Samsung's biggest threat is not Apple; it's HTC. Now next-generation smartphones from Samsung and HTC have been released, and although on paper the Galaxy S5 and the One (M8) are neck-to-neck, the two smartphones couldn't be more different.
Spec-for-spec
Sam Galaxy S5
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HTC One (M8)
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Verdict? |
Operating system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen size | |||
| Display resolution | |||
| Pixel density | |||
| CPU | |||
| RAM | |||
| Internal memory | |||
| Expandable memory | |||
| Biometric security | |||
| Heart monitor | |||
| Durability | |||
| Front camera | |||
| Rear camera | |||
| Video recording | |||
| FM Radio | |||
| Stereo speakers | |||
| LTE support | |||
| Wi-Fi | |||
| Bluetooth | |||
| NFC | |||
| Download accelerant | |||
| Battery size | |||
| Thickness | |||
| Weight |
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
Design
Rarely do we come across a next-generation smartphone that is thicker, wider and heavier, but such is the case with the Samsung Galaxy S5. Even the bezel bordering the screen is wider than that featured on the Galaxy S4. The corners are more pronounced and, as a result, the smartphone is more imposing.
Samsung has tried to jazz up the new Galaxy in some ways — the S5 is available in glitzy new colours and the faux-leather back is patterned — but these changes prove feeble in making us feel towards the company’s new flagship. Waterproofing the smartphone has come at the expense of good looks and ergonomic form.
This proves problematic for Samsung as its ordinary smartphone will rest alongside the metal-clad HTC One (M8) in stores.
The Samsung is about volume production and low manufacturing costs
The new HTC flagship retains identifiable M7 attributes, but it adds traits unique to the M8 alone. The body is almost 90 per cent metal — up from 70 per cent in the original One — and it has a fine hairline finish. HTC has increased the curvature of the smartphone’s back, and the sand-blasted sides taper right around to the front. Then there’s the premium edging and HTC’s signature front-facing stereo speakers.
Holding the Samsung, you see the company thinking about high-volume production and lowering manufacturing costs. The One (M8) on the other hand is an entirely different affair; with it you think less and feel more.
Winner: HTC One (M8)
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