Both look pretty damn awesome....
If you value build quality and design in your smartphone very highly, it all comes down to two gadgets: the iPhone 5s and the HTC One (M8). Both are undoubtedly fantastic smartphones, but there are pros and cons to each one and one or the other may fit your needs a bit better than the other.
The HTC One (M8) is undoubtedly one of the most leaked smartphones of all time, but still manages to impress with its bold design. Thought it is similar to its predecessor, the M7, the minor improvements make it feel even better. The rounded off edges make the device fit better in the hand than last year’s model. HTC has of course included their now-staple BoomSound front-facing speakers, which just makes sense for watching video and makes me wish every smartphone I use has it.
The iPhone 5s is definitely an “S” generation iPhone for Apple. It stays virtually the same, design-wise, to the 2012 iPhone 5. However, that’s probably a good thing. We’ll always see the Apple-critics moaning about the lack of a bigger screen, but no one can deny the beauty and elegance of Apple’s simple design. The 5s fits perfectly in the hand and the gold color option adds an appeal of its own.
The HTC One (M8) is undoubtedly one of the most leaked smartphones of all time, but still manages to impress with its bold design. Thought it is similar to its predecessor, the M7, the minor improvements make it feel even better. The rounded off edges make the device fit better in the hand than last year’s model. HTC has of course included their now-staple BoomSound front-facing speakers, which just makes sense for watching video and makes me wish every smartphone I use has it.
The iPhone 5s is definitely an “S” generation iPhone for Apple. It stays virtually the same, design-wise, to the 2012 iPhone 5. However, that’s probably a good thing. We’ll always see the Apple-critics moaning about the lack of a bigger screen, but no one can deny the beauty and elegance of Apple’s simple design. The 5s fits perfectly in the hand and the gold color option adds an appeal of its own.
Clearly, the HTC One M8 would win a pure spec war, but specs are irrelevant when compared to the actual experience using the device. HTC’s M8 is running Android 4.4 with its brand new Sense 6 skin. Android 4.4 KitKat is the latest (and sweetest) version of Google’s OS and HTC’s Sense skin has just gotten better from what we’ve seen from the M7. From my time using the M8, it absolutely flies, with its industry-best Snapdragon 801 CPU, and Sense 6 looks sleek and modern. The iPhone 5s is running iOS 7.1, an update to iOS 7 that has really improved the user experience from my 5s. iOS does lack the customizability and flexibility of Android on the M8, but iOS 7 on the 5s and its zippy A7 chip is blazing fast, smooth, and consistent.
One thing Apple has been doing right with the iPhone is the camera. The 5s camera is, hands-down, the best camera on any smartphone (save for the Lumia 1020 which is more camera than phone). HTC’s previous flagship, the M7, had a decent 4-megapixel “Ultrapixel” camera. It worked well in low light, but was just about an average performer overall. The shots from the M8 camera have shown improvement over the M7, but I’d still give the edge to the iPhone.
If you want a big screen, however, go HTC. The HTC One M8 features a gorgeous 5-inch 1080p LD with 441 PPI. The colors are accurate and the screen has great brightness. This leads me to give the crown to the M8 as the best “media consumption device” with its industry-best screen paired with front-facing BoomSound speakers. Apple has a smaller 4-inch display on board with the 5s and 326 PPI. This is not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but the HTC One M8 dwarfs it here. And then, there are the little things. The iPhone 5s features a Touch ID fingerprint scanner for unlocking the phone and for payments, and is overall consistent and convenient. HTC throws in a microSD slot for expandable storage and is great if you take a lot of pictures or enjoy taking your entire music library with you. Both carry Bluetooth 4.0, but the M8 brings NFC and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. No wireless charging at all here, probably due to their primarily aluminum architectures.
At the end of the day, deciding between these two flagships is tough. Keep in mind, when purchasing an Android device over an iOS device, and vice-versa; you’re buying into an ecosystem (Google’s vs. Apple’s). If you like the simplicity of iOS, the spectacular camera, and pocketable, yet gorgeous, design, the iPhone 5s is the better fit. If you like the flexibility of Android, a big and beautiful screen, front-facing speakers, and aren’t the biggest photographer around, the HTC One M8 is your phone. Either way, both smartphones both secure their places in the top of the smartphone world, and honestly, it is quite the luxury to be struggling to make a choice on which superphone to carry in your pocket.
One thing Apple has been doing right with the iPhone is the camera. The 5s camera is, hands-down, the best camera on any smartphone (save for the Lumia 1020 which is more camera than phone). HTC’s previous flagship, the M7, had a decent 4-megapixel “Ultrapixel” camera. It worked well in low light, but was just about an average performer overall. The shots from the M8 camera have shown improvement over the M7, but I’d still give the edge to the iPhone.
If you want a big screen, however, go HTC. The HTC One M8 features a gorgeous 5-inch 1080p LD with 441 PPI. The colors are accurate and the screen has great brightness. This leads me to give the crown to the M8 as the best “media consumption device” with its industry-best screen paired with front-facing BoomSound speakers. Apple has a smaller 4-inch display on board with the 5s and 326 PPI. This is not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but the HTC One M8 dwarfs it here. And then, there are the little things. The iPhone 5s features a Touch ID fingerprint scanner for unlocking the phone and for payments, and is overall consistent and convenient. HTC throws in a microSD slot for expandable storage and is great if you take a lot of pictures or enjoy taking your entire music library with you. Both carry Bluetooth 4.0, but the M8 brings NFC and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. No wireless charging at all here, probably due to their primarily aluminum architectures.
At the end of the day, deciding between these two flagships is tough. Keep in mind, when purchasing an Android device over an iOS device, and vice-versa; you’re buying into an ecosystem (Google’s vs. Apple’s). If you like the simplicity of iOS, the spectacular camera, and pocketable, yet gorgeous, design, the iPhone 5s is the better fit. If you like the flexibility of Android, a big and beautiful screen, front-facing speakers, and aren’t the biggest photographer around, the HTC One M8 is your phone. Either way, both smartphones both secure their places in the top of the smartphone world, and honestly, it is quite the luxury to be struggling to make a choice on which superphone to carry in your pocket.