HTC one or S4

irishgeo

i got a decision to make, due and upgrade and i will be switching to 3 purely for signal reasons.

i cant decide between the htc one or the s4?

i have had the s2 and rooted it but i am bored out that now.

so which should i go for?

ill explain the use a little.

i wont be putting music on it. spotify will do.
ill used it for facebook twitter, surfing the net etc.
battery life is imprtant as is the camera. the less crapware the better.
i may root it purely to get rid of the ads etc.
i like to read on it as well.
a good phone which can survive a bump and a fall now and again.

so suggestions what i should go for?

is the Sony Xperia Z worth a look?

partyatmygaff

Settled it for me.

The One has slightly better battery life when browsing (Tested by GSM arena). As for the camera, the S4 has the upper hand in the outdoors with good lighting, otherwise with poor lighting the HTC One has the upper hand with its bigger sensor and larger aperture.

Simi

Based on those videos, the one definitely seems more stable, However, the stick it? app may simply be incompatible with the s4, and the s4 is correct to mute pandora while youtube is open or when using speech to text. That is normal android behaviour.

I would suggest trying both in a shop. See which one you like personally. Neither has any major advantages over the other.

BMF Plint

I have the One. I chose it over a s4 and all I can say is what a phone.

Zascar

I'm in the same boat as the OP, however I've had 3 HTC phones now and each time I swear I won't have another one, but end up getting the latest as it usually comes out sooner.

I want to switch to the S4 but the better battery life and camera in low light appeal hugely to me.
So confused

rochestown

Zascar wrote: »

I'm in the same boat as the OP, however I've had 3 HTC phones now and each time I swear I won't have another one, but end up getting the latest as it usually comes out sooner.

I want to switch to the S4 but the better battery life and camera in low light appeal hugely to me.
So confused

In this boat too... HTC One or the HTC J One that was announced in Japan today really appeals to me i currently have the S3 and am so disappointed with the upgrades Samsung have brought to the S4 but i am concerned about the lack or frequent updates from HTC and i cannot seem to find a definitive answer to which camera is better? Also i think i would miss the shortcuts in the status bar from Samsung but this is meant to be rectified from HTC in an update over the summer... anyone got the answers?? Thanks...

Corkfeen

rochestown wrote: »

In this boat too... HTC One or the HTC J One that was announced in Japan today really appeals to me i currently have the S3 and am so disappointed with the upgrades Samsung have brought to the S4 but i am concerned about the lack or frequent updates from HTC and i cannot seem to find a definitive answer to which camera is better? Also i think i would miss the shortcuts in the status bar from Samsung but this is meant to be rectified from HTC in an update over the summer... anyone got the answers?? Thanks...

From what I've seen, the Camera on the One is the more capable of the two. In particular for low light situations. The dropdown menu is expected to arrive in the next update however for the time being, i'm using power toggle (there's other similar applications) which serves the same purpose.

I had a choice between an s4 or htc one. I previously had an s2 which I love. I was originally going to get the s4 but reviews tended to the One so after a bit of thought I chose the One. It really is a superb phone.

ED E

If you want battery life consider the Note2 as thats top in that regard.


The One suits your needs well, and is durable. There are two drawbacks for me with it though: lack of SD slot isnt great, but its no biggie, got on just fine with the Xperia S. Big gripe is the menu button, or lack there of! F'ck f'cking software keys, taking up half of the screen.

Still would probably get it though.

wotzgoingon

Totally indept review, if you have an hour to spare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QATGs4kzfl4

killbillvol2

I had the same dilemma, read all the reviews etc. I was coming from an S3 but had two HTC phones before that. One review was swinging me towards the HTC when it suggested that most phone pictures are taken in low light which would be the case with me.

In the end I went into a shop and picked up both phones. Decision made - the HTC versus the S4 feels like an ocean liner next to a rubber dinghy.

I'm happy with my choice, Sense 5 is a huge improvement on older versions. The screen is beautiful and the sound is astonishing. I probably won't even bother to root it.

rochestown

killbillvol2 wrote: »

I had the same dilemma, read all the reviews etc. I was coming from an S3 but had two HTC phones before that. One review was swinging me towards the HTC when it suggested that most phone pictures are taken in low light which would be the case with me.

In the end I went into a shop and picked up both phones. Decision made - the HTC versus the S4 feels like an ocean liner next to a rubber dinghy.

I'm happy with my choice, Sense 5 is a huge improvement on older versions. The screen is beautiful and the sound is astonishing. I probably won't even bother to root it.

Thanks killbillvol2 - can you let me know how you find the camera against the S3 - in the videos above the say that when you zoom in on the image it looses a lot of definition as the S3/S4 doesn't? Have you upgraded the camera yet - did it make much of a difference? thanks in advance...

Wizard

I had a one x and upgraded to HTC one last week, I find the battery much better on the one,
was considering the sg4 for a change but had a play with one and found it a little laggy compared to the one,
seemingly the software on the Samsung is something like 8gb on it's own, could be an issue, liked the geeky toys on the Samsung but I wouldn't use them after the first week , delighted I chose the one at the end if the day, seriously fast, excellent sound and screen and looks fantastic

rochestown

Wizard wrote: »

I had a one x and upgraded to HTC one last week, I find the battery much better on the one,
was considering the sg4 for a change but had a play with one and found it a little laggy compared to the one,
seemingly the software on the Samsung is something like 8gb on it's own, could be an issue, liked the geeky toys on the Samsung but I wouldn't use them after the first week , delighted I chose the one at the end if the day, seriously fast, excellent sound and screen and looks fantastic

Thanks Wizard - what about the camera - im all about the camera to take pictures of my kid ect... its a big deal for me and could be the deal-breaker between the S4 and the One... would really be interested in hearing opinions? Thanks...

Fluffy88

The HTC One's camera is far better, http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=84693354

If camera is what your interested in there is no choice, get the One!

rochestown

Fluffy88 wrote: »

The HTC One's camera is far better, http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=84693354

If camera is what your interested in there is no choice, get the One!

Fair enough Fluffy88 - better in low light, but what about when you zoom in for detail - the reviews above show a lot of loss of details compared to the S4, but this was before the camera update from HTC and i was wondering if the update had made much of an improvement? Thanks again....

Fluffy88

Both the S4 and the One only have digital zoom, you should never use digital zoom on a camera! It ruins every photo.

That's just my opinion though.

rochestown

Fluffy88 wrote: »

Both the S4 and the One only have digital zoom, you should never use digital zoom on a camera! It ruins every photo.

That's just my opinion though.

I agree - i am referring to zooming on the image after the photo has been taken not before...

Fluffy88

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2169626

partyatmygaff

Just got an S4 in the post today...

The screen is nice, probably a bit less crisp than the One but the colours "pop" a lot more thanks to the AMOLED. The speakers are a horror on the ears compared to the One. Camera's nothing particularly special. It feels a bit laggy at times and i'm no fan of Touchwiz, looks ridiculously cartoonish compared to Sense. No idea about battery life just yet.

On the whole, I was more "wowed" by the One. The S4 (aside from the screen colours) is a bit underwhelming, it doesn't feel all that different to using an S3.

Gorilla Rising

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Just got an S4 in the post today...

The screen is nice, probably a bit less crisp than the One but the colours "pop" a lot more thanks to the AMOLED. The speakers are a horror on the ears compared to the One. Camera's nothing particularly special. It feels a bit laggy at times and i'm no fan of Touchwiz, looks ridiculously cartoonish compared to Sense. No idea about battery life just yet.

On the whole, I was more "wowed" by the One. The S4 (aside from the screen colours) is a bit underwhelming, it doesn't feel all that different to using an S3.

Cheers for the honest post.

I was 100% going for the S4 - battery and camera (together, I'd sacrifice battery though if it came to it) being the main things for me, so was surprised to read that the One's battery life was better.

Looking at that other thread on XDA, the One's camera looks class.

rochestown

Gorilla Rising wrote: »

Cheers for the honest post.

I was 100% going for the S4 - battery and camera (together, I'd sacrifice battery though if it came to it) being the main things for me, so was surprised to read that the One's battery life was better.

Looking at that other thread on XDA, the One's camera looks class.

Let us know which way you go ... i have never had such a difficult decision to make with a bleedin phone!!

Reading now that the metal body on the HTC can impair the phone signal, GPS locks ect ... any merit in this?

Idleater

rochestown wrote: »

Reading now that the metal body on the HTC can impair the phone signal, GPS locks ect ... any merit in this?

None, because the aerial is on the outside.
Very fast GPS lock, wifi range and the signal strength is better than my old one s

Zascar

Has anyone got any feedback on which has the better battery? I'm seeing mixed results online

ThreeBlindMice

I had the Iphone 5, still have the Galaxy 3 and just bought this HTC. The sound quality from the HTC is awesome compared to my two previous phones. The HTC also feels a lot more expensive in the hand than any of the Galaxy's.

Gorilla Rising

rochestown wrote: »

Let us know which way you go ... i have never had such a difficult decision to make with a bleedin phone!!

Reading now that the metal body on the HTC can impair the phone signal, GPS locks ect ... any merit in this?

Won't be getting it 'til the end of June when I get paid again.

Would also appreciate some more feedback on the HTC One's battery....

Zascar

So because of the plan I'm changing to the HTC is considerably cheaper - I don't think I can really justify the big price difference for the S4. I just hope I don't regret it. As people have said already the laggyness that comes in after a while annoys me. The sound quality and better camera in low light are attractive though.

The battery is incredibly important as I often run out and wish my phones had better batteries. Some of the reviews online say the One is better, but my mate who works in a phone shop and has two review units that get played with all day says the S4 is a fair bit better battery wise.

Uuuugh...

Gorilla Rising

I've always found that the lag in phones was never as bad as reported. It shouldn't happen, but I can easily live with it.

According to this http://www.gizmag.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-vs-htc-hands-on-one-comparison/27552/ the G4's battery took 5hrs to drain while the HTC One's took 4hrs 20mins. Both lasted roughly the same with regular usage.

If you flashed either, you may get better battery life.

Darren 83

Due a upgrade at the start of July, and was set on the S4. Camera is probally the most important thing for me. Will be interested in which phone you go for

Zascar

So I've decided on the One. Basically I have come to the conclusion that they are both fantastic phones and there is very little in it. For me the One is cheaper so this sways it a bit, but apart from that its mainly the better low light camera, build quality, and way better speakers and call quality. Also I'm used to HTC and from what I hear the version of Sense is really good on this.
Should get it this weekend, I'll let you know my thoughts.

Zascar

I just picked it up, only started playing with it but its great so far. Only thing I do not like is that they moved the power/unlock button to the left side. So it's not easy to pick the phone up wioth your right hand and unlock. Kinda annoying.

Found this video as well which settles my mind over not taking the S4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHIXtw34wK4

SteM

I've currently got a One X and had a Desire beforehand. I've decided to go for the S4 at the end of June unless something drastic happens between now and then. The main reason for me is not just battery life now but battery life down the line.

I've had real problems with the battery on the last 2 HTC's I've had. They've started off OK but degraded really badly during the life of the phone. My One X is 13 months old now and the power drains on it really qickly. Lucily I'm on a 1 month sim-only contract with 3 now but I'll be getting my next phone on a 24 month contract and I don't want to be stuck with a phone in 13 or 14 months whose battery has degraded and is non-replaceable.

I like everything about the HTC One apart from the fact that you can't replace the bloody battery!

Darren 83

I got the HTC one on Saturday really impressed with the camera, battery life is great.