Samsung Galaxy S4 or HTC One

[nick_elt]

Drama Shot, Burst Shot, Share Shot, Smile Shot, Group Play, Smart Pause, Smart Scroll, Smart Rotate, Smart Stay, Direct Call, et al.

Not saying that they're not useful, to each their own, but if you don't use a lot of that it comes across as bloat-y

uh i don't think that you know what bloatware is.

 

[sentinelsx]

I'm actually quite surprised the HTC One is winning given Samsung's popularity.

I suspect some voters simply prefer the look of it!

I would say this is just a repeat of last year when One X was compared to S3 and One X was "the winner".

I am amazed at how fast the Xperia Z is dropped from a possible contender to something that doesn't deserve a head to head poll It is like people like to have only 2 choices.

 

[jrswizzle]

I'm actually quite surprised the HTC One is winning given Samsung's popularity.

I suspect some voters simply prefer the look of it!

Me too - I'm very interested how this will turn out as far as sales go.

I really was watching that GS4 announcement hoping and expecting to be wowed and to be buying it....but all I did was think (1) this is the most ridiculous keynote ever and (2) that seems very similar to the GS3 - except for the myriad of new features I don't think I'd have any use for.

If the HTC One's battery is decent and it gets somewhat timely updates - that will be my next Android phone....though next on the list to see if the Motorola Phone X/Nexus 5 and what's going on there.....

And of course rumor is Samsung is releasing their Tizen-run smartphone this fall.....

 

[nick_elt]

I'm actually quite surprised the HTC One is winning given Samsung's popularity.

I suspect some voters simply prefer the look of it!

wont equal in sales

 

[jrswizzle]

I would say this is just a repeat of last year when One X was compared to S3 and One X was "the winner".

I am amazed at how fast the Xperia Z is dropped from a possible contender to something that doesn't deserve a head to head poll It is like people like to have only 2 choices.

Might have to do with the no go in the US (we get the ZL) and the poor screen reviews - a pretty big factor.

 

[sentinelsx]

Might have to do with the no go in the US (we get the ZL) and the poor screen reviews - a pretty big factor.

If verge and some other bloggers are to be believed then HTC already failed in battery life department .

 

[matttye]

uh i don't think that you know what bloatware is.

Sure I do.

It's software that tries to do too much and becomes bogged down with features.

I would say this is just a repeat of last year when One X was compared to S3 and One X was "the winner".

I am amazed at how fast the Xperia Z is dropped from a possible contender to something that doesn't deserve a head to head poll It is like people like to have only 2 choices.

I know what you mean. Personally I've never used a Sony Android phone, but the waterproof feature is something that would come in every useful. Being able to use your phone in the rain/pool/bath without worrying about it must be awesome.

Me too - I'm very interested how this will turn out as far as sales go.

I really was watching that GS4 announcement hoping and expecting to be wowed and to be buying it....but all I did was think (1) this is the most ridiculous keynote ever and (2) that seems very similar to the GS3 - except for the myriad of new features I don't think I'd have any use for.

If the HTC One's battery is decent and it gets somewhat timely updates - that will be my next Android phone....though next on the list to see if the Motorola Phone X/Nexus 5 and what's going on there.....

And of course rumor is Samsung is releasing their Tizen-run smartphone this fall.....

I don't have use for a lot of the features either. Perhaps one of the best features for me was not the phone itself, but the HomeSync device.

wont equal in sales

I agree!

 

[jrswizzle]

And back to topic, GS4. Why?

1. Both the inspire and One X had terrible battery life compared to captivate and galaxy S3 in my experience.

2. It has always been as easy as follow 1,2,3, so on simple instructions to take off the touchwiz from a galaxy, and install AOSP. Love that. ODIN is brilliant. I could be a noob for example, but flashing a firmware through odin would be no different from flashing evasi0n on iPhone. Dirt simple. No S-On/Off crap, no need to go to a site unlock bootloader. No need for anything.

My biggest reason to buy GS4 is just that: easy AOKP ROM on it while enjoying the camera, battery, audio, and a 32GB expandable storage.

My turn off would be SAMOLED. If it is bright enough however, i won't have an issue.

I have no love for sense however. I would rather use vanilla android. That is just my opinion.

Ya, SAMOLED is a HUGE bugaboo for me....especially since the news is the GS4 is still pentile

I'm not a jailbreaker or a rooter - prefer to simply set up and use, and don't mind the overlay so long as it isn't overpowering. If the battery life can be decent (just get me through a day on a day charge with pretty average usage) I think I'll be sold....

But I'm with you on the vanilla android opinion - if Google can wow with the Nexus 5 or Motorola Phone X, that will definitely be it. I don't have many complaints with the Nexus 4 - save the camera and the battery.

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I stand corrected on the Pentile matrix of the GS4......from another thread:

New S4 uses "diamond matrix" and not pentile?

Image

This would take away one of my bigger disappointments with the GS4....while I'm still not a huge fan of AMOLED, the Pentile matrix really turned me completely off to the GS3

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

HTC One. No competition.

Why?

PenTile. AMOLED. Cheap materials. Terrible build quality. Ugly design. Terrible cameras. Spec sheet filler software features that are half-baked, DOA, useless, hard to invoke and don't work.

It's impressive but only to elementary school kids who are just learning about numbers and that 13 is larger than 8.

HTC One?

RGB. Super LCD. IPS. Aluminum. Quality materials. Exceptional build quality. Clean, industrial, elegant design. Amazing cameras. No spec sheet filler crap that doesn't work.

It's impressive. Period.

HTC is quietly brilliant. Samsung is loudly retarded.

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Ya, SAMOLED is a HUGE bugaboo for me....especially since the news is the GS4 is still pentile

I'm not a jailbreaker or a rooter - prefer to simply set up and use, and don't mind the overlay so long as it isn't overpowering. If the battery life can be decent (just get me through a day on a day charge with pretty average usage) I think I'll be sold....

But I'm with you on the vanilla android opinion - if Google can wow with the Nexus 5 or Motorola Phone X, that will definitely be it. I don't have many complaints with the Nexus 4 - save the camera and the battery.

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I stand corrected on the Pentile matrix of the GS4......from another thread:



This would take away one of my bigger disappointments with the GS4....while I'm still not a huge fan of AMOLED, the Pentile matrix really turned me completely off to the GS3

PenTile or "diamond", both are pretty terrible compared with normal RGB.

Nexus 4 could have been perfect. Save for two things. Poor battery life (with no LTE) and lack of LTE. I can't speak for everyone but where I live, the difference between 3G/faux 4G and 4G LTE is huge. Mobile broadband is the backbone of the phone. Everything smartphones do nowadays depend on it. Most apps require a data connection for core functionality. Emails, push notifications, GPS, etc. all need data. And a smartphone is increasingly useful on the go where you might not have WiFi available. So the lack of LTE is pretty disturbing.

 

[nick_elt]

HTC One. No competition.

Why?

PenTile. AMOLED. Cheap materials. Terrible build quality. Ugly design. Terrible cameras. Spec sheet filler software features thatcheck e half-bcomparisons.
OA, useless, hard to invoke and don't work.

It's impressive but only to elementary school kids who are just learning about numbers and that 13 is larger than 8.

HTC One?

RGB. Super LCD. IPS. Aluminum. Quality materials. Exceptional build quality. Clean, industrial, elegant design. Amazing cameras. No spec sheet filler crap that doesn't work.

It's impressive. Period.

HTC is quietly brilliant. Samsung is loudly retarded.

----------



PenTile or "diamond", both are pretty terrible compared with normal RGB.

Nexus 4 could have been perfect. Save for two things. Poor battery life (with no LTE) and lack of LTE. I can't speak for everyone but where I live, the difference between 3G/faux 4G and 4G LTE is huge. Mobile broadband is the backbone of the phone. Everything smartphones do nowadays depend on it. Most apps require a data connection for core functionality. Emails, push notifications, GPS, etc. all need data. And a smartphone is increasingly useful on the go where you might not have WiFi available. So the lack of LTE is pretty disturbing.

haha, posts like this crack me up. when did cheap aluminium become better than polycarbonate? its just your perception. i find battery life more important. lets come back in 6months and check sales comparisons i

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amazing cameras? show one review that uses those words for the one, all it has is better low light shots nothing more.

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quietly brilliant? their stock holders prob think too quiet.

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loudly retarded? well getting pretty ****en loud by all standards.

 

[0dev]

Still not sold completely on the S4 (might be better value to buy a cheap S3) but it's better than the HTC One for sure. If my HTC Sensation is anything to go by, HTCs look good and feel nice but they're crappy hardware with high mortality. From what I've heard about the 8X and One X, not much has changed in this respect, and I don't expect anything great this time either.

Plus, on a software front, although I used to prefer Sense, I think TouchWiz has the edge now. Don't agree? Just flash another ROM, Samsungs come with unlocked bootloaders. Meanwhile just wait for someone to hack S-OFF with the HTC. Have fun with that one, hope it was worth the easily scratchable metal that's apparently so much better than plastic for some reason or the other...

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

haha, posts like this crack me up. when did cheap aluminium become better than polycarbonate? its just your perception. i find battery life more important. lets come back in 6months and check sales comparisons i

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amazing cameras? show one review that uses those words for the one, all it has is better low light shots nothing more.

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quietly brilliant? their stock holders prob think too quiet.

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loudly retarded? well getting pretty ****en loud by all standards.

Cheap aluminum? You know why cars are made of metal and not plastic? If plastic was so superior why are many structurally rigid items made of metal and not plastic? Cranes, cars, storage containers, keys, etc. Plastic is much cheaper than aluminum. Battery life is indeed important. But you and I both don't have any data on that just yet. And nowhere did I say battery life is not important.

All it has? You know that low light performance is a big differentiating factor between a <$1000 DSLR and a $4000 DSLR? How much light a sensor "sees" is the fundamental to how a camera performs.

HTC's engineering is not determined by their stock holders nor their share price. For example, Sun Microsystems had some of the best engineers yet they failed as a business. HTC's engineering is far superior to Samsung. Their stock prices have nothing to do with how well their engineers perform.

Samsung is loudly retarded. They made a big effing deal about the S4 just like last year with the S3 and the end product is basically some crap in a dumpster. They talk the talk but can't walk the walk. Baby steps.

----------

Still not sold completely on the S4 (might be better value to buy a cheap S3) but it's better than the HTC One for sure. If my HTC Sensation is anything to go by, HTCs look good and feel nice but they're crappy hardware with high mortality. From what I've heard about the 8X and One X, not much has changed in this respect, and I don't expect anything great this time either.

Plus, on a software front, although I used to prefer Sense, I think TouchWiz has the edge now. Don't agree? Just flash another ROM, Samsungs come with unlocked bootloaders. Meanwhile just wait for someone to hack S-OFF with the HTC. Have fun with that one, hope it was worth the easily scratchable metal that's apparently so much better than plastic for some reason or the other...

Crappy hardware? You seem to forget that the SoC is largely the same between both devices. Performance is very similar (of course not identical but not significantly better/worse). The display is a lot better. IPS over AMOLED. RGB over PenTile/diamond.

I'd take quality aluminum over some cheap plastic toy any day.

 

[2298754]

Samsung is loudly retarded. They made a big effing deal about the S4 just like last year with the S3 and the end product is basically some crap in a dumpster. They talk the talk but can't walk the walk. Baby steps.

I'd take quality aluminum over some cheap plastic toy any day.

This is the most stupid **** I've heard here in days.

HTC is too hung up on appearance to make a truly great phone and suckers like you are falling perfectly into their trap. Great! I hope you buy your hunk of aluminum crap. It will be worthless in a few months and be abandoned by HTC, just like the One X was.

If HTC is so brilliant, why did they release the One X+ 6 months after the One X? Surely, they were so brilliant and knew about better hardware in the future. How about the Droid DNA? Already irrelevant by the One and it just came out in the Fall. Were they not brilliant enough to hold off for a few months?

 

[The Game 161]

HTC great design but the insiders better than S4? no not to me..

 

[onthecouchagain]

Then from the same logic the following is bloatware on my iPhone 5:

Newsstand
Siri
Apple Maps
iTunes store
iOS mail app
iOS calendar app
iCloud features
Passbook
iOS videos app
Voice memos app
Stocks
iOS weather app
Game center
Do not disturb
Twitter and facebook integration
FaceTime
Nike + iPod


Since i don't use any of that. That's a lot of bloatware eh.

+1. This is why I wasn't interested in talking about usability. Usability is entirely relative.

Which is also why I said Samsung should be commended for their efforts and not for whether every little thing get implement is useful or not.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

This is the most stupid **** I've heard here in days.

HTC is too hung up on appearance to make a truly great phone and suckers like you are falling perfectly into their trap. Great! I hope you buy your hunk of aluminum crap. It will be worthless in a few months and be abandoned by HTC, just like the One X.

HTC didn't abandon anyone. They released an update for the 2012 One series right? And promised to make Sense 5 available too. How is this abandoning? A little slow? Sure. Abandon? No.

You seem to think if you don't get updates right effing now that you're abandoned. The One X someone bought a few months ago still works 100%.

 

[F123D]

Samsung is loudly retarded. They made a big effing deal about the S4 just like last year with the S3 and the end product is basically some crap in a dumpster. They talk the talk but can't walk the walk. Baby steps.

I don't remember seeing a single One X user last year but did see S3 users on a daily basis. Not sure who's taking baby steps here.

 

[McCool71]

They made a big effing deal about the S4 just like last year with the S3 and the end product is basically some crap in a dumpster.

Pfft. The S4 and to a large degree (still) the S3 surpasses any other phone out there when it comes to its total combination of features and possibilities. It might not be the best in every field, but the sum of its parts will be hard to beat for anyone the coming year.

Cheap plastic? Come on - you know very well that the type of materials you call 'plastic' in phones are not the kind of plastic you have in 1 dollar toy cars. Your comparision to cars to validate metal as a desired material is amusing though, because in high-end cars plastic-based materials are preferred. Not because they are cheap, but because the durability and weight is superior to other options.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

I don't remember seeing a single One X user last year but did see S3 users on a daily basis. Not sure who's taking baby steps here.

Terrible logic. Just because you see it more often does not mean anything. HTC is not taking any baby steps. They are doing terrible financial/sales wise. They have immense pressure to make a breakthrough product and have it sell well. They took a lot of huge risks with the One. Like only a 4 megapixel camera. Marketing that is tough since consumers are used to high megapixel count. Also BlinkFeed. It's not some random crap they added at the last minute. Some people may like it, some may not. Samsung? TouchWiz is not that different than before.

Samsung's S4 is not very different in overall design than the S3. No big features (that pause feature isn't going to get a large number of people to upgrade...). Maybe the gloves thing could. But it's not an everyday feature (well for some it might be) that really makes a big difference. It's not as big as say Project Butter or Android 4.0. It's just meh. The S3 was no slouch. Having a more powerful chip while most applications these days (except for games) don't really need much CPU power anyway is a waste. For business users, an 8 core chip over a 4 core chip won't make sending emails faster. Or reading news stories. For entertainment, movies and music aren't played any better. For the average user, it will allow you to multitask with more apps being responsive and whatnot, but it's not like we're trying to do THAT much on a phone anyway.

Pfft. The S4 and to a large degree (still) the S3 surpasses any other phone out there when it comes to its total combination of features and possibilities. It might not be the best in every field, but the sum of its parts will be hard to beat for anyone the coming year.

Cheap plastic? Come on - you know very well that the type of materials you call 'plastic' in phones are not the kind of plastic you have in 1 dollar toy cars. Your comparision to cars to validate metal as a desired material is amusing though, because in high-end cars plastic-based materials are preferred. Not because they are cheap, but because the durability and weight is superior to other options.

Yes, no one is arguing that Samsung pads spec sheets with features, most of which are half finished and don't work reliably. The sum of the S4's parts is pretty easy to beat. Most of it doesn't work. I forget which blog site said this, either Engadget or TheVerge. It's not hard to beat something that doesn't work.

Oh come on. Plastic-based?!? There is a difference between plastic and plastic-based materials. Just like cotton fibers and carbon fibers. Both are "fibers" but you wouldn't use cotton fibers to make the car frame would you? I mean you could and for all I know that could revolutionize the car industry...

 

[0dev]

Crappy hardware? You seem to forget that the SoC is largely the same between both devices. Performance is very similar (of course not identical but not significantly better/worse). The display is a lot better. IPS over AMOLED. RGB over PenTile/diamond.

I'd take quality aluminum over some cheap plastic toy any day.

Yes, crappy hardware. The specs are fine but the QC is terrible for HTC these days. It might last six months without faults if you're lucky. They're not what they were.

Samsung's display tech kicks LCD's ass. Super AMOLED makes any LCD you compare it to look like washed out crap.

You enjoy your "quality" aluminium right up until it attracts all those highly visible scratches. If you want to avoid that you can of course put it in a case like most people do anyway, but then why does it matter what the phone's made of in the first place?

 

[matttye]

Terrible logic. Just because you see it more often does not mean anything. You're not saying much when you point out you seem it more often.



Yes, no one is arguing that Samsung pads spec sheets with features, most of which are half finished and don't work reliably. The sum of the S4's parts is pretty easy to beat. Most of it doesn't work. I forget which blog site said this, either Engadget or TheVerge. It's not hard to beat something that doesn't work.

Oh come on. Plastic-based?!? There is a difference between plastic and plastic-based materials. Just like cotton fibers and carbon fibers. Both are "fibers" but you wouldn't use cotton fibers to make the car frame would you? I mean you could and for all I know that could revolutionize the car industry...

Have you used one yourself or are you basing your opinions on other people's opinions?

Didn't have many problems on my S3. Nearly everything worked well. Battery life could've been better...

 

[Tig Bitties]

If you need a new phone right now in the next month or two, the S4 for sure. It's super thin at 7.9mm but packing a large 2600mAh, and very efficient hardware, should be great on battery life, plus you can carry an extra battery too if needed, and get another 20 hours right away, can't do that on the HTC. And development will be gangbusters on the S4.

But if you can wait, I would. 2013 will see some more amazing new phones yet. The Google X phone, the Nexus-Five, Windows Phone 8.5, and see what Apple does with their new iPhone.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Yes, crappy hardware. The specs are fine but the QC is terrible for HTC these days. It might last six months without faults if you're lucky. They're not what they were.

Samsung's display tech kicks LCD's ass. Super AMOLED makes any LCD you compare it to look like washed out crap.

You enjoy your "quality" aluminium right up until it attracts all those highly visible scratches. If you want to avoid that you can of course put it in a case like most people do anyway, but then why does it matter what the phone's made of in the first place?

Yea, I'll take my display in reality not over-saturated thanks.

So plastic doesn't scratch? Plastic is terrible for a number of reasons. First, plastic is harmful to the environment. It's not as recyclable as aluminum and other materials. Second, it's an insulator. Not really doing the SoC any favors for keeping heat trapped in rather than spreading it out. Third, it creaks. Out of the ~10 Samsung Galaxy devices (S2, mostly S3 and some other various Galaxy line phones), all of them creak when I press a button or grip the sides or something. Fourth, the plastic is glossy. So while it's not unique to plastic, it will get kind of slick/slimy/slippery feeling because of the oils in your skin. Some people with less oily skin won't find it as much of a problem. But I have somewhat oily hands apparently since the S3 kind of felt slimy after I used it for a while. I could wipe it of course.

The logic that most people use a case, therefore the phone's materials doesn't matter is pretty retarded. It's just justification for the phone's cheap materials that you have inherently admitted. I'll bite though. Yes, you're right. But that doesn't mean plastic is better than aluminum. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's better/worse. I don't see the studs in my walls. But I sure as hell want them to be made of solid wood over say plywood or particleboard. Just because solid wood is a better/more expensive material.

Have you used one yourself or are you basing your opinions on other people's opinions?

Didn't have many problems on my S3. Nearly everything worked well. Battery life could've been better...

I used the S3. I've read some early reviews on the S4 from various tech blogs (Engadget, TheVerge, etc.). I didn't like the S3 so I passed it to a friend who wanted one. I had it for over a month and I used it quite extensively.

 

[McCool71]

Oh come on. Plastic-based?!? There is a difference between plastic and plastic-based materials.

There are literally hundreds of different materials that the common layman in all his ignorance would call 'plastic'. Of course one doesn't use the same type of 'plastic' in a phone as one would use in a toothbrush or a button or a drink bottle or a Lamborghini.

I'll never understand the logic behind thinking that materials that scratch and dent with way more visible results than 'plastic' is in any way superior in a device like a phone that gets a lot of abuse during its lifespan. Especially not when the same people cover up the 'premium materials' with rubber casings to protect them from damage, making their phones look like toys in the process.

 

[F123D]

Also BlinkFeed. It's not some random crap they added at the last minute.

One of the most asked questions about the HTC One is, "Can you turn off blinkfeed?"

just like last year with the S3 and the end product is basically some crap in a dumpster.

The S3 was no slouch.

Please make up your mind.