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Looking to trade Sony Xperia Z for HTC One

I have had my Sony Xperia z for over a week now. I have been so impressed with the phone, it's speed, interface etc. The sound could be better but overall it's hard to complain. Defiantly the best phone I've owned.
Vodafone have kindly aloud me to trade my Xperia for the new HTC ONE at no cost or anything, straight swap. I know of HTC's recent poor history. My friends and family have had old HTC's (2/3 year old models) and they have been extremely poor in terms of reliability.
Just looking some opinions on the phones. I have read and watched many reviews on both phones and the HTC almost always comes out on top on each categorie (design, speed etc)
Considering it's a straight swap is it worth it and why. I'm a heavy phone user and I understand that phones with specs as close as these two are to each other that the differences is down to opinion. But would like some more expect (better knowledge or HTC ONE user help)
Thanks in advance
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

I am seriously considering htc one over s4 as I am not one to follow the crowd and love something different
Custom Stock Rom 4.1 Eternity
Brilliantly Stock

My super technology literate friend recommended the S4 but gee will be keeping the Sony due to it pushing all his buttons. I can't wait a month (S4 release date) and won't be able to have a straight swap by then. The HTC reliability is his biggest concern.
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

virtualyoda said:
I have had my Sony Xperia z for over a week now. I have been so impressed with the phone, it's speed, interface etc. The sound could be better but overall it's hard to complain. Defiantly the best phone I've owned.
Vodafone have kindly aloud me to trade my Xperia for the new HTC ONE at no cost or anything, straight swap. I know of HTC's recent poor history. My friends and family have had old HTC's (2/3 year old models) and they have been extremely poor in terms of reliability.
Just looking some opinions on the phones. I have read and watched many reviews on both phones and the HTC almost always comes out on top on each categorie (design, speed etc)
Considering it's a straight swap is it worth it and why. I'm a heavy phone user and I understand that phones with specs as close as these two are to each other that the differences is down to opinion. But would like some more expect (better knowledge or HTC ONE user help)
Thanks in advance
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's funny, my opinion might be of value to you.
In February I made my choice: the Xperia Z. I got it at the end of February and owned it for about 4-5 days. Then I send it back, cancelled my order. Yes, I was very happy my carrier accepted it. Why did I do it? First of all, what I didn't like about the XZ:
• Ergonomics: the phone may not be much larger on paper then my S3, but in my hand it felt much less comfortable. Ergnomic wise, the XZ is bad: it's all look but not so much feel. Because of the shape it was just not comfortable for me to use, mostly one handed. Note: I do have small hands.
• The One: On the other hand, the HTC One is a pleasure to use. Just looking at it's curved back and sides, you already can conclude it's nice in the hand. My feeling has been confirmed by all the fantastic reviews about the One. And besides ergonomics, it's seen as the most beautiful/premium looking phone out now.
• The screen: while the XZ's screen was super sharp, there are some problems with it. I have owned my Galaxy S3 for a year, seen the HTC One X a ton of times, but the XZ's screen just seems "washed out" compared to these 2012 flagship's. You really see it when looking from a side (angle) at the XZ's screen: it just seems "washed out". While you can still see what the screen is displaying, this does give the feeling of a "non-premium" product. It bothered me.
• The One: The One's screen is considered one of the best, if not the best, screen out now at the moment. It's the sharpest screen (it won't be a huge difference with the XZ in this aspect), but it also has fantastic viewing angles and contrast. The screen just looks much better, no doubt. While it's 4.7" and smaller then the XZ's 5" screen, you actually see more content 90% of the time on the One. The XZ has onscreen buttons, which the One doesn't. So when webbrowsing, chatting, using your homescreen, etc, you will actually see more on the One then on the XZ. Overall: the One wins with a supperior screen.
These are the 2 main reasons I send back the XZ and waited for something else. Now I can go on by saying that the One has much better speakers, also better audio quality overall (check GSMArena, audio wise the One is fantastic). The One also comes with at least 32GB of storage, though the XZ has microsd card support. For me, the One's camera is also (probably) better because of the excellent low light performance (most picture I take are at party's when going out..).
I would say to you: do the ergonomics and the screen of the XZ bother you? If yes, go for the One!
ps: I'm not really scared about HTC. I owned an HTC HD2 and HTC Desire, before my Galaxy S2 and S3. Both HTC devices were great, expect that the HD2 ran Windows Mobile 6.5 and microsoft announched WP7 3 months after I bought the HD2 If I hadn't send back my XZ and I would be offered what you are being offered, I would go for it no doubt.
ps2: I'm not going for the S4 for several reasons. First of all, I have owned the S2 and S3 the past 2 years. I would really like something new. Second, expect a sharper screen, I won't notice I have a new mobile if I upgrade from the S3 -> S4. Further more, I don't like touchwiz and I am running Cyanogenmod on my S3. The CM team is not happy at all about the S4 and I don't see a CM-build for it anytime soon. So for me going from the S3 to the S4 would almost be a downgrade.. I know, it sounds stupid but it really feels that way.

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virtualyoda said:
My super technology literate friend recommended the S4 but gee will be keeping the Sony due to it pushing all his buttons. I can't wait a month (S4 release date) and won't be able to have a straight swap by then. The HTC reliability is his biggest concern.
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bad experiences?
ive owned
desire
desire hd
htc one s
htc one x
now the one.
the only one i ever found issue on was the one x,with the wifi. The desire and dhd were amazing phones.
ive got a weird issue with the htc one ive got,i think its a first batch? still regardless im getting another one. The s4..is the s4.you either like it or you dont. I still say the htc blows it out of the water. for sense alone comparable to touchwiz.
id say do the trade,although the xperia z is supposed to be a great phone. Probably down to which one you like the look of more than actual specifications. Although shelf life wise id say the htc one. Sony are already gearing up there next flagship which is weird considering the xperia z hasnt been out long.
i say do the trade.i was tempted with the z..but never had one of the newer generation smartphones..so decided against it.
best bet try the htc one in a shop

Thanks very much for your input. Very detailed and exceptionally helpful. Defiantly going for the trade. Super excited
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

virtualyoda said:
Thanks very much for your input. Very detailed and exceptionally helpful. Defiantly going for the trade. Super excited
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
I was initially in the market for the xperia z until feb 19th..... htc one announcement and it only took me three minutes to test out the camera/video and audio on the htc one and cancel my pre order of xperia z.
since then I have played with both side by side and I think the main things of the phone are better on the One
camera (imo)
video/video audio
audio quality and volume
battery life is great on the one (havent heard good news from my friend who has the z (and is now going to change it for the htc one) and other people who have the z)
call quality and volume
speed
UI(imo)
look and feel (imo)
loud speakers

I've used both but had to choose one to keep. I kept the XZ.
The HTC had a better screen and much better speakers and that's something I was very impressed by. Even Sense and the optional flash player were an advantage.
However, I was not convinced by it's reliability when it came to the basics. By that I am specifically referring to the signal reception. In LTE it just does not hold well to the signal in poor reception areas as the XZ and the Nokia 920. I'm on EE so this could be different when Voda launch 4g as I believe they are on the 800 Mhz band.
The HTC is one of the best smartphones but once again HTC fail on mastering the basics. They have a beautifully engineered phone yet the wireless components are always questionable.
These 2 videos show what I mean by signal instability and fluctuations. Watch the 2 phones on the same network and the variance in signal strength. I've had such a poor experience with LTE on this phone and it dropped so many calls that has not happened once on the XZ which I am enjoying high speed and stability even on one bar of LTE. (also better battery).
It's a shame about the HTC but it may be fixed with a software update.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kzW7G07WFc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQO9VPu1FpM

I've owned several Sony, Samsung and htc products over the years and all have their shortcomings no doubt. None of created the "perfect" phone and nor will they ever.
Sony phone screen's always look washed out and ui sluggish and unfortunaletly Z is no different especially when comparing to S3, Note 2 and Htc One. That's been the biggest issue with Sony phones. I was tempted to get the Xperia Z because 5" 1080p, sd card, white colour but after playing with it I wasn't impressed, it reminded me of my Xperia T experience, which wasn't pleasant. Primarily sluggish, crashing and washed out colours.
HTC One on the other hand is a pleasure to use.
No lagging issues.
No crashing issues.
Sound is amazing, LOUD and clear.
Ui is brilliant and very different.
Camera is very good.
Screen is gorgeous, vibrant, bright and very sharp. Second to none far superior then Z.
Better reception, certainly better then S3, Note 2 and Sony T.
But what convinced me in getting HTC One, other the above mentioned points, rather then wait for S4 or Z was the premuim build, SLCD3 screen.
So good move mate you won't regret it.

Without a doubt trade it in and get the HTC One, myself and a mate (we're both technical geeks) found the screen on the Z lacking and the pinch and zoom gestures where hit and miss to say the least but let me push out a few points to you for why the one is for you ..
1. fast fluid and zero lag no matter how many apps are open
2. amazing screen with very good viewing angles
3. stunning audio (coming from a guy who doesn't really care about phone audio)
4. very clear call quality
5. camera can give very surprising results if used properly
6. 4 to 7 hours of screen on time
Bad points.
1. can get hot to the touch
2. can be slippy when holding it due to the metal back

daleski75 said:
Without a doubt trade it in and get the HTC One, myself and a mate (we're both technical geeks) found the screen on the Z lacking and the pinch and zoom gestures where hit and miss to say the least but let me push out a few points to you for why the one is for you ..
1. fast fluid and zero lag no matter how many apps are open
2. amazing screen with very good viewing angles
3. stunning audio (coming from a guy who doesn't really care about phone audio)
4. very clear call quality
5. camera can give very surprising results if used properly
6. 4 to 7 hours of screen on time
Bad points.
1. can get hot to the touch
2. can be slippy when holding it due to the metal back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How hot are we talking.
And no lag even with heavy apps and low battery?

cronus101 said:
How hot are we talking.
And no lag even with heavy apps and low battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not hot enough that it is uncomfortable but it does get warm to the touch and not noticed any lag even with the battery almost flat.

daleski75 said:
Not hot enough that it is uncomfortable but it does get warm to the touch and not noticed any lag even with the battery almost flat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The heat is under what circunstances? Playing games? Charging? Or it gets heat just by browsing, FB, etc?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

ksarius said:
The heat is under what circunstances? Playing games? Charging? Or it gets heat just by browsing, FB, etc?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
Heaving gaming and every now and again from charging. The highest temp I measured was 40 degrees celcius

ksarius said:
The heat is under what circunstances? Playing games? Charging? Or it gets heat just by browsing, FB, etc?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
From charging the phone as I don't play games on it or from constant use but too be honest it's barely noticeable.

Thank you all for your super detailed and honest device. My HTC One comes tomorrow and i'm more than excited for it. I think I could have a mental problem when it comes to buying, selling and trading new things. I get bored easily and usually change my phone, console or whatever I can every 4-6months.
I cannot fault the XZ. When I get the One tomorrow im not going to be biased if it never faults me and say that the Sony XZ is a poor phone or anything like that. Im not one to use a camera that often, I prefer performance and sound and I feel the One has that.
I wouldn't be trading these phones if it came to any cost to me, don't think it would be worth the trade if it cost me £. There was also an update out today from HTC improve there One's camera in high-light. Glad to see issues being addressed quickly by HTC.
I have always been an iPhone fan but have seen the light and will be staying with android with this trade, and gladly so. Apple iOS is outdated and I couldnt believe the much 'jailbreaking' could be done with an android phone. Look forward to learning more by using ROM's etc to get the most out of my HTC One, I would aim to have the best possible battery endurance and processor speed etc.
If anyone has any knowledge of a current ROM or up coming ROM that is in development that they could recommend for the perks I have mentioned I'd be very grateful for those recommendations.
Thanks again, and I will be sure to give uses all a update on my opinions of the HTC One compared to the Sony XZ

Should you buy a Xperia Z or not?

Yes, if you can find a used one to a reasonable price, and no if youre renewing your contract or buying a brand new one.
Reason is that even though its great phone, the samsung s4 and htc one is right around the corner and they both come with full hd displays with nearly everything better in software terms, look at the rewies.
I bought mine used for around 350 pounds it had been used for 11 days. Reason, i didnt wait for the s4 (i dont like metal (htc one)) is that i didnt wanted to renew my contract, and i had a iphone 5 (just to small of a screen) which i sold and bought the Xperia Z.
Now the Xperia Z is a great phone, its a beautiful looking phone, it has a great full hd display, the launcher is nearly stock witch i prefer etc.
The "not so great" about the phone is the software side. The camera isnt the best, but its not bad!. There arent many feauteres in the settings app, its allmost stock, so for the people who like minimality its allright, but for people like me who likes a lot of features the software dissapoints. Even though a lot of the software (samsung series) is gimmicks its nice to have them. My big issue with this phone is the battery, im a heavy user and it isnt meant for heavy users. Even in stamina mode and brightness in auto mode i have to charge the phone at least 2 times a day. And the charge time is crazy, if you are using your phone while charging it just stands still. Bluetooth is dissapointing, it connect to my cars bluetooth but when trying to make a phone call it disconnects every time. On the lockscreen theres time, music and camera icons, if u have a missed call or a message it does not show, for me thats dissapointing, the software just needs big improvements.
Now this phone is big, so if you have small hands try it out in a store before you buy. I have small hands but i like to use two hands so its fine for me, but still it could have been nice if it were a bit smaller, like the zl. The rectangular shape isnt as comfortable to hold as a others. This phone definetely needs to be tried before bought.
To round up:
Good part. Its beautifull looking, great hardware, great full hd screen, good camera, little to no lag, good launcher, notifcation lights, waterproof,
Bad part. battery life, bluetooth, software, not comfortable to hold (small hands),

I would buy one because I like Sony's UI, but the dated hardware specifications, poor viewing experience and sound quality is what's keeping me from doing that.

When you recontract (in my country), the HTC One is $528 vs the Xperia Z at $388, with the NFC speakers thrown in for free. Looking at the SGS4, it's going to be >$500 if the prices of the SGS3 were anything to go by (SGS4 drops on 27th April here). Kind of an easy choice

mahay_love said:
I would buy one because I like Sony's UI, but the dated hardware specifications, poor viewing experience and sound quality is what's keeping me from doing that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you've had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes and don't like the screen or the speaker and find the phone
sluggish/slow/underpowered for the tasks you would use it for?

Nameless One said:
So you've had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes and don't like the screen or the speaker and find the phone
sluggish/slow/underpowered for the tasks you would use it for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.

mahay_love said:
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to watch a movie with your friend you can go to the Cinema
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

gm007 said:
If you want to watch a movie with your friend you can go to the Cinema
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
It was a small video clip though

mahay_love said:
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
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Click to collapse
Fair enough, I get the impression that many of the people saying they were going to buy but changed their mind are going purely on what others have said including the many trolls as if anything negative said with confidence is automatically true
and true for all examples of the device (in this case the XZ) being referred to (or they are trolls themselves). There is far too much general negativity (as distinct from negative opinions).

Nameless One said:
Fair enough, I get the impression that many of the people saying they were going to buy but changed their mind are going purely on what others have said including the many trolls as if anything negative said with confidence is automatically true
and true for all examples of the device (in this case the XZ) being referred to (or they are trolls themselves). There is far too much general negativity (as distinct from negative opinions).
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Click to collapse
Maybe on the internet but I've seen no such negativity from the people who own it, and when I displayed it to my relatives they had a clearly good impression of the device. I think I'm just too particular about my devices.

@op you say the camera isn't the Best but not bad? Yet you praise the screen...... The camera is one of the best out right now lol as for the screen, full HD yeah but the viewing angles are terrible, colors desaturate at the slightest tilt of the screen, anyways....I had my XZ for about a month now and while im happy with it for now I would gladly swap for something else, its gonna be hard to find someone who actually wants an XZ to swap with tho .
Sent from my GT-P3110 using xda premium

With respect to the OP there is simply no answer to the question. Choice is there and all the debate in the world will not alter that.
Trying to compare the top three mobiles at present is fruitless. They all have weaknesses and strengths. It will come down to personal choice and thank heavens for that choice.
I have the blessing to have purchased what mobile I like to that end I am not biased in favour of one brand nor the other. I buy what pleases me and NOT what reviews write. 'Experts' only confuse the situations. The difference between the XZ, HTC One and the SGS4 will come down to style and aesthetics, as far as daily use goes we have reached a ceiling now where the speeds etc can make zero noticeable difference in user interaction between person and device. UI's differ as does materials used in construction. I went with the Sony on this occasion as my SGS3 is a spectacular mobile, for the cost the materials used (for me) are unacceptable, it just feels cheap and the SGS4 looks exactly like its predecessor even though Samsung are using different forms of plastic it still looks cheap.
The HTC One, I fear, living in a very hot climate, that the HTC One will allow body perspiration into the phone via those large frontal speakers ? The phone looks a million dollars but again I fear the aluminium back and front plates will scratch and even dent as they did with my HTC Legend. The other point in choosing to try the Sony was signal strength.
You see I live in the middle of no where so signal strength is a vital part of my mobile ownership. Nokia, in the past, have been top notch in this area where HTC have proved abysmal and I have owned about 5 different HTC's. The Samsung Note was not too bad but the Galaxy S3 that I still have is not as strong as the Sony XZ.
I have found HTC and Nokia build quality to be very good, Samsung are, well they are plastic and look plastic!?
I am thankful for the choices. There is no best and to debate on such things is like trying to debate who the best singer is, the best song, the best brand of stereo speakers or HI-Fi separates. It is a personal choice.
What's the best fruit would be an equally pointless debate.

Best phone so far I find
The fact it's so close to stock android compared to everything else I find a real bonus as well
Feels like a nexus but with the Sony bonus features rather then a forced view of what they think android should be like e.g Samsung
Great camera
Good battery life I find
Best astetic design
Sent from my Xperia Z

swifteh said:
@op you say the camera isn't the Best but not bad? Yet you praise the screen...... The camera is one of the best out right now lol as for the screen, full HD yeah but the viewing angles are terrible, colors desaturate at the slightest tilt of the screen, anyways....I had my XZ for about a month now and while im happy with it for now I would gladly swap for something else, its gonna be hard to find someone who actually wants an XZ to swap with tho .
Sent from my GT-P3110 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
the camera on both the s3 & iphone 5 are better. and those are the phones ive owned. yes the screen is beautiful and bright. i dont care about viewing angles, if you had readen the reviews you would have known that the viewing angles are not so good. well if you paid full price then yeah you should have waited.

After spending two weeks with the iPhone 5, I am unable to agree that it has a better camera than the Xperia Z. I have got better pictures with the latter when manual settings.
I would also say that the selection between Xperia Z, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 (after seeing the ad in Times Square, the name is S 4 instead of S IV) is a matter of software preferences to a high degree. In my case, the Xperia Z won because of the following:
1. IP57 and the relaxation that the smartphone can be used even if the weather is less than perfect.
2. No TouchWiz or Sense and a very clean Android experience that is more of a "refined Nexus" than a traditional manufacturer modified one. The problem with Samsung is that they change a lot of things in their devices and that results in very heavy bloated ROMs. I also think that Sony has made a better job with their apps like dialer, contacts, messaging, Album and Walkman.
The new HTC Sense isn't too attractive to me either even if I have the opinion that HTC usually make more elegant apps (Gallery, contacts, dialer etc) than Samsung.
3. Because of 2, running clean ROMs are of interest to me in the case of Samsung and HTC. Unfortunately, neither Galaxy S 4 or HTC One are too developer friendly (locked bootloaders, a lack of sources etc) which is paired with a severe fragmentation (in the case of the S 4) where different markets has different CPUs etc. Sony has made a better job with standardizing Xperia Z C6602 and C6603 since both of them can use the same ROMs and kernels. It is also worth to mention that the CM10.1 development has been very rapid for the Xperia Z and everything like camera etc is working.
4. The performance of the Xperia Z is very high, it is the first time I don't feel that overclocking is necessary. The device is very smooth and fast on the stock frequency. It is better to undervolt in order to get better battery life and less heat (it made a big difference in my case).
The performance differences between the Snapdragon S4 Pro and the 600 can be reduced by overclocking. The light ROMs for the Xperia Z is facilitating smoothness, my experience is that Samsung and HTC needs heavy debloating in order to begin to perform at their best.
The most interesting product besides the Xperia Z when it comes to the CPU is the S 4 i9500 with Exynos 5 Octa. It is a great benefit that it is always quad core in both modes (performance and power saver A15/A7). Unfortunately, the Snapdragon 600-versions are what Samsung pushes hard since the production of the Exynos 5 Octa hasn't been ramped up yet.
The drawback with the Exynos is the unwillingness of Samsung to release proper sources, a problem that has affected CM and PA on their devices. Otherwise, it is a really interesting CPU.
The step between Snapdragon S4 Pro and 600 is too small in my opinion, the step to the 800 is much more interesting.
5. The screen of the Xperia Z is very good in my opinion with good color reproduction after calibration. The viewing angle "problem" doesn't disturb me the slightest since I usually don't use the device in off angles - and the screen is still legible in those cases. The "problem" is overrated IMHO.
I also prefer the colors compared to the extreme "color explosion" Samsung offers on their AMOLED screens (which can be changed by make the proper settings). I think the Galaxy S 4 and HTC One offers decent screens but I don't see that the difference between them and the Xperia Z is much of a concern. All three are good.
6. The audio quality of the Xperia Z when decent headphones are used is very good and that is with the PureXAudio mod flashed. I don't experience any kind of "inferior sound" compared to the Galaxy Note II. For further enhancements of the sound, Power AMP can be used.
HTC focuses too much on Beats Audio instead of good DACs etc which is a drawback. Personally, I would not buy anything with Beats (Crap Audio in my opinion). When it comes to the Galaxy S 4, I think the Snapdragon 600 versions are using the integrated DAC while the Exynos version should use the Wolfson one. I therefore expect the i9500 to offer higher audio quality than i9505 et al.
I would claim the Wolfson Samsung Galaxy S 4 i9500 will be the best sounding with Xperia Z as the second while HTC with their Beats Audio will lag behind. Samsung usually manage to offer very good sound from their Wolfson equipped products.
7. The integrated battery on the Xperia Z is a drawback but can partly be explained by the water tightness. The HTC One has a completely disastrous battery placement, sandwiched between the mainboard and the screen. The 1 out of 10 in repairability that iFixit gave it would put me off completely.
The Galaxy S 4 is the winner since it offers both the user replaceable battery and a memory card slot. The Xperia Z comes in second and the HTC One suffers from a very big question mark about the internal layout.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, the Xperia Z is the most "well rounded" device available today. The Galaxy S 4 i9500 with Exynos 5 Octa offers some benefits but suffers from very restricted availability. Many of the features Samsung puts in are more of "gimmicks" than useful things. HTC focuses also on a bit of bling bling with Beats Audio and Blinkfeed.
The Xperia Z on the other hand offers a clean experience that is easy to customize and gives a more "productive" feeling rather than "bling bling". On the other hand, everything comes down to what type of Android experience that is preferred. For those that are comfortable with TouchWiz and Sense, Samsung and HTC is good choices.
On the other hand, for those that prefer a cleaner experience but think the Nexus 4 is too limited (storage, screen etc) - the Xperia Z is a very good choice - especially now when CM10.1 is out and seem to work well in the latest build. It is possible to step straight onto "pure Android" right now, without the question marks that surrounds the other options.
Personally, I think the Xperia Z is the best option right now and can only see the Galaxy S 4 with Exynos Octa as the closest competitor - then there is interesting products from Huawei that can be worth a look. HTC One is uninteresting to me, especially because of the hopeless internal layout with the sandwiched battery that makes repairs extremely complicated.
What I don't like with the Galaxy S 4 is the insane fragmentation Samsung introduced. They use two different CPUs but it doesn't end there: then we have a couple of carrier versions with alterations that make ROMs incompatible. I can see atleast FIVE different S600 versions: i9505 for Europe and then different models for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.
The Xperia Z C6602 and C6603 is the optimum in standardization in comparison.
HTC One seem to be more standardized too even if there are different carrier branded versions. According to available info, the AT&T version can use the EU ROMs without any alterations necessary and that is a big plus.
I think that the "worst" device of the three is the HTC One and that is purely because of the internal layout and the sandwiched battery. It is tough luck to have a problem with it. Even if it is integrated, it should be placed above the mainboard and not between it and the screen.
Galaxy S 4 is certainly a nice device in different aspects but TouchWiz and the severe fragmentation with different versions is something to keep in mind since it affects ROM development.
Xperia Z is a device that offers a very well rounded or balanced experience that is close to stock Android but with Sony refinements (that adds some value rather than just being bloat). I also think it gives an appearance of sophisticated elegance while the HTC One is a bit "bling bling" and the S 4 is a bit too much of an S III in style.
My last word is this: it is also worth to check out competitors like Huawei with their Ascend series. I think the rumored Ascend Mate II with 1080p screen will be an interesting alternative to a Note III for example.
There is also rumors about a Sony Xperia Cybershot later this year. I guess it will be powered by the Snapdragon 800.
I am very happy with the Xperia Z and don't miss Samsung the slightest.

Ryland Johnson said:
I fear the aluminium back and front plates will scratch and even dent as they did with my HTC Legend.
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Click to collapse
Well maybe scratching is not as bad, looking at this short video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EWqPpYVE08

coios84 said:
the camera on both the s3 & iphone 5 are better. and those are the phones ive owned. yes the screen is beautiful and bright. i dont care about viewing angles, if you had readen the reviews you would have known that the viewing angles are not so good. well if you paid full price then yeah you should have waited.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you seriously trying to say that an 8mp camera is better than a 13 mp camera? i read lots of reviews and watched countless youtube reviews by top reviewers, yes i paid full price but im not fully flaming the phone, viewing angles dont bother me too much either, just pointing out one of the screens shortcomings.... im just hacked off at 50/50 gamble that you get a locked bootloader, which is why we buy android devices in the first place, to unlock, mod and set free, but i really needed a phone at the time so hey ho.

Quite agree with some but not all.
Battery I find it better, at least it was far better than my previous phone - Samsung Galaxy S III, and it also charging fast, at least it was faster than my previous Samsung Galaxy S III.
I don't find this phone that bad only deserved for 2nd hand value.
I do miss some useful function by Samsung especially on those sensor part, but.. it was not a must as it ain't really important.
Stability wise, I can only said this is my 1st Android that is stable out from the box. My experience with Samsung Galaxy S II - G version was the most terrible one, it hang often until I sold it after 2 months usage, actually before I sold the SII-G ROM already quit stable but it still hang maybe once a week. Then I get S III, the performance was smooth before you install anything, it drag down after install full of apps, I am not so satisfied with S III performance, I mean the international edition which only 1GB RAM, it will anytime restart the launcher once you touch the Google Chrome. Even the most simple task - opening Phone also need to wait, this is truly nightmare as older S II - G also don't have this issue, it open instant.
Then my sister buy Note II, and this is the 1st time Samsung did it pretty solid and stable. I am sure since this, they no doubt any issue on S4. But I still don't choose S4 due to bored on it similarity design.
HTC One - this is my choice before I pick Xperia Z as I had seen HTC Butterfly screen before, and it extremely impress me. But for design wise, I still pick Sony as I find it did the best in outer and inner (software part) design. Then, after seeing a lot reviews of HTC One camera, the Ultrapixel camera was quite let down, it too easier over expose in day light outdoor shoot due to it big aperture f/2.0, such aperture if not handle well is a nightmare. HTC One body is similar and even slightly bigger than S III, in such body, it was easier squeeze in 5" screen rather than current 4.7". Beside this, Xperia Z waterproof and solid build with capable of SD card was a plus.
Now talk on screen wise, I actually not please with Samsung over saturate AMOLED screen, it was just too vivid to be natural & preset color of Natural is not working, as it became too dull. Don't talk on S4, I know it came with Adobe RGB Professional profile, maybe this help, I can't justified now as I need to see in person. Xperia Z screen wise was nature but never lost it vividness and nice to look at, the only lose here is the viewing angle but it not really impact actual use.
Sound quality on Xperia Z stock not really impress me due to it too low volume loud speaker and not clear, also all the preset was too flat to listening, Clear Audio+ not flat but too high pitch. All this issue solved after with PureXAudio mod, it was really good and not worst than my S III after the mod.
Performance wise, no doubt S4 win here as it bundle with latest highest CPU and highest speed as well. But is this really matter, I doubt about it, now every flagship phone is fast enough, not really need getting the highest speed, in-fact future phone shall more look on RAM (probably is time equip with 3GB or 4GB) and battery. RAM always play important part in any IT electrical device. More RAM will eventually make everything much smoother and better.
Until now, the only thing I want Sony make it better was reduce the camera over post processing & jpeg compression, I know the output could be better if Sony reduce down the post processing especially the noise filtering, it was like a paint of wax sometimes the output.

It's a great device. At the end of the day is a flagship so it won't disappoint you but it all comes to personal preference sony xz, HTC one or Samsung s4 they are all awesome devices. Compare them and pick the one that ticks all the boxes for you.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

I've got my Z on ebay, sitting in front of me waiting to sell right now. I wanted so much to love the Z and still do love the Water resistance and ruggedness, as well as the size of the screen. Simply put though, the Z falls down on too many points.
Z points;
Camera : Very good, although no better than S3 or iphone 4 or 5 for that matter.
Music: Too quiet, although sound quality is great. The low volume overall, especially through the headphone socket, even with audio mods, is inexcusable from Sony.
Screen: Sony have basically just slapped a small computer monitor screen on it, as the viewing angles remind me of PC lcd screens.
Viewing angle is the big no no here, it is almost useless viewing texts with phone on desk, and watching a movie or looking at content with a friend on the screen is very disapointing.
Performance: The Z is slightly too laggy, although it is very fast.
I love the size of the Z screen and the software is very nice, especially the album app, which is hands down the best album app i've ever used.
Sony fell just short of the mark with this. Given the choice again, I would not of bought it. The HTC One i've replaced it with beats it in every respect barring screen size and water resistance.

biffsmash said:
I've got my Z on ebay, sitting in front of me waiting to sell right now. I wanted so much to love the Z and still do love the Water resistance and ruggedness, as well as the size of the screen. Simply put though, the Z falls down on too many points.
Z points;
Camera : Very good, although no better than S3 or iphone 4 or 5 for that matter.
Music: Too quiet, although sound quality is great. The low volume overall, especially through the headphone socket, even with audio mods, is inexcusable from Sony.
Screen: Sony have basically just slapped a small computer monitor screen on it, as the viewing angles remind me of PC lcd screens.
Viewing angle is the big no no here, it is almost useless viewing texts with phone on desk, and watching a movie or looking at content with a friend on the screen is very disapointing.
Performance: The Z is slightly too laggy, although it is very fast.
I love the size of the Z screen and the software is very nice, especially the album app, which is hands down the best album app i've ever used.
Sony fell just short of the mark with this. Given the choice again, I would not of bought it. The HTC One i've replaced it with beats it in every respect barring screen size and water resistance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Music: seriously check with the doctor, volume is high enough.
Perfirmance: laggy but very fast?? What app/game lags for you. Quad core 2gb ram and lags you are trolling here for sure.
Screen: that's totally bs, viewing angles are perfectly fine, right now I'm typing from my desk, I've seen videos in bed with my partner no problems at all.
Getting a bit tired of those HTC fan boys reviews.
What I suggest you to do is go to a shop try all of them and pick the one you like more. Because at the end of the day it's you who have to like it.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

HTC One, should I buy it now?

Hi,
I know I'm pretty late to the game since this phone launched on Feb and it's Sept already.
I just recently thought of replacing my phone and I always liked the HTC One.
However as time goes, the One specs appear to be shadowed by other competing devices. I know Snapdragon 600 is nothing to sneeze at, but I'm talking about, well a year later or so. Will it still be relevant?
I had a bad experience with my Xperia Pro, while Sony is nicely handing ICS upgrade, its hardware simply can't cope with modern, multicore and ram-hogging apps.
I'm leaning to Xperia Z1 but more-or-less turned off by its screen size. (I hate gigantic phone).
Camera is not a deciding factor.
There are rumours saying HTC going to release One+ or something, but I'm taking it with a grain of salt, most likely the Tablet One will come first.
Should I buy HTC One? Or get another more recent device? Or wait for M8?
I'm sorta long term user, will replace phone every two years if nothing is wrong with the current one.
Thanks in advance, I could really use any One's user advice.
Sent from my MK16i using xda app-developers app

I got one today, and it is by no means a slouch and I can't see it becoming slow anytime soon. Maybe in 18 months time, but it's perfect at the moment. It may not get Android 5.0 when it comes out officially next year (Maybe), but the developers on XDA will surely support it.

It's still one of the best phones available, however at this point in the year, I think I would wait to see what the N5 looks like officially.
I'm already tempted by the G2.

Same question. I know you all have the HTC one but to me what's the selling point? I got a gs4 and someone wants to trade me a 32g HTC one. Besides storage, beats audio, less bloat, and build quality. why would the HTC one be better than gs4? Sell me on it
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337

For OP I suggest Z1,G2 if you are looking from newest devices. If i were you i would buy one of this phones. But if you don't like big phones, then One is perfect choice. It's beautiful, strong, good software and not bad camera. Main disadvantage to me is battery and log charging. I came from S4 because of lag. but overall S4 is realy nice device - good battery, very nice camera (i used it when i was on my vacation in Greece), nice screen and size.
---------- Post added at 06:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:28 AM ----------
[email protected] said:
Same question. I know you all have the HTC one but to me what's the selling point? I got a gs4 and someone wants to trade me a 32g HTC one. Besides storage, beats audio, less bloat, and build quality. why would the HTC one be better than gs4? Sell me on it
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are lucky with your S4 when i don't see why you should change to One

[email protected] said:
Same question. I know you all have the HTC one but to me what's the selling point? I got a gs4 and someone wants to trade me a 32g HTC one. Besides storage, beats audio, less bloat, and build quality. why would the HTC one be better than gs4? Sell me on it
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At this point, if you are an average user, which means you use smartphone just for read/reply email&news, social networks, gaming stuff, watch one or two videos, listen to music clips, then you are fine with this phone. The major features missing from other devices are Boomsound speakers, Zoe, Blinkfeed and soon to be released Android 4.3.
The other benefit is that you can find decent price. You can trade in an old iPhone or find special offers for HTC One easily. This doesn't happen for those latest devices.
ps. It might be better to keep the comparison stuff out of this thread. Otherwise this thread might be closed soon.:highfive:

@WhizzWr
you might want to see this
http://www.pocket-lint.com/review/123671-sony-xperia-z1-review
size, weight, screen and sound quality are issues on the Z1 as well as the high density camera sensors suffers in 1:1 precision due to the tiny pixel size

Came from the MK16i to the HTC One
After updating to ICS, the lag was horrible on my Pro. I rooted and flashed many ROM's but none were good enough.
So I bought the One.
If your main concern is that the phone will become slow within a year or so, then forget it. Google itself is pushing the new Nexus 7 which has a modified S4 Pro. The S600 on the One should be as fast as that one, at the very least. And because Google itself pushes new versions of Android every year or so, the One should be fast enough until after Android 4.4 Kitkat.
Now if you are worried about developers creating apps for S800 processors, then be cool. The S800 hasn't hit the Samsung Galaxy line yet at which point it will probably reach maximum market penetration.
And when you say memory hogging apps and stuff, I can only think of one case: games. All other apps like Facebook, Twitter and what not are designed to work on the maximum number of phones. Their aim is again market penetration and not faster performance. You can argue that it is a combo of both but I hope you see the point I am trying to make.
Now if you are thinking about games: fret not. The best/most demanding/a large number of games are usually made for iOS and then ported over to Android. So in this case you should probably be praying that Apple doesn't come up with better hardware than it already has. Because until this point Android phones and specifically Qualcomm has been able to reach upto or in some cases beat Cupertino's best hardware.
So relax, have fun and buy the One.
P.S: If you feel that the One is slowing down after a year or so, then again unlock -> root -> overclock.

True in regards to gaming, currently the GPU is faster than the iPhone 5 even when running at 1080p
Its pure performance lies between the iPhone 5 and 5s however when games are scaled from 720p or less they can still match the iPhone 5s (like Asphalt 8)
keeping in mind gaming on the HTC one requires root if you want to disable thermal throttling and boost CPU for accelerometer heavy 3D games and if you want to unlock it to full speed 487mhz
iPhone 5s GPU, Egypt HD offscreen 1080p: 56fps
HTC One GPU 487mhz 4.3, 3.17 firmware, Egypt HD offscreen 1080p: 48fps
iPhone 5 GPU, Egypt HD offscreen 1080p: 29.7fps

Everyone, lot of thanks for your opinion, I'd expected some bias since this is HTC One forum, but I think a lot of your answers are quite impartial. :victory:
@I Am Marino @pokosik
One thing I liked of HTC is its physical design: the dimension, colour tone and material.
Nexus devices are great, but I'm not really into Google's plain design, that's about the same with Samsung and LG. Those phones are definitely not bad, but if I can choose HTC One, I'll choose HTC One, if design aspect is the only single consideration.
I think I'm going to emphasize on the hardware durability and future-proof-ness aspect.
what are you guys thinking? (e.g @Liam0102 said One won't slow anytime soon, perhaps in 18 months).
@hamdir thanks for the review. I have read it. Z1 has some quirks, but they are relatively minor compared to its form-factor.
Big screen is nice. A lot of things like watching movie is better of bigger screen, but my problem lies within holding and handling a large phone. 5 inch phones feels and looks awkward when I hold it. Perhaps it's just a matter of getting used to it, but holding those 5 incher feels strangely like being an attention seeker shouting "here look at my phone" I'm not sure but I think it's also gonna be easier for those prying eyes LOL.
Yet another runours there going to be Z1 mini.. will definitely look at it.
IMHO Z1's slab glass design is classy, but i'll choose One anodized aluminium any day of the week.
I'm still open to any suggestion.
Cheers! :victory:

Which one do you guys prefer HTC one or galaxy s4?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app

Switched from the s4 to HTC one yesterday.loving it so far. don't miss any of the touchwiz gimmicks from the s4, had rooted and gone with pacman Rom anyway.
Loving the build quality of the one.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

@WhizzWr
Well the HTC One is not that small either but certainly lighter and more pocketable than the Z1
but there is one factor you are forgetting here
both the speakers, earphones and sound recording quality on the HTC One are still unmatched, out of this world even
if you ask me its worth the asking price itself, equally if you like shooting photos of your friends and family HTC Zoe, low light and video highlights are gold
as for durability the HTC One is a sealed single piece design, also the metal is a little slippery, a cover like the official double flip cover or at least a transparent slim cover is a must, it also prevents you from feeling the heat during heavy use since the HTC One body is design as heatsink for the CPU, it can heat but it quickly gets of rid of it as well

Hmm, thx guys, maybe I'll switch
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app

Don't forget there's the Z1 Mini! There are images rolling around with it next to the Z1. Rumored to have the same specs just with a smaller, iphone sized screen.
IMO I'd wait until after 4.3 if getting this phone. You may end up with one of the purple low light cameras. The final 4.3 release is supposed to fix it apparently.

getbacktosrinu said:
After updating to ICS, the lag was horrible on my Pro. I rooted and flashed many ROM's but none were good enough.
So I bought the One.
If your main concern is that the phone will become slow within a year or so, then forget it. Google itself is pushing the new Nexus 7 which has a modified S4 Pro. The S600 on the One should be as fast as that one, at the very least. And because Google itself pushes new versions of Android every year or so, the One should be fast enough until after Android 4.4 Kitkat.
Now if you are worried about developers creating apps for S800 processors, then be cool. The S800 hasn't hit the Samsung Galaxy line yet at which point it will probably reach maximum market penetration.
And when you say memory hogging apps and stuff, I can only think of one case: games. All other apps like Facebook, Twitter and what not are designed to work on the maximum number of phones. Their aim is again market penetration and not faster performance. You can argue that it is a combo of both but I hope you see the point I am trying to make.
Now if you are thinking about games: fret not. The best/most demanding/a large number of games are usually made for iOS and then ported over to Android. So in this case you should probably be praying that Apple doesn't come up with better hardware than it already has. Because until this point Android phones and specifically Qualcomm has been able to reach upto or in some cases beat Cupertino's best hardware.
So relax, have fun and buy the One.
P.S: If you feel that the One is slowing down after a year or so, then again unlock -> root -> overclock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aha! an ex-PRO user! you must also understand my lagging agony
...and your answer happens to be about the exact answer I'm looking for! :highfive:
The iOS port comment is especially insightful, I never thought of that! Thanks! that's a lot of explanation.
Additionally, While I'm a casual gamer, I'm a heavy multi-tasker (e.g switching a decent amount of apps, opening *a lot* of browser tabs, a little high on widget usage also).
Do any of you think One going to slow down in a year for that usage scenario??

hamdir said:
@WhizzWr
Well the HTC One is not that small either but certainly lighter and more pocketable than the Z1
but there is one factor you are forgetting here
both the speakers, earphones and sound recording quality on the HTC One are still unmatched, out of this world even
if you ask me its worth the asking price itself, equally if you like shooting photos of your friends and family HTC Zoe, low light and video highlights are gold
as for durability the HTC One is a sealed single piece design, also the metal is a little slippery, a cover like the official double flip cover or at least a transparent slim cover is a must, it also prevents you from feeling the heat during heavy use since the HTC One body is design as heatsink for the CPU, it can heat but it quickly gets of rid of it as well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, 5inch vs 4.7inch isn't that far apart. You are spot on, pocketable is the keyword. I'm actually more a 4-incher guy, but One design is rather efficient in terms of space usage (no extra gaps, etc), thanks to it's unibody build.
Sound quality is a big plus, will note that.
I don't take photo a lot. Any decent camera will do.
Again I appreciate everyone who has give their share of opinion.

Thread closed,
Phone comparison threads are not allowed. Which this has turned into.

IMO: HTC One vs Galaxy S4 (if you are torn between the two)

Author's comments: I have always loved HTC phones, my first high-end phone was the original HTC EVO and I am the maker of the Azrael ROM for that phone (which eventually became Azrael X). I also was a proud owner of a HTC EVO 3D. But I have had my share of Samsung devices as well. I have had the Samsung Captivate, the Samsung Galaxy S3, and most recently the Samsung Galaxy S4. I also tried the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom but found for me it was impossible to store and I did not like the false advertising as it is NO S4. It is gimped compared to the S4.
So to sum it off, I like Samsung and HTC, I am no fanboy, I simply choose the device I think fits me best. I am also aware there are other threads like this, but this is just another opinion or another review, so to speak. I hope this proves helpful if you are on the fence about either device.
CONSTRUCTION:
Samsung Galaxy S4: I have easily broken every Samsung phone's screen I have ever had (except the Captivate, which seems to be to invincible!). Let me get that out of the way before I go anywhere else. Do not think Gorilla Glass will live up to it's name! I am not abusive to my phones but I have dropped them while at work especially. I am sure everyone drops their phone from time to time, or it falls out of your hoodie (which has doomed 2 of my phones).
The Captivate was a little tank, that phone is smaller but it feels substantial in your hands and I feel it is the most well made Samsung phone. The S3 and S4 feel very plastic in your hands because frankly, they are! The screen on both my S3 and S4 broke with small drops on the edge toward where the power button is, which makes me think it is a weak spot. The rest of the phone holds up well, despite feeling like it will not but unless you have a very protective case which protects the screen, it does not take much to break the glass.
But as far as the overall setup goes (button locations, etc) I like the 3 button navigation, gestures are pretty cool but I did not use them much. The removable battery and Micro-SD card ports are great to have.
HTC One: Much better build quality, a slightly smaller screen, and aluminum both look and feel nice. I have only had mine for a short time but I was able to tell right away that I liked HTC's construction a LOT better than Samsung's. The phone looks cooler, is a little heavier in the hands (which I like, actually), and the design is very nice. I have not dropped this phone yet in 3 weeks I have owned it, but I am certain if I did it would hold up better.
Where I like the S4 better is the fact you can open the back up and there is a Micro SD-card expansion the HTC lacks. If you carry tons of stuff on your phone, the S4 might be a better bet. I also like the 3 navigation keys on the S4 compared to the HTC One's 2. It took me a bit of getting used to navigating the phone without a back button.
My opinion: Samsung Galaxy S4 has more expandability and I like the fact you can access the battery. But for build quality, there is no comparison. The HTC One is better built and would hold up better.
DISPLAY:
Samsung Galaxy S4: I love the display but I have a few reservations. It is 5.0 Inches with 441 PPI, colorful, and overall very nice with a sharp full-HD resolution. I found the S4 has slightly exaggerated colors, which sometimes look "off" to me. I found even the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, with it's smaller and lower resolution screen, looked way better thanks to improved color accuracy and the brighter display. The S4 Screen was a bit of a letdown for me, to be honest. Still nice for what it is but I feel they could have made it better.
HTC One: Hands down, a much better display, despite it's slightly smaller size. It is full HD, 4.7 Inches, and an extremely high 468 PPI. The HTC One has one of the best cell phone displays I have ever seen, it is more or less perfect. The PPI is higher than the Samsung's and the colors pop without being over-saturated. It has better contrast than the S4 too, which only has an advantage of a slightly bigger screen.
My opinion: No contest, the HTC One display is sharper, better contrast, and higher quality. The S4 is .3 inches bigger, which is not much. Both look good though
SOUND QUALITY:
Samsung Galaxy S4: Another area I think Samsung dropped the ball is the sound quality. The Galaxy S4 sounds awesome with headphones, no doubt. Yet the built in speaker is low quality and distorts easily at higher volumes. In fact, the S3 had a superior speaker compared to the S4. While loud in a quiet room, it's easy to miss calls unless you have it on vibrate as well. Call quality is good but the earpiece speaker is pathetic. Mine distorted easily, barely went loud enough, and had a tinny sound. The S3, again, had a superior speaker for the earpiece. I also found a lot of the ringtones are downright annoying and I had trouble picking one I really liked. Thankfully, custom ROMS have their own versions that are good.
HTC One: Front facing stereo speakers that sound good and go very loud, Beats Audio, a good earpiece speaker, and amazing sound that comes from the headphone jack. For Multimedia experience, the HTC One walks all over the Samsung Galaxy S4. With sound more than display, there is NO question which is the superior device of the two for music or Multimedia. The built in ringtones and sound samples are superior and sound cooler (unless you are into animal sounds or ethnic sounds).
My opinion: I think the S4 is far inferior to the HTC One is sound, the S4 seems to use low quality components (except the headphone jack circuitry and DAC). The HTC One by a landslide.
USER INTERFACE:
Samsung Galaxy S4: Uses Touchwiz, a lot more like vanilla Android. I like Touchwiz a lot and find it both easy to navigate and easy to use on a regular basis.
HTC One: Sense, which I have always loved. While I am not as used to it as Touchwiz, Sense looks good, has good functionality, and I do like the news and social feeds.
My opinion: This is purely personal preference. Both work good and are easy to figure out. I prefer things about both, I think Touchwiz is a little bit easier (but I am more used to it) and Sense has more features. Both are great.
SPECS:
Samsung Galaxy S4: For raw horsepower, on paper the Galaxy S4 is a step up from the HTC One. Super fast, great with games, and lag is rare. But, I also have seen the S4 lag quite a bit even when just using the phone. In actual use, the S4 is the slower of the two usually. Surprising but true.
HTC One: In execution, I have seen no difference in games or using the device day to day. Despite slightly lower specs, the HTC One is just as fast and if the S4 is faster (which it should be according to benchmarks), you do not see it in use. In fact, the HTC One seems to be the faster of the two in actual use. Benchmarks and specs are great but useless in actual use.
My opinion: Both are snappy and are great for games. I would not buy one or the other because of the specs, but in theory the S4 is slightly superior (but you are splitting hairs, really). Both are currently 2 of the fastest devices around. I find the HTC One the faster of the two in actual use, which is surprising.
CAMERA:
Samsung Galaxy S4: with 13 Megapixels, a back-lit sensor, and a bunch of image editing options, the camera is more than adequate for most people. The front facing camera is pretty decent too, I have managed to take some great photos with the S4 as I am sure anyone can. Ghosting around moving objects is the Achilles heel with the S4.
HTC One: With a 4 Megapixel "Ultrapixel" Camera, though it sounds worse on paper, I find they both tradeoff in the camera department. The colors are less vibrant but more natural looking in general on the HTC One. I found the image stabilization to work better on the One, so it is easier to get a better shot.
My opinion: For more vibrant looking photos, or for larger blowups of taken photos, the S4 is the pick. For more natural color, better image stabilization, and a wider angle, the HTC One is the better device. They both have good cameras though, and I am sure they will satisfy anyone who likes to snap photos with their phones. I prefer the HTC One camera overall though.
DEVELOPMENT:
Samsung Galaxy S4: Awesome developers with decently active development going on. But Samsung has been more active in trying to prevent tampering with the phone, so it is harder to root it and get past the protection. The removable SD Card can save your butt if you get into a bootloop as it allows you to have another means to push a different ROM (or firmware, etc) onto the phone if you get into trouble.
HTC One: HTC is a lot more helpful when it comes to unlocking the phone for developers. They even have a website which allows you to get root access (though still S-On) and is simple to use with full instructions. Once you have done that, getting full S-Off, changing firmwares, and even turning your device into more customizable versions (like the Google Play edition or Super CID which is unlocked) is easy to do. The development is as active as the S4 with a lot of very good developers that have been around a long time.
My opinion: The HTC One is your ticket if you want an easier time gaining full root access and not having to worry about HTC coming out with new ways to thwart you from getting full access. In fact, users with newer Galaxy S4 phones have a bootloader that has yet to be fully cracked, which causes a headache and prevents you from easily changing radios or firmwares. It also requires you to use tricks just to put a custom ROM on the phone.
CONCLUSION: Both amazing phones, you cannot go wrong with either. Both are fast, run the newest versions of Android, and have tons of features.
For raw horsepower, removable storage, and a more vanilla-Android like interface the S4 may be the better phone for you.
For MUCH better sound and video quality, a better and more durable build quality, and a chipset that seems just as fast, the HTC One is your meal-ticket. It is also much easier to customize, so if you want to install and run custom ROMS and keep the ability to run custom firmware and radios, the HTC One is yet again the better advice. If you like Sense, you will love the HTC One!
To me, the HTC One is a better device in all ways that are important. A large part of a smartphone is the display and sound for the games and multimedia, and in that respect the HTC One is the better device.
I will likely have to edit this for mistakes but I hope this is helpful and I tried to be as subjective as possible. Both are super nice and show that technology in these phones is quite amazing and will just continue to improve over time. :good:

Good to hear your opinion. Now mods can you close this thread. What a waste of writing.
No comparison thread, you should know this.

Duuuuuuuude! This is very very detailed,
But its probably gonna get closed man. Comparison threads like this have been closed multiple times in the One forums already.
That being said I agree with most of the points you've covered except for a few.
- You mentioned the button layout and said the One is missing the back button... I'm sure you meant the menu button though. Like it or not "menu" buttons are gonna die out. Googles design philosophy opts for the on screen 3 dot menu buttons inside apps.
- I'm not sure how your s4 managed to match the One in speed. In my time comparing the two directly, the S4 has noticeable lag compared to the One. The One is much smoother in real world use. Benchmarks are completely useless imho.
- Also I know its subjective but the consensus around here seems to be different when it comes to Sense vs Touchwiz. You said both are easy to use, and that Sense has more features. Actually, Touchwiz definitely has more "features" to the point of being bloated and gimmicky. Sense is much leaner and easier to use imo. Sense isn't bloated with things nobody will ever use, part of why its a cleaner faster experience I think.
- Not sure what you mean by the s4 being a good choice if you want a more vanilla android experience... Touchwiz is about the furthest away from vanilla android you can get. If your referring to the legacy menu button then as I've said before, that is actually against googles design philosophy, look at nexus devices. No menu button.
Good write up for the most part, and I agree with your conclusion. :thumbup:
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

Xstop said:
Good to hear your opinion. Now mods can you close this thread. What a waste of writing.
No comparison thread, you should know this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not meant as a comparison thread, rather my own experience with the phones and to help choose between the two as choosing a device is difficult. For one, what do you care if I write this, does it interfere with your day to day life? Are you a "thread police officer"? At least my thread could be helpful, yours is more of a waste of writing IMO.

FanDroid09 said:
Duuuuuuuude! This is very very detailed,
But its probably gonna get closed man. Comparison threads like this have been closed multiple times in the One forums already.
That being said I agree with most of the points you've covered except for a few.
- You mentioned the button layout and said the One is missing the back button... I'm sure you meant the menu button though. Like it or not "menu" buttons are gonna die out. Googles design philosophy opts for the on screen 3 dot menu buttons inside apps.
- I'm not sure how your s4 managed to match the One in speed. In my time comparing the two directly, the S4 has noticeable lag compared to the One. The One is much smoother in real world use. Benchmarks are completely useless imho.
- Also I know its subjective but the consensus around here seems to be different when it comes to Sense vs Touchwiz. You said both are easy to use, and that Sense has more features. Actually, Touchwiz definitely has more "features" to the point of being bloated and gimmicky. Sense is much leaner and easier to use imo. Sense isn't bloated with things nobody will ever use, part of why its a cleaner faster experience I think.
- Not sure what you mean by the s4 being a good choice if you want a more vanilla android experience... Touchwiz is about the furthest away from vanilla android you can get. If your referring to the legacy menu button then as I've said before, that is actually against googles design philosophy, look at nexus devices. No menu button.
Good write up for the most part, and I agree with your conclusion. :thumbup:
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, and I am glad you agree with my conclusion. I think Touchwiz is a lot more like vanilla Android, but opinions are just that. As far as looks go, for behavior sure it is nothing like Google's version of Android. The extra button makes it easy to navigate for me. But as I said, I am just far more used to it (plus my S3 had the same.)
I totally agree, the S4 seems the slower of the two devices in use, especially when just using the interface itself. The S4 seemed to lag a lot out of the blue, maybe because they just have so much junk running in the background? I have been running custom ROMS (much cleaner) with overclocked kernels so my S4 was snappy and lost the lag problems, but with the HTC One I did not even have to do that.

ricsim78 said:
It is not meant as a comparison thread, rather my own experience with the phones and to help choose between the two as choosing a device is difficult. For one, what do you care if I write this, does it interfere with your day to day life? Are you a "thread police officer"? At least my thread could be helpful, yours is more of a waste of writing IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is definitely a comparison thread. I mean its pretty much the definition of a comparison thread haha.
He is not a thread police officer but he is right. And this thread is going to be closed once an actual "thread police officer" notices it. Sorry man, these threads are just plain against the rules.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

Just an fyi....
Gorilla glass has nothing to do with how easily a screen breaks, it is a coating which makes it scratch less easily

crixley said:
Just an fyi....
Gorilla glass has nothing to do with how easily a screen breaks, it is a coating which makes it scratch less easily
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand that, but some people may be under the illusion it is strong. I did...before I had the S3 and it broke being dropped less than 3 feet onto an office carpet.

FanDroid09 said:
This is definitely a comparison thread. I mean its pretty much the definition of a comparison thread haha.
He is not a thread police officer but he is right. And this thread is going to be closed once an actual "thread police officer" notices it. Sorry man, these threads are just plain against the rules.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess things have changed here, I have not really used the forums much in a long time. I am not trying to break any rules or do a direct comparison thread, I just know it is hard to pick a phone (I had a heck of a time choosing one more than once) but IMO there is no comparison (hence why I own a HTC One now and had a S4 )
Mods, if this is against the rules please close it and sorry. But even if 1 person finds it useful, it is no waste. I also have seen a few other threads like this on here and they were not deleted (hence why I thought it was okay).

ricsim78 said:
I understand that, but some people may be under the illusion it is strong. I did...before I had the S3 and it broke being dropped less than 3 feet onto an office carpet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glass is glass....
They never ever marketed it saying it would survive falls better.
So I think to say it doesn't live up to its name is fallacious

crixley said:
Glass is glass....
They never ever marketed it saying it would survive falls better.
So I think to say it doesn't live up to its name is fallacious
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While Samsung did not (they DO list it as a feature), Corning, the makers of Gorilla Glass, DO market it is the strongest glass you can buy that comes on a phone. If you do not believe me, Google it. It can give you false impressions about it's strengths, but I have dropped my HTC Evo and my Evo 3D (in fact, the Evo 3D fell out of my pocket and rolled down concrete steps) and they both survived without a scratch. I think it is the design of the S4 (glass covers the whole front of the phone) that contributes to this.

Thread closed.
As stated this is a comparison thread and these are not allowed under forum rules. The forum moderators have discussed this and decieded to have the thread closed.

[Poll and Discussion] HTC One M8 or Galaxy S5?

Which of the two do you prefer and why? I'd like to hear especially from those who have used both phones. I've used the M8 and was quite impressed, but haven't used the S5 yet.
Link to poll on M8 forum:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2697930

M8 hands down. Yes I have used both. If you really care so much about the camera, buy a digital camera. Yes the S5 has a far better camera. If that isn't of concern m8 is the clear winner in my opinion. The galaxy phones feel like they are made by playskool. You just can't beat the premium feel of an HTC device. Not on the feel but just overall quality & craftsmanship. It's such an easy pick for me. Sure there are some things I would have changed but last years m7 & the m8 are amazing.

Sim-X said:
M8 hands down. Yes I have used both. If you really care so much about the camera, buy a digital camera. Yes the S5 has a far better camera. If that isn't of concern m8 is the clear winner in my opinion. The galaxy phones feel like they are made by playskool. You just can't beat the premium feel of an HTC device. Not on the feel but just overall quality & craftsmanship. It's such an easy pick for me. Sure there are some things I would have changed but last years m7 & the m8 are amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree about the camera. Nice to hear from someone who's used both and can see through the camera.

Sammy for me.
Better specs, better camera, removable battery, water-resistance. If I were choosing phones based on looks, I'd be posting on MacRumors right now.

ecksor said:
Sammy for me.
Better specs, better camera, removable battery, water-resistance. If I were choosing phones based on looks, I'd be posting on MacRumors right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The main thing luring me to the M8 is the superior UI, and ART. Also, if the S5 doesn't ship with ART compatibility I won't even consider it (display models don't have the option). M8 also survived an hour underwater in some video I watched. On specs, I find the small difference negligible.

SolarTrans said:
The main thing luring me to the M8 is the superior UI, and ART. Also, if the S5 doesn't ship with ART compatibility I won't even consider it (display models don't have the option). M8 also survived an hour underwater in some video I watched. On specs, I find the small difference negligible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wasn't there an image that surfaced from Korea showing the S5 with ART compatibility?
Heres the link: http://www.sammobile.com/2014/03/20/samsung-galaxy-s5-supports-the-new-android-runtime-art/
Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

msavic6 said:
Wasn't there an image that surfaced from Korea showing the S5 with ART compatibility?
Heres the link: http://www.sammobile.com/2014/03/20/samsung-galaxy-s5-supports-the-new-android-runtime-art/
Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I guess they disabled it on display models. Now I may give some consideration to the S5

I was hoping Samsung made a premium build phone as some of the innovative software is good but unfortunately they went with same old cheap band aid look plastic finish. Terrible but love their marketing almost convinces you to buy the damn thing even though it's plastic.
Camera is the only thing which I prefer the s5 over m8. Every other dept it's m8 looks feel and Looks again. Design finish and sense love it.

I hear ya. Unfortunately, there aren't any S5 displays in my area so I can't give them a good comparison. I've heard people say it's WAY better than they expected though.

S5, no question about it. I'm not going to pick a device simply because it's made out of metal. That's a bonus, sure...but when it's completely lacking in every other aspect, the metal body doesn't make up for it.

Well if you plan on flashing a ROM, the build is about all that matters (and camera). I still thing Sense 6 is ahead of TouchWiz though.
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk

riz157 said:
I was hoping Samsung made a premium build phone as some of the innovative software is good but unfortunately they went with same old cheap band aid look plastic finish. Terrible but love their marketing almost convinces you to buy the damn thing even though it's plastic.
Camera is the only thing which I prefer the s5 over m8. Every other dept it's m8 looks feel and Looks again. Design finish and sense love it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If i used the phone without protection i would agree with you but since I usually just buy a ballistic case or something to protect against falls (I drop it quite often, otherwise I wouldn't buy a case) I would get the plastic finish feel anyways. S5 for me

What is HTC? lol :silly:

dandroid13 said:
What is HTC? lol :silly:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait what ?
Not sure what you're asking, but HTC stands for High Tech Computers.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

SolarTrans said:
Wait what ?
Not sure what you're asking, but HTC stands for High Tech Computers.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, I was just trying an irony...

dandroid13 said:
lol, I was just trying an irony...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha I gotcha XD
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Ok so I went to a local AT&T store and used the M8 and S5 one in each hand for about 20 minutes tonight, and this is what I noticed (in a pros-cons list of each). Note I am 6'3" with pretty large hands. I didn't test the cameras, as 1. I don't use smartphone cameras and 2. We all know the S5's is way better. This is more subjective stuff with build, feel, and UI.
S5 Advantages:
-SCREEN!! The AMOLED screen on the S5 was absolutely gorgeous. I put the setting on "professional photography" or something like that, and everything looked absolutely superb. The M8's screen was also nice, but I liked the color on the AMOLED display much better (especially the whites).
-The lock button on the right side was very natural and comfortable to press. Much more so than on the M8.
-White model felt nice in the hand (not an advantage, but notable)
-Haptic feedback. This is probably adjustable, but the S5's was shorter and not as "deep". The M8 shook a little much for me.
M8 Advantages:
-Length and on screen buttons. With the S5, I found myself having to reach my thumb down a little too far to reach the buttons. On the M8, the buttons were in a perfect spot and were very pleasant to use.
-Motion gestures. It was very nice and natural to unlock the phone by swiping up when the screen was off.
(I put this post in a couple of threads because it is relevant).
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk

SolarTrans said:
Well if you plan on flashing a ROM, the build is about all that matters (and camera). I still thing Sense 6 is ahead of TouchWiz though.
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really -- The S5 has better specs in just about every single category compared to the M8.
-Weighs less
-Faster CPU
-Bigger/better display
-Better camera
-IP67 cert (Water/dust resistant)
-Better battery, which is also removable
-USB 3.0
The only thing that I feel the M8 has over the S5 is the metal body. Aside from that, I don't see the reason to pick a clearly inferior device. Of course, both are great devices, regardless. However, when compared, why would you go with the inferior device, especially if you planned to upgrade anyway?
Either way, to each their own. Everyone has different preferences

Everyone who is dissing on Samsung for the plastic really needs to try it out in person. I used to have an M7, so I know how amazing that and the M8 feel. But the S5 is nothing like the S3 or S4. It feels more like my Moto X than anything, minus the rubberized coating on the X. Very solid.
Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk

karmuh said:
Not really -- The S5 has better specs in just about every single category compared to the M8.
-Weighs less
-Faster CPU
-Bigger/better display
-Better camera
-IP67 cert (Water/dust resistant)
-Better battery, which is also removable
-USB 3.0
The only thing that I feel the M8 has over the S5 is the metal body. Aside from that, I don't see the reason to pick a clearly inferior device. Of course, both are great devices, regardless. However, when compared, why would you go with the inferior device, especially if you planned to upgrade anyway?
Either way, to each their own. Everyone has different preferences
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The CPU speed difference is so small it's most likely irrelevant in day to day use. Sense is less intensive, so they'll most likely run the same in day to day usage. Besides, I didn't notice a difference when I tried them. The other things are nice hardware bonuses, but the software and feel are more important to me. This is where I think HTC edges out Samsung (oh, and BoomSound). That, and I have no need for a better camera, IP67 (never get my phones wet/dusty), and USB 3.0 (I rarely hook up to the PC and if so only for flashing). So for my personal tastes, this leaves Samsung's hardware advantages at the battery (the M8's is also pretty killer though), screen, and weight. The M8's overall feel is just a little bit better for me. Not having to stretch so far for the buttons is big, and a skinnier body makes 1 handed use easier. To each their own, but for me the One just edges out the S5 (for now). There's still 4 days before my M8 ships, so I very well could change to the S5, but this is where I'm at right now.
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk