Re: Sony Xperia Z3 or HTC One M8
The M8 has that premium feel - probably still morso than any other flagship. The UI is excellent also. The camera does always seem to be the sticking point though - I guess it depends if you're just the casual snapper type, or need something a little more (although 4mp - regardless of apertures and gizmos - is pretty naff on a 2014 flagship phone, IMO).
I had an LG G3 for a few months - another great phone - but, depsite the ability to swap batteries, got fed up of having to do so and seeing my battery graph looking like a stair case (brilliant standby usage, then massive power drops anytime you had the QHD screen on for any length of time). I was lucky to get 12-14 hours usually. A friend lauded the Z3, so I got one.
3 weeks in, and it's easily the best phone I've owned. It's feels and looks premium. Yes, the glass 'sandwich' does make it a little slippery in the hand, and a bt scared to drop it, but I personally always use a case any way - I have a thin skin rubber type, which keeps the phone looking smart but is grippy also.
The display is sharp, and the Nits it hits with its brightness mean you can see it in all conditions, even on auto. The Sony skin is so minimalistic that it's the nearest I've used to vanilla android, that actually isn't. The camera is excellent, although I must say the G3 laser-focus was just a bit better, despite the lower MP count.
And then there's the battery. I just lasts. I unplug at 6am on weekdays, and really use the phone - SMS, EM, downloads, some streaming, Twitter, FB, gaming - the lowest it's gotten to at 11pm is 19%, and usually it's over 30%. It's a 3100mah battery, but whatever black magic Sony have put in to make it last just works. If you're a 'normal' user (whatever that is), it's quite possible to go way, way into a second day.