HTC M8 vs iPhone 5s : Features and specs

HTC's latest smartphone, the HTC One M8, looks great with its curved metal back in a color resembling pewter. Here's how an HTC M8 demo unit from Verizon stacked up to the iPhone 5 in our hands-on review. The M8 has received a number of serious reviews including one dated April 10 on Time.com that calls M8 the most elegant device on the market right now. These are the differences we noticed.
Display and size: HTC One M8 has a 5-inch screen while the iPhone 5 series offers 4-inch screens. At first glance, it's obvious the M8 is larger with a significantly bigger screen than the iPhones 5, 5s and 5c.
M8 is also noticeably heavier than the iPhones. That heaviness is caused by M8's larger screen and its all-metal shell. iPhone 5s has 1136 by 640 pixels, or 326 pixels per inch, compared to M8's 1080 by 1920 pixels or 441 pixels per inch. 

M8 is also noticeably heavier than the iPhones. That heaviness is caused by M8's larger screen and its all-metal shell. iPhone 5s has 1136 by 640 pixels, or 326 pixels per inch, compared to M8's 1080 by 1920 pixels or 441 pixels per inch. With more pixels per inch, M8 provides better screen resolution than iPhone.
Cameras: The HTC One M8 has a 4 megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5 megapixel front-facing camera. This is the first phone we've seen that records more pixels in the "selfie" camera than the rear camera. iPhone 5s has an 8 mega pixel rear-facing camera. It's a fact that having more pixels makes the camera capable of delivering a more detailed photo, so iPhone 5s has a significant advantage over the M8. Check out CNET's excellent camera comparison which pits the M8 camera against cameras in the iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy S5.
Price and Memory: HTC One M8 is available for $199.99 with a new two-year commitment from Verizon. For a limited time Verizon's offering a two-for-one deal: you can get two M8s for a total of $199.99 if you get a new 24-month contract for each phone. iPhone 5s costs $199 with a new 2-year commitment from any major US carrier. M8 comes with 32 gigabytes of memory for $199.99 while the iPhone 5S comes with only 16 gigabytes for that price. More memory is available for iPhone: with 32 gigabytes of memory, an iPhone 5s costs $300. All these prices assume you sign up for 2 years of phone service from a major carrier.
Operating system: HTC One M8 uses the Android 4.4 operating system nicknamed KitKat. The iPhones 5, 5s and 5c use iOS 7. While both perform well, there are big differences between the Android and Apple iOS operating systems. Part of that difference may be attributable to the fact that Apple's business model is mainly based on selling you new hardware while the business model of Google, producer of Android, includes capturing information about you to sell to others. Both offer a huge number of apps, and most major apps are available for both iOS and Android.
Processor: HTC One M8 and the iPhone 5s have very fast new processors. The processor in the iPhone 5 and 5c is slower. The processor in the M8 is a 2.3 gigahertz quad-core chip which makes it capable of doing 4 things at once. iPhone 5s has two processors, the A7 with 64-bit architecture, and the M7 motion co-processor. The iPhones 5c and 5 each use the same dual-core processor.
Battery life: The HTC M8 battery is rated to last 293 hours on standby and to deliver 12 hours of use. The iPhone 5s is rated for 10 hours of talk and up to 250 hours standby. As an aside, the one-year-old iPhone 5 we own requires charging during the day if it's used heavily.
Earbuds: Like the iPhone, the HTC One M8 comes with a decent set of earbuds. HTC is following Apple's lead here as most other Android phones do not come with any type of earphone or headset, while iPhones have come with earbuds for several generations. M8's earbuds have with soft, replaceable ends, and the M8 box even includes a replacement pair of those removable ends. Apple's EarPods were redesigned and improved in 2012 and are excellent.
Manufacturers: HTC is headquartered in Taiwan and has been making mobile phones since shortly after it was founded in 1997. HTC makes phones using the Windows and Android operating systems. HTC became the third-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world in 2011 by surpassing Nokia. Apple, the largest smartphone maker in the world, is based in Cupertino, California. Apple has made computers since the 1970s and introduced the revolutionary iPhone, Apple's first and only phone, in 2007.
Conclusion: Competition is good for buyers and buyers are lucky to have a number of very good phones available now from different manufacturers; HTC One M8 is a serious competitor. Anyone who buys the HTC One M8 is likely to be pleased with its usability and style. We were impressed during our trial and thoroughly enjoyed this phone.