A new year, a new Galaxy. Samsung has finally unveiled the successor to their best selling Galaxy S3 Android smartphone, and while not carrying a fancy new face like the trend with the past three flagships, Samsung has gone the Apple way by making subtle design changes instead, and focusing more on the core experience with it's software customization. 2 years ago, who would have though any other company would follow in the footsteps of Apple (albeit in a different style), yet here they are, Samsung at the top of the world's smartphone manufacturers.
Samsung Galaxy S IV v/s Sony Xperia Z v/s HTC One
The purpose of this article is to give you an insight of the features of the Galaxy S IV and how they stack up against competition from Sony and HTC, in terms of hardware.
Diving straight into the comparison:
Chipset (CPU, GPU and RAM)
The new Samsung Galaxy S IV packs an industry first quad core ARM Cortex A15 design. Another industry first is ARM's big.LITTLE implementation by including an additional quad core ARM Cortex A7 die on the same chip. These cores will be used for functions that are relatively less demanding to consume lesser power and hence, enhance battery life. That they actually have any real world effects are yet to be seen. Also included is the PowerVR SGX544 MP3 (tri-core, much like the Apple iPhone 5) GPU which is a nice shift from ARM's Mali GPU that Samsung used previously. 2 GB of RAM is packed as standard.
The Xperia Z packs an old(er) Snapdragon APQ8064 chipset with 4 x Krait CPUs clocked at 1.5 GHz, while the HTC One has a slightly newer (and faster) Snapdragon 600 chipset with 4 x Krait 300 CPUs clocked in at 1.7 GHz. Adreno 320 powers the GPU front and 2 GB of RAM is included as standard.
Among these 3 chipsets, technically Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa packs the stronger punch. How much? We'll find out as soon as final units (with final software) are reviewed!
Display
The Galaxy S IV packs a new Super AMOLED HD display, which is still a Pentile Matrix display. However, the high 441 ppi pixels density nullifies that issue. The display, according to preliminary handling is said to be gorgeous, and as good as it can get. Thanks to AMOLED technology, contrast is infinite as usual. Colors seem to be more natural than before (earlier AMOLED displays) if initial words are to be believed. Gorilla Glass 3 protects the display.
The Xperia Z packs a rather lack luster TFT display. Marred by low contrast ratio and viewing angles, many people are unhappy with the Xperia Z's only feature that is a downer to the otherwise fantastic handset. Dragon Trail glass covers the front. The HTC One packs a gorgeous 4.7 inch Super LCD3 display. With it's mind boggling 468 ppi pixels density, it simply doesn't get denser. Gorilla Glass 2 protects the display.
Camera
The Galaxy S IV packs a new 13 MP camera sensor. The leaked camera shots from yesterday by Chinese website IT168.com show real promise, and the comparisons against the iPhone 5 (which is considered to have the best smartphone camera) turned out to be really really promising.
The Xperia Z packs a 13.1 MP Exmor RS sensor. Sony has always been strong in the camera department, and the Xperia Z is no exception. The HTC One has taken a different path. Packing a 4 MP Ultra Pixels camera (they've taken an alternate route much like Nokia's Pure View), the HTC One is aiming for picture quality rather than number of pixels. While the camera is good, it's not as good as we hoped. Hopefully the next Ultra Pixels camera will actually pack higher pixel count and change all that.
Design
The Galaxy S IV is reminiscent of the Galaxy S3. In fact, only a few changes here and there differentiate the two as the dimensions are nearly identical as well, with the Galaxy S IV actually being smaller even while packing a larger display. A metallic grill along the sides adds some real metal to the otherwise plastic phone, which is a plus point.
The Xperia Z is a masterpiece. Sony nailed it with the design, and the Xperia Z is hands down their best looking smartphone, if not the best looking smartphone ever. Entirely covered by Dragon Trail glass (stronger than Gorilla Glass), the Xperia Z commands respect. The best part? Dust and Water resistant, as well as a strong tolerance to torture.
The HTC One has a radically different design, with stereo speakers in the front that gives the phone a look that makes it stand apart from the crowd. HTC's new design is sexy and the smaller 4.7 inch form factor made many faces smile. HTC has an all metal body.
Battery
The Galaxy S IV packs a large 2,600 mAh removable battery (thank you Sammy), which stacks up nicely to the smaller and non-removable 2,330 mAh battery in the Xperia Z and 2,300 mAh in the HTC One.
Technically, we expect a higher battery life from the Samsung Galaxy S IV.
Operating System
While the Xperia Z and the HTC One are packing Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean (soon to be upgraded to Android 4.2.2), Samsung has done a marvelous job at packing Google's latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean on-board their flagship (in a first-time-in-a-long-time surprise).
Samsung Galaxy S IV v/s Sony Xperia Z v/s HTC One
The purpose of this article is to give you an insight of the features of the Galaxy S IV and how they stack up against competition from Sony and HTC, in terms of hardware.
Diving straight into the comparison:
Chipset (CPU, GPU and RAM)
The new Samsung Galaxy S IV packs an industry first quad core ARM Cortex A15 design. Another industry first is ARM's big.LITTLE implementation by including an additional quad core ARM Cortex A7 die on the same chip. These cores will be used for functions that are relatively less demanding to consume lesser power and hence, enhance battery life. That they actually have any real world effects are yet to be seen. Also included is the PowerVR SGX544 MP3 (tri-core, much like the Apple iPhone 5) GPU which is a nice shift from ARM's Mali GPU that Samsung used previously. 2 GB of RAM is packed as standard.
The Xperia Z packs an old(er) Snapdragon APQ8064 chipset with 4 x Krait CPUs clocked at 1.5 GHz, while the HTC One has a slightly newer (and faster) Snapdragon 600 chipset with 4 x Krait 300 CPUs clocked in at 1.7 GHz. Adreno 320 powers the GPU front and 2 GB of RAM is included as standard.
Among these 3 chipsets, technically Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa packs the stronger punch. How much? We'll find out as soon as final units (with final software) are reviewed!
Display
The Galaxy S IV packs a new Super AMOLED HD display, which is still a Pentile Matrix display. However, the high 441 ppi pixels density nullifies that issue. The display, according to preliminary handling is said to be gorgeous, and as good as it can get. Thanks to AMOLED technology, contrast is infinite as usual. Colors seem to be more natural than before (earlier AMOLED displays) if initial words are to be believed. Gorilla Glass 3 protects the display.
The Xperia Z packs a rather lack luster TFT display. Marred by low contrast ratio and viewing angles, many people are unhappy with the Xperia Z's only feature that is a downer to the otherwise fantastic handset. Dragon Trail glass covers the front. The HTC One packs a gorgeous 4.7 inch Super LCD3 display. With it's mind boggling 468 ppi pixels density, it simply doesn't get denser. Gorilla Glass 2 protects the display.
Camera
The Galaxy S IV packs a new 13 MP camera sensor. The leaked camera shots from yesterday by Chinese website IT168.com show real promise, and the comparisons against the iPhone 5 (which is considered to have the best smartphone camera) turned out to be really really promising.
The Xperia Z packs a 13.1 MP Exmor RS sensor. Sony has always been strong in the camera department, and the Xperia Z is no exception. The HTC One has taken a different path. Packing a 4 MP Ultra Pixels camera (they've taken an alternate route much like Nokia's Pure View), the HTC One is aiming for picture quality rather than number of pixels. While the camera is good, it's not as good as we hoped. Hopefully the next Ultra Pixels camera will actually pack higher pixel count and change all that.
Design
The Galaxy S IV is reminiscent of the Galaxy S3. In fact, only a few changes here and there differentiate the two as the dimensions are nearly identical as well, with the Galaxy S IV actually being smaller even while packing a larger display. A metallic grill along the sides adds some real metal to the otherwise plastic phone, which is a plus point.
The Xperia Z is a masterpiece. Sony nailed it with the design, and the Xperia Z is hands down their best looking smartphone, if not the best looking smartphone ever. Entirely covered by Dragon Trail glass (stronger than Gorilla Glass), the Xperia Z commands respect. The best part? Dust and Water resistant, as well as a strong tolerance to torture.
The HTC One has a radically different design, with stereo speakers in the front that gives the phone a look that makes it stand apart from the crowd. HTC's new design is sexy and the smaller 4.7 inch form factor made many faces smile. HTC has an all metal body.
Battery
The Galaxy S IV packs a large 2,600 mAh removable battery (thank you Sammy), which stacks up nicely to the smaller and non-removable 2,330 mAh battery in the Xperia Z and 2,300 mAh in the HTC One.
Technically, we expect a higher battery life from the Samsung Galaxy S IV.
Operating System
While the Xperia Z and the HTC One are packing Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean (soon to be upgraded to Android 4.2.2), Samsung has done a marvelous job at packing Google's latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean on-board their flagship (in a first-time-in-a-long-time surprise).
Buying a new phone? Or a tablet? Need help with something everyday-tech related? Ask me and I'm sure to help!
— Preetam Nath (@hipreetam93) April 18, 2013
— Preetam Nath (@hipreetam93) April 18, 2013