Smartphone Wars! HTC One (M8) Vs Samsung Galaxy S5
HTC earlier today launched its much rumored flagship Android powered handset, the HTC One (M8). Building upon the widely appreciated design traits that the original HTC One bought to the table, the HTC One (M8) tries to raise the bar even further.
The phone, like its older sibling is a design masterpiece. And this time, it also has the killer hardware that would let it stand up up to any of its contemporaries.Speaking about contemporaries brings us to the all important, Samsung Galaxy S5. The Galaxy S series, on to its fifth generation device now has never failed to deliver for Samsung. The same is also likely to happen with the Galaxy S5, which people would continue to lap up in mind boggling numbers around the globe.
With the launch of the HTC One (M8), it is inevitable that these to stalwarts would be compared. Why then show we at The Inqusitr be left behind? Here is a pure spec by spec comparison of the HTC One (M8) and the Samsung Galaxy S5.
| HTC ONE (m8) | Samsung Galaxy S 5 | |
| Announced | March, 2014 | February 2014 |
| Dimensions | 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4 mm | 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm |
| Weight | 160 g (5.64 oz) | 145 g (5.11 oz) |
| Sim Type | Nano SIM | Micro SIM |
| Networks | GSM/HSDPA/LTE | GSM/HSDPA/LTE |
| Display | 5.0 inch, Super LCD 3, 1920*1080 pixels | 5.1 inch Super AMOLED, 1920*1080 pixels |
| Gorilla Glass 3 | Yes | Yes |
| Memory | 16/32 GB Plus memory card slot, 2GB RAM | 16/32 GB Plus memory card slot, 2GB RAM |
| Camera (Main) | Dual 4 MP, 2688?1520 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash | 16 MP, 5312 x 2988 pixels, phase detection autofocus, LED flas |
| Camera (Secondary) | 5 MP, 1080p@30fps, HDR | 2 MP, 1080p@30fps |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, 720p@60fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., video stabilization | 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, HDR, video stabilization, dual-video rec. |
| OS | Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat) | Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8974AB Snapdragon 801
Quad-core 2.3 GHz (US/EMEA)/ 2.5 GHz (Asia, China) Krait 400 |
Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801
Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 |
| GPU | Adreno 330 | Adreno 330 |
| Battery | Non-removable,2600 mAh | Removable 2800 mAH |
Now that you have checked out the main specifications of both the handsets, here are our observations.
Processing power
The HTC One (M8) is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801 chipset. This variant of the Snapdragon 801 is called the MSM8974AB and houses a processor inside it that runs at 2.3 Ghz with its quad cores. The Samsung Galaxy S5 too gets a similar chipset – but a slightly different variant,the MSM8974AC if you notice carefully. This chipset houses a slightly faster processor that runs at 2.5 Ghz – giving the S5 a tiny advantage on the performance index. Both the devices come with 2 GB RAM.
Displays
Both the handsets get full HD displays. While Samsung chose to go with its tried and tested AMOLED display, the HTC One (M8) boasts of a more sober Super LCD panel. The display on the Samsung is slightly larger at 5.1 inches compared to the 5.0 inches on the HTC One (M8).
Video Recording
Samsung also gets the advantage with its video recording with the device being able to capture 4k (2160p) videos at 30 fps. The HTC One on the other hand can only do full HD videos. The HTC One (M8) also misses the all important Optical Image Stabilization feature from the previous model.Sad.
Camera
Initial reviews of the HTC One Ultrapixel camera still aren’t that great. Also, the fact that it “only” captures a 4 megapixel image might not go down too well with the general populace who equate more megapixels to better picture quality. Samsung gets a 16 megapixel camera.
Software
Both the phone run Android 4.4.2 (Kitkat) – albeit with their own customized individual variants of the Sense UI and the Touchwiz UI for the HTC and Samsung, respectively. The Blinkfeed UI on the One has seen an update this time as well.
Sensors
While these have not been mentioned in the table above, the Galaxy S5 trumps the HTC One (M8) with its wide variety of sensors that make it to the specs sheet. The sensors you won’t see on HTC One (M8) would be the fingerprint scanner, barometer, temperature, humidity, gesture and the heart rate sensors. That is comprehensive!
Battery
The HTC One (M8), even with its larger and overall thickness, gets a slightly smaller battery – rated at 2600 mAH than the S5. The Samsung Galaxy S5 on the other hand gets a 2800 Mah battery – even with its new-found slimness.
We will take a detailed look at the HTC once we get hold of a review unit. In the meantime though, the device looks to be a beast of a phone that has the design and the specs going for it. While you might dislike it on certain grounds, and for it being slightly less potent than the S5, there is no denying the fact that the HTC One (M8) would be a great phone to buy this summer.
While the Samsung Galaxy S5 would only arrive by April 11, HTC has already started sales of the HTC One (M8) in the US through Verizon Wireless for $200 and a two-year contract. It will also be landing in other countries in the near future.
