Titans will Clash
The Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 are two of the most important phones of the year. Successors to the hugely popular Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, and chief rivals to the iPhone 5S, they're their maker's flagship Android phones and are as big as phones get while still being 100 per cent populist devices.
But which should you buy? We’ve spent time with both, and here’s what we think.
HTC One M8 video preview
Want to get a closer look at the HTC One M8? Check out our video preview of the phone in action below.
Samsung Galaxy S5 vs HTC One M8 - Design
Galaxy S5 – plastic rear, pitted, removable back, water resistance
One M8 – metal rear, unibody, non-removable back, BoomSound speakers
One of the most obvious differences between these two phones is their design. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is primarily a plastic phone, where the HTC One M8 is all about metal.
The Galaxy S5 has a curious looking dimpled back, with ridged silvery sides. It’s all-plastic, though, with just the Gorilla Glass covering of the display providing something a bit harder-feeling. The look won’t be for everyone, but the feel is actually not bad. Its rear has a soft touch finish that is more pleasant on the fingers than the glossy plastic of the previous Galaxy S phones.
We have to hand this category to the HTC One M8, though. Its simpler, near-all-metal design looks and feels a good deal better, with a cool and hard feel that’s similar to that of the original HTC One.
One difference compared to that phone, though, is the HTC One M8 has dropped any buttons below the screen, instead relying solely on the on-screen controls of Android (aside from the screen unlock button, obviously). In contrast the S5, like the S4 before it, has a trio of buttons. We prefer the route HTC has taken.
The HTC One M8 comes in three different colours, and there are two different metal treatments among them that vary the feel slightly. The ‘Metal Grey’ version has a brushed finish while the silver and gold editions use an anodised-style finish that’s closer to that of the HTC One. All look lovely.
All of the Galaxy S5 models use the same pitted finish, but there are several more colours to choose from. The phone comes in bright gold and blue shades as well as white and black. Samsung has clearly tried, but this is a victory HTC has in the bag.
Here's a closer look at those colours on offer:
Samsung Galaxy S5 Colours
HTC One M8 Colours
Samsung Galaxy S5 vs HTC One M8 – Storage
Galaxy S5 – 16GB, microSD slot
One M8 – 16GB, microSD slot
Although higher-capacity versions of both these phones are planned for other markets, it’s likely that most UK stores will only stock the 16GB versions of both the Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8.
Why? Because they have microSD memory card slots. With the HTC One M8 you’ll find a pop-out tray on one side of the phone. In the Galaxy S5 it’s found under the removable rear. For the HTC, it's a major addition over its predecessor, which many chose to avoid due to the lack of a microSD slot.
Samsung Galaxy S5 vs HTC One M8 – Screen
Galaxy S5 – 5.1-inch Super AMOLED, 1080p resolution
One M8 – 5-inch SLCD, 1080p resolution
The HTC One M8 has the same size screen as last year’s Samsung Galaxy S4, once again reflecting that HTC’s top phones don’t tend to try to offer the biggest screens in their class.
However, the Samsung Galaxy S5 display is only a tiny bit bigger at 5.1 inches. In pure size terms the difference isn’t worth worrying about too much.
They use rather different core technologies, though. The Galaxy S5 has a Super AMOLED display; the basic type used by previous Galaxy S phones.
The HTC One M8 has an SLCD screen that’s much closer in tech and style to the IPS display seen in phones like the iPhone 5S. These technologies excel in different fields.
Super AMOLED screens are great at reproducing contrast and a deep black level. Even in dark rooms, the Galaxy S5’s blacks will look black. In the same conditions, the HTC One M8’s blacks will likely be slightly grey-ish.
However, LCDs on phones tend to offer higher top brightness (better for outdoors) and more natural-looking colours. Samsung has really worked on its colour calibration this time around, though. We’ll make a more in-depth analysis of these screens in our upcoming full reviews but for now they’re hard to pick apart as they’re both top performers.
Samsung Galaxy S5 vs HTC One M8 – Software
Galaxy S5 – Android 4.4 with TouchWiz
One M8 – Android 4.4 with HTC Sense 6
Both phones use the latest version of Android: 4.4 KitKat. However, as their interfaces are completely different, they don’t feel all that similar in use.
If you have experience of last year’s top models from HTC and Samsung, these interfaces will seem pretty familiar, though. The new models largely continue the style of their predecessors.
Samsung has pared-back the style of TouchWiz a little bit and touched up the look to make it appear a little simpler, but it’s still a feature-packed system. HTC’s Sense 6 offers fewer add-ons, but most people will find it a bit easier to use.
It’s also a little easier on the eye. HTC’s less (or at least not too much) is more approach really works in the M8, and this time you have control over the font of the system too. One of the options is Helvetica, which brings the phone a classy look.
Samsung Galaxy S5 vs HTC One M8 – Camera
Galaxy S5 – 16-megapixel ISOCELL sensor with with LED flash, Phase detection Auto-Focus
One M8 – Duo camera system with 4-megapixel UltraPixel main sensor, dual LED flash
Both of these phone cameras are very interesting, and aren’t mere spec upgrades – the Galaxy S5 bumps up the megapixel count, but it’s not all the phone does. It also has a new kind of sensor and a new kind of focusing system.
It’s the first phone to use an ISOCELL sensor, which Samsung positions as a successor to the BSI sensors used in most phones. It reduces crosstalk between sensor pixels by putting a barrier between them. The result is better colour fidelity and richer-looking images when compared to a BSI sensor of the same size and spec.
The HTC One M8’s UltraPixel main sensor is trying to attack the same problem – the deficiencies of tiny mobile phone cameras – but from a different angle. Its sensor reduces resolution in order to fit in larger sensor pixels. Detail is reduced, but other photographic aspects get an increase in fidelity compared to other mobile cameras.
This is just the beginning of the interesting camera elements. The Galaxy S5 also has a phase detection module to give focusing times of just 0.3 seconds in daylight, while the HTC One M8 has a second rear sensor that records depth information to let you blur out of the background or foreground reliably without much effort or post-processing.
Which is better? In daylight, the Galaxy S5 will produce vastly more detailed photos. However, at night, it’s likely the HTC One M8 will take more accurate photos due to its theoretical better low-light performance. While the Galaxy S5’s sensor has become bigger to fit in the extra 3MP resolution of the 16-megapixel sensor, the actual sensor pixels are still 1.12 microns across – the HTC One M8’s are two microns a piece, so they pick up more light.
Samsung Galaxy S5 vs HTC One M8 – Battery
Galaxy S5 – 2,800mAh
One M8 – 2,600mAh
The Samsung and HTC have similar-size batteries but the Galaxy S5 does have a slight, and not insignificant, lead - that 8 per cent difference may equate to an extra hour's use.
As they use the same voltage, you can judge their capacity by their mAh rating: the Samsung Galaxy S5 has a 2,800mAh battery, the HTC One M8 a 2,600mAh.
Both phones have special power-saving modes designed to make the dregs of your battery last a little bit longer. You can expect the phones to last a day plus change – a day and a half is not out of the question. However, both are soundly beaten by the Sony Xperia Z2 and its 3,200mAh unit.
Which is the better phone?
In some respects, we tend to prefer the HTC One M8. Its metal body just looks and feels so much better than the Galaxy S5’s plastic shell. However, in daylight the Samsung’s camera will produce much more detailed shots and its water-resistant frame is also a boon. We’ll be back with more impressions once we’d had more time to play with these phones.
Next, read our HTC One M8 vs original HTC One comparison