Comparing the HTC One M9, Samsung Galaxy S6 Side by Side

By Don Reisinger

If display size matters, customers won’t find much of a difference between the Galaxy S6 and the HTC One M9. Samsung’s Galaxy S6 comes with a 5.1-inch screen while the One M9 has a 5-inch screen. In other words, there’s about the same screen real estate between the devices. That said, the Samsung display has a quad-HD screen, which gives it more pixels than the full HD 1080p alternative in the HTC One M9.

When examining the design on both devices, one will discover that HTC has decided to stick with the same basic design as the previous model, the M8. The device has a curved back and metallic finish and the same curved corners. This time, HTC added a bit flash to the One M9 by making the edges of the phone a gold color. Samsung, meanwhile, has significantly changed the Galaxy S6’s design, ditching the plastic case in favor of metal. The decision makes the Galaxy S6 more attractive than its predecessor and arguably even more attractive than the M9.

Both the HTC One M9 and the Galaxy S6 will come with enough power for the average user to get what they want out of the device. The One M9 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Octa Core 64-bit processor, while the Galaxy S6 will ship with its own 64-bit Octa Core processor. However, unlike the M9, the Galaxy S6 comes with the Exynos chip developed by Samsung itself.

While both devices are running Google’s Android platform, customers will need to decide whether they like the Samsung TouchWiz or the HTC Sense user interfaces. TouchWiz and Sense come with new designs that are supposed to improve the user experience and help users navigate among their features and applications more quickly. Ultimately, choosing which is best is a personal decision that requires some time to work with the respective devices.

Mobile connectivity options have highly standardized in the Android ecosystem. No single handset maker really has an advantage. The One M9 and the Galaxy S6 support the latest wireless protocols, Bluetooth and near-field communication. If those features are important to a customer, both devices will deliver.

Samsung is trying to differentiate its product by saying that its wireless, fast-charging feature built into the Galaxy S6 is market-leading. The company claims that 10 minutes on the fast-charge will give users four hours of battery life, beating out its competitors. The M9, however, is no slouch, offering a larger battery than the Galaxy S6, providing 21.7 hours of talk time on 3G and up to 402 hours on standby.

Cameras matter in today’s photo-happy world. That’s why the HTC One M9 comes with a 20-megapixel rear-facing camera that’s capable of recording video in 4K. In addition, the device has the HTC UltraPixel front-facing lens for 1080p video recording and wide-angle selfies. The Galaxy S6 has a similarly strong offering on the camera side with a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera and 5-megapixel front-facing lens. For the vast majority of customers, both devices’ cameras will do just fine.

A key differentiator for HTC has always been sound. The company, dating back to when it owned Beats Audio, now owned by Apple, has said that its devices can produce the best sound and it can back up that claim. In the M9, the company has partnered with Dolby for what it calls HTC BoomSound with Dolby Audio. The feature provides front-facing speakers and virtual 5.1-channel surround sound. Samsung doesn’t provide much competition in that realm, but says that its device’s sound quality should satisfy customers.

With the HTC One M9, customers have no choice in design, only color. With the Galaxy S6, it’s an entirely different story. While Samsung has its color options, the company is also selling a Galaxy S6 Edge, which has a display that literally turns a corner. The feature adds a bit more real estate for applications and has been used successfully by some neat third-party devices. It’s a unique feature that so far hasn’t been replicated by any other company.

Truth be told, both Samsung and HTC have seen better times. HTC’s mobile division, for example, is on a steep decline, and the company itself has started to focus on other areas, including wearables. HTC has even appointed a new CEO in Cher Wang. Samsung’s mobile division is also down and hopes to turn things around this year by offering fewer, high-quality devices. Still, they’re pushing ahead trying to regain lost share in the smartphone market. And they’re doing so on the backs of the M9 and the Galaxy S6. Let’s see if it works.