Battle Of The Android Flagships | TechTree.com

Battle Of The Android Flagships

HTC One (M8) Vs Samsung GALAXY S5 Vs Sony Xperia Z2 Vs LG G Pro 2.

 
Battle Of The Android Flagships

If you love iOS, you have no option but buy Apple products. Similarly, the Windows Phone catalogue is mostly limited to Nokia devices. On the other hand, the Android users have plenty of devices to choose from. You get phones from Samsung, LG, HTC, Sony, and more. This is turning out to be quite an interesting year for Android fans, as all the prominent manufacturers have already announced their flagships — GALAXY S5, One (M8), Xperia Z2, and G Pro 2. These handsets have enough fancy specs to impress anyone, but now lets find out how they fare against each other.

Aesthetics
Going by the press images and hands-on videos, the HTC M8 definitely turns out be a better looking device among the four. No doubt, the Xperia Z2 is quite a looker too, but it beat the metallic charm of the HTC One (M8). Based on G2's design language, the LG G Pro 2 doesn't look bad either. The only handset that looks out of the place here is the GALAXY S5, which looks so 2012 (Samsung, it's about time for a design refresh). So in the Aesthetics department, HTC One wins. The Xperia Z2 comes second, followed by the G Pro.

User Interface
All four handsets run Android 4.4 Kitkat, but their custom skins make all the difference. Our favourite is HTC's Sense UI, which is perhaps the most elegant Android customisation in the market. Sony's attempt to bring Themes back in style is something to watch out for on the Xperia Z2. On the other hand, Samsung and LG are still holding on to their gaudy skins. As far as the interface is concerned, HTC takes the lead. Sony comfortably comes second, while both the two Korean compatriots settle for the last place. 

Display
The HTC One (M8) sports a 5-inch Super LCD3 screen with 1080x1920 pixels. The Samsung GALAXY S5 has a Super AMOLED Full HD display. LG's G Pro 2 flaunts a 5.9" IPS screen with 1080x1920 pixels. For the first time, Sony too has decided to go with an IPS panel. The 5-inch screen packs in 1080x1920 pixels. We prefer AMOLED over IPS due to its vibrant colours and accurate blacks. In my opinion, Samsung clearly wins in the display department. Both the Xperia Z2 and LG G Pro 2's IPS screens should be good too. On the other hand, HTC's Super LCD screens that look quite washed out compared to the competing display tech.

Firepower
The Xperia Z2, GALAXY S5, and HTC One (M8) are powered by the same Snapdragon 801 chipset. The only handset lacking in this department comes from LG. That is, if you consider the powerful Snapdragon 800 SoC (System on Chip) outdated. Coming to the subject of RAM, you get 2 GB memory in the GALAXY S5 and HTC One. The Xperia Z2 and G Pro 2 go a step further by packing in 3 GB of RAM. Since performance also depends on the software optimisation, we would hold our verdict till we actually test these devices.

Camera
On paper, the Xperia Z2 looks strong with its 20.7 megapixel camera. We hope that Sony has addressed the issues associated with Z1's camera. For the GALAXY S5, Samsung has beefed-up the camera to 16 megapixel. The LG G Pro 2 settles for a 13 megapixel snapper. Having used the G2s, we expect the G Pro 2's camera to perform well in low-light. HTC One (M8) comes with an interesting dual-lens camera setup. The Taiwanese company is going to use the output from the second camera to calculate the depth of field. This means that the HTC One (M8) users will be able to shift focus after clicking the picture. What concerns us here is that HTC has retained the 4 megapixel module, which failed to impress us on the original One.

Misc. Features
High-end handsets are full of bells and whistles. The Xperia Z2 adheres to IP58 standards, which means that the phone is dust-resistant and survive water up to 1.5 metre. The GALAXY S5 is waterproof too. Moreover, it features the finger scanning sensor. This biometric technology will be used for unlocking the phone and for authorising app purchases. Last but not the least, the S5 offers a heart rate monitor, which works with Samsung's S Health 3.0 app suite. The HTC One (M8) isn't officially a waterproof device, but the early reviews suggest that it can survive under water for up to two hours. LG's G Pro 2 seems to be low on these fancy features. The only special thing it has to offer is its set of rear-buttons. When it comes to stuffing phones with features, Samsung clearly is ahead of the competition.

For more details, check out this detailed specs comparison.



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Tags : Mobile Phones

 
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