Nexus 5 vs HTC One?

[Rob Herley]

Hi Everyone,

I have a slight dilemma. I’m looking to pick up an android phone fit for me and I have narrowed it down to two suspects, Nexus 5 and HTC One. Coming from me, I had a HTC Evo Shift in the past and from that I had a slight iPhone addiction with the 4 and 5 but I’m beginning to miss the customization and unique personality that is included with Android. Since they are both a smooth $50 with my contract upgrade, price is not the issue. Basically, I want a phone that has the powerhouse under the hood but with the aesthetics to go along with it. The HTC One has the beautiful aluminum, machine cut, modern-day premium design (especially the BestBuy blue edition) but it is lacking with the Snapdragon 600 compared to the soft touch plastic Nexus 5 with the 800. Honestly I can’t decide between the two because I also like the way google treats the Nexus line of phones with everlasting support and I think I would be future-proofing myself with it. Plus, I already have a Nexus 7 (2012). Could anyone add some input to convince me which device is better for me? I will be posting this in both the HTC One and Nexus 5 sections of the forum so no bias. Thanks for you time!

Edit: I've decided to go with the One and I'm going to convert it to a Google Play Edition so I will hopefully get most of the latest updates from google. Thanks to everyone who replied!

Edit 2: Thanks to everyone for all the input on my thread even after I gave my final decision and keep the posts coming!

 

[UJ95x]

Hi Everyone,

I have a slight dilemma. I’m looking to pick up an android phone fit for me and I have narrowed it down to two suspects, Nexus 5 and HTC One. Coming from me, I had a HTC Evo Shift in the past and from that I had a slight iPhone addiction with the 4 and 5 but I’m beginning to miss the customization and unique personality that is included with Android. Since they are both a smooth $50 with my contract upgrade, price is not the issue. Basically, I want a phone that has the powerhouse under the hood but with the aesthetics to go along with it. The HTC One has the beautiful aluminum, machine cut, modern-day premium design (especially the BestBuy blue edition) but it is lacking with the Snapdragon 600 compared to the soft touch plastic Nexus 5 with the 800. Honestly I can’t decide between the two because I also like the way google treats the Nexus line of phones with everlasting support and I think I would be future-proofing myself with it. Plus, I already have a Nexus 7 (2012). Could anyone add some input to convince me which device is better for me? I will be posting this in both the HTC One and Nexus 5 sections of the forum so no bias. Thanks for you time!

Welcome to Android Central
I'd say go for the HTC One
It has the edge over the N5 in basically every important category.
1) Better screen, N5's looks washed out
2) FAR better speakers
3) FAR better battery life from what people are reporting with their N5s
4) Better build quality
5) Better camera although neither of them is spectacular.
Only thing the N5 has is the software. I prefer Stock Android just like most of us around here and it will get faster updates

 

[ffejjj]

Well both phones have their pros and con's. I bought the One just after launch and have been 100% pleased with it.

The 2 major reasons are the display and the camera functions. Photos and zoe's put into a highlight real makes for a very unique and delightful way to save memories.

Sent from my EVO using Android Central Forums

 

[festinator]

Welcome to Android Central
I'd say go for the HTC One
It has the edge over the N5 in basically every important category.
1) Better screen, N5's looks washed out
2) FAR better speakers
3) FAR better battery life from what people are reporting with their N5s
4) Better build quality
5) Better camera although neither of them is spectacular.
Only thing the N5 has is the software. I prefer Stock Android just like most of us around here and it will get faster updates

Agree with everything but #1.. Its not washed out, just more realistic colors and not over saturated.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[UJ95x]

Agree with everything but #1.. Its not washed out, just more realistic colors and not over saturated.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

The One has a better screen in terms of both of those things

 

[yfan]

I just went to a T-Mobile store and held the One and compared it to the feel of my Nexus 5. I honestly prefer the feel of the 5 partly because the metal body of the One reacts to temperature fast. Meaning that if you are out with it on a cold night, it will get cold and not so fun to hold. The soft touch premium feeling plastic on the N5 won't do that.

This is all personal preference, obviously.

I don't know why people are complaining about the camera. Mine takes fantastic pictures. Unless you are going to enter photos taken with your phone in a professional photography competition, the camera on the N5 is more than adequate.

Also consider the price point. That's one of the big advantage of Nexus. You get a top of the line phone at nearly half the cost.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[UJ95x]

I just went to a T-Mobile store and held the One and compared it to the feel of my Nexus 5. I honestly prefer the feel of the 5 partly because the metal body of the One reacts to temperature fast. Meaning that if you are out with it on a cold night, it will get cold and not so fun to hold. The soft touch premium feeling plastic on the N5 won't do that.

This is all personal preference, obviously.

I don't know why people are complaining about the camera. Mine takes fantastic pictures. Unless you are going to enter photos taken with your phone in a professional photography competition, the camera on the N5 is more than adequate.

Also consider the price point. That's one of the big advantage of Nexus. You get a top of the line phone at nearly half the cost.

Posted via Android Central App

He's getting the phone on contract though, so price is irrelevant as they're both going to cost him $50

 

[yfan]

He's getting the phone on contract though, so price is irrelevant as they're both going to cost him $50

True. I've been out of the contract model for too long. But I'd almost be tempted to get the One just to stick it to Sprint, assuming they have to pay more for the One than for the N5. Lol.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Jason]

I'm going back and forth between these two phones also. But I'm with sprint so a upgrade to the n5 would be $150. As of now I'm leaning towards the HTC one and the snapdragon 600 is still fast, there isn't any lag and apps load fast. I'm just hoping htc and sprint release kit kat in the near future, they were pretty quick to getting it to 4.3

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

 

[UJ95x]

True. I've been out of the contract model for too long. But I'd almost be tempted to get the One just to stick it to Sprint, assuming they have to pay more for the One than for the N5. Lol.

Posted via Android Central App

Haha yeah. The thing with carriers like Sprint/VZW is that regardless of what phone you have and whether or not you have a contract you pay the same you might as well pay less for the same device.

 

[madlaw1071]

Welcome to Android Central
I'd say go for the HTC One
It has the edge over the N5 in basically every important category.
1) Better screen, N5's looks washed out
2) FAR better speakers
3) FAR better battery life from what people are reporting with their N5s
4) Better build quality
5) Better camera although neither of them is spectacular.
Only thing the N5 has is the software. I prefer Stock Android just like most of us around here and it will get faster updates

I own both devices and disagree with just about all of this.

If you put your phone in a case, like most people, the aluminum vs plastic argument becomes moot.
If like most people you listen to music with headphones, the speakers on the One is a nice but rarely used gimmick.
The screen on the N5 is as good if not better than the One. It's bigger with a smaller footprint and it's warmer whereas the One tends to be washed out. Both are bright.
Battery life is equally good.
Build materials is not the same as build quality. The N5 is far more fixable than the One, which has many problems, just check out threads.
The camera on the one is really fast but that's about all I can say about it. The lack of megapixels is quite noticeable, pics lack detail. The N5 can make highlights which eliminates the advantage the One had. Btw, the N5s implementation of highlights is called Auto Awesome and it is more comprehensive than the basic features of highlights on the one.
Oh did I mention the N5 comes with kitKat out of the box and HtC could be gone at any minute?

 

[eric3316]

There are 2 thing that I would like to see fixed in the N5 and without a doubt I would then recommend the N5 to everyone.

1) Most importantly they need to fix the shutter speed of the camera. The N5 is capable of taking good pictures but the problem is that it takes to long to actually snap one making the camera suitable to snap pictures on non moving objects only.

2) Not as big a deal but they need to add more volume to the external speaker. I am not as concerned for sound quality and bass as I am for volume. I just want to be able to hear the speaker in situations other then a total quiet room.

To me though the camera is the most important fix needed. Other then that everything is just really great on the N5. I really like Kit-Kat as well. Running stock and not rooted and it has been a great experience. First Android phone I have owned that I have not immediatley rooted nor plan to at this time.

As far as the HTC One. It is a great phone. I wouldn't worry about the Snapdragon 600 vs. 800 and would not base my decision on it. I think what it really comes down to is do you want to run stock and how do you feel about updates? There is a possibility that the One will get 4.4 as HTC has shown great interested in keeping their current phones up to date but not sure what they will do once we see the next update to Android which HTC would probably have a new phone available at that time and might drop support to the One line.

If you are someone that keeps your phones for 2 years, which seems like you do since you are signing a contract you have to decide how important it is for you to have the latest OS on your device because 3rd party manufacturers are not going to offer 2 years worth of support and upgrades although we are seeing a slightly different trend from these manufactures lately to who knows.

 

[qnet]

Great advice eric3316. The point about the camera software is spot on. I had the HTC One at launch and it's a great phone. The HTC One has great build quality but I never liked the button placement. The sound amplification on the HTC One is much higher when listening to music through earphones with beats audio enabled. I kind of miss that but, playing music though Google music has greatly improved.

I haven't noticed the battery life being any better or worse between the two. It seems like the Nexus 5 has better standby time but, with both phones it's not the best, but adequate for me. Overall I like the Nexus better because I like stock Android.

If the HTC One had the same button placement as the Nexus 5 and ran stock Android 4.4 while also including beats audio, it would be a tougher decision for me.

 

[Rob Herley]

Thanks for your awesome replies. I think I'm going to go with the HTC One because the Snapdragon 600 was the problem for me. Many people posted on here that I would see almost no difference in real-life performance. I'm going to go to BestBuy to hold both phones in my hand to decide on the final verdict. Thanks Again!

 

[Adranalyne]

-In-hand feel is what's important here. Both have excellent quality. It's down to whether you prefer the curved aluminum build with chamfered edges or the matte black finish of the 5. I wasn't as enamored with the One as most were, but I'd say most people would probably pick the One in this category.

-Unless you care about benchmarks, the CPU difference between the two isn't that drastic with how well these phones perform. Is the 5 faster? Yes. Is it extremely noticeable? Not really. If you pick the 5 here, it should only be because of the touch response (which I find to be better on the 5). Otherwise, there's not much of a difference here. KitKat will run just fine on the One.

-You can tell the difference between SLCD3 and the IPS on the 5. The One has a better screen.

-The Nexus 5 has the better camera. The shutter speed/focus times are frustrating, but that's software that can be fixed. They both perform fairly well in low light, but the 5 is more consistent in detail with the 8MP sensor.

-Battery life wouldn't be that much different, honestly. They both have average battery life. The only thing I can say is that if you're hearing comparable numbers between them now, once the One gets KitKat it will probably have the advantage. Not to mention they'll probably still retain the battery saver option.


I think the One is the better phone, honestly. Would I personally choose it over the Nexus 5? No. Because I'm not that in love with the in-hand feel of the One and I like the matte black of the 5. I think people have made a bigger deal about the 5 than they should, but it's still a good phone.

 

[UJ95x]

I own both devices and disagree with just about all of this.

If you put your phone in a case, like most people, the aluminum vs plastic argument becomes moot.
If like most people you listen to music with headphones, the speakers on the One is a nice but rarely used gimmick.
The screen on the N5 is as good if not better than the One. It's bigger with a smaller footprint and it's warmer whereas the One tends to be washed out. Both are bright.
Battery life is equally good.
Build materials is not the same as build quality. The N5 is far more fixable than the One, which has many problems, just check out threads.
The camera on the one is really fast but that's about all I can say about it. The lack of megapixels is quite noticeable, pics lack detail. The N5 can make highlights which eliminates the advantage the One had. Btw, the N5s implementation of highlights is called Auto Awesome and it is more comprehensive than the basic features of highlights on the one.
Oh did I mention the N5 comes with kitKat out of the box and HtC could be gone at any minute?

A lot of people like to go naked, just like me, so having something you like is better. Although my phone is plastic...
The speakers are not a gimmick, I do use headphones but mostly when I'm in public. If I'm at home or showing friends/family a video the speakers in the front would be a juge plus.
Again, the screen on the One is probably the best available. I haven't seen the N5's screen in person but basically every review is saying it is washed out.
I've seen people get upwards of 6 hours of screen time on their One. Good luck getting even 4 on the N5
The N5's pics are decent at best. I don't like the camera on the one much but it performs about as well in good lighting and blows the N5 away in low light.
The One is getting Kit Kat within the next couple months, it has Sense anyway so that's pretty much insignificant. If you really care about what version you're on, you can always flash a custom ROM.

 

[madlaw1071]

A lot of people like to go naked, just like me, so having something you like is better. Although my phone is plastic...
The speakers are not a gimmick, I do use headphones but mostly when I'm in public. If I'm at home or showing friends/family a video the speakers in the front would be a juge plus.
Again, the screen on the One is probably the best available. I haven't seen the N5's screen in person but basically every review is saying it is washed out.
I've seen people get upwards of 6 hours of screen time on their One. Good luck getting even 4 on the N5
The N5's pics are decent at best. I don't like the camera on the one much but it performs about as well in good lighting and blows the N5 away in low light.
The One is getting Kit Kat within the next couple months, it has Sense anyway so that's pretty much insignificant. If you really care about what version you're on, you can always flash a custom ROM.

Please link up to the reviews saying the N5's display is "washed out". I've read several and havent seen that criticism.

 

[UJ95x]

Please link up to the reviews saying the N5's display is "washed out". I've read several and havent seen that criticism.

Here are 3 that I've seen...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDamQh-PdIo
Google Nexus 5 Review - Best Smartphone Value
Nexus 5 review: the best phone $350 can buy

 

[madlaw1071]

lol Didnt watch the video but Laptop says viewing angles are no good and Engadget says they're great. Go figure. I have the One, S4 and N5 and prefer the N5 as the best balance between washed out but bright(One) and lush but kinda dim(S4).

 

[UJ95x]

lol Didnt watch the video but Laptop says viewing angles are no good and Engadget says they're great. Go figure. I have the One, S4 and N5 and prefer the N5 as the best balance between washed out but bright(One) and lush but kinda dim(S4).

Laptop said "The Nexus 5's viewing angles also aren't as generous; images looked a bit washed-out by comparison." It also said it was just as bright as the S4 at 439 lux
Engadget said "the colors aren't quite as rich on the Nexus; the whites aren't as white, the blacks aren't as black and colors generally aren't as vibrant" when compared to other flagship phones.
The screen on my S4 is great but the screen on the One is the best I have seen, not by much though which is why I chose the bigger screen.
Doesn't matter what we say now anyway, OP decided on the One