to enhance the apps that are captured. The app is also able to support raw photos.
HTC Sense 7.0 Review – Features and Specifications
The HTC Sense 7.0 was released with HTC One M9 in the year 2015. This interface sits on top of the Android Lollipop OS. The HTC user interface did not change significantly but did come with new features.
Theme
HTC came with customizations with a new app known as themes. The theme app will enable the user to change many features. This will change the look of the phone completely according to the preference of the user. The process can also be automated where it will pick colors, wallpapers, and tones which are used by the device. There are many themes that can be downloaded. The icons, its shapes, colors, styles, buttons, can be changed according to the preference of the user.
Navigation
The navigation bar can be customized according to the preference of the user. The controls and options can be placed in accordance with the comfort of the user. Options can be added like notifications, turn off screen, hide the navigation bar, screen rotation.
Home
App management has been made easy with the introduction of an app called Sense Home. Main apps can be organized in such a way that they appear on the screen according to the location the user is present in.
Apps with the greatest relevance will appear on the screen according to the location of the user. This will make it easy for the user who does not have to dig into the app tray trying to find an app. This will, in turn, save times as well.
Photo Editor
The photo editor comes with many effects that can be applied to an image which is captured. There are features like face fusion, snow and shapes, and the ability to mask an area of a photo to highlight another part of a photo. There is also an option called double exposure which merges two photos to create an elegant effect.
What is the difference between HTC Sense 7.0 and 8.0?
App Bundling
The app bundling strategy is an essential part of the HTC’s Sense user interface. Google play is used to update apps on HTC, which is a user-friendly feature. This is also similar to the strategy used by Google which does not tie important applications with the Android Marshmallow OS. This will ensure the arrival of separate updates. Another advantage when compared with HTC rivals like Samsung and Huawei is that there is no duplication of app stores which make it a convenience for the user. HTC also announced Airplay with the HTC 10. This feature is now available with it predecessors as well the, M7, M8, and M9 as well, which is great news for existing users.
Home Screen, Blink Feed, and Launcher
The blink feed is where the content is aggregated; this is available with HTC Sense 8.0 and HTC Sense 7.0. The home screen also has permanent dots; in the previous versions, they only appeared when the home page is touched upon.
HTC Sense 7 came with a weather clock which has been tweaked with this version. A long press of the wallpaper will open up a larger menu which will contain new features. One of the features that stand out is the freestyle layout which enables the user to change the theme according to his preference.
The Sense home widget shows apps that have been used in different locations. This is available with the HTC Sense 7.0 but has not been mentioned with the HTC 8.0 as it has mainly focused on removing the clutter. The recent apps button has also seen some tweaking. Now a clear all button is also available with the HTC Sense 8.0, but it was not present in the previous version.
Themes
This is one of the main changes in the new interface. The HTC 7.0 also came with many themes. This can be said to be an evolution of the previous version. This feature let the user change about every aspect that is visible on the phone display. There are a variety of freestyle icons that can be downloaded and icons wallpaper and sounds can be changed within the theme. The apps do not need to be confined within the app grid and can be placed anywhere on the screen. These can be put wherever on the home page as the user prefers. The apps can be replaced with stickers in this instance. The phone can be completely personalized according to the preference of the user.
App Tray
HTC offers an app tray, although it is rumored that Android may drop the app tray with the Android N. The same app tray is found on the Sense 8.0 as with the Sense 7.0. The app tray comes with custom layouts, drop down menu and custom layouts. An app can be added to the app tray which comes with the through the tray menu in HTC Sense 8.0 whereas on the previous version it was in the theme edit section.
Volume Controls
The Sense 8.0, coupled with the Android Marshmallow 6.0 OS, comes with standard volume controls. When the volume is reduced to silent, the device automatically enters the do not disturb alarm only state. The do not disturb button can also be accessed in the quick setting menu for full control. The HTC 10 comes with the Personal audio profile specially designed to enhance the sound on the headphones which is further enhanced by Dolby Audio. This is available with HTC 10, but we will have to wait and see if it is made available with other HTC devices which come with the same user interface.
Settings
A quick settings menu can be swiped down from the top with the Sense 8.0 user interface.This is similar to that found on stock Android. The extreme saver and calculator options have been added to quick settings with Sense 8.0. The quick setting menu has been streamlined when compared with the Sense 7.0 which was much cluttered. Sense 7.0 also came with buttons on the quick settings menu, which has been removed. As with Android, a long press on the quick settings icon will lead you to the menu directly. This is a standard feature found on Android.
The Sense 7.0 came with a button that needed to be taped in order to change the brightness of the screen. The Sense 8.0 comes with a brightness slider which lets the user move it in order to increase or reduce it according to his preference. As with Android, Sense 8.0 does not let the user customize the quick settings menu. Sense 7.0 gives the user the ability to change the order, and make changes to the setting menu, whereas the Sense 8.0 does not permit the use to do so.
Main Settings Menu
This is the place where the user spends much of his time. The Sense 8.0 menu is clean and simple similar to that of Android. The icons are simpler as well as. The slider has made the function even simpler. Apps can also be searched; this may save a lot of time in scrolling.
Photos
The Sense 7.0 came with the app gallery, but the Sense 8.0 sees it removed from its version. This was a feature filled app specially designed for photos. With the introduction of HTC 10, bloatware has been removed. The gallery app has been replaced by Google photos app with Sense 8.0. The Google photos app is very user-friendly. It is easy to navigate and update as well. It also comes with many new and clever features. This will be a standard feature which comes with Marshmallow devices. The HTC photo editor has been removed as Google Photos comes with its own editor.
HTC also supports RAW files. These RAW photos can be viewed in Google photos which will be labeled as raw. There is also a single hit enhancement for raw images which restores important properties of the raw image which is similar to what is present on Photoshop and Lightroom as auto mode. Google does not back raw images as they eat up a lot of space but they can be saved alongside the jpeg version of the image.
Camera
The camera options have been totally redesigned when compared with the HTC Sense 7.0. Swiping to move from one camera to the next has been replaced by a pop-up menu with options. If the video option is selected, resolution options will be displayed; if pro camera is selected, options like aspect ratio and self-timer will be displayed. The other option that comes with the new camera is the auto HDR, which balances the highlights and shadows for even results.
The selfie camera is also assisted by flash provided by the display. This flash operates according to the surrounding ambient light which will help produce natural images. Zoe camera is another feature that comes with the device; this is attempting to be the social network of video sharing. It offers 3-second clips rather than photos. The Zoe video editor can be used to mix short clips together creatively, rather than static images. This feature is a great feature that comes with the UI although it has not gained traction yet. The camera is feature filled with video, slow motion, pro mode, hyper lapse and many more. Swiping down on the display twice will open up the camera.
Message, People, and Phones
The people app and the Phone app have been converted into one feed. The dialer has not changed when compared to the previous version. There are now tabs on the top to access call history, contacts, and favorites.
The contact app photos come in a round rather than a square this time. This is an adaption of Android, which uses round images on Google+ and Gmail.
Peoples contact updates have also disappeared for the Sense 8.0 which enables the user to see what their contacts have been up to. HTC has used a similar material design which was found with android for its SMS and MMS apps. HTC also can transfer sensitive messages to a secure box as well as block contacts when needed.
Keyboard
The keyboard comes with the TouchPal keyboard although it is named as the HTC Sense version. This keyboard is available in Google Play, but it has been completely integrated with HTC. It can be customized in a number of ways. It is not as accurate nor proficient as Swiftkey. The user can change to any keyboard he likes from Google Play. The HTC sense offered the input choice at the right bottom of the device which now sits in a more comfortable position at the top left.
Apps
The HTC calendar has been removed and replaced by Google calendar. This is easy to navigate and comes with a great outlook. Other apps that have been removed when compared with the HTC Sense 7.0 is the Fit Fun, Car, HTC Backup, Kid Mode, Music, Polaris Office 5 and Scribble. The main reason behind this is to only provide the user with essentials rather than providing the user with a ton of clutter. Third party apps like Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, are preinstalled. These cannot be removed but can be disabled by the user.
There is also an app called boost + which comes with HTC. This app can be used to optimize the phone, clear junk, save battery life, locking apps, and monitor apps. This app is available on Google Play, which can be used with any device and tested.