HTC One M9 vs Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge: How much extra is justified for resolution?

Samsung and HTC are two heavyweight players in the smartphone world that have consistently shown class and prowess through their products. It would be compelling to compare their smartphone models and do a spec-to-spec analysis to understand their capabilities and help potential customers make an informed decision while considering their products. Therefore, we have chosen Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge for a comparative review with HTC One M9.

HTC One M9 with dimensions such as 144.6x 69.7x9.61mm weighs 157g, while Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge with dimensions of 142.1x 70.1x 7.0mm weighs 132g, a significant 25g lesser than One M9. There is not much difference in the display screen size, where HTC’s One M9 is 5 inches long where as Samsung’s S6 Edge is 5.1 inches long. Also, One M9 is available in Full HD (1080p) and S6 Edge is available in Dual Edge Super AMOLED, which makes the touch-screens pretty much comparable too. However, after the weight, the major difference comes in resolution, where Samsung’s S6 Edge has a significant leg up with 2560x1440 pixels over HTC’s One M9 that has 1920x1080 pixels, promising a better picture quality. Moreover, both the devices come in multiple colors: S6 Edge is available in white pearl, black sapphire, gold platinum and green emerald, where One M9 is available in gray, silver and gold. The overall design, however, remains a matter of personal preference.

Both the smartphones are powered by 1.5GHz Octa-Core processors, but Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop where as HTC One M9 runs on HTC Sense 7.0 which happens to be HTC’s customized OS based on Android Lollipop, essentially comparable operating systems (OS). Also, both the devices operate on a 3GB RAM and have an internal storage of 32 GB, however, Samsung’s S6 Edge has no expandable memory where as HTC’s M9 has an expandable memory up to 2MB through microSD. HTC’s M9 also has an edge in terms of battery capacity 2840mAh over Samsung’s S6 Edge that comes with 2600mAh battery. As such, while performance of the two devices is comparable, HTC’s One M9 acquires an edge on two accounts i.e. external memory and battery capacity.

If we take a look at the additional features, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has a 16MP primary (rear) camera with CMOS senor technology that detects and conveys information that constitutes an image and a 5MP secondary (front) camera. On the other hand, HTC One M9 has a 20MP primary camera with BSI sensor that adds more light quality to photographs and a 4 ultra-pixel front camera; apparently, ultra-pixels are capable of capturing around 200 percent more light. As such, HTC’s One M9 with higher pixels stands out at the primary camera front and also promises a better selfie given the ultra-pixel feature. Both the devices have Wi-Fi capabilities (802.11 a/g/b/n/ac), Bluetooth v4.10 and single SIM slot, and support only Nano-SIM. In terms of connectivity, both devices are available in 2G, 3G and 4G, depending on the market.

At the end, the key differentiator is the price. In the Kenyan market, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is priced around KSh85,000 where as HTC One M9 is priced around KSh69,000. With the availability of expandable memory, better cameras, higher battery capacity HTC One M9 seems to be worth its price. Considering that the design is largely a matter of individual preference, the relatively higher price of Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge seems to be on account of the device being lighter, thinner, and offering higher resolution. The Kenyan customers would have to consider whether it is worthwhile spending additional KSh16,000 for slightly superior resolution and sleeker look.