This could be a big weekend for carrier smartphone sales, with both the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One (M8) now in stores. These are the two highest-end Android phones on the market now, and they are very similar in many respects. The 55 has a 5.1-inch screen, and the HTC has a 5-inch screen. Both run Android 4.4 on superfast Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processors, with the S5 offering 2.5GHz while the HTC One (M8) is at 2.3GHz.
The HTC One (M8) is widely considered the more attractive of the two phones, with an aluminum body that covers the phone’s back and edges. The S5 may not be as stunning, but it is waterproof, and its plastic back comes off to allow users to swap the battery if they are willing to purchase a backup.
Both phones have microSD slots for extra storage, and come with free cloud storage as well. Samsung offers a 16GB and 32GB version of the S5, while HTC only offers a 16GB version.
So which phone will be the better seller? Samsung has the advantage of a larger installed base of Galaxy smartphone users who may be comfortable with the brand. T-Mobile U.S. says that 89% of S4 users are planning to upgrade to the S5.
The RCR Mobile Minute is sponsored by SpiderCloud Wireless.