Credit: Boy Genius Report
Declaration of interest: my phone is a Samsung Galaxy S4.
Reasons: performance. Benchmarks, battery endurance, screen size & resolution, how well it fits in a pocket, resistance to knocks & bumps, ability to easily swap batteries, or fit a larger battery, camera. The list goes on.
In the review linked below, a different view is taken: "hardware" appears to be synonymous with "appearance", & seems to be valued above all else.
The good news is that there is a big market, lots of choices & a "best" phone for all tastes.
http://bgr.com/2013/08/13/galaxy-s4-vs-htc-one-review-best-android-phone/
Another review of the HTC One:
http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/htc-one-android-smartphone-review.html
Or build your own:
http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/phonebloks-is-stunning-idea-for-phone.html / choose choosing choice select pick choosing best Android phone planet easy easier task HTC One world has ever seen perfect best no-compromise smartphone smart-phone smart phone review reviewing reviewed value a smartphone’s physical design build materials OS operating system software user experience One seems like a clear choice declare HTC One clear winner something about Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Samsung rethink my position Beneath pile gimmicky features truly fantastic smartphone gorgeous display cutting edge cutting-edge specs specifications decision use using opinions invariably change over time device attention majority phones phone’s gimmicky bells and whistles discover discovers features useful use novelty novelties Samsung’s gesture controls absolutely useless most situations more reliant on Air View features ability view message previews containing more half sentence text without having email open emails SMS text messages changed my workflow for the better on the S4 camera another example of an area of the Galaxy S4′s software more filter, scene mode options overwhelm overwhelmed overwhelming takes some time to sift through pick out favorites get a feel interface access different modes quickly changes the way you take pictures with your phone comparatively cheap feel has become less issue over time choosing device for personal use phone’s appearance hardware is just as important to me as the software experience total package Samsung historically failed repeatedly deliver fit and finish match smartphones’ user experience rarely carry Samsung devices review reviewed reviewing improvements in the quality of materials and the feel of the phone are minimal something different thin displayed display gorgeous cheap feel doesn’t deliver hardware experience approaches hero phones offered most other smartphone vendors thinner case less of an issue fit and finish flagship smartphone unlike thin pliable plastics HTC uses beautiful aluminum unibody design build quality close match apple Apple’s iPhone 5 rival vendor ever achieved impeccable back curves sit perfectly in your hand glass face spills over the sides continues lines polished chamfered edges micro-drilled holes micro drilled grill cover speakers personality fantastic design elements combine create truly unique gorgeous smartphone watch movies play music loudspeaker no rival smartphone match matched matching audio quality HTC’s BoomSound speakers read about gadget blogs software appears major pain point stock Android Jelly Bean sold sell selling directly Google $600 perfect smartphone combines HTC’s sleek hardware Google’s pure vision Android most users gadget bloggers smartphone enthusiasts enthusiasm enthusiast tend gravitate toward pure Google mass market mind vendor contributions most popular Android phones in recent history Galaxy S4 Galaxy S III 3 2 4 Galaxy Note II LG Optimus G, and HTC One, shipped 5 million units first month of availability feature featured very heavily customized versions of Android most lauded software features added by vendors personally very much enjoy HTC’s additions Jelly Bean hardware is clearly the star of the show with the HTC One, but the phone’s software is a tremendous compliment to its industrial design. The dark gradients and hard angles that characterize the Sense 5 user interface fit perfectly with the look of the phone. HTC also introduced several great new features alongside the One’s new version of Sense /
