We’ve long passed the halfway point for 2014; and as expected, we’re now neck-deep in all things shiny, shimmering, and splendid. Annual giants like the Mobile World Congress and CES unloaded plenty of mobile devices, with international bashes such as Computex and Mobile Asia Expo adding to the melee. And we’re not even getting into the solo pressers and launches, both on Philippine shores and beyond!
It’s also been a year that saw the release of new flagship smartphones. Of course, this calls for a three-way battle: the Samsung Galaxy S5 versus the HTC One (M8) versus the LG G3. These Android mini-slates are upgraded name-bearers, armed with similar internals, and have their own quirks. But which one will win the war of wills and wallets?
Let the next battle of the flagships commence!
Round 1: The basics
We’ll go first with the smartphone from South Korea. The 145g, 8.1mm Galaxy S5 made a big splash at MWC 2014, and went to market in April with high-end innards. Those expecting a big departure aesthetics-wise were disappointed. The S5 largely looks like its predecessor S4, except for the perforated plastic rear cover.
The Taiwanese contender, the 160g, 9.4mm One M8, also doesn’t stray from the company formula for naming strategy. But something gives this March debutant the advantage over the S5. It’s more solidly built, its curved unibody design (retained from its predecessor) evokes class, and it makes use of brushed aluminum for its exteriors (slightly thicker at 9.3mm). That beats removable plastic any day, I say.
Also hailing from South Korea, the G3 is the last to come out from behind the curtain. It was announced in May and became available in June. It’s between the S5 and One M8 at 149g and 8.99mm; and mostly follows its predecessor, the G2, in terms of appearances. The power button and volume toggles are still at the back below the camera lens. It’s also swathed in plastic but gives off a more refined overall look compared to the G2.
All three smartphones use Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipsets and Krait 400 quad-core CPUs, though the S5 and G3 have 2.5GHz brains while the One M8 has 2.3GHz version for the U.S. and Europe and a 2.5GHz version for Asia.
There’s also a slight difference between battery capacities. The S5 shipping with a 2800mAh lithium-ion battery, while the One M8 comes with a 2600mAh lithium-polymer batt. However, the G3 beats both with 3000mAh Li-ion battery. Heavy users will need a power pack regardless of the smartphone they choose though, but at least we know which one lasts a bit longer.
The S5 and One M8 offer 16GB or 32GB of storage (expandable via microSD to 128GB) and 2GB of memory, while the G3 sneaks in another point with a 3GB variant for the 32GB option. All run on Android KitKat with heavy custom UIs—the S5 with TouchWiz, the One M8 with HTC Sense 6, and the G3 with Optimus UI.
Round 2: Bragging rights
At first glance, the three devices seem evenly matched. But in reality, they actually cater to different audiences, and thus score for different aspects.
Over the years, we’ve gotten used to Samsung cramming every imaginable feature into its phones. We think the latest additions for the S5 are more on the logical side this time, but it also baits consumers looking for new things to boast about. Among the additions are the S5’s dust and water resistance, Ultra Power Saving Mode (shifting to grayscale visuals and minimal functionality to extend battery life), Download Booster, and MIMO capability—the last two immensely appealing for data hounds.
Samsung takes after Apple with its fingerprint scanner, and the S5’s compatibility with Samsung’s wearable devices Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, and Gear Fit is a given. Health-centric features like S Health and heart rate sensor encourage those looking to hop on the (much-welcomed) fitness bandwagon.
HTC mostly opted to play it safe with the One M8’s feature set, but did introduce a few cool tricks. The most noticeable is the Duo Camera slapped on the back of the M8. The first being a four-megapixel UltraPixel camera, and the second working as a depth sensor. Duo Camera’s goal is to make the One M8 shoot faster, and let users do better on-the-fly editing before or after the shot (bringing to mind the idea behind Lytro’s light field camera.
HTC also highlights BlinkFeed (personalized online content) and SenseTV (phone turns into smart TV remote). Sadly, the latter isn’t available locally. And one can argue that other Android apps can accomplish the same things as BlinkFeed and SenseTV, but having those built in is a considerable bonus.
While Samsung and HTC tussle over “bling,” LG steps back and works on its security fence instead. LG builds on the Knock On feature with the Knock Code. It enables users to do their own custom unlock patterns with the number of screen knocks or taps ranging from two to eight. And if ever you lose your phone or get robbed, you can turn the G3 from beauty to brick with the built-in Kill Switch.
LG serves up its own flashy features, too. The G3 will try to help you with tasks and device maintenance via Smart Notice, bringing to mind JARVIS without the snark. It’s also capable of doing wireless charging. And if you use LG’s QuickCircle case, you’ll get access to your most-used apps through the Circle Window, even while in sleep mode.
Round 3: The brawl of brawn
The difference between the three smartphones, processor-wise, is actually minimal and mostly unnoticeable in daily use. The smartphones are still the fastest ones around, and can definitely handle daily tasks and the usual media. Pocket-lint.com did note that the One M8 feels zippier, but GSMArena.com puts the S5 on top in terms of benchmarking.
While their displays are at the five-inch mark (with Samsung adding .1” to the S5 and the G3 adding an extra .5”) and provide excellent quality, there are several discrepancies. As Trusted Reviews mentioned, the S5’s AMOLED screen makes it excel in color contrasts, but the One M8 offers realistic hues and fares better in outdoor use. Meanwhile, LG trumps the two in terms of pixel density—538ppi versus the S5’s 432ppi and the One M8’s 441ppi—and sports a Quad HD IPS LCD display. Right now, that’s the clearest and most vivid screen you can get.
For photos and videos, the S5 goes for a new sensor and higher megapixels, while the One M8 opts for a low MP count and larger pixels. The S5 performs great here, particularly for Ultra HD footage and overall quality. Not to say the One M8’s a chump though. It fares better than the S5 for depth of field and low-light performance. For its part, the G3 keeps the same 13MP rear and 2.1MP front cameras that it gave the G2, but added laser autofocus, dual LED flash, and improved optical image stabilization.
If you’re a stickler for sound, the One M8 has the edge. The speakers, placed at the front, also have built-in amps and can even decrease its power usage. The S5 is similarly loud, but doesn’t quite serve up the same quality. Speakers are on the back portion, too, giving us muffled audio when the phone sits display-side up. The G3 does try to put up a fight with a one-watt speaker and a boost amp, but falls to the One M8 in the end.
Lastly, we may prefer the One M8’s unibody design, but the S5 and G3’s removable batteries mean that you can replace them if and when you need to.
Round 4: The verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8’s price tags both hit above 30 grand. The former has an SRP of P34,990 for the 16GB version, while the latter’s price for the 2.3GHz quad-core processor version varies depending on retailer — Widget City sells it for P33,990, while online seller Kimstore lets units go in exchange for P34,990. LG recently announced the prices for the 16GB/2GB RAM and 32GB/3GB RAM models. The former retails for P31,990, while the latter has an SRP of P33,990.
This may sound like a cop-out, but given that these smartphones have varying strengths, your decision will ultimately be based on which features you value the most. If you lead an active lifestyle, prefer having a extensive feature set, and want to shoot in HD and with a host of effects and tools, go for the S5. If you want a more “premium” handset in look and feel, better audio quality, and photos with adjustable depth of field and good lighting, the One M8 is for you. If you yearn for the best mobile visuals, a slightly longer battery life, more RAM, and amped-up security features, the G3’s your new tech BFF.
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