Oh, the horror! If you thought that your contract is expiring soon, and you'll be just frolicking into a carrier shop to pick the next best thing in the smartphone universe, this season you are in for a surprise.
That's because there are actually a few "next best things", and you can't really pick a clear winner this time around, as they are so close. The just-announced Samsung Galaxy S 4, the HTC One and the Sony Xperia Z will be hitting shops en masse this spring, so which one could you get based on the specs table below?
Even the first glimpse at it reveals that all three are extremely compact for the screen size and what they offer. Samsung Galaxy S 4 has the largest battery, but is the lightest, and despite its 5" display, is shorter than the aluminum HTC One, and also thinner. It's as thin as the Xperia Z, but let's not forget that Sony's phone is also waterproof for a good measure.
Each of these has some unique hardware features, too - the Galaxy S 4 comes with a one-of-a-kind 1080p AMOLED display and a bucketload of sensors, including for temperature, the HTC One sports an amplified dual-speaker system at the front, and the Z you can dunk in your bathtub, so which do you think will be winning hearts and minds by the time the holiday warriors appear?
DESIGN
OS
Android (4.2.2)
Android (4.1.2) Sense 5.0 UI
Android (4.1.2)
Dimensions
5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 inches (136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm)
5.41 x 2.69 x 0.37 inches (137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm)
5.47 x 2.80 x 0.31 inches (139 x 71 x 7.9 mm)
Weight
4.59 oz (130 g) the average is 4.3 oz (123 g)
5.04 oz (143 g) the average is 4.3 oz (123 g)
5.15 oz (146 g) the average is 4.3 oz (123 g)
Rugged
Water (Water), Dust proof
IP certified
IP 57
Colors
Black, White
Black, Red, White
Black, Purple, White
DISPLAY
Physical size
5.0 inches
4.7 inches
5.0 inches
Resolution
1080 x 1920 pixels
1080 x 1920 pixels
1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel density
441 ppi
468 ppi
443 ppi
Technology
Super AMOLED
S-LCD 3
TFT
BATTERY
Talk time
11.00 hours the average is 10 h (607 min)
Stand-by time
22.9 days (550 hours) the average is 18 days (425 h)
Talk time (3G)
14.00 hours the average is 9 h (529 min)
Stand-by time (3G)
22.1 days (530 hours) the average is 24 days (573 h)
Music playback
40.00 hours
Video playback
5.50 hours
Capacity
2600 mAh
2300 mAh
2330 mAh
Type
Li - Polymer
Not user replaceable
Yes
HARDWARE
System chip
Exynos 5 Octa
Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 APQ8064T
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064
Processor
8-core, 1600 MHz, ARM Cortex-A15
Quad core, 1700 MHz, Krait 300
Quad core, 1500 MHz, Krait
Graphics processor
PowerVR SGX544MP3
Adreno 320
Adreno 320
System memory
2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel) / LPDDR3
2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel) / LPDDR3
2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel)
Built-in storage
16 GB
32 GB
16 GB
Maximum User Storage
26 GB
Storage expansion
microSD, microSDHC up to 64 GB
microSD, microSDHC up to 32 GB
CAMERA
Camera
13 megapixels
4 megapixels
13.1 megapixels
Flash
LED
LED
LED
Aperture size
F2.0
Focal length (35mm equivalent)
28mm
Features
Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Auto focus, Face detection, Smile detection, Geo tagging, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Panorama, Scenes, Effects, Self-timer, Voice activation
Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Auto focus, Optical image stabilization, Burst mode, Digital zoom, Geo tagging, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Panorama, Scenes, Effects, Self-timer
Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Auto focus, Touch to focus, Digital image stabilization, Face detection, Geo tagging, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Panorama, Scenes, Effects, Self-timer
Camcorder
1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps)
1920x1080 (1080p HD)
1920x1080 (1080p HD)
Recording format
MPEG4
Features
Video calling
Video calling, Optical image stabilization, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR)
Video calling, Digital image stabilization, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR)
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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