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HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sony Xperia Z Price Plans Comparison

By Sidney Wong - 27 Apr 2013

HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sony Xperia Z Price Plans Comparison

HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sony Xperia Z Price Plans Comparison 

After much speculation and media hype, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is finally available in Singapore. It now joins the ranks of the top tier premium Android smartphones with a full HD screen and LTE support such as the HTC One and the Sony Xperia Z. However with each flagship device holding one or more unique features over the others, this will go down in the history books as one of the stiffest competitions ever in the smartphone market. As usual, we have compiled the contract pricing across the board for your easy reference. We first start off comparing the specs of the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sony Xperia Z below:

Phone Specs Comparison

Device

HTC One
(32GB)

Samsung Galaxy S4
(16GB)

Sony Xperia Z
(16GB)

OS Android 4.1.2 Android 4.2.2 Android 4.1.2
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core 1.5GHz
RAM 2GB 2GB 2GB
Storage

32GB built-in memory
(no memory card slot)


16GB built-in memory
(microSD support up to 64GB)

 

16GB built-in
memory
(microSD support up to 32GB)
Display 4.7-inch Super LCD 3 5-inch Full-HD Super AMOLED 5-inch TFT HD Reality
Resolution 1,920 x 1,080 pixels 1,920 x 1,080 pixels 1,920 x 1,080 pixels
Camera Rear: 4MP UltraPixel
Front: 2.1MP
Rear: 13MP
Front: 2MP
Rear: 13MP
Front: 2MP
 
Battery 2,300mAh 2,600mAh 2,330mAh
Dimensions 137.4 x 68.2 x 4 - 9.3mm 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9mm 139 x 71 x 7.9mm
Weight 143g 130g 146g
Recommended Retail Price $968 $998 $988
Actual Store Pricing Check Here Check Here Check Here

1. Do note that the contract pricing is based on this week's promo which is valid from 27 April to 3 May 2013. Prices may change thereafter.

2. Other miscellaneous costs such as early re-contract fees, SIM card charges and registration fees are not included in this table.

3. These comparisons are solely based on the contract pricing of the respective phones.

 

Telco Basic Plans Comparison
 

Data Plan M1 SingTel StarHub
Name ValueSurf+ Flexi Lite Smartsurf Lite
Monthly Subscription $39 $39.90 $38
Local Outgoing Mins 100 / 120 100 100
Local SMS 600 800 800
Local Data Bundle 2GB 2GB 2GB
Phone Contract Prices
HTC One $548 $528 $469
Samsung Galaxy S4 $578 $578 $599
Sony Xperia Z $398 $388 $399

 

Telco Mid-Tier Plans Comparison
 

Data Plan M1 SingTel StarHub
Name LiteSurf+ Flexi Value SmartSurf Value
Monthly Subscription $59 $59.90 $58
Local Outgoing Mins 300 200 300
Local SMS 800 900 900
Local Data Bundle 3GB 3GB 4GB
Phone Contract Prices
HTC One $398 $328 $299
Samsung Galaxy S4 $328 $328 $349
Sony Xperia Z $218 $198 $199

 

Telco High-Tier Plans Comparison
 

Data Plan M1 SingTel StarHub
Name ExtremeSurf+ Flexi Plus SmartSurf Premium
Monthly Subscription $98 $99.90 $98
Local Outgoing Mins 700 500 700
Local SMS 1,000 1,000 1,000
Local Data Bundle 5GB 4GB 6GB
Phone Contract Prices
HTC One $238 $98 $99
Samsung Galaxy S4 $168 $168 $199
Sony Xperia Z $148 $48 $149

   

Telco Premium Plans Comparison
 

Data Plan M1 SingTel StarHub
Name MaxSurf+ Flexi Premium SmartSurf Elite
Monthly Subscription $198 $205 $205
Local Outgoing Mins Unlimited 2,000 2,000
Local SMS 2,000 2,500 2,500
Local Data Bundle 12GB 12GB 12GB
Phone Contract Prices
HTC One $238 $0 $0
Samsung Galaxy S4 $0 $0 $29
Sony Xperia Z $148 $48 $149

 

Our Inputs 

There is without a doubt that all three Android smartphones are very strong contenders. As highlighted in our review of the Samsung Galaxy S4, here are our recommendations:

  • If you are looking for a more durable phone or a refreshing phone design, the HTC One and Sony Xperia Z fit the bill. The Xperia Z's strength lies in its IP55 and IP57 ratings, which indicate the highest levels of dust and water resistance. Simple but classy design is yet another understated hallmark of the Xperia Z. On the other hand, the full metal body of the HTC One offers a unique looking rugged build, while it's curved back makes it comfortable to grasp.
     
  • Should you want to consider your next flagship device based on the best user interface, look no further than the HTC One smartphone and its HTC Sense 5 user interface with the HTC BlinkFeed. Simple, elegant and straightforward summarizes the UI. Further to that, it offers an interesting photo and video shooting interface with the HTC Zoe function. On a side note, the HTC One has the best speakers on any smartphone to complement its multimedia experience.
     
  • If you are looking at an Android smartphone which delivers great all-round performance, we highly recommend the Samsung Galaxy S4. Just look at the sheer number of software features, great battery life, superb imaging performance and smooth operation on the Galaxy S4, and you will know the rationale of our recommendation.
     
  • Existing Galaxy S III and Note II users would likely have a hard time deciding if upgrading to the Galaxy S4 would be worthwhile, but unfortunately, there's not a whole lot to be gained. All three phones look very similar, while any differences boil down to the internal hardware and software features available. Taking reference from Samsung's track record of software upgrades, it is likely that some (but not all) of the new software features will be available to existing Galaxy S III and Note II devices.

For more information on the different phones, hit the links below to the respective reviews: 

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