Samsung vs HTC : Google Edition

Two of the best smart phones of the year got even better on June 26, when the Google Editions of the Samsung Galaxy 54HTC One  were launched on Google Play.

            Apart from the hardware distinction between the two handsets, the one major difference is seen in the price. While the newest version of HTC One is available for $599 (approx.Rs. 34,000), the $4 has been priced at 5649 (approx Rs.37,000). The difference in price could turn out to be a major coup for HTC  in the long run. So, the obvious question is which one to go for? Let’s try and look for a answer.

            In terms of design, there’s no doubt that the HTC One is winner. Even if you don’t have any other phone to compare it with, the One looks a stunner. In front of the Galaxy 54, the One looks like a beast thanks to the aluminium unibody design. However, in terms of practically ,  the plastic body of the $4 is slightly ahead. Thanks to the removable back, the $4’s battery can be replaced with ease. We are also certain there will  be more than a  few battery packs that can replace the one on the $4 to provide extra juice. This is not possible on the One unless you get a case with a battery pack Samsung also has managed to make the $4 smaller And more compact than the One. The $4 is 0.3 inches shorter, despite the larger display, and a good 1.4 mm thinner too.

            The Galaxy $4 has the better display of the two handsets. But when we say better, we are talking in marginal terms. The One’s 4.7-inch 1080p display has more natural colour representation, but the larger 5-inch display on the $4 produces blacks the One can only dream of thanks to the Super AMOLED panel. Critics of that  panel complain about oversaturated colours, but Samsung has an Adobe RGB mode to improve colour accuracy. However, at the time of publishing, there was no indication that this will be retained in the Google Edition $4.

            The HTC One’s screen is very much the best LCD we have seen in a while. The colours look great and the contrast is impressive, though not as great as the $4’s. There’s a contrast loss at very wide angles, but this situation comes up very rarely In daily use. The One falls short in terms of sunlight legibility, where the $4’s less reflective screen makes it a better display to read under bright sunlight. That’s despite the One having a brighter screen at maximum setting.
            The HTC One has the much-talked-about Ultra Pixel camera, which has larger pixels to absorb more light and capture greater detail in an image. However, the size of the final image taken with the One’s Ultra Pixel camera is equivalent to the size of a picture taken with a 4-megapixel camera. The Galaxy $4 sticks to the conventional bump in megapixel count with a 13 –megapixel shooter. In our tests, we found the Samsung flagship to be far better in terms of outdoor portraits, capturing colours in daylight, and detail in distant objects. The One does have the edge in low-light and night shots, where the $4 is not stellar.

            Samsung has fitted the $4 with a much larger 2600mAH battery, which should ideally last for quite a while. The HTC One has a slightly smaller 2300mAH pack, which sounds lacking in comparison. However, battery life also depends on the use and the frequency with which the phone connects to networks. It would be hard to tell how long exactly either phone will last with stock Android running.

            The HTC One has front-facing stereo speakers, while the $4 delivers sound through a speaker grille on the back. The One is just too good when it comes to phone speakers and we have rarely heard speakers of comparable quality on a phone

            While Samsung has stuck to the three navigation keys, HTC has gone for an odd two-button setup, where the Home button also gives access to Google Now and the Recent Apps menu. While we don’t know if there will be any difference in the Google Edition One, most purists will like Samsung’s implementation better.

HTC brings great hardware, but owning to slightly better counterparts, the $4 earned a very close victory. However, we would be remiss to not point out that the One does offer a more premium feel thanks to the excellent build quality. And that for $50 less. So it’s certainly a great deal. One thing is for sure: neither choice is wrong and it ultimately will boil down to personal preference.