HTC One M8 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Which is the best?

HTC has just unveiled the follow up to T3's Phone of the Year 2013, the HTC One M8, but can it topple the new Samsung Galaxy S5? Packing a new dual camera, even more streamlined design and some pumped up specs, the HTC One M8 could be your next upgrade.

To get the full picture of just how good the HTC One M8 really is, we've put it head to head with its main rival and fellow Android 4.4 Kit Kat-toting behemoth, the Samsung Galaxy S5

Also, make sure you check out our HTC One M8 review.

Check out our HTC One M8 vs Apple iPhone and HTC One M8 vs HTC One head to head

HTC One M8 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Size and Build

The HTC One was a real looker, we've said it many times and there's few who would disagree with it. With its aluminium clad unibody build, precise edges and machined finish, it is probably the only device that can match Apple and the iPhone 5S when it comes to industrial design.

So, it's no surprise that the HTC One M8 is triumphant again when it comes to looks, leaving the dimpled 80's faux-leather of the Samsung Galaxy S5 trailing in its mix of metal and glass.

If you were familiar with the HTC One's design then you'll feel right at home with the M8, as it sticks pretty close to the design blueprints of its predecessor. The aluminium unibody design is now even more machined than before, giving it a better feel in the hand and it's ever so slightly more curved.

Put the devices next to each other and it's clear which is the more premium, the glossy plastic, faux-materials and pesky charging cap on the S5 just can't measure up to the brushed metal of the HTC One M8

Size-wise the S5 is thinner and lighter at 8.1mm and 145g, though the M8 is definitely no porker, coming in at 160g and 9.3mm thin.

As you'd expect, with the HTC One M8 packing a 5-inch and the S5 a 5.1-inch display, they are hardly compact and take up sizable pocket space.

Can the HTC One M8 top our best Android phone 2014 list?

HTC One M8 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Screen

On to the screen and they're almost identical in size with the S5 just narrowly beating the M8 with point one of an inch at 5.1-inches in size but HTC's offering has it when it comes to ppi's beating the S5's 432 with 441.

Really though, these differences are minimal and with both beaming full HD 1080p images into your retinas, you're bound to be in for a visual treat.

We'll have to get both devices in for a full test at T3 HQ before we can say definitively which one packs the better display.

HTC One M8 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Processor

Samsung has again crammed a lot of tech into powering its latest flagship, including 2GB of RAM (surprisingly less than the 3GB in both the Galaxy Note 3 and Sony's Xperia Z2) and a quad-core Krait 2.5GHz chip, but is it better than what HTC has given us?

Actually, they are pretty much the same, with the HTC One M8 also going with 2GB RAM and the top of the line Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor clocked at 2.3GHz.

As we said about the displays, both these phones are packing some serious power and we can only at this point assume they will be a pleasure to use.However, unlike the Apple iPhone 5s, which features a 64-bit processor, both the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 are 32-bit. While this won't cause any day to day issues, it does raise some questions about future support once 64-bit processors are common place amongst Android devices.

Check out these best Android apps 2014

HTC One M8 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Camera

The camera was where people had their hopes on the S5 and it didn't fail to deliver. It landed with a 16-megapixel sensor on the back that the South Korean company claims offers the fastest auto-focus of any smartphone on the market with it taking a mere 0.3 seconds to lock on to target.

The S5 also has a new HDR mode that should provide more realistic looking skin tones and Selective Focus, which allows you to achieve snaps with a shallow depth of feel effect, similar to those captured on pricey DSLRs.

While the Samsung Galaxy S5 wins out in the megapixel wars, the HTC One M8 instead goes with innovative new features.

The Ultrapixel camera from the 2013 model is still here, with the same four ultrapixel sensor, but it has now been joined by a second lens, placed above the main snapper, which acts as a depth sensor.

We've seen the mysterious second cam in plenty of leaked images, but now finally we now why it's been included.

First off, it'll let you refocus your shots after you've taken them (similarly to the Lytro camera, Nokia's app for WP8 and the S5) so you can distinguish between the background and foreground when editing. Secondly you can now add a parallax effect to your photos, giving further depth. Apple did a similar thing for the homescreen on iOS7.

On to video and although the M8 copes well in lowlight, the S5 beats it with sheer specs with the ability to shoot UHD.

The front facing cameras are a world apart with Samsung offering just 2-megapixels, compared to the M8's five. Could the days of blurred selfies finally be at an end?

HTC One M8 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Features and Operating System

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Both these high-end, high-specced and high-priced devices come boasting some really interesting features, features that set the phones apart.

Both come running the latest form of Android – 4.4 Kit Kat, though each has its own special skin with added features. The HTC One M8 comes with Sense 6.0, an update to last year's version that now features a more customisable Blinkfeed news and social media aggregator.

Icons have been jazzed up and on-screen buttons replace the capacitive versions of old.

Beats Audio is no longer around, but the fantastic BoomSound front facing speakers gladly are, providing punchy audio and thanks to a new internal digital signal processing chip, you'll now get a wider frequency of sound.

Our favourite feature though isn't actually on the phone; instead it's an added accessory that adds bundles of retro charm. The Dot Matrix flip case lets you glance upon vital info in 8-bit style. Cases could be cool again.

Unlike the S5, the HTC One M8 doesn't have a fingerprint scanner or any sort of waterproofing. Samsung's device is IP67 certified so it's dustproof and waterproof in depths of up to 1m (or your mug of tea) for a limited about of time.

Winning top billing on Samsung's new superphone is an array of health features, collectively labelled S-Health 3.0. Tools in this package include a pedometer, personal fitness tracker and a new way to keep up to date with your diet, but the most innovative clearly seems to be the built-in heart rate monitor. Positioned just below the camera sensor on the back, this lets you touch your thumb against it and instantly be notified of your heart rate. Clever.

Check out these best Android apps 2014

HTC One M8 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Battery

HTC's One M8 comes fitted with a fixed 2600mAH battery, which is slightly lower than the 2800mAH removable and replaceable version that Samsung has packed inside the S5. Both should be good for a day's data, talk and text – pretty normal for a phone these days.

We'll have to put both devices through their paces more thoroughly, though we can imagine you'll still need to plug it in every night.

One nifty addition on the S5 though is the ultra low power mode, which turns your device into a sort of throwback 90's black and white device to eek out the juice even more.

HTC One M8 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Connectivity

As you'd expect for 2014, both these flagship devices come equipped with LTE functionality for super speedy 4G data and Bluetooth 4.0. Both also support fifth generation WiFi 802.11ac for snappy home browsing (If you've got a compatible router).

HTC One M8 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Overall

These two phone behemoths both have lots going for them, whether it be the innovative health features on the S5, or the camera tech and retro flip-case on the HTC One M8.

Check out our HTC One M8 vs Apple iPhone and HTC One M8 vs HTC One head to head