HTC one or Galaxy s4

[kyrax12]

Apparently I read somewhere that HTC can't put out HDR mics on their phone due to an injunction with Nokia.

I am planning to get a new HTC one and I was wondering if there is a way to know if the phone has the HDR mic beforehand.

 

[zerogear]

You'll probably have to know the production lot. At this point, you probably won't have any chances of getting it anyway.

 

[kyrax12]

You'll probably have to know the production lot. At this point, you probably won't have any chances of getting it anyway.

So is the new microphone of a lesser quality than the HDR one?

 

[Phokus]

So is the new microphone of a lesser quality than the HDR one?

I heard it wasn't from someone else, but i'm not 100% sure.

 

[kyrax12]

I heard it wasn't from someone else, but i'm not 100% sure.

Do you have the HTC one?

 

[Phokus]

Do you have the HTC one?

Yes, i bought around when it first came out... you'd probably want to go to the XDA forums to ask though, there are a ton more users who could help answer this question.

 

[kyrax12]

Yes, i bought around when it first came out... you'd probably want to go to the XDA forums to ask though, there are a ton more users who could help answer this question.

How are you liking the phone?

I just can't decide between the HTC one and the SG S4.

 

[kyrax12]

Alright I think I am going to go for the S4.

I main reason why I am going for the S4 is the better camera and the fact that it is easier to repair than the HTC one. I heard the HTC one is incredibly hard to repair. This scares me since what would happen if I happen to get a faulty unit.


Also the removable battery and the expandable memory slot is quite nice.

I really like the HTC one for its aesthetic, but the above things bother me quite so.

Anyone on the same boat as me?

 

[zerogear]

Not trying to dissuade you or anything, but I have an HTC One which I traded to my friend for a Galaxy S4. I regret it horribly. Everything from fit to finish, HTC One is the better phone. Camera-wise, it's a toss-up. Everything I used on my HTC One, I feel it took "generally" better photos, while, once in a while, the photos on my Galaxy S4 was much better than HTC One, but generally they were inferior to what HTC One took. Unless you are taking photos with your phone to blow it up on poster size, it's not much of an issue either way.

UI-wise, Sense 5 is infinitely better than TouchWiz, from design and thought. S4 UI design feels convoluted and and lack of a general direction in what they were trying to do, therefore lacking consistency.

Removable battery and expandable memory is nice, but going from 64GB (Developer Edition) -> 16GB (S4) internal memory space makes me worried about the apps that I install since it feels a lot "tighter". Sure you can use root and mount folders to SD Cards, but that's more of an annoyance. As for actual battery life, from my experience of daily usage on both, I feel that while HTC One has a smaller battery, it seems to last longer than Galaxy S4.

It is definitely true that the HTC One is incredibly hard to repair, however if you get a faulty unit, why wouldn't you ask HTC to repair it or exchange it? If you're really worried, getting any warranty (Squaretrade, Carrier or otherwise) would alleviate that problem.

Another point, which is just for me, AT&T and Verizon Galaxy S4 has a locked bootloader that is annoying, while its hacked, AT&T pushed a MF3 firmware update which disables the crack of the bootloader. Being at the mercy of the carrier because they handed a bag of cash to Samsung is quite annoying to me. IF you were to get a Galaxy S4, perhaps the GPe model would be better, that way at least you can flash whatever ROM you wanted.

HTC One on the other hand, while it is locked bootloader, you can pretty much have it unlocked through HTC website at your at your leisure. So you can switch ROMs all you want, heck you can even get Developer Edition and switch it to the GPe ROM and get updates directly from Google while having 64GB of space (much more cost effective, since GPe with tax costs about the same as Developer Edition).

Sorry about the wall of text

 

[kasakka]

I went with the GS4 because of the larger screen, better button positioning (the power button location on the HTC is a bit annoying) and the removable battery/SD card is not bad either.

Honestly TouchWiz gets far too much flak. I think it works perfectly fine and I prefer the stock launcher to Nova actually (minor differences). Sure, it comes with Samsung crapware and many mostly useless features you'll want to turn off but after that I've had no problems with it.

At least over here the HTC is also a bit more expensive.

 

[kyrax12]

Which phone has better display?


Also, do you guys see a difference between the SG3 display to the SG4?(Sharpness wise)

 

[poofyhairguy]

Also, do you guys see a difference between the SG3 display to the SG4?(Sharpness wise)

Yes. To me it is a huge difference between the S3 and S4. Text is much much sharper on the S4.

 

[kyrax12]

Yes. To me it is a huge difference between the S3 and S4. Text is much much sharper on the S4.

Oh nice!

I thought people can't distinguish above 300 PPI or something like that. Would you recommend the S4 for reading PDF or ebook files?

 

[poofyhairguy]

Oh nice!

I thought people can't distinguish above 300 PPI or something like that. Would you recommend the S4 for reading PDF or ebook files?

I will say since I got the S4 I have trouble reading on my Prime or my wife's iPad 2. So nice looking text, would recommend.

 

[kyrax12]

I will say since I got the S4 I have trouble reading on my Prime or my wife's iPad 2. So nice looking text, would recommend.

Have you tried out the Htc one?

 

[Dari]

Which phone has better display?


Also, do you guys see a difference between the SG3 display to the SG4?(Sharpness wise)

Where are you buying these phones from for you to be asking these questions? Why are you fixing your own phone if you're getting it from a legitimate source?

As for display, the One's clearly superior. It's also 500 nits.

 

[toughtrasher]

The HTC One looks way better but I believe the S4 wins in features. They both look really good just the One is designed better.

Quad core on the S4 I think wins

 

[Qbah]

I have the black HTC One with 32GB. Three of my friends have a HTC One too (two black, one silver). They all love it. I played with the S4 too (a friend owns it) - I would never switch. it feels like a toy to me.

The battery is great (~2 days average with my usage - I don't use LTE, otherwise it would be shorter), the screen is amazing, build quality and how the phone feels in my hand is incredible. The two speakers sound superb. I dropped it a few times already (even on hard surfaces, like in the bathroom... don't ask, I sneezed >_> ) and it's all good. There's a tiny dent on top and a two scratches on the upper corners (from the few falls), but no impact on the phone. The back is not scratched at all either (I use no cover and keep it in my right pocket all the time - nothing else in the pocket though). I also attach it to my old Kingstone iPhone 4S car holder (it expands more than was needed for the iPhone) and it works with it too (and no scratches on the sides from the handles). It feels great in my hand and I got used to the bigger size (compared to my old iPhone 4S). Again, the phone is extremely sturdy. Check some YouTube videos for durability tests and also some "X months later" with people showing how their phone fares after a while.

The Sense UI is great, very smooth and logical. The capacitive buttons were hard to get used to at first but now they're really easy to use. With 4.2.2, the notification center is so much more usable.

It's the black version and it is the best phone I have ever owned. Period. I wouldn't switch it for an S4 even if people paid me.

 

[Ariae]

Bought GPe versions both phones and ended up selling the One to a friend. I preferred the bigger screen + contrast ratio (lots of reading) on the S4. I don't really need expandable storage but the removable battery is a nice plus

The One is a very nice phone but it just didn't seem to be an upgrade from a N4 for me. My buddy carries the One naked (no case) and loves it.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Have you tried out the Htc one?

My sister has one. Great phone. Text-wise the screen on the One looks just a little bit better, but not by much. I prefer the S4 for the larger screen and the other stuff (real menu button, removable battery, etc.).

 

[zerogear]

I don't know if I'm being picky or not. But HTC one text looks way sharper than s4. If I'm using it in bed with S4 up close, I notice jaggies around the edges of the text due to the pentile arrangement

Edit: Also One's screen is brighter/whiter, where as S4's white/screen is kind of yellowish.

 

[kyrax12]

Where are you buying these phones from for you to be asking these questions? Why are you fixing your own phone if you're getting it from a legitimate source?

As for display, the One's clearly superior. It's also 500 nits.

I am planning to get it in ATT store.

I am just scare it might break or something after a while.

 

[Dari]

I am planning to get it in ATT store.

I am just scare it might break or something after a while.

You should be fine warranty-wise. If you're afraid of breaking it then get a case and insure it.

 

[kyrax12]

Don't know how reliable IGN's reviews are but they rated the S4 at a 7.8 while the HTC one got s 9.5...

 

[Crono]

Don't know how reliable IGN's reviews are but they rated the S4 at a 7.8 while the HTC one got s 9.5...

Most review sites gave the One a better overall score.

Most of the compelling reasons to choose the GS4 were pure specifications, which have been upstaged by newer phones like the Galaxy Mega, Xperia i1, HTC One Max, LG G2, etc. So I would wait for one of those phones if I were interested in the GS4.

The One, on the other hand, still has a great unmatched-in-the-Android-space (AFAIK) camera for low-light (and it works great in daylight, even if the GS4 can beat it sometimes marginally in daylight), fantastic front-facing speakers, a UI that's just as fast as stock in actual use, very high density screen (468 PPI), and a beautiful aluminum body.

The GS4's only big claim over the One is that it has removable battery and microSD, which if you need you know you need. Otherwise the One comes with 32GB onboard with the S4 starting at 16GB. It's hard to repair the One, sure, but I don't attempt to repair my phones and would make sure to have insurance or extended warranty if I were really that worried.

If you know how to service phones and would be likely to do so, I'm sure the One vs S4 wouldn't even be a debate.