Over the last few weeks, Samsung and HTC have announced their latest and greatest flagship devices: the HTC One, and the Samsung Galaxy S4 which are soon to be released later this season.
The one distinctive similarity between these smartphones is that their screens feature a 1080p resolution, although the HTC One’s screen is 4.7 inches, and the Galaxy S4 measures out to five inches. Because the screen of the One is smaller, it has a larger pixels-per-inch (PPI) of 469, while the S4 holds 441.
The build quality of the One looks astounding in comparison to the S4, which replicates the design of its younger brother, the S3, compiled of a polycarbonate plastic. Being made of aluminum, the feel of HTC’s tapered device is very solid in the hand. Considering that the dual speakers on the One are placed in the front, sound quality should be very crisp and clear, especially with multimedia playback, which is known as HTC BoomSound. Don’t forget the HTC One also features Beats Audio, giving even more brownie points in a future comparison. The S4 on the other hand has its own “exclusive” features, one them using a sensor which can pause a video when its user moves their head from the screen. This could be problematic for few, as some people may not need to watch a video for the video itself, but rather for the audio playback.
The cameras on each of these devices stand out as well, as the HTC One sports a 4MP UltraPixel camera, in which each pixel absorbs 300% more light in captured photos to provide better quality. A cool feature in this shooter is HTC ZOE, which allows the pictures you take to come to life, as well as turning pictures into three second clips to animate them. If you’ve heard of the popular app Vine, then you’ll have a better idea of HTC ZOE. On the back of the S4 lies its 13 MP camera lens, supporting a new feature called “dual camera” mode, which takes pictures simultaneously from the front and rear cameras, creating a single scene. This feature could be also useful in terms of video chatting, so you can see the person you’re talking to, as well as what they are seeing themselves.
One aspect that the S4 will win in a battle against the One is its removable storage and battery capabilities. The S4 contains 16GB of built memory, with the option of adding more storage of up to 64GB via a microSD card and a removable battery. On the other hand, The HTC One comes with a built in configuration of 32 or 64GB, and a non-removable battery.
Will either of these devices finally be given the title of “the iPhone Killer?” After the iPhone 4 made its debut, I noticed that owning an iPhone was the new “thing.” But after the Samsung Galaxy SIII was released, that phone literally became “the next big thing,” as Samsung had called it. I wouldn’t have much doubt if these devices outmatch the current and upcoming iPhones for a few reasons. One of them is that there are current iPhone owners who are getting bored of Apple’s repetitive iOS. Although I’m one of these people, I still do enjoy my iPhone 5 as it provides a UI experience and is part of an ecosystem like no other.
Until these beasts of phones are in the hands of the consumers, we’ll just have to wait for a real life comparison for the typical average user.
This article was replaced and updated 3/27/2013 3:43 p.m.
