The Flagship Smartphones: A Year Later

It has been a great year for the mobile industry. Pretty much all the flagship devices in the market has been refreshed for the year, and most of them are great devices that you cannot go wrong with no matter which one you pick. But that does not mean that the previous generation of flagship devices are now obsolete.


On the contrary, with the new generation of devices out now, their older counterparts often gets a massive price drop, and if you do not mind used devices, these flagship devices could prove to be excellent bang for your buck. So in this post, I will talk about flagship devices that I have used in the past year and a quick review of each to give an idea of how they are holding up… a year later.

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Nexus 5

The Nexus 5 was great value for money at launch, and it still is right now. It is far from being obsolete considering Google is still selling the Nexus 5 alongside the new Nexus 6. Not to mention it is one of the first few devices to get the update to the latest and greatest from Android.

Hardware wise the Nexus 5 is still a beast, and actually most Android devices from the past year have had more than enough processing power for most tasks. With better optimisation from Android 5.0, the device still hold its own even when compared to the current crop of flagship devices.

Overall my experience with the Nexus 5 has been pretty decent. My only complains were the lacklustre display which looked a little washed out to me, the mediocre battery life, the atrocious GPS, and the average but not great camera.

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Moto X

The Moto X was one of the most interesting flagship device back then. It was not the most powerful device with the latest specifications, but what it had was useful and innovative features on top of vanilla Android. Not to mention it still had fast updates to the latest version of Android.

Hardware wise the Moto X’s “X8 mobile computing system” based on the Snapdragon S4 Pro might seem a little outdated by now, and it sort of is. The performance of the device while no slouch by any means, does struggle a little when it comes to running more intensive applications. But it handles day to day operation with ease, and not to mention it has one of the most reliable/accurate GPS connection I have used on a phone (for playing Ingress).

Overall my experience with the Moto X was still pretty great. The size of the phone makes it an absolute joy using it one handed. My only complains were the oversaturated display, the burn-in on the display after just 2-3 months of use, the mediocre battery life, and the poor camera quality.

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HTC One M7

The HTC One M7 is probably one of the most well-built device amongst the lot with its unibody aluminium construction. The design of the device is still eye catching even till this day. Boomsound speakers still sounds better than most of the current crop of flagship devices.

Hardware wise the One M7’s Snapdragon 600 handled most of what I threw at it with ease, and software wise HTC’s Sense 6 UI is one of the best skin from any manufacturer in the market right now. It looks different from AOSP Android, but it is still well-designed throughout the whole OS, and more importantly it does not affect the performance of the device at all.

Overall I had a great experience with the HTC One M7. While its 4MP Ultra Pixel was a topic of much controversy, I personally found it to be a delight to use, particularly in situations where lighting is not ideal. The 4MP output is a little restricting though. The GPS signal was not as great as the Moto X, but no where near as bad as on the Nexus 5. The battery life was another weak point too, but still bearable.

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Samsung Galaxy S4

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is likely one of the best selling Android device of the crop. To me it is a jack-of-all-trades device that is well-rounded in most aspects. But its appeal hinges on one aspect of the device, TouchWiz.

Hardware wise there is little to complain about the S4 since it packs the same processor as the very capable HTC One M7. But it is let down by poor software, often bogging the phone down.

Overall I still find the S4 a decent device, but only if you are willing to install a custom ROM on it and boycott TouchWiz. It has a very decent camera, removable battery, and expandable storage to boot too which is still nice to have.

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LG G2

The LG G2 was released in the later part of the year like the Nexus 5. It is similar to the S4 in the sense that it is a well-rounded device in almost all aspects, and like the S4, its appeal is highly dependant on its software.

Hardware wise it would be more fair to compare it to the Nexus 5 than the Galaxy S4. It is pretty much the Nexus 5 but with less shortcomings. It has better GPS, a much larger battery, a better quality display, and a better camera unit. The huge downside? LG’s UI.

Overall the G2 is a device that I have really enjoyed using, but I had to install an AOSP based ROM to do so. LG’s default UI on the G2 feels convoluted and unsightly. Other than that, I do not really have much complain at all about the device.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 3

The Galaxy Note is kinda in it’s own category with its pressure sensitive pen input. It is a big screen device with interesting S-Pen features. This time round TouchWiz is actually a double-edged sword.

Hardware wise the Note 3 is still an impressive device even a year on. Though with TouchWiz on board along with its huge amount of features, it does show signs of struggle at times. But its weakness (TouchWiz) is also one of its strength, because you can’t have S-Pen features without TouchWiz.

If you can live with TouchWiz, and find S-Pen features very useful, you will probably still be extremely happy with the Note 3. But if you don’t really use the S-Pen much, the Note 3 is still a dream to use when you run custom AOSP based ROMs on it.

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That is about it for the Android flagship devices I have tried over the past year. I did not test the Xperia Z1/Z2, so I really cannot comment much on it. But nonetheless there are pros and cons to all the 6 Android devices mentioned above. If you are looking at getting one of those, it is really more about what you can live with, and what you can’t live without. How much a particular feature is worth, is subjective. Therefore it is really hard for me to just pick one and conclude that it is the best device.

When I look at the trend, the only 3 devices that I would personally enjoy without any tinkering would be the Nexus 5, the Moto X, and the HTC One M7. This year however, I could pretty much live with the default UI in most of the current generation of flagship devices, with the exception being the S5. Which is nice to see since it means that more Android manufacturers are becoming a lot better at making their own version of Android.

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And since the post is already this long, no harm going further right?

BlackBerry Q10

The Q10 was the flagship device with a keyboard for BlackBerry 10 until it has been replaced by the Passport recently. If you are a heavy communicator, you would probably enjoy the physical keyboard on the device along with BlackBerry’s suite of communication features.

But that aside, the device did not have great specifications at all. Most aspects of it were pretty average. The worth of the device will be simply down to whether you can live without app support from developers. While it does run Android apps, not everything works, and those that does often does not perform as well. But if you can live without that much apps, BlackBerry 10 is an amazingly intuitive and powerful OS once you get used to its gesture-based navigation.

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Nokia Lumia 1520

To me the flagship Windows Phone device over the past year has been the Lumia 1520, and it actually still is the flagship device since there has not been a flagship device in a while. The Lumia 1520’s specifications were top of the line at launch, and even now its performance is still extremely impressive.

Despite only having 20MP compared to the Lumia 1020’s 40MP, I enjoyed using the Lumia 1520’s camera more as it feels a lot more responsive. The quality of photos is still really good too. The faster processor really helped. Later flagship devices like the Lumia 930 had similar specifications, but lacks MicroSD card expandability which is a crucial aspect considering photography is the phone’s strong suit.

Though much like BlackBerry 10, the sacrifice would be the lack of Google services and app support. But if you can live with just using Microsoft’s services, Windows Phone 8 performs buttery smooth and has a nice and interesting UI in my opinion. Customisable home screen plus the ability to pin most anything on the home screen makes it more powerful than Android’s widgets in my opinion (or at least the potential to be).

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Apple iPhone 5S

iPhones have always held up well over time, and the 5S is no different. With the move towards 64 bit processors, the 5S is also future proof in a sense. With iOS it is pointless to compare hardware specifications with Android devices, but what I will say is that in terms of performance, the 5S is still comparable to most flagship Android devices this year since it is so well optimised.

Software wise iOS 8 has added a lot of much needed features, and iOS still has the best app ecosystem if you ask me. New apps normally launches on iOS before it does on Android, and same goes for new features too. The tightly integrated ecosystem also mean that if you are a Mac user you have more advantages using an iPhone too.

The downside to me would be the small display, which to some might be a good thing since it provides better one-handed ease of use. But to me, it makes typing on it a bit harder for me.

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Whew, that was a long one.

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EDIT (28th December 2014): Since the post I have tested another 2 flagship device from last year.

Sony Xperia Z2

The Xperia Z2 is an awesome piece of kit. The build quality is great, performance is great, and battery life is great most importantly. Albeit not without its caveat and questionable design decisions.

The camera was a little lacklustre if you ask me. The camera module is undoubtedly solid, but let down by poor post processing. The camera’s lens on the back seems to be plastic and prone to scratches which isn’t great. Sony’s UI is decent, but can look a bit outdated because of the app icons’ design.

If you can live with Sony’s own bloatware, or if you are already in Sony’s ecosystem, the Z2 is still an awesome piece of kit. But it does feel a bit too fragile for my liking.

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HTC Butterfly S

The Butterfly S could simply be described as the One M7’s elder cousin. It has similar hardware specifications (slight faster clock speed, but not noticeable if you ask me) except for a big difference, a much much larger battery. The Butterfly S does lack OIS on it 4MP UltraPixel camera, which translate to a noticeably slower shutter speed.

The build despite being plastic still feels great in hand, and the SD card slot is a nice welcome. That along with a much larger battery capacity makes it a worth considering over the HTC One M7. Though its downside would probably be slower updates and complete lack of custom ROM support.

Overall the Butterfly S is a hugely underrated device that is a great alternative to the HTC One M7.

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LG G4 Concept

Been a long time since I tinkered around with Photoshop just for fun. Just wanted to modify the G3 a little bit here and there, but ended up going a little overboard. LG G4 concept perhaps. Lol. Anyway, this is how I would “change” the aesthetic of the G3, but of course it’s purely my personal preference.

• Dual front facing stereo speakers


• Even smaller bezels if it’s even possible


• No front LG logo


• Metal band surrounding the sides (think Nexus 6)


• Small slit at the bottom to remove the back


• Simplified LG logo on the back


• Removal of FCC labels, etc


• Slightly different rear buttons design


• Rear button further away from camera so less likely to smudge the camera

That’s about it I guess. Hardware wise LG has been pretty decent in most aspects in recent years, even the camera and battery capacity. So the only thing I would prefer is if they went back to the G2’s screen size at 5.2” while making the bezels even smaller than they already are (fat hope, but one can dream).

Software wise I’m still not a fan of LG’s skin. Granted the one on the G3 is much improved over the G2, but it is still a bit too much for my taste. While Google’s stock Android would be nice, but it’s kinda unlikely to happen. An example of a company with a nice balance would be probably be HTC’s Sense 6 UI. It has HTC’s design language and flair, adding useful features to stock Android, while not going overboard.

Actually, end up it looks more like an LG Motorola Nexus mash up. Lol.

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Moto G (1st Generation) LTE - BLTN

 Yes. The phone was released quite some time ago, but I only recently got my hands on one. I didn’t actually intend to write about the device since I wrote about the non-LTE variant over 10 months ago, but the device impressed me so much that I think it deserved a post.


Since the Moto G’s arrival in Singapore, there have been a lot of newer budget Android devices to choose from. Most notably, Xiaomi’s Redmi series of devices has pretty much taken over the low end segment of the smartphone market here. Starting with the Redmi, the Redmi 1S, Redmi Note (written review here), tomorrow, the Redmi Note 4G. All of which costs less than the Moto G, and on paper offer better specifications. Then you have the ZenFone 5 from Asus, and the Neo 5 from Oppo. Not to mention HTC’s and Sony’s low end offerings too. All great devices at low costs.

But there is one advantage that the Moto series of devices has that no one else does, and that is the near-stock Android experience and fast updates. While other companies are pretty on the ball these days too with updates, you probably won’t see them paying as much attention on their lower end devices. So unless you’re using their flagship devices, you’re out of luck. Unlike Motorola, which is already pushing out Android 5.0 Lollipop for the 2014 Moto X Pure Edition and Moto G.

Which was why when I wanted to get another budget device, my choice came down to either the Moto G LTE or the 2014 Moto G. Believe it or not, both devices actually costs around the same, with the Moto G LTE costing a smidgen more. In the end I went with the Moto G LTE over the 2014 Moto G for 2 reasons, the smaller size, and LTE connectivity. Though I do miss out on the better camera, the bigger screen, and dual speakers. So in the end, all it comes down to is whether having LTE connectivity is worth it to you or not since the rest of the specifications are pretty much identical on both devices.

When I reviewed the first Moto G, the few complains I had were the camera, the lack of storage expandability, and the lack of 4G/LTE. But those were easily forgiven considering the price. But with the Moto G LTE, it is pretty much just down to the camera. Though I do have to say, the camera is still very much lacking and plagued with issues found on the first Moto G.

But for a device that fulfils most of my needs from a smartphone at such a reasonable price, the Moto G LTE is easily one of the most underrated smartphone in the market right now.

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Motorola RAZR i : i for Intel Inside

Yes, I know. I am talking about a device that was launched 2 years ago, and a device that I owned over a year ago. But bear with me here, because it is more than just the device I am talking about. It is about the 2 companies that have not been doing that great in the smartphone industry.

About a year ago, around the time the Moto X was going to be released, I decided to look for an older Motorola device to play with since it has been a while since I have used a Motorola device (RAZR V8 was the last Motorola device I have used). That little beast of a phone really did surprise me in more ways that one, and it gave me great hopes about the future of the company and their products.

(And they proved me right by creating a series of devices that received great accolades from tech reviewers and consumers alike with the Moto X, and Moto G.)

But what made the device interesting, was also its greatest downfall. It was using an Intel Atom x86 processor rather than the usual Qualcomm Snapdragon ARM chipset that so many others are using.

While the performance of the device was not as good as its Qualcomm counterpart, the RAZR M, the redeeming factor was its battery life especially when it comes to talk time. Just have a look at the battery test results by GSMarena.com

But the downfall? OS Updates. While the RAZR M received its 4.4.2 update back in May, the RAZR i has been stuck at 4.1.2 since over a year ago. I visited XDA back then searching for custom ROMs, or newer versions of Android back then, but there was none. If i remembered correctly, there was like only 2 custom ROMs available, and both were minor variations on the same stock 4.1.2 ROM, and both had bugs.

Back then there was no promise of an update. But whenever Intel publishes new images for x86 for newer versions of Android, it is normally being noted by someone in the forums about “There’s hope for an update or custom ROM!!!”, only to have his/her hopes and dreams dashed by someone who knows what is going on (developers), who goes on to explain that the images isn’t for the platform that the RAZR i is using. A year later, and I went to browse the forums, and the same exact thing is happening.

Earlier in the year in February, Motorola updated their support site and gave RAZR i users renewed hope, stating that 4.4.2 will be coming. But fast forward to 7 months later, with Android L’s release imminent, the update is still no where to be found. On the bright side, evidence are pointing towards the fact that the update do indeed exist, with Motorola beta testing the update with selected users already (Youtube video showing RAZR i updating to 4.4.2).

So what? A 2 year old device is getting Android KitKat update. Big eff-ing deal. But it is. It is a big deal when you think about it.

This update is not a matter of fulfilling a promise made to a small subset of users on the RAZR i. It is not because they care about the few people who are actually still using the RAZR i (which isn’t even officially sold in Singapore by the way). It is all just a show.

For Motorola:

By updating the RAZR i, it would show Motorola’s commitment to bringing the latest Android OS updates to as many phones as they can. An advantage they are touting these days with their near-stock Android OS. Even Google themselves dropped support for the Galaxy Nexus (which was about 2 years old back then) when KitKat was announced.

For Intel:

By updating the RAZR i, it would show Intel’s commitment to the smartphone/mobile industry. There are a lot of newer phone like the ASUS Zenfone series of devices with newer Atom processors, but they never really caught on. To me it is not because the performance of the device is bad or anything, but personally, it is whether the device will be supported further down the road by Intel themselves.

The words “Intel Inside” on an Android device is pretty much synonymous with "Don’t expect too many updates or custom ROMs". Prime example, the Motorola RAZR i. To me, updating the RAZR i is Intel’s way of saying they are serious about being a major player in the mobile/smartphone market, and consumers can have more faith in them to support their own product and not have to worry about OS updates. If the update to the RAZR i really comes through, I think I would at least feel a bit more comfortable buying a modern smartphone with Intel’s chip in it.

I guess only time will tell. If the 4.4.2 update does indeed come to the RAZR i, it would probably be after the release of Android L. The update might be very very late, but it is the thoughts behind it that counts. And I dare say the update means more to Intel than it does Motorola. I for one would love to see other manufacturers step up their game to provide Qualcomm with a real challenge, and hopefully, this is the beginning of better things to come from Intel.

The Beginning of an End... Hopefully.

Today marks the 365th day since my last cigarette. They say that people who keep track religiously about how long since they last indulged in their addiction have a higher chance of relapsing, and I kind of agree. Ideally you need to reach a point where you do not even think about it anymore. A point where counting days do not matter anymore since you have completely gotten past that part of your life. A point which sadly, I am not at yet.

365 days is nothing. I know people who have stopped longer (years), only to relapse. My Dad for example is one.  And to be honest, if I were to start smoking again in the future, I could probably come up with a ton of excuses for myself. Hell, I already have a list of them in my mind that I have thought of over the past year.

I am my greatest enemy. I am weak. I know people who smokes occasionally, but never gets addicted. My Mum for example does occasionally light one up from my Dad’s pack just to unwind. (Shhh) There have even been a time or two in the past where I just sat in the living room smoking with her before she goes off to work. :p

But anyway, I am not sure I can do that. I am afraid that once I light a stick again, it will be the first of many more to come. Well, admitting one’s weakness is the first step to overcoming it isn’t it?

There is no one solution fits all when it comes to quitting an addiction. Everybody fights it differently. To me the simplest way to start is to exploit your own fears and weaknesses. If you are the type of person who don’t like to break promises, make a promise to someone to stop. If you are the type of person who don’t like to lose, make a bet with someone that you would stop. If you like numbers, start counting days. So on and so forth.

Here is something that really resonated with me when I first heard it on House of Cards.

“I’m Doug and I’m an alcoholic. One of the things I do for a living is count. I count votes. Yays, nays, neutrals, abstaining. And I’m good at it. But the most important count I do has nothing to do with work. It’s the number of days since April 4th, 1999. As of this morning that’s 5,185. The bigger that number gets, the more it frightens me because I know all it takes is one drink for that number to go back to zero. Most people see fear as a weakness. It can be. Sometimes for my job I have to put fear in other people. I know that’s not right. But if I’m honest, like the fourth step asks us to be, I have to be ruthless. Because failure is not an option. The same goes for my sobriety. I have to be ruthless with myself. I have to use my fear. It makes me stronger. Like everyone else in this room, I can’t control who I am. But I can control the zero. Fuck the zero.”

But those of you who watches the show probably know what happened eventually…

This method probably would not work forever for me, but it is a start. Right now I am just taking things as I go along. But the fact that I care enough to blog about it probably means I am still far from actually stopping for good. :p

So this is not the end of an addiction. This is but the beginning of an end. An end that would hopefully come.

Samsung Galaxy Alpha: The Sign of Better Things to Come?

So… there is now a Samsung Galaxy phone made out of metal, and it is called the “Alpha”. Yeah, metal. I know right? I made fun of it myself for a while too. But after thinking about it for a while, I think I actually kind of like it now. The reason is that I see the Alpha as the precursor of things to come from Samsung in the further future. Even Samsung themselves call it the "the evolution of Galaxy Design," adding that it showcases a "new design approach" for the company.


First off, I want to make it clear that I am not a fan of Samsung products and software. I have always preferred HTC’s devices over Samsung’s ever since the HTC One X. But that is not to say I don’t appreciate the things that Samsung has done for the industry. I do have an open mind when it comes to mobile technology, and if Samsung plays their cards right, my future daily driver could well be a Samsung Galaxy device.

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Design:

Anyway the Galaxy Alpha is made out metal, a process which you can read about here. Which is kind of refreshing coming from Samsung which has been known for their plasticky devices. The device actually does look pretty nice. I really like the subtle curves on the side of the device and around the micro-USB port. The precision drilled speaker grills are really nice too. The buttons seems to be nicely crafted too with a consistent shape with the phone itself, which is again, a nice minor detail.

The fact that it is only 6.7mm thin with a 4.7” display is nice too, hopefully a sign of smaller flagship devices to come.

But in terms of design, that is pretty much where the good changes end. The front and back still looks like every other Samsung devices. While I do like the speaker grill design of Samsung (which maintains cleanliness in the long run), the home button (for easy access to turn on display while the phone is lying flat), and the removable back and battery, the rest is pretty uninspiring. Something I hope will be further improved upon in the future.

An interesting read would be this post showcasing the work of Aziz Firat, a visual designer based in Netherlands, and how he would redesign the Samsung brand.

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Specs:

The 4.7-inch display is a modest 720p, with a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 2.1-megapixel front camera, (depending on your region) a quad- or octa-core (built on Samsung’s new 20nm process) processor, 2GB of RAM (interestingly no micro-SD card slot), and a modest 1860mAh removable battery. By all intents and purposes, this doesn’t look like a flagship device at all especially when compared to the Galaxy S5, but what it does show (at least to me), is a value over efficiency rather than brute force (if the battery life is decent). Something I have always preferred.

So hopefully this will be indicative of the direction Samsung will be taking going forward with all their phones.

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OS/UX

I’ll just start with the fact that I think the current TouchWiz has too much bloat for its own good. While it has been improved over previous versions, the OS still feels like it has been held back by TouchWiz. Which is what I could say about HTC’s older devices as well, but Sense 6.0 as it is, is a huge improvement over its predecessors and has gotten to the point where I prefer it over stock Android.

While there isn’t a preview of the OS given, I’m sure we well see more come September when the Note 4 launches. As it is, TouchWiz still has too much bloat for its own good. I’m not just talking about OS features, but apps as well, in particular Samsung apps. Perhaps apps like Chaton, S Voice, S Memo, and etc are popular in their home country, but those apps aren’t catching on in international markets as far as I can tell. A report earlier this April by Strategy Analytics, a Newton, Mass.-based research firm showed how little Samsung apps were being used on Samsung devices in the U.S. based on app usage time. Perhaps it is time to start considering removing those apps for international markets and moving them to the Play Store as downloadable apps.

TouchWiz is pretty much the main thing stopping me from getting a Samsung Galaxy phone.

———

Miscellaneous

Remember how useful air gesture was and how you couldn’t live without it? Neither can I. Remember how the new heart rate monitor on the back of the S5 changed the way you used your smartphone? Neither can I. Remember how the finger scanner changed the way you unlock your device? Neither can I.

When you compare the implementation of a finger scanner on the S5 versus the one on the iPhone 5S, there is a world of difference in how well they both worked. I feel like Samsung needs to be a bit more selective in the things they add to their OS. Don’t add feature for feature sake. Take Moto X for example which had features which are actually useful and change the way people use their phone for the better.

Samsung had many innovative features in their OS, but most of them are hidden amongst a bunch of other useless features.

———

I’m sure Samsung isn’t oblivious to the fact that tech reviewers in general seem to prefer the HTC One M8 over its own products, and I’m sure Samsung already knows why that is as well. Here is a company that saw the potential of Android and took it to new heights. Here is a company that did what it needed to and change with the times with the advent of the iPhone (compared to Nokia, and BlackBerry). But bottom-line is they need to start actually listening to their consumers’s feedback. Listen to what people are saying about the company.

I know they want to promote their own apps and services, but they need to be a lot more selective at doing it. Think about how your consumers will benefit from this feature, not how you can market it.

Samsung has always had good specifications, now with the Galaxy Alpha I see it as a step in the right direction when it comes to design and built quality. Now, they need to tone down their software shit.

Maybe if they could do that, I am more than willing to use one as my daily driver without the need to install a custom ROM over it. I look forward to the day when I could use TouchWiz and say,”Hey, I would use this over stock Android because the features it provides are actually really useful!”

HTC Desire 816

The HTC Desire 816 is an interesting device. I remember really liking it when it was announced earlier this year, particularly the design of it. I finally got my hand one recently, and thought I would share my thoughts on the device.

The Desire 816 is a large device, and it has to be to house that large 5.5” 720p display. Despite that, the device actually felt pretty light, and is pretty comfortable to hold as well. Part of that might be because that the device is made out of mostly polycarbonate, or plastic if you prefer. The sides are made of a slightly soft touch material while the back has a glossy finish which is a huge finger print, and oil magnet. Though those are less obvious on the white version.

The build quality however, is not as great as I would have liked it to be. The plastic on the back is a separate piece from the sides, and when pressed down in certain areas, or when gripping the phone tightly, squeaky sounds can be heard. Looking at reviews around the internet, apparently I am not the only one. The buttons at the sides, while extremely nicely designed, are a little loose for my liking too, wobbling around when I shook the device. But is still entire usable and I got use to it pretty quickly.

Edit: I have just gotten another Desire 816 in white, and the issues are a lot less prominent on this device. The button is still slightly loose, but not as loose as on the blue Desire 816. Also the back isn’t squeaky or creaky in this one as well.

Getting back to the display, despite being 720p, the viewing experience is actually still pretty great. I personally had no issue with enjoying media on the device. Of course 720p also means better battery life, which is always a plus for me. Viewing angles were great, and colours looked really nice on the Desire 816’s display.

The Desire 816 like the HTC One M8 runs the latest version of HTC’s Sense UI. Sense 6.0 is actually one of the lighter skin on top of Android compared to other manufacturers, and it really shows when you start to use the device. The phone is fast and snappy in most everything it does, and has no issues with even graphic intensive games like Asphalt 8.

Which brings me nicely into the next point, the speakers. The stereo “Boom Sound” speakers are amazing. They are by far the nicest pair of speakers I have heard on a mobile device. Perhaps due to its larger size, i think it even sounds slightly better than the M8. Comparing to the HTC One M7, it definitely sounded a lot clearer and louder.

And since I am comparing the speakers, might as well compare other things as well. In terms of day to day performance, both phones actually performed similarly well. App launch speeds were pretty close, scrolling in browser and what not all felt just as quick. Where the difference comes in, is when you start loading a bunch of apps at the same time and start making use of the extra RAM that the One M7 has, and when you start doing graphic intensive things on the phone like video editing, playing games, etc. But other than that, I was actually surprised at how close the performance on both devices are, at least in terms of casual use.

The camera on the Desire 816 is a 13MP shooter. While that is a much higher count compared to the M7’s 4MP shooter, the 816’s camera lacks HTC’s Ultra pixel technology as well as Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS). Which means that in low light conditions, the HTC One M7’s camera performed much better, and that is a huge plus for me.

An interesting point to consider, is that both devices costs about the same used. But the HTC One M7 likely does not have any more warranty while the Desire 816 being much newer still has warranty.

Another device that I just so happen to have as well is the Moto G. While the one that I have is a dual sim 3G version, not the LTE version the internals are largely the same except of LTE support, microSD card slot, and a Gyroscope. I thought this would be an interesting comparison seeing that the Moto G LTE was just released in Singapore and costs S$300, the price of a used Desire 816.

The Desire being the higher end device is understandably faster in all aspect compared to the Moto G, and has better hardware all round. Opening the app list, opening apps, etc, the Desire 816 was faster than the Moto G all the time. In some instances the differences were up to more than a second. It’s not that the Moto G is slow, it isn’t. It is just that the Desire 816 is just faster. Surprising to see how much difference 400mhz in clock speed makes, and surprising how well HTC has optimised the phone. Furthermore, the 2600mAh battery in the Desire 816 is actually more than enough to last me a solid day of use.

Though when it comes to built quality, I find myself preferring the build of the Moto G. it just felt more solid in hand, and there are no creaks or squeaks in the built at all. The matte interchangeable backs are a huge plus as well and holds up to use better over time.

Conclusion:

I am actually extremely impressed with what HTC has achieved with the Desire 816. At the price of S$405 (at the time of this post) vs the S$300 of a brand new Moto G LTE, the Desire 816 is definitely worth paying the extra S$105 for if you can spare it. Making it a great buy at this price.

One may look at the recently launched Redmi Note as well and compare the Desire 816 to it, and you definitely can. While the Redmi Note is cheaper and more powerful on paper, I can tell you that the Desire 816 is still worth paying the extra for. The Desire 816 with its “subpar” specifications on paper still performed better than the Redmi Note in most instance. Benchmarks may say otherwise, but having used both, the Desire 816 is still better in my opinion if you can spare the cash.

But in the end, a lot of it comes down to needs. If the cheaper Moto G or Redmi Note already suits your needs perfectly, and you can save a bit more money in the process, why not?

Here's to Change: HTC

3 years ago, I would not be caught dead using an HTC device. I hated that multi tone, multi textured backs that HTC so love, seemingly inherited from the vile remnants of their Dopod acquisition. They always had decent hardware specifications, but the design just never appealed to me. Just take the 2 phones above for example, the Titan II up top and the Velocity 4G below. Both were announced in the January of 2012. Both featuring design and colour scheme going back to the HD2, the Nexus One, hell, I even see some Dopod in it. But a month later, something amazing happened…


HTC announced the HTC One X. This was the device that changed my opinion of the company. For the first time, they had a device that I wanted to buy. A device that made the Samsung Galaxy S3 felt cheaper than it already is.

From then on, year after year, I have preferred HTC’s flagship over Samsung’s. And while I did not get either the S5 or HTC One M8 this year, my choice would still be the M8 if I had to choose. And from the reviews and accolades that HTC has been receiving for the One series of devices, many people seem to agree with me as well.

Not only that, HTC’s Sense UI has vastly improved as well. I have always been a fan of the vanilla Android look and feel, or the Nexus experience if you like. But with Sense 6, I think for the first time I actually prefer it over a custom ROM or AOSP. I converted my HTC One M7 to the GPE (which felt poorly optimised), and tried CyanogenMod 11 on it (which actually felt more optimised). But eventually what I ended up using was HTC’s Sense 6 UI (which actually felt better than both GPE and CM11). And that’s a huge deal for me.

In fact I just bought a HTC Desire 816 to play with earlier, and so far, I think I already like it more than the also reasonably priced Moto G running near stock Android.

Before the One M8 was officially announced, I photoshopped a leaked render into a design that I think would be cleaner looking. That post on G+ has gotten 699 +1s, 35 reshares, and 145 comments sparking many interesting conversations and discussions. So clearly people like HTC (at least that’s what they say on the internet).

A friend who is a long time iPhone user just switched to the HTC One M8. And this is not some tech savvy user, this is your average consumer, liking what HTC has done with the One M8. According to her, "sick of iTunes, wants to try in android, likes HTC’s camera and audio." (Weirdly i see more female HTC One users than male) When she got the M8, she happily/excitedly announced it on her facebook.

So… HTC has products that people clearly like and enjoy using (myself included), but why are they still struggling? Despite managing to finally make a profit the previous quarter, people are already saying that it will likely be their best result this year and they will likely continue to hover around the break-even mark.


So that begs the question, “What the hell is going on?” Is it down to poor marketing? poor management? Or is it the poor impressions people got from early HTC devices? Or is Samsung just too strong in the market? I have no idea.

What I do know, is that I want HTC to continue making great phones. They are one of the manufacturers who I think is doing a great job at hardware design as well as software. But to do that they need to keep selling phones, something that they seem to be unable to do much of.

So this posts goes out to HTC. Kudos for your dedication to the mobile industry and pushing many “Firsts” in the industry. The first Windows smartphone in 2002, the HTC Canary. The first Android smartphone in 2008, the HTC Dream. The first Nexus device, the HTC Nexus One.

Here’s to Change. And here’s to many more years in the mobile industry (hopefully).