Android Central's top smartphone

[Habiib]

HTC put everything they had into the One and it's good to see it being recognized for that.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[chrscaley]

The "best" is always subjective based on an individual's needs/wants, so I see little value in these types of articles beyond a fan boy playground (in the comments) and a self-congratulatory sentiment to those with the phone ranked "best". Personally, I never base my purchase decisions on these types of articles (IMHO no one else should either). In fact, I've learned it's best to avoid them all together.

That's funny considering you're here.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[chrscaley]

I think I can speak on behalf of several HTC One owners when I say that if the HTC One didn't look like the way it did, we probably would all be owning a GS4 now.

As much as we'd like to think of ourselves as high-brow sophisticated android users, we can't deny the influence that beautiful design and aesthetics has on us as consumers when we are deciding between purchases. A phone that flat out looks great and feels great will always have a competitive advantage even if what's inside may not all be state-of-the-art or top-of-the-line.

The One's beautiful exterior design, the aluminum body, the feel/weight of the phone and the gorgeous display and sound sold me. This was even before I went into the comparisons between Sense/Touchwiz, device specs, and software. In my opinion, the "stuff" under the hood of all recent smartphones have been stellar. Part of the benefits of being a consumer in an ultra-competitive android market. At the end of the day, the software differences are not going to really make or break my experience with a phone (at least for the casual user). But having a gorgeous phone that is a head-turner and feels great in your hand is something that alot of people may be underrating imo. This is what I love about my One. It's not the beastiest or best phone on the block, but it is one good-looker. And nobody can ever find fault in that

While it's true the one does look nice I wouldn't say that's why everyone is buying it over the s4. I just returned my s4 today and got the one. The reason I switched? Not because it looks nicer (but it sure doesnt hurt) but because it's more stable, more internal storage, less bloatware and unnecessary applications, front facing stereo speakers, less lag, I don't want to have to worry about screen burn in (which is a concern with the amoled displays). The built in keyboard on the s4 doesn't have auto correct. Are you kidding? I had auto correct on my flip phone 10 years ago. The s4 with touchwiz just flat out sucks. Sure it has faster ram and a bigger screen and the processor is clocked higher but none of that matters if it doesn't work right. It lags way too much. Sure the air view and air gestures and all that is cool, but, I never used any of those features besides showing other people "hey my phone can do this, so it must be cool". That's all the extras are really good for is trying to show off and at the same time convince yourself that your 600$ was well spent because your phone does gimmicky things that others don't while it severely lags and stutters when it really counts. Overall the one is just a better phone. And the last five phones I had before this was the s4, note 2, iPhone 5, nexus 4 and gs3. If I was signing up for tmobike right now I could tell you the top three phones would have to be the One to start with then the note 2, then the nexus 4. But that's just from my experience. To each his own.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[LegalAmerican]

Ask any android fanatic and they will tell you sales is not indicative of how good a device is. IPhone for example. No wait, because if the S4 is selling like hotcakes then it must be good. I'm confused too much hypocrisy on the sites lol.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

So am I. With both sides. All Android fans always said sales and aluminum were not the biggest factors of the best device because those were two major aspects of the iPhone. NOW, sales are the key factor for Samsung fans and Aluminum is the best thing ever to HTC fans. SO much hypocrisy that I am always a little embarrassed if an iOS fan mentions how that has changed. We all are making ourselves look like fools with the dumb civil war that we're engaged in.

 

[SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl]

So am I. With both sides. All Android fans always said sales and aluminum were not the biggest factors of the best device because those were two major aspects of the iPhone. NOW, sales are the key factor for Samsung fans and Aluminum is the best thing ever to HTC fans. SO much hypocrisy that I am always a little embarrassed if an iOS fan mentions how that has changed. We all are making ourselves look like fools with the dumb civil war that we're engaged in.

Whenever people say "All Android fans always said" I know that they are wrong.

I think plenty of Android fans appreaciate iPhone build quality. But build quality and materials are not deciding factors, particularly when the devices were so different (operating system, screen size).

If both devices are running Android and both devices have big screens, then yes, build quality and materials become more important.

Having said that, while I love the design and build of the One, I would have gone with the s4 if I thought the camera was better for my purposes.

5 weeks in, I am happy with my choice and have no qualms recommending the One over the s4 for the following reasons: Camera (speed, low light, zoe, highlights, manageable file sizes), smooth, lag free operations, beautiful screen, and design/materials.

Others may prefer the s4, and have their reasons as well. Both are great devices, but I chose the One, and would choose it again today, so for me personally, the One is the best device available.

 

[axne1]

I can't help but feel a little uninspired by any of the device offerings.

the upcoming gaming consoles have intrigue me though...
Over-Clocked! & Under-Volted!
LiquidSmoove-KT747 BABY!

 

[SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl]

I can't help but feel a little uninspired by any of the device offerings.

the upcoming gaming consoles have intrigue me though...
Over-Clocked! & Under-Volted!
LiquidSmoove-KT747 BABY!

You are kind of the odd man out then.

 

[LegalAmerican]

Whenever people say "All Android fans always said" I know that they are wrong.

I think plenty of Android fans appreaciate iPhone build quality. But build quality and materials are not deciding factors, particularly when the devices were so different (operating system, screen size).

.

So I was clearly overstating it when I said "all" and "always". However, I think we're kidding ourselves if we're going to pretend that the vast majority didn't fall into the category I described. Myself included. There might be a handful that never mentioned those things or mocked Apple fans for putting such high value on those aspects, but I think most of us are being dishonest to ourselves if we say that we were not part of it. If people aren't ready to look at themselves and accept it, then I can't force you to do that and come to grips. And I don't need to. It's simply my observation of how the times have changed.

You can say i'm wrong by pointing out that I was slightly exaggerating, but I think that's trying to shift the focus off the message of my post and the point I was making to try to discredit something that is more or less true. I regret speaking in absolutes because that is what you chose to focus on instead of the actual point.

 

[gnr_2]

The "best" is always subjective based on an individual's needs/wants, so I see little value in these types of articles beyond a fan boy playground (in the comments) and a self-congratulatory sentiment to those with the phone ranked "best". Personally, I never base my purchase decisions on these types of articles (IMHO no one else should either). In fact, I've learned it's best to avoid them all together.

If you are looking into which phone to get and you are coming from a flip phone, and are going to keep your phone the full two years, not two months like some people seem to do, then you try to read as many articles comparing phones as possible. Isn't the EVO an HTC phone? When I got my Gnex last fall, the EVO and S3 were neck and neck in all the reviews so it doesn't surprise me that the ONE and S4 are now in the same situation.

And so true to the person talking about new computers. You get a new computer with this huge hard drive only to find that out of the box more space is already taken than you had total on your last computer.

Sent from the Superuser account on my newly rooted Sprint Galaxy Nexus

 

[anon(394005)]

Yeah because you did a good job avoiding this one lol.

That's funny considering you're here.

Yeah, I see the irony in what I posted. I do avoid this stuff 99% of the time, but sometimes feel compelled to speak out; in this case primarily due to seeing the increased level of and incessant back and forth between S4 and One fan boys, all of which as I originally stated comes down to subjective stuff anyway. I just wish people would step back and get a little perspective and stop the mindless fanboyism. It gets old quickly and is sadly a big reason I find myself coming here (to AC) less and less.

 

[Yilun808]

While it's true the one does look nice I wouldn't say that's why everyone is buying it over the s4. I just returned my s4 today and got the one. The reason I switched? Not because it looks nicer (but it sure doesnt hurt) but because it's more stable, more internal storage, less bloatware and unnecessary applications, front facing stereo speakers, less lag, I don't want to have to worry about screen burn in (which is a concern with the amoled displays). The built in keyboard on the s4 doesn't have auto correct. Are you kidding? I had auto correct on my flip phone 10 years ago. The s4 with touchwiz just flat out sucks. Sure it has faster ram and a bigger screen and the processor is clocked higher but none of that matters if it doesn't work right. It lags way too much. Sure the air view and air gestures and all that is cool, but, I never used any of those features besides showing other people "hey my phone can do this, so it must be cool". That's all the extras are really good for is trying to show off and at the same time convince yourself that your 600$ was well spent because your phone does gimmicky things that others don't while it severely lags and stutters when it really counts. Overall the one is just a better phone. And the last five phones I had before this was the s4, note 2, iPhone 5, nexus 4 and gs3. If I was signing up for tmobike right now I could tell you the top three phones would have to be the One to start with then the note 2, then the nexus 4. But that's just from my experience. To each his own.

Posted via Android Central App

I absolutely agree with you, as a matter of fact. I just so happened to think that by virtue of look and feel alone, the HTC One challenged the S4 outright. I see the smooth OS, phone stability, and software bonuses as mere gravy on top. Kinda like, wow this phone looks great.... and hey what do you know, it just so happens to also run just as smooth (if not smoother) than the highly-touted GS4 as well

I completely agree though that when I played around with the GS4 that most of the features came across as "gimmicky" as well. With the exception of very specific uses-cases for the air gestures and air view, I couldn't see myself pragmatically using those features on a day-to-day basis. Afterall, swiping my thumb across the screen to scroll up and down is much more realistic/practical then waiting 5 seconds for the eye detection software to register my eyeball and trying to figure out where to look on the screen in order for it to scroll. Like you said, it's great for party tricks and showing off to your friends how cool your phone is, but not really something you couldn't live without as your daily driver. The ONE, on the other hand, I use as my daily phone and after getting accustomed to Zoes and Video Highlights, I can't live without them now. Everyone in my family who sees the video highlight montages that the One produces are blown away and amazed at how cool that feature is. They think I'm using some professional video editing software and spending a bundle of time producing 30 second highlight clips... it's great.

 

[anon(394005)]

If you are looking into which phone to get and you are coming from a flip phone, and are going to keep your phone the full two years, not two months like some people seem to do, then you try to read as many articles comparing phones as possible. Isn't the EVO an HTC phone? When I got my Gnex last fall, the EVO and S3 were neck and neck in all the reviews so it doesn't surprise me that the ONE and S4 are now in the same situation.

And so true to the person talking about new computers. You get a new computer with this huge hard drive only to find that out of the box more space is already taken than you had total on your last computer.

My issue is with "best of" lists, which tend to be very subjective. It's much better to use individual reviews of each product or a side by side comparison breaking down pros and cons of each. That is much more helpful IMO than any "best of" list.

 

[SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl]

So I was clearly overstating it when I said "all" and "always". However, I think we're kidding ourselves if we're going to pretend that the vast majority didn't fall into the category I described. Myself included. There might be a handful that never mentioned those things or mocked Apple fans for putting such high value on those aspects, but I think most of us are being dishonest to ourselves if we say that we were not part of it. If people aren't ready to look at themselves and accept it, then I can't force you to do that and come to grips. And I don't need to. It's simply my observation of how the times have changed.

You can say i'm wrong by pointing out that I was slightly exaggerating, but I think that's trying to shift the focus off the message of my post and the point I was making to try to discredit something that is more or less true. I regret speaking in absolutes because that is what you chose to focus on instead of the actual point.

Well, I just don't buy into the whole premise that you are stating, so I think it was more than a slight exaggeration. I think people in general apprecated Apple build quality and materials, even if the phone wasn't their cup of tea for other reasons. I think it was more the other way around, that Apple fanboys tended to turn their noses to Android phones using these issues. Those who chose Android obviously put more weight on other issues. I never heard anyone say "I really would like an iPhone, but I can't stand the materials they use and their emphasis on build quality".

Now if you were to say people used to criticize the battery and SD cards, that was more prevalent. The 32 gb and 64gb storage on the one helped to ease those concerns, as well as the cloud storage options have helped to ease SD concerns. The battery is still a bit of a concern.

I grant you that the issue about sales determining the best device is ridiculous, but I don't think there are that many s4 fans making a claim that sales are the "key" determinant of which phone is best, and those that do are embarrasing themselves, not the rest of us.

 

[JasW]

HTC put everything they had into the One

Except 4.2.2.

 

[Johnly]

Except 4.2.2.

Ha ha......that's funny. But I think declaration of a best phone is kinda funny too when the margin is so close. I would take a one with samsungs hardware and UI. Thats just me and someone is going to say I am the minority!

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

[LegalAmerican]

I never heard anyone say "I really would like an iPhone, but I can't stand the materials they use and their emphasis on build quality".

Of course no one said it like that. You're misunderstanding or possibly over estimating what my point is. My point is, that people had other (more important) reasons for not liking the iPhone. Then when Apple or their fans would brag about the build quality, Android fans would say something along these lines: "I would prefer a plastic device that has better software and internal capabilities over a crap OS that's wrapped in aluminum and glass."

Clearly no one would say build quality and sales were the reasons to NOT get the device, they would say that those things didn't offset the lack of user experience in the device or whatever other aspect they were uninterested in. Anyone who's frequented Android Central for over 12 months would certainly know what i'm talking about because around the time the iPhone 5 (and especially the 4s) was announced, those comments were rampant.

I'm not saying I disagreed with those comments, because I was involved in many of them. I am just saying it's funny how now, those things are massively important because now Android is experiencing both of those aspects. Now, it's more about the build quality of HTC vs. the popularity of the S4. Samsung fans accuse HTC fans of being like 'iSheep' because they obsess over build quality. HTC fans accuse Samsung fans of being like 'iSheep' because they obsess over the popularity of their device and the focus on marketing. If what I am saying is false or wrong, no one would be using 'iSheep' as the burn of choice to try to win their respective arguments. Clearly many people remember that being a common discussion regarding Apple or they wouldn't use Apple fan nicknames to tear other people down.

 

[SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl]

Of course no one said it like that. You're misunderstanding or possibly over estimating what my point is. My point is, that people had other (more important) reasons for not liking the iPhone. Then when Apple or their fans would brag about the build quality, Android fans would say something along these lines: "I would prefer a plastic device that has better software and internal capabilities over a crap OS that's wrapped in aluminum and glass."

Clearly no one would say build quality and sales were the reasons to NOT get the device, they would say that those things didn't offset the lack of user experience in the device or whatever other aspect they were uninterested in. Anyone who's frequented Android Central for over 12 months would certainly know what i'm talking about because around the time the iPhone 5 (and especially the 4s) was announced, those comments were rampant.

I'm not saying I disagreed with those comments, because I was involved in many of them. I am just saying it's funny how now, those things are massively important because now Android is experiencing both of those aspects. Now, it's more about the build quality of HTC vs. the popularity of the S4. Samsung fans accuse HTC fans of being like 'iSheep' because they obsess over build quality. HTC fans accuse Samsung fans of being like 'iSheep' because they obsess over the popularity of their device and the focus on marketing. If what I am saying is false or wrong, no one would be using 'iSheep' as the burn of choice to try to win their respective arguments. Clearly many people remember that being a common discussion regarding Apple or they wouldn't use Apple fan nicknames to tear other people down.

OK - fair enough. Both are great devices, or so I am told. As I stated earlier, it is only because the camera that I have the one, but I do also appreciate the build, look, and materials. If the s4 had the HTC camera and software, and the HTC had the s4 13mp camera I would have bought the s4.

 

[Habiib]

Except 4.2.2.

Not sure if they had a deployable 4.2.2 ready for the One...could be wrong..oh but they did have SD Card slots, and didn't put it in the One. Ooppsie me

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Topgonzo]

Yes! They did it! WTG htc! Wooooohooooo....

Lol

Posted via HTC One

 

[gnr_2]

My issue is with "best of" lists, which tend to be very subjective. It's much better to use individual reviews of each product or a side by side comparison breaking down pros and cons of each. That is much more helpful IMO than any "best of" list.

Agreed, except after a while your mind goes numb and you just want someone to tell you which one to pick. LOL

Sent from the Superuser account on my newly rooted Sprint Galaxy Nexus