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HTC One vs Samsung Galaxy S4: The Winner is!

Categories HTC Mobile Phones Phone Comparison Samsung
Author by Debbie Turner March 15, 2013
6,947 133
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Here at Phones Review we can get a little wrapped up in the tech world and to us it almost felt like the whole globe was watching the Samsung event last night that finally introduced the Samsung Galaxy S4. Now the phone is official at last with confirmed specs we thought we’d take a look at the HTC One vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 as these are both exceptional handsets and credible competition against each other. We’d like to hear which one you think is the winner of these two flagship devices.

The HTC One was made official last month and is set to release any time now although there have been recent reports it may be delayed for a short time. Now that the Samsung Galaxy S4 specs have also been confirmed, with a release in April, it’s time to compare the key factors of both phones. Of course it’s not possible for us to compare every single specification and feature but hopefully you’ll find enough here to give you a good idea of what each phone has to offer.

Processor
The HTC One is powered by a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor while the Galaxy S4 has either a 1.6GHz Exynos Octa-core processor or a 1.9GHz Qualcomm quad-core processor (dependent on market). Any of these will do a fine job for these smartphones.

Display
You’ll find a 4.7-inch Super LCD3 full HD display with resolution of 1920 x 1080 and impressive 469 ppi on the HTC One, also featuring Corning Gorilla Glass 2. The Galaxy S4 has a 5-inch Super AMOLED full HD display with resolution of 1920 x 1080 and 441 ppi and this time incorporates Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

RAM and Storage
The HTC One has 2GB of RAM and 32 or 64GB internal storage options (non-expandable). You’ll also find 2GB of RAM for the Galaxy S4 and options of 16, 32 or 64GB internal storage (expandable via microSD to 64GB). This is one category where the expandable memory of the Galaxy S4 will win over some purchasers.

Camera Set-up
The HTC One has a 4-megapixel rear UltraPixel camera with autofocus, LED flash and 1080p video capture and also a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera. The Galaxy S4 has a 13-megapixel BSI AF rear camera with autofocus, f/2.2 aperture and 2-megapixel BSI front-facing camera with dual-video capture mode. We haven’t room here to list all of the camera features but they are both impressive. However we should point out that megapixels aren’t everything so don’t be put off by the ‘just’ 4-megapixel UltraPixel camera of the HTC One as this is said to be excellent especially in low-light conditions with each pixel harnessing 300% more light than usual camera sensors.

Battery
There’s a non-removable 2,300 mAh battery for the HTC One while the Galaxy S4 steps it up to a 2,600 mAh removable battery.

htc-one-vs-galaxy-s4b

Operating System
Android Jelly Bean is the order of the day and the HTC One will release on 4.1.2, upgradable to 4.2.2 with HTC Sense 5.0 user interface. The Galaxy S4 however will launch running 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI.

Dimensions and Colors
The HTC One measures 137.4mm x 68.2mm x 9.3mm, weighs 143g and comes in black, silver or red color options. The Galaxy S4 manages to pack a lot in and yet is still slimmer and lighter. Dimensions of the S4 are 136.6mm x 69.8mm x 7.9mm, it weighs only 130g and will initially come in black or white with more color options to follow later.

Both of these phones come with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n, LTE connectivity (where applicable), Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC support. Of course it’s not all about the hardware but the Galaxy S4 software seems to have everyone talking as some great new features have been introduced. One of the main features of the HTC One is BlinkFeed that gives the user an aggregated feed of their chosen news and social sources. There’s also the Live Gallery, a new music player, HTC Watch, the Zoe camera feature and more. The Galaxy S4 has the Drama Shot camera feature, Air View that works with your finger, Smart Pause, Smart Scroll, Group Play, S Health and much more.

As you can see from these key factors both phones are notable top-notch devices and have a huge amount to offer to consumers so much of your choice may be down to the look and feel of the two phones, very much a personal preference. Pricing has not yet been announced for the Galaxy S4 but we can’t imagine there will be a lot of difference between the HTC One price and that of the Galaxy S4 as both have such high-end specs. Making a choice between these two smartphones is not easy as they are both truly notable devices and that’s where you, the reader, comes in.

You may have thought you were going to purchase the HTC One but made the decision to see what the Galaxy S4 would come up with first? If you had the ability to get your hands on either of these phones right now, which one would you choose and why? Let us have your comments as we’re really interested to find out the winner of these two devices as far as readers are concerned.

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133 thoughts on “HTC One vs Samsung Galaxy S4: The Winner is!”

  6. Redmole says:

    Has to be the HTC One for me. Samsung software can be very unreliable. I have gone through three S3 handsets since July last year. Samsung’s build quality is very poor too. The finish on all three S3’s were shocking with slightly deformed power and volume buttons. The brushed metal finish was also not up to standard of a flagship phone. I’ve also had seven galaxy europa’s all with software issues. In total that makes 10 phone from the galaxy range in three years, all with deal breaking issues.
    You cannot deny the quality of HTC hardware and software. They have always been the strongest Android manufacturer.
    I cannot understand why some people are blindly following Samsung in the same manner as people blindly follow the iphone just because it’s trendy. I myself will never ever buy another Samsung product. They’re too unreliable, too gimmicky and too plastic too justify a premium price tag.
    My HTC one is being delivered on Monday, and I can finally get rid of this failing S3 which has been the bane of my life.
    HTC beats Samsung on quality every single time.

    2. Rowlin says:

      Disagree, HTC software is very buggy, I’ve had the Evo and the Evo 4g LTE, and even thought there’s a lot to like about them, both have had very irritating software bugs. Looking forward to getting the Samsung S4. I had the Note2 for a couple weeks, and didn’t notice any problems, it’s possible something would have come up eventually though. I would agree HTC hardware is very nice quality, but since you can’t remove the battery, that downgrades it.

    3. James Houghton says:

      I have to agree as well. I love the potential of the Galaxy S4, but I am on my 7th S4 now since Aug. ’12. I had the G2 and my fiancé is still using hers with no problems after over 3 years. I’m getting the HTC One!!!!

  7. Ruud says:

    I was planning on buying HTC One, but the extra feutures they give aren’t that great really, imo. What use do you have of pictures that move a bit or w/e? Yeah it’s nice, but it;s not like any other thing like facebook or whatsapp supports that.

    Great advantage of samsung is removable battery and SD slot. Plus their extra feutures seems really handy in everyday use of your phone.

    1. SirGwl says:

      Actually, both Facebook and whatsapp can support a Zoe picture as it is basically an easy .gif file. I do agree about the removable battery. So I waited for Samsung to announce the S4. But the plastic is more of a deal breaker (or should I say the metal is more of a pull) than the removable battery.

    2. Abhinav says:

      removable battery is good but a portable usb charger can easily compensate for the lack of that feature.air view is good but touching the screen feels more natural.sense is better than touchwiz.Only two new features that I found interesting in s4 are the group play and smart scroll( which I doubt works as advertized)

    3. Nag says:

      Mate, you should look at the new HTC Battery Bar if you need the extra juice in the go. It’s so much better than carrying a spare battery and looks nice too. Comes with a 6000 mAH capacity, so you can charge your phone more than once before it dies on you. And about the SD slot, will you need over 64 GB?Yes…?? Really…?

    1. jdizzle says:

      Beats audio sucks, I literally have nothing good to say about it, it’s made for people who care about style and names, not sound quality.

  10. hammy3121 says:

    Just ordered the HTC One in black, gotta be the best looking phone ever made. I did wait for the S4 to be released – gave Samsung their chance and they blew it.

      2. hammy3121 says:

        Dialaphone – exactly the same deal as SirGwl, too good to turn down. On a side point I just tried to watch the S4 launch – it’s one of the worst things I have ever seen in my life (and there is some horrible stuff on the internet). Good job the HTC One and Optimus G Pro got released before the S4, now Samsung just look like copycats.

  14. MR L says:

    My HTC
    is on its way, I think both phones match up pretty evenly but I am going with the
    htc purely for build quality, I have had my current htc for nearly two years
    now and had no real issues. I know three people with s3’s and they have all had
    to get them replaced within the first few months. Obviously this is not the
    case for everyone, but from my own experience htc has much better build
    quality.

  28. ede says:

    Used to own an HTC desire. I loved that phone. Have had a galaxy s2 for over 16 Months and never reaaly fallen for it. I will get the HTC one. HTC need to be recognized as the innovative phone makers they r.

  32. grandmaz says:

    HTC One for me. All reports have call quality as being stellar. That is very important to me. Also, the camera and Zoe draw me in. The build quality is also a winner. If you are going to have something in your hand much of the time it should look good.

  34. Saurabh Jain says:

    really htc has done a great job with their new flagship ‘ ONE ‘ but would it be able to make a place in the market where Samsung RULZ…….??? If not then it will be a shame for the Smartphone industry.. HTC ONE is the only ONE for ME. 😉

  35. jdizzle says:

    I’m conflicted, a removable battery and SD card are a MUST, but I HATE Samsung’s software, and LOVE HTC Sense. Gorilla glass 3 is a plus…Ugh.

    1. Abhinav says:

      Use a portable mini USB charger.U can easily get it in ebay.Both phones will more or less give u a day’s charge.I am not sure if u want more than 64G gigs in a phone

  37. alexxx says:

    The only thing that comes even close to the sexiness, quality and durability of HTC One, is the HTC OneX+! My only dilemma is the color. I want the silver for the purity of the metal, the rawness, but black is less noticable by cops when I’m driving and texting! …ah, that screeeenn, the speakers-plural, wow, what took so longg, finally!

  40. dazdaz says:

    Well Samsung has a lot of good stuff …as presented. But HTC has to be the king this time.Stunning look (black does the job for me),best display,good battery life and solid software. And in top of that incredibly fast….10 more days before I’ll have it in all.

  41. Maz says:

    No question about it HTC all the way. Ordered mine day after release date 🙂 Samsungs are for amateurs. I bet they added the IR after they saw the mighty ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  43. Marlon Milligan says:

    I’m getting the HTC One! I do like the Samsung phone though… Its very attractive & featured pack. But I prefer Htc refinement & minimalist approach

  45. ladieraven says:

    The day the HTC One comes out, I will be standing in line to get it!!! It is a beautiful work of art and I am super excited to get it… I have an HTC Evo 4G lte and my husband has the S3 and I am not impressed at all and I am SOOO happy I waited to get my upgrade. I was waiting to see what Samsung would bring to the table, and the only thing they really showed me was a bigger screen (which if I wanted that, I would have gotten the Note 2) and an eye scroll?!?! Nah, i’ll pass… Definitely think HTC won with this one!

  48. haz says:

    HTC one.. very high quality built… It does what it says. I am writing this from HTC one got it today its so beautiful its like silver julary…… Its stunning phone. The best phone the HTC ever made.

  50. onthefence says:

    Why is the removable battery a big deal? Do people take them out often, I have not. The expandable memory is up to 64gb which the One is available in so why is this an issue? I still dont know which phone I like more. I’m concerned that the screen width of the One is smaller and that a menu bar takes up screen space as well. The One screen is sounding to be small for browsing considering this…

    1. Ionut Teodorescu says:

      It is a big deal…especially when you use your phone as a Navigator and battery’s very stressed, in 15 months it’ll be done! Oh, yes, take the HTC One in assistance for the battery! ANd the microSD is also a SAFE BACKUP! Come on!
      But I love the design and quality of the HTC!!!

    2. Daleos says:

      It’s a really big deal. I need to change mine at least once a week.
      An hour each way reading ebooks whilst commuting, a day of the usual calls, emails and sms’s and a smattering of reading maps or to check up on something online and I’m hitting 15% by 7pm. If there’s a trip to the pub after work then chances are I’m the first there and that usually means another 30 mins to kill time which would more than wipe the rest out.
      I go to a few weekend festivals over the year (so nowhere to charge it) so I take two spare batteries for those. I also enjoy long countyside cycle rides. Using the phone as a SatNav on a bike can wipe a battery out in a couple of hours.
      I haven’t even started on the 4 hour train journeys or the 12 hour flights where my phone has kept me sane the whole time because I’ve brought enough spare juice to last the distance.

      Lastly, after a year or so, the battery only holds 75% or less of it’s original charge. If you’re phone gets to 2 years old, you’re problably looking at 50%.

    3. hammy3121 says:

      I’m with you on this, I have had phones in the past with removable batteries but never ever removed them. If I need more juice then I take either my charger or a external battery. The S4 has features you can find on many other phones, gesture control has been around for months and dual cameras is also on the Optimus G Pro. The HTC One has the beauty, the screen (468ppi) and the speakers that you won’t find anywhere else.

  51. NinjaCEO says:

    HTC One will be the best selling Android phone in 2013. Hell, it’s making me jump ship from the iPhone 5, so that should tell you something!!!

  52. Anas_91 says:

    people if complaining about battery of HTC
    may i remind you that you are comparing a 4.7inch display with a 5inch(consumes more battery)

  53. Rick says:

    HTC have always made longer lasting phones than Samsung. Bet they still do. Samsung is just marketing and hype. HTC make way better quality regardless of the phones specs. I would take an older HTC over a new Samsung anyday.

  58. aaaa says:

    hahahah htc 1 is shit@7a99f4880c6f925f45245f5684c6a876:disqus @6e274e37af8f5bc58dd4a0b7efac9beb:disqus @6bead19dc2d0e18fc3f08346725dce85:disqus @b3180284df9eb242ebbbd5ac1dfab9f6:disqus @7b2d321459ad9975db6bfe96344322e6:disqus @07d25ebc3281d624956169616d95894a:disqus @facebook-1401518347:disqus @c005364434567fc496b5999b08a9032f:disqus @db2b43559df460636a5a9063a813e9d3:disqus @OWStirling:disqus

  61. Aleut says:

    So if I understand the question correctly, you are asking if I want an HTC phone with an identity crises, wants to look like an iPhone hardware wise with a Windows Phone 8 skin on the software, or a Samsung Galaxy S4. That’s a no brainer, Samsung will get my money again for setting trends not following them.

  62. Alex says:

    HTC One. It’s the best-looking phone available whereas the S4 looks cheap (like the farce in NYC), and the special features of the One appear useful whereas those of the S4 seem to be gimmicks.

  63. aido says:

    HTC One for sure, i’ve been running with the one x for a year and a bit now and loved it but now the new One looks like its taking any off my little dislikes about the One X and fixed them all and made it even better! for example things like the bad placement of the charger port, bad placement of speaker and relatively poor (but standard) battery life and little things like bad mic recording at loud volumes have all been considered, fixed and improved!! I’m just hoping that the unlock button will feel better on the top left because having it on the top right is horrible! I do think the S4 hardware and features are quite cool but pretty much equal with the One.
    I think that for the majority of people the removable battery and SD card slot is not a deal breaker, ppl are getting use to the fact that u cant take the battery out, and now with these new snapdragon processors i feel u wont have the need to because how many times a year are the majority of people going to be away from a wall or car charger for more than 2 days or so? Yes having 128 gb would be nice on the S4, but 64bg is still very much usable and there aren’t any backup issues with not having removable storage – there are numerous other options for backing up your stuff.
    I feel like HTC has put more work into the phone as a whole, its certainly going to a much closer contest this time. Its about time those at the top got a little shake up. Also, is it just me or did Iphone5 seem uninteresting and boring as soon as the S3 and One X came out and now its just getting left in the dust?

  66. Mary Sullivan says:

    Wow! After reading the article, I thought that I would switch from being a life-long HTC customer to getting the Samsung S4, mainly because the new HTC does not have a removable battery nor can you use an external SD card. But, with 83 comments listed so far, and not one choosing Samsung, I may just stay with HTC. I have loved the HTC phones since getting my first HTC Incredible.

  68. Jim Hammond says:

    HTC does not have anything over the Galaxy! I’ve had both and for the last year its been the GS3. its worked flawlessly and i need the expandable memory. HTC is ripping off you people by charging $100.00 for 32bg of memory! But you dont see anything but a metal body. Enjoy…….

  69. hammy3121 says:

    It seems to me that Samsung and their fans are getting more like Apple and their fans. Apple keep churning out very similar phones with lack of innovation and pointless features. And their fans will blindly swallow up all their given without even looking at the competition. Oh yeah with lots of clapping and whooping at the release shows.

  71. Jared Abel says:

    Neither phone is “better”. Both are equally great really, it depends on what you value more. The HTC One has a great build that makes it a sexy looking phone, and a great camera, while the S4 has the clearly better processer, expandable memory, and some interesting (but maybe gimmicky) new software. I’m finding it hard to choose just one, so I’m waiting until the hands-on, real life usage reviews come out, those will show which phone is actually better.

  76. Oli says:

    HTC One is the clear winner for me.. was disappointing when they launched it, and the s4 is just plain dull. Ugly design, and innovation is nowhere to be found.
    Used to be a huge Samsung supporter, now they only disappoint..

  81. usett says:

    Htc one for me…wow…htc one(96 votes + 1 my vote ;)) against samsung s4 (7 votes)…Amazing…I have been an htc fan since I used HD2. i had it for 2.5 years and was going superbly until I lost it..

  82. TomasHunter says:

    Thanks for the comparison. I am going on a business trip for DISH next month, and I was thinking about upgrading my phone before I go. These phones both look great, but the forward facing speakers and sharper display of the HTC One make it the leading contender. I use DISH Anywhere to stream live TV or DVR recordings all the time, especially when I travel; it’s a great way to kill time during flight delays and layovers. I won’t make a final decision until I try DISH Anywhere on both phones, but I already have an idea of which One I want.

  84. Fergie says:

    I really want to say the HTC one, but the fact that i have had an almighty problem with my HTC sensation for the last 6 months, it just decides to reboot itself whenever it likes, it freezes, notes come up saying that facebook is not responding, o u want to close it, and several other apps doing the same continuously is really getting my back up, and the fact that 3 only tell me to do a factory reset to correct the issue is annoying also.
    I’ve never had a samsung, but people i know have, and the batteries like the HTC have always been useless, i went to work with a full battery at 8.30am, my phone spent the morning searching for a mobile network whilst using wifi, and it was dead at 2pm, and i didn’t even take it out of my pocket the whole time.
    If they have rectified these issues with the one, then its for me, otherwise, i may cross the bridge, then again, seeing the iphone6 video, hmmmm, choices choices choices…

  88. Swaroop G says:

    Definitely i’ll go with HTC One for its exceptional build quality with that premium feel and amazing look, loaded with awesome features and performance unlike the feature loaded poorly built S4. Built quality is what that transforms a phone to a premium one, Samsung fails there. So the winner is HTC

  89. Russh81 says:

    I really don’t like not being able to change the battery also I really prefer having the micro sd card option. I really do love the HTC Sense ALOT but I’m going to have to say the S4 is definitely the phone for me.

  91. Jimmy. Drew says:

    I have the Galaxy Note 2 and love it. Several of my friends and family have the S3 with absolutely no problem and they love it. Not sure what Red Moles issues are but everyone I know with a Galaxy S3 is very happy. No. I’m not getting the S4 but you bet my order will be in for the Note 3..

  92. Weave says:

    Writing this from my new HTC One. I’m a former Samsung Galaxy S3 owner, and after playing with the S4, I had to go with the One. The build quality is just so much higher it’s ridiculous. And the sound truly is stunning. It’s so loud and clear it’s a bit like having a small stereo with you. I do worry that the battery is not replaceable, but by the time the battery dies I will probably be on to the next big thing anyway. When I bought myself the one, I bought my wife an iPhone 5…there’s simply no comparison, the One blows the iPhone out of the water. Simply the highest quality phone I’ve ever owned.

  94. Herwin HR says:

    if you want to judge who is better between the two, we see the next 6 months who are more of them that sold the winner. lol..
    for me android is the best OS 🙂

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