Recently I upgraded from my Samsung Galaxy S2 to a Samsung Galaxy S4. My trusty Galaxy S2 has served me well over the last two years,and to its credit it has held up extremely well.
But as my needs grew more sophisticated and as my contract expired,the allure of a shiny new phone was too much to resist.
But why did I choose the Galaxy S4 over the HTC One? At first it was a pretty difficult decision, but as I grew closer to making my decision, it became painfully easy. In this comparison/quasi review, I breakdown why I chose the Samsung Galaxy S4 over the HTC One.
I was underwhelmed by the HTC One’s aluminium build
When reviews of the HTC One started coming out, every reviewer from The Verge to Mobile Phone Arena raved about its aluminum body. They heralded the device as a the mark of a new age that forsakes cheap plastic for premium materials.
They kept talking about how impressive it feels in the hand.
The problem is that I did not feel any of those things when I tried the HTC One at the M1 Shop at Paragon. I was unimpressed, and walked away saying ‘meh’ instead of a ‘wow’. It didn’t feel that good in my hand, and I was put off by the weight. I also dislike using phone cases, and aluminium tends to scratch easily, so I knew that was going to be an issue.
That’s not to say I don’t like the use of aluminium in consumer electronics. I love the aluminium body of my MacBook Air, and the iPhone 5 feels fantastic, partly because its small size makes it lighter than the HTC One. There’s no way I’m going jogging with that heavy slab of metal bouncing around in my running pouch.
I don’t trust HTC’s batteries
Whenever I buy portable electronics, I’m always worried about the durability of the battery. Rechargeable batteries have a limited amount of charging cycles and if the battery is sealed inside the device, it makes replacement more costly and troublesome. I tend to use my phones for as long as possible and frankly I don’t trust HTC’s batteries. I previously owned a HTC Desire, which had mediocre battery life and I’ve heard many complaints about the battery life on HTC’s former flagship devices, the HTC One X and the HTC Butterfly.
HTC’s unlock button placement
One-handed operation is important to me, and when you place the unlock button on the top of a tall phone, you make it difficult to operate with one hand. The Galaxy S4’s unlock button is conveniently located at the side. Considering how often most people need to use that button, you’d think that HTC would have placed it somewhere more accessible.
No 64GB Version Available in Singapore
If the 64GB version of the HTC One was available in Singapore, I’d probably give it a second look. The 32GB version being sold does not have enough storage for me. My 64GB microsd card is already loaded with 30GB of music. Thankfully, my Samsung Galazy S4 has a microsd slot and slotting in the card is a fast and simple procedure.
This reason alone was enough to exclude the HTC One from further consideration.
HTC’s track record with updates
2 years after I bought my Samsung Galaxy S2, it is still receiving updates. HTC has a tendency to stop updating its phones after about a year, including its flagship phones. If I pay that much for a phone, you’d better update it.
I have faith that the Galaxy S4 will receive updates for the next two years.
Samsung Galaxy S4: Underrated?
When I laid my hands on the demo set, I was surprised by how nice the Galaxy S4 was. After the trashing it received from reviewers, I was expecting a lot worse. Instead, I laid my hands on a nicely engineered, precisely-manufactured handset. Honestly, the build quality is still not as impressive as an iPhone 5, but it’s still very nice. And light.
Also, it has a bigger screen despite being smaller than the HTC One at some points. Very impressive engineering by Samsung.
In short, my decision was made based on my previous experience with both companies. I used to be a die-hard HTC fan, but after they kept screwing over customers, my opinion of them started to sour. HTC really went the extra mile to make a great flagship product, but how well will it hold up? Most reviewers rave about the handset after spending a week with it.
Will the battery still hold its charge after six months? Will it still receive updates after a year?
I trust Samsung. I don’t trust HTC. Eventually, I was more tempted to buy a 64GB iPhone 5 than I was a HTC One. HTC may have gone a long way in creating a compelling device, but if they don’t provide better support, then this handset will be The One turns even more customers away.
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