Load the Game

HTC Hima vs Galaxy S6 vs LG G4: what to expect from the flagships of 2015

• Egon Kilin
• December 30th, 2014

HTC Hima will be the successor of the HTC One M8 and even though the device hasn’t even been confirmed by the company, we already have loads of leaks and rumors about it. The LG G4 and Galaxy S6 are the same story in a different packaging. These three flagships should all be introduced or at least demoed at CES 2015, and should become the most talked about devices of Spring 2015. With this in mind, we will try to figure out which device will end up overpowering the other and which could end up being the consumer favorite.

2014 was a good year for all three companies, seeing as HTC had great success and good reviews with the HTC One M8, while the LG G3 was greatly appreciated for the large QHD display and stylish polycarbonate display. Samsung, on the other hand, didn’t reap success with the Galaxy S5, which was criticized for its design and useless features, not to mention cumbersome and sluggish TouchWiz UI, instead hitting the spot with the Galaxy Note 4 and its metal frame and QHD display. Next year, Samsung will supposedly launch Project Zero or the Galaxy S6 under its rumored name, and the company stated that it started from scratch with this device, completely redesigning it. HTC will be landing the HTC Hima as the One M9 has been code-named and our feelers are telling us that the device might become the greatest success of them all. The LG G4 needs to become something truly innovative if it wants to surpass its predecessor, as we’ve found almost no faults with the LG G4. Let us see what we (think) we know about the three flagships.

Design and build

The HTC Hima will surely keep the metal unibody of its predecessor, as the design was the most appreciated part of the One M8. Even though the metal chassis might facilitate overheating, the hardware in HTC Hima should handle it well enough. Many have said about the One M8 that it is much too tall for average use, the thick bezels becoming annoying with prolonged use. Rumors say that even though the HTC Hima would have a larger display, the phone will be made a bit shorter and will have a better screen to body ratio.

While we were pretty satisfied with the LG G3, the company promised us a bezelless phone and judging by recent display expositions from LG, we might just get that in the form of the LG G4. The screen to body ratio on its predecessor was more than satisfying, but it can never hurt to innovate in design. The LG G4 should’t differ too much in design, but we might see an improved chassis with a sturdy metal frame. Since rumors say the LG G4 display might actually be smaller, the device should also be reduced in size.

The Galaxy S6 will be the biggest innovation out of our three subjects, since Samsung promised that it would build it and redesign it from scratch, hence the Project Zero moniker. The Galaxy S6 should come with a full metal unibody and a revamped design with rounded or chamfered edges. Since we haven’t any reliable prototype images, save for a fluorescent yellow phone that doesn’t look any different from the recently launched Galaxy A5, we can’t say much about how innovative the design will be. It should definitely be bigger than our two contenders, since it will probably have the biggest display out of the three, based on our speculations.

Hardware and software

When it comes to hardware, the new HTC Hima flagship should deliver high-end internals that will surely be on par with new smartphone releases. The One M8 was a bit late with its specs when it was launched last year, so the company might try and make up for that delay at CES 2015. According to most rumors and leaks, the handset will sport a 64 bit Snapdragon 810 CPU which will go amazingly with Android 5.0 Lollipop and Sense 7.0. Sense 7.0 should only be ready by May 2015, but that doesn’t mean the HTC Hima can’t be fully prepped for it. An Adreno 430 GPU, as well as 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage should back up the powerful Qualcomm chipset.

The LG G4 should pack the same Snapdragon 810 CPU with 3 GB RAM backing it up, as well as 32 GB expandable storage. We were quite impressed with the performance of its predecessor, so the upgraded CPU should certainly make for a great user experience. Android 5.0 Lollipop and maybe a revamped Optimus UI will be definitely featured on the flagship, as well as some nifty apps that might go with the stylus it will supposedly feature.

The Galaxy S6 will come, yet again, with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU, backed by 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage, expandable via microSD. Android 5.0 Lollipop will surely power the device, and TouchWiz will also be there, most likely. Even though users have been complaining about TouchWiz being sluggish and cumbersome for a long time, Samsung doesn’t seem to understand that they should either leave it vanilla with some dedicated apps or create an entirely new UI. Alas, performance-wise, the three flagships should be equals in the end.

Display and camera

We’ve got two contradictory rumors going around about the display size on the HTC Hima, one stating that it would be a 5.5 inch QHD display, while other say that it will be a 5 inch FHD display with a 1080*1920 resolution. Seeing as many would be content with the latter, as it would leave room for a longer battery life, we would rather think HTC was smart about the launch and choose the latter display option. The camera on the other hand will be greatly improved compared to its predecessor, rumors saying that the handset will sport a 20.7 MP camera on the rear and a 4 MP shooter on the front. Optical image stabilization hasn’t been mentioned in the leaks, but it would be a great addition to that massive camera.

The LG G4 display is rumored to be just 5.3 inches large, which seems a bit odd seeing as the LG G3 had a 5.5 inch display and the phablet trend is definitely on the rise. If not a 5.3 inch one, we will surely see the 5.5 inch display repeat itself since creating a smartphone larger than that might be risky for LG. Nonetheless, QHD resolution is a must and is almost taken for granted from LG nowadays. The camera setup might be bumped up a notch too, rumors saying the LG G4 will bring the same optical image stabilization and laser autofocus over to a bigger, 16 MP rear camera. The front camera should measure 5 MP, if speculations are correct.

The Galaxy S6 display will surely end up being QHD and we are almost entirely sure Samsung will choose a 5.5 inch panel to satisfy the phablet trend. While QHD might look awesome, we don’t have that much applications taking advantage of such a high resolution. Nonetheless, with QHD both the LG G4 and Galaxy S6 are as future-proof as it gets. The HTC Hima might lag behind with an FHD display, but battery life is important for just as many. Camera-wise, the Galaxy S6 will live up to the HTC Hima in bringing a 20 MP sensor on the rear with optical image stabilization and a 5 MP front camera.

Features and battery

BoomSound speakers would be the greatest addition of all to the HTC Hima, although we haven’t heard much about them. An alleged HTC Hima render or prototype showed the device without the front-facing speaker grills, which might mean we won’t be having any BoomSound on the future flagship. On the other hand, we might be surprised by something from Bose, or even better. The battery on the device should be a 2840 mAH one, which coupled with the FHD display should perform as great as the Sony Xperia Z3 did.

One of the best and most exciting features that might show up on the LG G4 is the LG G Pen Stylus. With a stylus and a flagship, LG will surely be able to take on the immensely successful Galaxy Note 4. Some nice speakers could also be a new addition to the device. Battery-wise, even though the display size might be pushed back, we are expecting to see at least a 3100 mAH battery, which should be good for a competition against the HTC Hima.

The Galaxy S6 will surely pack a few features itself, including a fingerprint sensor and a heart rate sensor. While these features weren’t greatly appreciated on the Galaxy S5, it’s unlikely Samsung will abandon them and admit that Apple does it best when it comes to biometrics. The battery on the S6 should be massive if it wants to be able to support the massive QHD display, so we’re rooting for a 3400 mAH battery.

Release date and price

While we are fairly certain will get a glimpse of the flagship at CES 2015, other rumors peg it for a late Spring launch. That seems unlikely, seeing as HTC probably wants to get the jump on Apple and other companies releasing phones in the Summer or Fall. If the company truly wants to compete against Samsung and LG, it should rush the release, but still manage to give fans a phone that will impress. The price of the handset shouldn’t differ too much from the HTC One M8, unless the company decided to waterproof the phone or add something extra-special in. That means that you will probably be able to get your hands on the HTC Hima for less than $600.

The LG G4 might be debuted at CES 2015 as a surprise, but the most likely release date would be March 2015 at MWC. Since the LG G3 cost about $600 at the time of its launch, we expect the LG G4 to tout a price similar to that. With a Spring release date, the LG G4 would be more successful, since that way people might wait to see it before buying any of the CES 2015 releases. Although HTC Hima will surely be an attractive phone in my mind.

The Galaxy S6 is almost certainly making an appearance at CES 2015, so we can expect the phone to end up in stores by February 2015. Since these aren’t confirmed release dates, we should keep our fingers crossed to see all three show up in January. Still, there exists a possibility that none of these flagships will be launched at the conference. Hey, we’ll still have a new Asus ZenFone to ogle if these flagships are a bust. When it comes to price, the Galaxy S6 will surely pricey, especially with a metal body. Expect to spend at least $700 on the flagship. I seem to be drawn to the HTC Hima for some reason, even though I don’t like metal phones. This year’s favorite for me was the LG G3, so these feels are surprising. Still, I have confidence in HTC and am sure they will deliver with the HTC Hima.