Samsung Galaxy S5 & HTC One M8

[kelroy55]

I know the new Iphone was discussed but I wondered if anybody has tried either of these two and what you thought.

[SoonerDave]

Played with the S5 a bit, comparing it to the LG G3, and while I loved the S5, I was very concerned about more than one demo model in a folding-cover case exhibiting, of all things, screen burn-in!!! I have a feeling the cover trapped heat within the glass sandwich layer and damaged the LCD, so that case was likely as responsible for the damage as anything, but that it happened at all was disconcerting. Screen burn is something of an early-generation thing that should have largely been overcome by now.

Otherwise, the S5 is a great phone - but I found the G3 with its UHD screen and current offering of an extra battery and charger to be compelling. So that's where I went.

FWIW, YMMV, and All Standard Disclaimers apply :0)

[NoOkie]

I'll preface this by saying I strongly dislike Samsung phones. I think they feel cheap, and are loaded with bull**** bloatware. Nice specs, at least. I dislike the physical button/fixed capacitive buttons. Android's menu buttons are supposed to shift based on orientation/app since ICS.

Some coworkers have S5s. It's got a big, pretty screen and lots of horse power. If you don't dislike Samsung phones for the reasons I stated above, it's a fine buy. The camera is good.

A few of my friends have M8's. They've got excellent build quality. The built in speakers are surprisingly good for a phone. The screen is excellent. Battery life seems alright. The multi-focus camera is neat, but seems like it could be better.



I use a 1st gen Moto-X. It's not an ultra powerful flagship phone, but I love almost everything about. The vendor software is actually useful(Touchless control and the OLED notifications are nice). It's not too big, gets reasonable battery life and gets updates quick. I haven't tried the new Moto X, but I'm hesistant since they upped the size. I think the original X was about perfect, size-wise. Camera could be a lot better.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

I have the S5. My main complaint is battery life. But I'm coming from a HD RAZR MAXX, which had a battery the size of Nebraska...I don't know if the S5 is good or bad...But it feels bad because of that

Other than the bloatware mentioned above, which isn't that intrusive, I like it so far (only had it a couple of weeks). The built-in IR blaster is damnfinehandystuff. I can work just about everything in my house with it.

[kelroy55]

I currently have the HD RAZR MAXX and thinking I'll just hang onto it.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Oh yeah. It's also slippery lol. I've almost dropped it a few times.

[JohnH_in_OKC]

If you can wait until November, the Nexus 6 will be out.

Nexus 6 (X) release date & specs rumours - new photos leak

[jompster]

When I was shopping last week, both phones seemed okay. The M8 seemed better all-around in my opinion, but I bailed and went with the 2nd Gen Moto X. I got the white model with the bamboo on the back. The phone is super fast, has a great display, and has a lot of neat features. It's very light and has great sound in the speaker (I listen to Pandora a lot, so that's a good thing). The camera is pretty good... not as good as on my old HTC Vivid, but still not bad.

While not necessarily a feature specific to the phone, I'm a little creeped out by the fact it knows where I'm going in a couple hours and shows me drive times without me asking it to do so lol. I appreciate the restaurant recommendations around lunch time, though!

[ChaseDweller]

If you buy either without trying the new MotoX, you are doing yourself a disservice. In my opinion, it's the best phone out there right now. Great build quality, nearly stock android, useful added features (you'll wonder how you ever got along without active display) and you can customize it. You can even get a leather or wood back. I had the first gen one as well and the new one is even better.

[kelroy55]

I looked at some reviews for the Moto X and it seems pretty impressive, and a lot cheaper. CNET and some other places had high marks for it and so do reviewers on Verizon, my carrier. I'll have to check this one out.

[td25er]

I have the One M8 on Sprint. I love it. It's arguably the most aesthetic phone on the market. It has nice battery life (better than my old GS4). It has amazing (for a phone) dual front-facing speakers. The screen is nice with good visibility in direct sunlight. The user experience is not as laggy as my old GS4 and it still flies like it did out of the box (only had it 3 months though), but I have not used a GS5 to compare.

Another bonus was the 32 gb version on Sprint was the same price as the 16 gb GS5.

I previously had the Samsung Epic 4g (GS1), GS3, and GS4. I decided to switch things up this time mainly because I use my phone to watch Netflix during lunch at work and as my "radio" in the car. The sound is pretty darn good.

[kelroy55]

The Samsung may not be as popular as I thought...

Samsung is on track to report its weakest financial results in recent memory as the company loses ground in the intense battle for smartphone customers.

Samsung hammered by weak smartphone sales - Oct. 6, 2014