By 
So you’ve read both our HTC One M8 Review and our Samsung Galaxy S5 Review and you still can’t decide which to get. Welcome to the universe… you’re not alone. They’re both great phones – best on the market, even – but neither are perfect. Read on as we pit them head to head in several categories before giving you the verdict on which to call your own.
Design & Hardware
HTC and Samsung have gone two very different directions with the designs for their flagship phones.
HTC has worked hard to craft a device that looks and feels premium, putting appearance and personality above all else. That all starts with a metal unibody frame that looks beautiful, feels sturdy, and has some nice heft. The iconic front speaker grills command attention.
Samsung foregoes some luxury for the sake of mass marketability, attempting to build the one-size-fits-all device that everybody loves. They’ve done a pretty darn good job thus far. The Galaxy S5 looks more typical, is covered in plastic, has some questionable finishes, and a removable battery cover.
If that doesn’t seem very glamorous, that’s because it isn’t, but those choices also allow Samsung to pull off a bigger screen, in a smaller and lighter package, while cramming in more hardware.
That flexibility will help Samsung in other areas, but from a design perspective the HTC One M8 is a notch above all of the competition, including Samsung’s S5.
Hardware Winner: HTC One M8
Overall Score: 1 to 0 (HTC One M8)
Display/Screen
Whether you’re talking about phones, TVs, computers, or even touch panels on household appliances, displays are something that Samsung always seems to get right. The Galaxy S5 screen is no different: it’s hands down the most gorgeous screen I’ve ever seen on a mobile phone… and I’m not the only one with that opinion.
That’s a bold statement, but it’s worth noting that the HTC One M8 isn’t far behind. The key difference is the outrageous level of brightness, vibrancy, and contrast found on the Galaxy S5 display. For some people the One M8 screen might be preferred because it looks less artificial with more natural colors. If that floats your boat, go for it- but I’m personally picking the S5 and sticking with it.
From a spec standpoint their displays are nearly identical:
- One M8 Display: 5-inch, Full HD 1920 x 1080, 442 ppi
- Galaxy S4: 5.1-inch, Full HD 1920 x 1080, 432 ppi
This is a matter of preference of course and the choice is made much more difficult when comparing the phones side by side. In reality, whichever phone you choose to use, you’d be incredibly happy with the display. Both the One M8 and Galaxy S5 have market leading screens, but I heavily prefer the latter above all else.
Screen Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
Overall Score: 1 to 1 (tie)
Software & Experience
The Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 both run Android 4.4 KitKat and each overlay their own custom UI- the S5 with Touchwiz and the One M8 with Sense 6. Taking advice from users longing for more of a stock Android experience, each company has vowed to tone down the bloat while still delivering added value through unique integrations throughout the software.
For home screen experiences HTC brings Blinkfeed to the table while Samsung offers My Magazine. They both let you customize an easily accessed feed with social network accounts and news content, but Blinkfeed is much more robust while My Magazine seems a bit half baked. Thankfully you have the option to remove both- but give Blinkfeed a chance, it works well enough to consider keeping onboard.
Navigating your pages and apps is much easier with the HTC One for two primary reasons: the app drawer is designed distinctly different from your home pages and the it follows many more of Android’s standard guidelines. Samsung’s Touchwiz app drawer looks so similar to the home screens that it’s easy to confuse the two, wander with your finger, and get lost.
Diving into the settings is where the software customizations go next level. Samsung has thankfully buried some of its highly touted settings of generations past, but they’re mostly still available, which makes exploring and finding the settings you want a bit of a chore. Each have some really great comparable features worthy of praise such as:
- Do Not Disturb / Blocking Mode
- Battery Saving Options
- TV remotes to go with the IR Blasters
- Greatly improved camera software
That being said, Samsung still has some fat to trim from Touchwiz. In addition to a slight delay when opening native apps like dialer and contacts (we’re talking fractions of a second), the experience can seem scattered, with incomplete experiences in some areas and too many options in others. If Samsung can choose focus areas and reinvest their energy to initiatives they deem most important, they’ll be doing themselves and their customers a huge favor. Right now they seem undecided on far too much, which provides HTC with the opportunity to walk away with the software category.
Software Winner: HTC One M8
Overall Score: 2 to 1 (HTC One M8)
Camera
The divergent approaches of Samsung and HTC don’t end with design: they’ve gone completely different routes with their cameras. Mobile cameras have become somewhat of a megapixel marketing war with consumers crowning the bigger number the better camera. If you chose the better camera based purely on megapixels, Samsung would be crowned prince automatically, besting HTC by a megapixel count of 16MP to 4MP. The Nokia Lumia 1020 – a Windows Phone with a 41MP camera – would be crowned King.
But it isn’t all about megapixels. Really, megapixels determine how many pixels are in your photos, which directly correlates to their size (in dimensions and file size). The majority of photos taken with your phone are shared only on the web, which means even the 2688 by 1520 pictures taken with the One M8’s 4MP camera are too big for Facebook.
That doesn’t make the Galaxy S5’s 16MP camera overkill, though- it has its benefits. Want to blow up a picture as a poster or canvas? Or perhaps zoom in on a part of a picture? The Galaxy S5 is the only one between the two that can perform this luxury with any significant quality.
The prerequisite of doing anything with your photos is having good photos you want to do something with. In perfect, sunny conditions, the Galaxy S5 probably slightly edges the One M8 in terms of photo quality. As soon as those conditions change it’s the HTC One M8 camera that is better able to handle adversity. I want consistency in a smartphone camera and if I wanted a great camera for traveling I’d opt for a DLSR, point-and-shoot, or Galaxy Camera before either of these.
But wait: the HTC One M8 has some magic up its sleeves. It doesn’t just have a dinky 4MP camera on its rear… it’s got TWO lenses: one actually takes the photo and the other collects depth information, allowing for some amazing effects and wizardry with what HTC calls the Ultrapixel Duo Cam. Samsung has a software-based post production alternative, but it doesn’t come close to touching HTC’s 2 lens phenom in that department. The duo cam is not a gimmick… it works amazingly well and is an absolute blast to use.
Taken with Galaxy S5
Taken with HTC One M8
To top it all off, the HTC One M8 has a 5MP front facing camera that ensures selfie snappers are delighted.
Travelers using a mobile phone as their only camera might disagree, but for its consistency, outrageously fun duo cam integration, and attention to selfie detail, I’m giving this highly debated category to the HTC One M8.
Camera Winner: HTC One M8
Overall Score: 3 to 1 (HTC One M8)
Multimedia
The name multimedia inherently dictates that more than one form of media is being discussed. In the case of this comparison, though, I’m going to cut to the chase: the HTC One M8 BoomSound speakers put it several horse lengths ahead of the Galaxy S4.
Most phone’s these days have an earpiece at the top front of the phone and speakers either somewhere on the side or on the back. In the case of the Galaxy S5 it’s on the back, bottom left. The HTC One M8 meanwhile boasts dual front facing speakers that not only look epic, but sound epic.
I often find myself in odd situations where I’m using my phone as a jukebox. If you do too, you won’t find a phone whose speakers sound more loud and full than the BoomSound speakers on the HTC One M8. Since some people label gadgets as “sexy”, I’m calling the One M8’s speakers voluptuous: it’s a full and beautiful sound that carries itself well.
I find myself wanting that great sound in so many situational moments. Sometimes it’s sitting on the couch playing an immersive game like Dead Trigger 2 and the sound effects bring excitement to the action. Sometimes it’s with a group of friends with whom I want to share a Youtube video without cupping the speaker and oddly switching between looking and listening, looking and listening. Other times it’s just talking to someone on speaker phone and expecting good sound quality.
You’ll get okay sound quality with the Galaxy S5 but the further you turn up the volume the more tinny and shaky it sounds. That being said, Samsung’s audio quality while headphones are plugged in or while using bluetooth is very good. Nothing though – and I mean nothing – tops HTC BoomSound at this point in time.
Once again, there will be plenty of people who never use their phone speakers who disagree with this pick… and that’s fine. That’s good for you to know and you should calculate it into your personal buying decision.
Multimedia Winner: HTC One M8
Overall Score: 4 to 1 (HTC One M8)
Performance
This is a hard category to pin down, not only because benchmarks between the two devices vary based on what benchmarks you choose, but also because manufacturers have begun adjusting their hardware to specifically perform better in benchmarks. Not to mention, how you use your phone in real-life may vary from what the benchmark scores for and taking it one step further, how YOU use your phone will differ from me- and thus we could have totally different experiences.
Based on my experience using both devices extensively for over a week, they were both top notch. They both were as swift and smooth as I’d expect from flagship phones by top manufacturers.
That being said, while I experienced virtually no hiccups from the Galaxy S5, I spotted a few roadbumps while using the HTC One M8. It’s quite possible that the blame should be placed on the shoulders of an app developer whose bad coding caused something flukey.
In the end, both devices performed so well that the winner came down to a rather nitpicky decision, but I’m comfortable picking the Galaxy S5 since my experience with its hardware performance was close to flawless. Stock Android evangelists may notice a slight delay (fractions of a second) in navigating, which can likely be blamed on Touchwiz.
Both devices run a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with the Galaxy S5’s being a tiny bit beefier.
Performance Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
Overall Score: 4 to 2 HTC One M8
Battery
Where HTC picks up the win on design it simultaneously picks up the loss on battery life, but not because it didn’t perform well. Both phones had above average battery life that usually lasted me through the day without concern. The S5 and One M8 now both have special modes you can place your phone in for when battery life is at a premium and you desperately need to conserve.
Although battery life was comparable, I’m going with Samsung on this category for two primary reasons:
- I preferred Samsung’s Power Saving Mode which offered two different severity levels as presets, especially enjoying the option to remove the backlit buttons and turning the phone gray scale.
- Samsung’s back cover is removeable, so should I start to use the phone more heavily and require a bigger battery, an extended battery will likely be available. It’ll make the phone thicker, but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?
It should be noted that Samsung’s battery is slightly larger at 2800mAh compared to the One M8’s 2600mAh.
Battery Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
Overall Score: 4 to 3 (HTC One M8)
Wildcards
Some features simply don’t fit into a category and in typical Samsung fashion, there are a bunch in the Galaxy S5. Only this time, instead of packing all the fun into the Software, Samsung has done some really interesting things on the hardware side.
The home button now doubles as a finger sensor, allowing you to lock your screen and other areas of your phone by sliding your finger over the home button and scanning your fingerprint. We’ve seen the idea in the iPhone 5S and although Samsung’s version doesn’t work as well yet, it’s still a pretty interesting feature tossed into the mix.
On the back of the phone is another sensor- a heart rate monitor. Activate it through Samsung’s S Health app, which is becoming quite the lifestyle hub, and it can read your heart rate by placing your finger over a grooved indentation just below the rear camera. It’s an accurate feature and definitely cool, but similar to the fingerprint scanner you’ve got to be incredibly precise where you put your finger, making it a bit frustrating.
The finger scanner and heart rate monitor are cool wildcards, but likely limited in use to a select percentage of the population. However, one new Samsung hardware feature takes the wildcard section all on its own: weatherproofing.
The Galaxy S4 is IP67 certified which means you can use it in the rain, drop it in the toilet, use it in the shower, even submerge it in a couple feet of water while still recording video (don’t go any deeper)! If you’ve ever needed to replace a phone due to water damage you’ll appreciate this greatly and in reality, EVERY phone should have this feature. No longer do you need to fear water when you’ve got your S5, you can embrace it!
Wildcard Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
Overall Score: 4 to 4 (tie)
Verdict
A tie? Blasphemy!
In all honesty it’s a pretty telling conclusion: both phones are great, include some awesome features, but have their flaws. Their pros and cons come in different areas, making each phone suitable for different types of people.
Personally, I’d go with the HTC One M8 because I’m dying for its audio experience, love its camera to pieces (simply fun to use), and have a separate camera I use for traveling. I’m a Galaxy Note 3 owner and would love try something new while I keep one eye on the upcoming Galaxy Note 4.
The Bottomline
Declaring a decisive winner is up to you, not me, as you’ll weigh the value of the above categories far differently based on your preferences and circumstances. Here are some suggestions based on the above.
Should you get the Galaxy S5 or HTC One M8?
- If you listen to music on your phone constantly, get the HTC One M8
- If you use your phone’s speaker often for music, videos, or games, get the HTC One M8
- If you travel often and this will be your primary camera, get the Galaxy S5
- If you’re clumsy or want to treat your phone with some liquid disrespect without breaking it (rain, shower, toilet, Seattle) , get the Galaxy S5
- If you prefer a finely crafted device made of metal instead of plastic, get the HTC One M8
If you fit into a combination of the above, walk into a store, play with each, and make your decision with hands-on experience. If you want further counseling, don’t trust one sales person at random, instead head to Android Forums for advice from thousands.
And lastly, here is the spec comparison for your convenience:
Which would YOU choose?
[polldaddy poll=7979095]
So the answer it, it’s up to you? Thanks a bunch. Haha
It’s always up to you! Personally, though, I chose the M8 hands down (for myself).
You need to get drunk again and come on the podcast. Yep, I remember : )
I’m surprised you gave the Camera to the M8, I thought you could do a lot of the same things with the S5 camera, selective focus, etc.
The only problem with selective focus is that there’s a distance requirement for your subject(s) and it seems like sometimes it doesn’t seem to recognize the subject at all. At least in my time with the device.
Every camera, be it on a phone or an actual DSLR, has minimum distance requirements for focus to work properly.
I’m aware of that. I just worded my comment wrong I believe. I should have said the distance requirement is wonky as sometimes it doesn’t seem to recognize my subject at all, unlike my DSLR (then again what do I expect from a smartphone)
ive read that selective focus on the s5 is shoddy. Even in the image above you can see it blurring out part of the “in focus” bottles and glasses on top, where HTC’s foreground and background separation works much more accurately and quickly.
Did you look at the M8 pic? its even worse! Look around the guys arm and between their heads… it jumps off the picture. I am not saying either is good at this, or which one is better at it…. but a comparison of just these two pictures would have to go to the S5.
i didnt even notice the guys arm in the pic above lol. I don’t have either phone nor have i used either, i was just saying from what ive read from multiple reviews, that seems to be the consensus that the m8’s blur was better
the better of two terrible implementations of a poor feature is still a terrible implementation of a poor feature.
Neither for the win
I automatically scrolled down to see if there was a poll to vote on… surprised there wasnt… :-
But we all know who the winner is…. say it with me…. the HTC One M8 #caseclosed
I just with they’d gone with IP67, seems like it would be so easy with their sealed case.
I’ll add a poll. Thanks for the idea.
add a neither option
But that isn’t really the question… the article and question is about choosing between these two.
You’re very welcome kind sir.
Galaxy S5 no question. The camera is definitely better with GS5
You’d save your time writing by doing a quicker review. Line the 2 phones up together and shoot them with a rifle. That’s seems to be the new format of review nowaday.
… But will they blend?
The blur around that guys arms is HORRIBLE.
thank you. the duo camera crap is as bad as any after focus processing. it aint the real deal.
That was included in our M8 Review as a primary flaw of the Duo Cam. I probably should have used a different picture for this article.
That being said… if your Duo Cam UFOCUS ends up being less than perfect like this, you can always use the original photo it took.
I see you’re finally rinsing off your phone after putting it in the toilet. ;-)
That was a very anti-climatic comparison, if not well framed…. Gave the M8 a dramatic early lead only to have the S5 come from behind to tie it all up!! Lol
I really didn’t plan on it being a tie and thought I might get pummeled in the comments if I didn’t go on a limb and pick one. I could have combined performance and battery sections but chose to stick with my original format.
I value the categories where the M8 won much more than the categories the S5 won so for me.. it wasn’t as close as the article seems.
I’m just giving you hard time. :-) I actually enjoyed it. You laid out the pro and cons of both, which is actually pretty informative. It was subjective as well. You can’t beat a subjective article. If anything, it saves you from getting hammered by fanboyism.
I voted m8 out of these two, but owning an m7 (and LOVING it), and comparing it with someone’s m8 side-by-side, I’ve concluded the following:
S5 and m8 are both good phones, I like the m8 better. I’d rather wait for the m9, since I’m supposedly getting Sense 6 on the m7 anyway.
You say at the end “If you travel often and this will be your primary camera, get the Galaxy S5” yet you listed the M8 as the winner in the camera battle. I’m confused.
The HTC One M8 is a great camera for just taking pictures and sharing to social media. Some people who travel want BIG pictures with LOTS of pixels so they can do something with them BESIDES posting to social media… or at least have the option for that.
So the real question is: will your pictures stay limited to the web? If so, HTC One M8. If not and you plan to do more with them, you’ll prefer the S5 if you don’t have a dedicated camera.
So the S5 is a better camera but less convenient for uploading pictures to the web?
I see what you did there…
Edit – but to be honest, I think the M8 has a more enjoyable camera app and gallery to use. One thing that wasn’t mentioned in the article is that HTCs camera shutter speed is a lot faster than the S5’s. Especially when considering shutter speed when flash is on… no comparison at that point
Both shutter speeds are almost instant.
The One M8 is better (and more fun) in my opinion, but you can’t upsize them for use off the web or you’ll lose picture quality.
You guys just lost a shitton of credibility by giving the one a camera win. gsmarena calls it mediocre at best and they are not alone.
The One M8’s camera is FAR from mediocre
We all know gsmarena loves samsung though.
Agreed, only review of the 2 cameras where HTC wins… every other review I have read puts GS5 ahead.
but scaling 16mp to 5mp can do wonders
You have the Analytics mini? WANT!
We all know HTC can do no wrong to most people here, even though their sales figures would say otherwise.
same thing can be said about all the anti iphone rants
Samsung literally pays students to say what you just said, and bad mouth htc all over the internet…
Try again buddy. I’ve owned a plethora HTC devices. Just not feeling their new line up of phones. I don’t even like the S5 either, lol.
I think you mistake my meaning. I made a statement of fact, not accusation.
I feel that way about Samsung after owning the GS2, Galaxy Note 2, HTC Incredible, and now the One M8. Touchwiz is giant pile of doodoo to me. I owned the iPhone 5s for the past six months and couldn’t bring myself to own another plastic phone.
Even though you use plastic cases…yeah.
at least we can replace the battery, have a plethora of accessories and custom roms, and our phone doesn’t erase itself when someone puts the unlock code in wrong
I knew you’d pick a tie lol. TW us is definitely slower but it is what it is.
Honestly didn’t intend on making it a tie… which is why I chose the HTC One M8 despite it being 4 to 4. I didn’t want to cop out which is why I chose a winner in each category, but also didn’t want to adjust my actual score just to make sure I had a clear cut winner. Kind of sad because the whole point was to pick an actual winner, unlike other sites that seem to straddle the PR line.
OK so after actually reading this review I was pretty impressed. Rob didn’t choose the usual “winners” in certain categories and I liked that it was subjective but still added in bits of his opinion here and there. I don’t agree with everything but its definitely a great comparison!
As far as the cameras go, did you happen to test any shots of moving objects? I have an HTC Sensation (yes, i know…) and when i try taking shots of anything moving, it becomes blurred in the picture. My other pet peeve is the lag after hitting the shoot button to when the picture is actually taken. Any feedback, based on your experience with these cameras, is appreciated – i’m deciding between one of these 2 guys as my long overdue replacement
practically, the S5 is just 99% blurry anyway….since I can never hold is steady long enough for a shot
sharing huge picture files is also a whole lot more difficult going to people with email space quota
4-11 MB is not a huge file.
Can you say cop out? Any touchwiz device that wins in performance was not based on usage of that device in real life. I have owned five galaxy s phones, (captivate, epic, epic touch, skyrocket, and s4)touchwiz is a dog, and not in the playful faithful friend sense. In the gross, poop eating butt sniffing, “what the hell is he barking at?” sort of way. I don’t agree with the way performance was measured here, wish you would do a side by side of tw and sense in a real life application… Maybe I smell a new more in depth article about the generations of both and how they shine now.. and where they still slump.
Wild card also sounds like “gimmick points” which is where Samsung focuses all their attention, where htc made front facing speakers and touch wake gestures, which since they are functional not niche they gain no ground… Strange. Heart rate sensor? Poorly functioning fingerprint lock? Oye. How about some 3d glasses and a slap bracelet?
Waterproofing is 100% not a gimmick. I mostly dismissed the Finger Sensor and Heart Rate monitor in my discussion of Wildcards. I gave BoomSound the entire multimedia category. Not sure what else you want.
I can see your point regarding TouchWiz, but there is a difference between performing slow and just having plain bizarre things happen that don’t make sense. That happened to me on the One M8 and not S5.
I suppose that’s where we differ, the waterproofing goes under build/design in my book, and there is no wild card category to win. Not even to mention my personal lack of concern for water damage as I’ve never had any in x years of phone use, and the feel of the battery cover makes my skin crawl… Meaning Samsung still loses in my view. But to each their own phone.
That whole wildcard category was a BS way to get to a tie. GTFO
(1) I chose a winner… the HTC One M8
(2) See my comments elsewhere on “getting a tie”
(3) How would you suggest I handle that category? Should I have made a “Waterproof” category? A “finger print scanner” category? There are a lot of subjective decisions you’ve got to make and I did what I thought was the most sense. Not to mention, I picked a winner in every single category and despite the tie, selected one as the best.
(4) I’d prefer to STFI but you’re welcome to do as you please.
The M8 did have some water resistance but is not advertised for it. However, the S5 has higher IP grade on water resistance though.
By the way, you made a typo saying the S4 has IP67 certified, where it should have been the S5.
“The Galaxy S4 is IP67 certified which means you can use it in the rain…”
It was a fine article haters gonna hate. I fell in love with the HTC One M8 and bought it after playing with it for an hour. The HTC One feels more Apple then the iPhone.
I agree – throw in wildcards that are gimmicky at best on the Samsung, but forgot to include extremely useful features from the M8 like the Motion Launch gestures. Being able to tap or swipe my screen to wake it up is so great that now I have issues with my tablet and my wife’s phone as the tap/swipe won’t work!! I actually have to push the power button on those. Every phone should have something like this.
Samsung being having them gestures on the gs5 as well as the gs4 and note 3
For camera, M8 is over GS5? BS.
Actually the M8 has a better low light camera. Mega pixels is a shitty metric. If your out doors all the time roll with the S5..
This is the first time I’m on Phandroid and I’m wondering if this is another site that always like the underdog – no matter what, just like Apple-fanboys?
The reason I’m asking is that they gave the camera victory to Htc? Blurry pictures always loses in by book. But I guess they didn’t want to give a 5-3 victory to the S5 which will sell anyway.
There’s no blurry pictures. Common misconception.
S5 camera is far superior to HTC’s. I’ve had a play with both and I’m quite reluctant to say this but you may be right here…they gave camera win to the gimmicky not practical quality cam of S5….surprising…
One other thing about the M8 that you didn’t mention. If you want plain stock Android, you can convert the M8 from the sense version to the GPE version.
Or just run Cyanogen on the S5.
There is no cyanogenmod build for the S5… And cyanogenmod is obviously less stable than GPE software.
Removable back FTW for me. I LOVE the 3-4 day battery life on my zerolemon S3, and I want the same on my next phone. Otherwise the M8 looks awesome, but I need the removable back.
AMOLED vs. LCD is the big one here and Samsung wins hands down. That being said, I plan to get a Note 4 whenever it comes out — so I am pulling for HTC to bury the S5 in sales and finally force Samsung to up their design game above that of a Cracker Jack toy.
The HTC one m8 vs the s5 in overall quality is like a Cadillac svt against a stock smart car lol metal beats plastic all day and if you’re clumsy enough or TOO young to take care of your investment and to drop a $600 piece of hardware in a lake, by all means get the s5. Lol but it’s HTC all the way for me .. if I pay that much for a phone, I want quality build in the end and the m8 feels quality!
The quality is so great, you have it wrapped in a plastic case.
Nope no case, no screen protector on my phone but if I was gonna use a case it’d be the dot view just cause it’s cool that u can use all functions of the m8 without having to open the front flap… Sorry Samsung isn’t quite there yet… Don’t worry they’ll grow up “ONE” day lol
Dot view case? Hahaha That is cheap plastic at it’s worst. It does not fold back flush with the phone, making it very difficult to use. There’s a hole for the front cam, but not for the back one. Good luck trying to take a picture with the flap hanging down. Very poor design. But, who wants to use that camera anyway, right?
Fair enough but I don’t use cases, just a what if thought.. and WHO buys a phone for only a camera lol there is this invention called an actual camera.. but then again if Samsung took camera’s off its phone they’d have to rely on t.v. sales cause that’s the only thing the galaxy actually can do efficiently….. Take pics. Typical every galaxy owners rebuttal “the camera” lol especially when 90% of top android review experts chose the HTC over Samsung.. not ONCE but TWICE lol back to back the galaxy has been beaten by the HTC one last yr and this yr .. the other 10% we’ll chaulk up to poor taste hahhaha enjoy your $600 16mp camera lol u should’ve just bought a $300 SLR and a flip phone lol
If only an SLR would fit in my pocket. Most review “experts” are just wowed over the metal. I don’t use cases either, but 99% of people do. I didn’t buy the phone just for the camera, but it is definitely at the top of the list. Regardless of opinion over the material of the back of the phone, the S5 is built very well. It survived drop tests, being run over by an SUV, and even being boiled for 10 minutes. Saying that taking pictures is the only thing it does efficiently is just blatant ignorance.
Heh, but imagine if you had to throw away your Cadillac after you started it 300-500 times? Might look rather expensive for a disposable car.
Amusing the the “cheap plastic” phone is the one that can work good as new after 1-2 years and the HTC will be limping along on a battery only a fraction as good as new.
Pulling stats out of the air, which is exactly what you are doing here with your battery charging stats, and then bashing people about it makes you look foolish.
A few points:
I’ve never had an iPhone battery go bad in up to 2 years ownership per phone, nor have one of the many people I know with them. My HTC One M7 has seen zero discernable degradation to the battery life, and I’ve had it for just over a year.
Good call Corey nor have I. And I’m an m7 previous owner too and NEVER had an issue with battery .. sorry to say but galaxy users are scared because their time at top is over! Every update to their phone basically looks the same bigger screed and updated camera meanwhile experts call touchwiz their user interface “SLUGGISH” lol
Fact of the matter is that they’re both two awesome flagship devices, but I enjoy a good debate. That being said you can take the device to have battery replaced if necessary but I don’t think I’ll need too given upgrade time is only a yr for me , and HTC is the ONLY company to offer 2 YEARS OF ANDROID UPDATES which is most ppls upgrade time and free screen replacement for the first 6 months given the screen should crack… And to me that’s taking care of its customers… Which you can’t deny is important due to the fact that nothing sucks more than buying the one or s5 and 8mo-yr or so later lollipop gets released and you’re running old software on a new phone
So what you’re saying is, for your money, you would rather someone took a dump in a soda can and sold it to you – than buy a better quality product because it is housed in plastic? Cause I could take a dump in an aluminum can… I have spare time :)
No one with any knowledge of materials science would choose aluminum as the optimum material to house a cell phone. I can’t wait to see what the aluminum fanboys will say when Graphene hits production level manufacturing processes……
You watch too much Tommy boy lol but I am a fan of movie quotes .. so I can appreciate it
I am so very happy that you got that reference!!!!!! Tommy likey… Tommy want Wingey!!!
Did I catch a niner in there? Were you calling from a walkie talkie lol I’m a movie quote junkie myself. There’s not many you could throw at me that I won’t catch lol
Being in the car industry you get to know about metals. Aluminum is lighter, crumples under stress and withstands pressure better than steel. That’s why the industry moves for more use of aluminum….it’s best for all applications. To say HTC 8 use of tin can aluminum is ignoring the fact that airplanes and automobiles use aircraft graded aluminum the same as HTC does. So those of you that discard HTC are plainly ignoring that aluminum is best, and of course much better than plastic. I’m not biased or stupid, HTC 8 is better build because of the materials it uses, period. By the way I own a Samsung S4 and like the phone….just not biased. HTC 8 has a winner here.
Another plus to the removable back on the S5: You can use Samsung’s fancy flip case that replaces the back and keeps the phone super thin. That alone is worth the price of admission, because I hate how most cases make beautifully thin phones fat.* Also there are some wireless charging backs coming out for the S5.
Also, USB 3.0 is kind of a big deal. The phone charges and transfers data really fast. Waterproof is kind of a big deal. The win on battery life on the s5 is big. I went a whole week of hard to occasional use before I had to charge my phone, which is spectacular since it was on WiFi or 4G the whole time. That’s what that easily accessible and not very obtrusive “Power Save” mode does.
No one wants to say the obvious: the S5 is better because they spent their money making a better phone instead of having to work around an interior stuck in a Faraday cage, just to make a phone that will get the approval of people with iPhone envy.
I honestly can’t see how anyone who has had both phones in hand and used them for any amount of time for the things we use phones for these days, can conclude that the M8 is the S5’s equal.
*An iPhone using friend said that there are two kinds of iPhone users: those with a case and those who will have a broken phone if they haven’t broken it already. For all it’s beauty, most iPhone users seem to put their phones in expressive cases that hide all that fine metal. A sensible person who observes this would conclude that this is a gratuitously counter functional feature that goes unused and unappreciated as soon as a rubber case is added.
Very well said!
Touch Wiz alone makes me discard the phone as an option altogether. Sorry, but Samsung has met their match. The only thing I can agree about is the battery thing, however I upgrade every year so its irrelevant.
I enjoyed the flip covers, but they deteriorate too quickly, fraying and such. It’d actually be nice to have a hard plastic design instead of the cloth cover.
The HTC M8 is tempting. But being forced to pitch a $700 phone when the battery dies is a bit much.
So while the S5 is plastic, it’s $100 cheaper, you can add wireless charging, and you can keep a spare battery around just in case. After a year you can replace the battery for $15 or so to get 100% of the original battery life. The nicer (and larger) screen doesn’t hurt either.
Given that most batteries start seriously degrading at 300-500 charges do people really want to ditch a $700 phone to replace a $15 battery?
Never had a battery die, perhaps you want to invest in a tablet if you are power using your phone to the point the 15 dollar battery is worth sticking yourself to one brand. Eating through even one battery in the life of a phone is far beyond the average usage. Most people in the 500 charges range have owned their phone for more than a year and in the USA are within months of having a new phone if on contract, or that phone again… for free most likely if its been two years since release. These complaints are rather moot in reality.
Batteries degrade because of temperature, age, being fully discharged, and just plain being recharged. In fact, on that last one, battery performance will start to take a hit after 500 charging cycles. I know a ton of people who are constantly plugging their phones in or dropping them on a charging mat, 2-3 times a day. After a year, their battery performance tanks.
I practice the following: Never let the battery drop below 5%, try and keep it on the charger until the beginning of the day and don’t put it back on until the end of it, and always buy a phone that allows you to replace the sucker!
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-tips-for-extending-lithium-ion-battery-life/#.
Last year I picked up the S4 and after using it for week or so exchanged it for the M7, mostly due to having small hands and never being able to grip the S4 comfortably.
This year picked up the M8 and may exchange it for the S5, for reasons I did not expect.
1) The volume buttons are extremely sensitive and I am constantly hitting them by accident. Constantly. It is annoying.
2) I loathe the software buttons. I had not used a device with them before, and I really hate them so far. Maybe you can disable them from disappearing, but that seems to defeat the purpose of them. Swiping up from the bottom to have to hit my home button bugs me, and some apps will disable the swipe if you have the wrong edge on the bottom.
The new One M8 is beautifully design and constructed, is fast and has a
great display, uses one of the best manufacturer-customized interfaces
we’ve seen in recent time, and delivers all that without demanding
compromise on battery life.
And if you have decided to become a proud owner of this device, perhaps you’re in the market for a solid and beautiful protection case as well.
http://9cases.com/2014/04/cool-stylish-htc-one-plus-m8-cases-2014/
MEH…My next phone will either be the Oppo Find 7 or the Galaxy Note 4….Loving my Galaxy Note 3 :)
I agree the best phone on the market still is the note 3. I personally can’t use a phone with less than a 5.5 inch display without on screen buttons. If you add on screen buttons then 5.7 is lowest I can use …. Say what you want I am using the HTC Max right now
Picked up a GS5 yesterday – here is my two cents:
I have not always been a Samsung phone fan, I actually used to love HTC, back when they made phones and sold the branding rights. The Audiovox SMT-5600, and I-Mate PDA2k, were great phones in their day…. And both made by HTC. However recently HTC seems like they are always late to the party.
The GS5 has; a much better camera (this is the only review I have seen that gave it to HTC), more sensors (heart rate, and finger print), better battery, larger and higher quality screen (that has consistently been rated best available screen)….. all in a package with a smaller foot print that weighs less – add in IP67 rating to protect the investment and (aside from subjective opinions about aesthetics) it’s an easy win.
HTC has smartened up and put the SD card back in, it’s about time. However removable battery in a cell phone is non-negotiable. Until what point in time we can go a week with heavy use between 30 second charges, it is just plain irresponsible for manufacturers to make a wear and tear component built in and not able to be replaced. I travel, and use my phone on the plane for movies and music (stored on the SD card so I don’t have to pay for airline Wi-Fi), by the time we land any cell phone would need to be recharged…. Unless I can pull out a spare battery and swap them, I now have a full charge and continue on my day without having to be plugged in. Boom speakers – these seem childish to me, not only do I not have any use for them, I find people that do play loud
music/movies/ect. in public to be rude and inconsiderate of others. I do not want to hear the youtube video someone just sent to you, please stop and buy some good headphones. When in the car I use Bluetooth and my car speakers, when at home it goes through my home theater speakers…. Both of which put shame to small speakers stuck in a cell phone. I would rather save the screen real-estate and added weight.
A word on “premium”:
Aluminum is not a “premium” material, I am sorry, but it simply isn’t. I can’t understand where this notion that aluminum is “premium” came from. If I want the “premium” aluminum feel, and a curved back to fit my hand, I will hold a beer can while I use my GS5. Aluminum shows wear more, scratches and dents easier, and is heavier…. no one with any knowledge of materials science would choose aluminum as the optimum material to house a cell phone, they don’t even use it for trash cans anymore! I can’t wait to
see what the aluminum fanboys will say when Graphene hits production level
manufacturing processes……If I wanted something made of metal that looks pretty and
I can show off, I will buy a fancy watch, as far as my cell phone (which is now a mini computer) is concerned, I will take function over form every time.
This is my opinion….There are many like it, but this one is mine.
You drink beer out of cans, nuff said.
Exactly my point – beer out an aluminum can is considered bad… but a cell phone in an aluminum can is supposed to be premium?
Thanks Doug :)
More sensors does not a great cell phone make.
Wise words Yoda! But its true it does have more sensors. Although you are correct.
Right! I died a little seeing they gave the cam edge to HTC…In every other comparison out there it’s clear that HTC’s white balance is not accurate leading to incorrect hues, and (to make things worse), whenever there’s a backlight, everything in the picture immediately washes out.
Both phones are nice, but I never seen any phone came close to the Note 3 in features or function.
I like the HTC the way been designed and the GS5 too. But none will take me from my GNote 3.
Our gui designer who also works at the university, got really tired of that aluminium is considered premium (especially when it feels like it covered by a plastic film like on the m8).
He had some students do a very strange (some would say idiotic) test. From a larger group they selected 50 people how never seen the S5 or M8, but they had heard that the Samsung was plastic or that the Htc was more premium. Then they students told them that the S5 was the M8 and vice versa.
The result: 96% thought one of the phone was much nicer and more premium and much less plastic – which one: the S5.
I don’t care which phone you choose but it seems most people is as biased as most tech journalists.
That doesn’t surprise me.
Premium? Ha! I have an m7. It was beautiful when I bought it, but now it’s wrapped in a case. If you even sneeze on it, boom, dent. Aluminum is not meant for daily use by working people. What’s the point of a “high-end” look if you have to keep it covered in a rubber/plastic case?
I just can’t understand the shallowness of all these tech reviewers pitching the M8 as the superior phone when it only looks better but is otherwise inferior to the Galaxy S5 in pretty much every way what matters.
If you want the better looking phone, get the M8, if you want a more useful phone with better and removable battery, much better camera, more durable, more useful and intuitive software, waterproof, etc, get the Galaxy S5.
Most people who get the M8 will end up very dissatisfied with the camera and the non removable battery will be an issue for many, but this is not the case with the S5
Overall, the HTC One (M8) is a wonderful reinvention of the 2013 handset
we liked so much. There’s innovation, refinement and new features
aplenty that make it a shining example of a flagship device. The bar has
been set high with what will be one tough act to follow.
And if you have decided to become a proud owner of this device, perhaps you’re in the market for a solid and beautiful protection case as well.
http://9cases.com/2014/04/cool-stylish-htc-one-plus-m8-cases-2014/
I have had HTC phones in the past, the HTC One S has turned me completely off of HTC phones and I will never be able to get another one again.
Lemme check the calendar, no it aint April fools day, lol what a joke Htc m8 wins in camera ROFL. and that votes too much ultragimmickpixel fanboys and sammy haters here,
I’m currently using S4 and many plastic phones before it, sure I want an aluminium body phone at least once… even there’s debate here is it premium or not. However, the only one thing that bug me about M8 is camera, I can’t stand this site give a ultra 4mp over 16mp of S5. I guess no new phone for me this year.
I love HTC, but my m7 turned me off completely with that mediocre 4 ultrapixel camera. Pictures werent good at all, so I decided tp get the s5 this time around. Sorry HTC :'(