EDIT (11/28): Another four months later, I'm still very happy with my purchase. I haven't had a single problem with the phone, and it's just as fast as ever. Seems fitting to post on Thanksgiving because I'm definitely thankful for such a great phone.
EDIT (7/17): Two months later, I'm still in love with my HTC One. The build quality is amazing and haven't got a scratch on it yet (no case but I'm very OCD when it comes to electronics). BoomSound (could have perhaps picked a better name) still gives you the best sound quality out of any phone currently available. My phone still has the same zip from day one. Swiping screens, opening and closing apps, etc. still butter smooth. The lag and jitters the Galaxy S4 sometimes experiences was a big turn off to me, which is why in terms of everyday use, the HTC One is much faster and more responsive. If anyone has any questions, leave a comment and I'll definitely reply back.
Original Review:
It came down to the Galaxy S4 or the HTC One, and I'm definitely glad I went with the HTC One. HTC truly outdid themselves with this phone, both in design and quality. I'm coming from an iPhone 3GS, but even if you're coming from an iPhone 5 or a Galaxy S4, this phone is impressive. I'm mainly comparing the HTC One against the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S4, because I've had hands-on experience with both and also because I don't think any other phones even come close.
Design:
The HTC One not only looks amazing but has one of the best builds I've ever seen on a phone. Its build quality is only rivaled by the iPhone 5 (I'd still say HTC wins). It's not featherlight, but the slight heft you feel when you hold it only makes it that much better. It's the perfect mix of premium quality, great design, and the intelligence to actually put it all together without screwing it up. The Galaxy S4 in terms of build quality can't even compete. Don't get me wrong, the Galaxy S4 feels solid in your hands, but the HTC One brings that experience to a whole new level.
Screen:
Simply stunning. The HTC One currently has the highest pixel density of any phone with 468 ppi, followed by the Galaxy S4 with 441 ppi, and finally the iPhone 5 with 326 ppi. I love the fact HTC went with an SLCD 3 display versus SAMOLED. While SAMOLED displays offer truer blacks and usually better color saturation, this comes at the price of often times over saturating colors and not being as crisp and clear as an SLCD display. Both the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One offer full HD 1080p displays, but I'd still go with the HTC One despite the slightly smaller screen. Colors are simply more accurate and text is crisper, clearer, and easier to read whether indoors or outdoors.
Hardware:
The Galaxy S4 has a slight advantage on paper when it comes to processing power, but you'd never guess it by using the two phones. The HTC One is actually a lot faster in everyday use. I was amazed the Galaxy S4 still experienced lag and stutters when it came to simple things like switching screens or opening/closing apps. While almost every benchmark you see gives the edge to Samsung, it really only proves that Samsung is better at... you guessed it: benchmarks. In terms of raw processing power, the Galaxy S4 clearly wins, but in the real world benchmarks mean next to nothing, and HTC shows this pretty convincingly. I'm not saying the Galaxy S4 doesn't have any edge because it does, but processing power alone is misleading. In the words of another reviewer, "In terms of performance, this phone is pure butter out of the box," and I couldn't put it any better myself.
Camera:
HTC shows you don't need a high megapixel count to experience amazing pictures. I've never seen a camera take pictures as well in low light as the HTC One. The detail and quality you get are ridiculous. The Galaxy S4 is great in bright light, but if you're like me, most of your pictures are not in perfect lighting, which means the low light capabilities of the HTC One are much more valuable. The Galaxy S4 also tends to over saturate colors, so while pictures may seem brighter, they're not true to color. The colors and contrast on the HTC One are more accurate. The HTC One is also quicker at taking pictures than the Galaxy S4. If you're someone who spends a lot of time outdoors (in the sun) and wants a high level of the detail when zoomed in, the Galaxy S4 would work best. If you're someone who spends most of their time inside or out at night, the HTC One would be a better fit. I'd probably put the iPhone 5 somewhere between the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One.
Sound:
Beautiful. The dual front speakers with built-in amps sound better than any phone I've ever heard. There's really not much else to say. The sound is crisp and clean even with the volume up. Since the speakers are on the front rather than the back, the sound isn't muffled when it's lying down. It also doesn't sound tinny like most phones. Both the Galaxy S4 and the iPhone 5 have a single speaker and simply can't compete with the HTC One in terms of sound quality.
Software:
There's been some fuss over the HTC One being released with Android 4.1.2 instead of the latest version (4.2.2). I couldn't care less for a few reasons. First, there's not many differences between the two versions to begin with. Second, HTC is probably holding out for the KLP update and simply skipping 4.2.2 altogether. If you're someone who always needs the most up-to-date version, the Galaxy S4 is probably a better choice (ships with 4.2.2). I have to give credit where credit is due, and Apple wins hands-down when it comes to update releases (not necessarily talking about quality). All iPhones regardless of carrier receive updates at the same time. Some argue Android has become too fragmented due to all the different versions currently running on phones and tablets, which in the end tends to hurt Android.
HTC offers their UI called Sense while Samsung has their own called TouchWiz. Here's where personal preference is going to come into play. HTC's Sense 5 UI has been stripped down and takes a simple approach and design concept. Samsung on the other hand has a lot more bells and whistles. I'd say once again Apple is somewhere in the middle. If you're someone who loves using a lot of apps and features, Samsung certainly has a lot more to offer in this area than HTC and Apple combined. When it comes to what I'd call useful features, however, I think that comparison is much closer. I like HTC's "stripped down, no nonsense approach" versus Samsung's "throw everything at a wall and see what sticks." If you're someone who likes to mess with things, the Galaxy S4 is more geared toward you. If you're someone who enjoys simplicity, the HTC One is probably more your style.
Battery/Memory:
The Galaxy S4 has a larger battery than the HTC One but in real world testing performed about equal, so the extra 300 mAh doesn't give too much of an advantage (you could argue because of the Galaxy S4's larger screen but it's hard to say). The main difference is the HTC One doesn't have a removable battery (much like iPhones) while the Galaxy S4 does (I've never been one to use multiple batteries, so it doesn't bother me). There's another slight difference that usually goes unnoticed. HTC chose to go with a Li-polymer battery versus the normal Li-ion (Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5). Li-ion batteries suffer from "aging" or losing capacity even when not in use. Li-polymer batteries, however, can hold a much better charge over time.
The fact there's no microSD card slot on the HTC One might be a deal breaker for some, but I don't think it should be. First, the HTC One starts out at 32 GB, which is double the Galaxy S4. Second, the OS takes up less memory on the HTC One than on the Galaxy S4. Roughly half of the 16 GB on the Galaxy S4 is reserved, which means you're already down to close to 8 GB before you download a single app. It seems as if Samsung is literally forcing customers to buy a memory card, and worse yet, apps can't even be stored on them (only internal memory). Out of the box, you either start with a little over 8 GB with the Galaxy S4 or close to 26 GB with the HTC One. The HTC One is also currently about $40 less than the Galaxy S4 (AmazonWireless). Apple wins again though when it comes to OS size with iOS taking less than 2 GB.
The HTC One to me is the perfect blend of design, practicality, and power. While it might not be perfect for everyone, I honestly think it's currently the best phone out there. Perhaps the Galaxy Note 3 or the iPhone 6 will change this, but for now the HTC One is king (or rather the one :P).
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