With major competitors like the HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Sony Xperia Z3 in the arena, the flagship smartphone from Motorola seems to be struggling to catch up. Even though the phone boasts of some truly top of the house specs, the actual user reviews are mixed and varying. We caught up on some news about the HTC One M8 and Moto Turbo being compared in a fierce battle online. Here’s a small comparison between the two stalwarts as the users put it.
Looks
Do looks matter? Of course they do. Especially when people pay a fortune to own one! The HTC One M8 sports a 90% metal panel that speaks of a truly premium make. It comes in the most sophisticated shades namely- Amber Gold, Glacial Silver, and Gunmetal Gray. The brushed metal, uni-metal panels are designed to impress. The device gets a perfect rounded design at the edges which make the phone a treat both for the eyes as well as the palm. Many users however have complained about the inconvenience caused in locating the Micro SD slots and SIM slots which surprisingly lie camouflaged in the design. However, the phone is not waterproof.
As most Motorola Phone users would agree, the company is known for the use of the most unconventional materials in the making of their devices. the latest Moto Turbo goes of the way by inculcating a Black Ballistic Nylon fibre in designing its panel. So now you can shoot a bullet at your phone and it would still keep up the best performance. Jokes apart. The new panel on the Moto Turbo makes it scratch resistant and allows a good grip on the phone.
This brings us to the final verdict on the looks. If you are a person who would rather show off a shiny, all metal, smartphone and worry constantly about it being too slippery or vulnerable to scratches then, HTC One M8 it is. But if you prefer a sturdy device which does not look bad at all, you may want to consider the Moto Turbo.
The Display Says It All
When it comes to the screen, The Moto Turbo retains all form of toughness with a Gorilla 3 Glass that makes the phone both dust, scratch and water-resistant. The Quad HD display with 565 pixel density is a visual treat.
HTC One M8’s IPS LCD display is also build on the same lines and proves to be a fairly tough phone. The HTC One M8 is not water-resistant. The phone has a 5 inch screen with a pixel density of 441 pixels that seems a bit low on sharpness of images in comparison with the Moto Turbo.
Camera
When it comes to taking pictures, the HTC One M8 receives good applause. Color reproduction is good and manual shot capability is very nice. Dual LED flash works pretty well. UFocus and Dimension Plus (3D effect) are the most stunning new features of the rear camera. The front camera of 5 MP resolution works well to give you the best selfies and most users seem to like the wide angle shots that it delivers. The 4MP rear camera also referred to as the Ultra Pixel camera does not have many fans. The zoom capacity fails miserably and its depth sensing capabilities needs more development is what most users of the phone have complained. Overall the phone works best for those who do not dwell in real time photography.
The Moto Turbo supports a 21 MP front camera which seems a winner when compared to the HTC One M8. The camera, a 21-megapixel shooter with a dual LED flash that captures 4K video. It senses hand gestures and voice commands, making it easy to snap shots – a most welcome feature. Several reports have taken issue with the camera, noting in particular a lag between when you click to take a picture and what you capture. Yes, that can be a tad annoying. Also some users feel that the 21 MP camera may not be as good as it seems on paper. Th e Apple iPhone 5 with it’s 8MP camera scores more than the Moto Turbo in this respect. The Burst mode allows you to catch exactly the right moment with a tiny amount of forethought. Again, the Moto Turbo comes under the hammer for its 2 MP front camera that really disappoints.
Battery Life
The Motorola Moto Turbo has come into the market with its Turbo Charger battery as its USP. And yes, it won't disappoint you. With a massive power capacity of a 3900 mAh battery and a turbo charger that can load up your phone with 7 hours of talk time in just 15 minutes, the Moto Turbo wins this round.
The HTC receives strong criticism for its poor battery life and charge retaining capacity. With a 2600 mAh battery and an overload off apps that keep turning on and draining the phone of charge, the HTC fails to keep customers happy.
Software, Hardware and UI
The HTC One M8 runs a 2.5GHz Quad-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor clubbed with Android 4.4 KitKat. The upgrade to the Android 5.0 Lollipop OS has been recent and many customers felt their handsets slowing/breaking down after the upgrade. However, the fast processor and top OS Android available ensures that everything is smooth, sleek, elegant, basically extremely fast and simple. Kudos to HTC for that.
The UI is the brainchild of HTC. HTC Sense 6 has been used to facilitate users interaction with the device. Built-in features like BlinkFeed keeps you connected to the latest updates from the web based your most popular searches and priorities. Other features like the HTC Zoe helps you personalise pictures and make slideshows with background music etc. On the fun quotient, HTC delivers well. However, as mentioned earlier, the small battery is the game spoiler here.
When it comes to the Moto Turbo, the users are in for a treat. The Motorola Moto Turbo runs on a 2.7 Ghz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor with Android 5.0 Lollipop. The extremely fast processor clubbed with the 3900 mAh battery is a perfect device for all smartphone experiences.
Moto Apps like: Moto Voice is always listening for your commands, allowing you to use your phone without touching it. Moto Assist knows when you are home and allows you to accept/reject phone calls via verbal commands. When you are home or when you are driving, the Turbo allows you to hear and respond to text messages via verbal commands. The Turbo will also silence your phone during meetings. Moto Actions Sensors detect hand gestures to let you activate your phone's screen without touching it. You can use this to see the current time, preview notifications, or wave off incoming calls. Moto Display allows you to see notifications on your phone without touching the phone. You can preview and act on notification from the lock screen. Customizable "Hello Google", hands free voice command phrase are possible. Accurate voice recognition is possible courtesy of an included secondary chip dedicated to natural language processing.
The Extra-Mile
Who wouldn’t want a smartphone that gives you that extra something different from the average smartphone in that range? HTC One M8 offers the HTC Boom Sound speakers that are by far the best in market. The dual front facing stereo speakers project sound at you, not away. The speaker design optimises your music, videos and games as you watch. Built-in Amps boost volume to impressive levels, maximizing the HTC One's massive .85cc top speaker chamber and .80cc bottom speaker chamber size. HTC's proprietary membrane excursion direct control optimises volume and bass that makes your music thump.
Delivering the extra mile for Motorola Moto Turbo has never been an issue. Moto Turbo simplifies life by letting you interact more naturally and learning your preferences to anticipate what you need. Just speak to ask questions or get things done. Use simple gestures to respond to your phone. And receive updates that don’t disrupt what you’re doing. Similarly, Motorola's advanced noise cancellation technology helps eliminate background noise, improving both call quality and voice recognition. Be confident that you’ll come through loud and clear. And of course, the ballistic nylon material is a first in this segment!
Connections, Connectivity and Storage
While Moto Turbo is a 3G phone, the HTC One M8 supports both 3G as well as 4G LTE bands in India. Basic connectivity options like the WiFi 802.11 a/ b/ g/ n/ ac, Micro-USB and NFC are common to both the devices.
The HTC supports a 2 GB RAM with 16GB internal memory expandable using a memory card using a Micro SD card up to 128 GB. Current customers are also being wooed with a 100 GB Google Cloud Storage on purchase of a HTC One M8. Whereas the Moto Turbo disappoints in this area with 3 GB RAM and in-built storage of 32/64 GB based on the handset option.
The Final Verdict
A final verdict is definitely hard to pronounce in this case. Dedicated users of both the brands seem to be convinced that theirs is the best handset the company has made so far. But considering all specs on paper and from the current feedback of customers, the Motorola Moto Turbo seems to emerge as the champion of this comparison only by a marginal win due to its strong build features, long-lasting battery life, stylish looks and amazing in-built apps all at one of the lowest prices in this segment of smartphones.
