HTC One vs Nexus 5

[Robbo]

Hello folks.

I am currently using my iPhone 5, which I like, I don't have many issues with iOS but I am a bit bored of the 4" screen. That's more or less it. The battery isn't brilliant, it's good, but I think one of the new phones with a bigger battery could beat it... maybe. I take pictures/video now and again but I'm not hugely fussed if the pictures aren't amazing, good is fine.

I did buy a GS4 a while ago and I like it, but I felt a bit disappointed with the battery and TouchWiz wasn't great. After a couple of weeks it just felt like I was using my old GS3 again.

I know there are new phones due out fairly soon, and I might wait, but I was thinking to perhaps pick up a black HTC One, or Nexus 5. Just to use until the end of the year when I can see if the iPhone 6 or whatever it's called looks interesting, as well as the rival phones.

Am I right in saying:

HTC One has better build quality/premium feel - the black one reminds me of my black iPhone 5 which I really like
Massively superior speakers on the HTC, poor on the N5
HTC One better screen and viewing angles than N5
Stock Android is nice, though I don't mind the look of the new Sense
HTC One camera better in low light, Nexus 5 better outdoors
Better battery life on the...?
I assume they are closely matched for speed?

I've thought about a Note 3 but it's just too big. I think around 5" is ideal. I've not totally ruled it out, the Note 3 + Galaxy Gear combo is intriguing but that would mean I can't wear a "proper" watch.

Price is no issue for any of them. The Xperia Z1 looks pretty interesting though I expect it's got poor viewing angles and no doubt other problems?

Cheers.

 

[Skeeter]

Ruling out price pretty much gets rid of the main point. The One is not £200 better than the N5. But if price is irrelevant then just get whichever you prefer to hold and use.

 

[Robbo]

Ruling out price pretty much gets rid of the main point. The One is not £200 better than the N5. But if price is irrelevant then just get whichever you prefer to hold and use.

Price is taken into consideration but it's not of massive importance. I wouldn't pay £200 extra for some tiny benefit, for example.

For the record, a black HTC One is £50 more for me than a 32GB Nexus 5, which would be its equal; so it's not a great difference.

 

[PudWud]

I'm selling a HTC one now as I recently got a Note 3. Your comparison statements are pretty much spot on.

People talk about the price but you can pick up a practically new HTC one for the same price as the nexus now as HTC still don't hold their value well.

 

[Orcvader]

1) HO does feel/look premium, but I find the N5 to feel quite premium too, probably due to the plastic they used.

2) The N5 did have a newer revision to "fix" the speakers, but the HO still beats it. Beats sounds good on it as well.

3) Hard to say, the colours are more accurate on the N5 but honestly Google/LG did a pretty good job with the N5's screen.

4) Give Sense a go, I hate 3rd party UIs but Sense 5 was the first I enjoy. If you don't like it you can always try out the Google Play edition ROM, but honestly that made me appreciate Sense 5 more.

5) Pretty much. The HO's camera is also plagued with the purple/pink tint problem, even newly made models seems to be getting the problem. This and HTC's overprocessing on the photos ruins the "ultrapixel" camera's potential.

6) Very similiar but I think the N5 may edge out on this.

7) The N5 has better raw specs but to be honest, I think we've reached the point where we won't notice the difference significantly now.

However, if I was to pick a phone now it would be the N5, simply because it's newer, cheaper, better (in most areas) and should have longer support.

As for the Z1, it's big compared to other 5" phones, and the screen is pretty poor. At least Sony is starting to get it right by using IPS on the Z1 compact...

The MWC is later this month, and Samsung/HTC/Sony is expected to announce new flagship phones. I would hold out until then.

 

[chanjy]

I've tried them both, but currently using an iPhone 5S. I preferred the N5 as I felt like the HTC's bare metal, although 'premium' was actually less ergonomic to hold. Also battery life a bit better on the N5 in my experience.

Almost everything else pretty much similar, I'm not a big user of the speaker but can't deny that the HTC's was much better. N5 slightly quicker with the updated processor but both are plenty fast.

 

[Skeeter]

The other point about the N5 is that the software will be updated by Google for far longer than the One will get updates from HTC. But if you aren't planning on being in this for a long haul then that's a moot point to.

 

[sarge78]

Wait for the March/April flagship refresh.

 

[FrenchTart]

Price is taken into consideration but it's not of massive importance. I wouldn't pay £200 extra for some tiny benefit, for example.

If this is true I'm not sure why you're considering "upgrading" from an iPhone 5. Personally I'm not a fan of Apple products but if I owned an iPhone 5 I wouldn't see any other phone out at the moment as a worthwhile upgrade. You're paying out hundreds of pounds for something that is essentially going to be the same as what you currently have.

I currently have a Nexus 4 and it's a fine phone. On paper it's considerably worse than the current cream of the crop but would would the better screen resolution and 0.1 inch in screen real estate justify the £300+ upgrade cost to me? Nope.

Perhaps things will change with the next refresh (as mentioned above) but I wouldn't hold my breath. Smartphone improvements have started to reach a similar point to CPUs - not enough to justify spending money unless you wait a couple of generations.

 

[Robbo]

Thanks for the replies, I'll most likely wait for the refresh. I will probably have to test out a Nexus 5 though.

If this is true I'm not sure why you're considering "upgrading" from an iPhone 5. Personally I'm not a fan of Apple products but if I owned an iPhone 5 I wouldn't see any other phone out at the moment as a worthwhile upgrade. You're paying out hundreds of pounds for something that is essentially going to be the same as what you currently have.

I currently have a Nexus 4 and it's a fine phone. On paper it's considerably worse than the current cream of the crop but would would the better screen resolution and 0.1 inch in screen real estate justify the £300+ upgrade cost to me? Nope.

Perhaps things will change with the next refresh (as mentioned above) but I wouldn't hold my breath. Smartphone improvements have started to reach a similar point to CPUs - not enough to justify spending money unless you wait a couple of generations.

I take your point but I think there are bigger differences than basically "nothing." iPhone 5 to 5S this is more true, but going to a different platform brings many more changes.

I agree that smartphone improvements have become a bit stale now, and I would agree it's better to skip a generation, but one phone per year is hardly a big deal either, as long as it has something you want.

 

[chanjy]

Only reason I would change from the iPhone is the screen size. But that one thing is a massive factor and I've been back and forth between iOS and Android a few times because of it.

Big iPhone would solve the debate

 

[Edinho]

Big iPhone would solve the debate

What the company that said that big screens on a phone were pointless and stupid?

I have an HTC one x personally im looking at going phablet even the bigger phone screens I don't think are big enough now.

 

[Cleisthenes]

What the company that said that big screens on a phone were pointless and stupid?

I have an HTC one x personally im looking at going phablet even the bigger phone screens I don't think are big enough now.

I recently went from an iPhone 5 to a Note2 and have adjusted pretty quickly. The iPhone 5's screen seems miniature in comparison.

 

[Fallen god]

but one phone per year is hardly a big deal either, as long as it has something you want.

From 50 phones a year .

I generally upgrade on a yearly cycle, I get them sim free and sell them own/give it away. Sim only prices mostly make up the difference anyways.

I can understand the limitations of a 4" screen, it is pretty small by todays standard. I would go for the N5 for now and upgrade to the M8/S4 when it is out. It seems both HTC and Samsung finally care about software, sense 5.5 on 4.4 looks really good and the leaks of the new touchwiz is promising.

Samsung has also commented numerous times that they were not happen with the build.design off the S4 so hopefully they get some of those awesome laptop designers on it , Series 9 is still the most beautiful laptop out today for me.

 

[Robbo]

I recently went from an iPhone 5 to a Note2 and have adjusted pretty quickly. The iPhone 5's screen seems miniature in comparison.

I can picture myself thinking the same if I actually went for it.

From 50 phones a year .

Was more like 20.

Samsung has also commented numerous times that they were not happen with the build.design off the S4 so hopefully they get some of those awesome laptop designers on it , Series 9 is still the most beautiful laptop out today for me.

Agreed. Excellent laptops.

 

[chanjy]

What the company that said that big screens on a phone were pointless and stupid?

I have an HTC one x personally im looking at going phablet even the bigger phone screens I don't think are big enough now.

Some rumours do point to a 4.7" iPhone this year. Remember Steve Jobs also rubbished smaller tablets before he died, then Apple went mini with the iPad.

Having said all that, I'll be going Android in the meantime. And to bring it back to the original discussion, it'll be a N5 not an HO