[Galaxy S 4 General] puremind:
Why would you assume I have not done research. Do you always agree with everything you read and how it is presented? I don't.

Battery Performance

The screenshot you posted actually confirms what I just wrote. In spite of a 12% larger battery, the S4 performs worse in terms of battery performance vs. the HTC One for everything that displays brighter tones (Web browsing, GPS navigation and arguably, gaming). For video and other screen on applications, it will perform equivalent depending on what type of content is being displayed (brighter or dimmer tones). And as usual dark wallpapers are the poor man's extended battery life on those AMOLED devices.

The ONLY reason why the rating is higher on the S4 in the GSM test is because their methodology assumes 90% of what you do with your phone is standby. This however, is not how most users use their phone. As soon as you actually use it for more than 3 hours per day checking on emails or browsing, it will perform poorer (what they call "power users"!). And this is in spite of 12% larger battery. Also, as we know, standby time is easier to fix than video time, because all you have to do is find the wakelocks and freeze them. In time, I expect the HTC One to be the better all round performer.

BIG Little

Regarding big little architecture, Samsung can make it work better in large form factors, such as tablets and netbooks because of the aforementioned throttling issues. There is no doubt that with more battery juice it can exhaust its potential and combine power with energy efficiency. Lie the Tegra 4, I see this chip more as a phablet or tablet chip where more Watts are available.

S4 Screen

You should quote the full text, so that it can be understood what is at play here:

Do you understand what this means? This means that like on plasma displays, with auto-tune turned off, the measured white levels vary depending on the average brightness level of the test pattern. When testing windowed white pattern (e.g. with 50% white and 50% black), the whites can go up to 300cd/m² because power consumption does not bridle the white levels. On a pure 100% white pattern however, the whites only go up to 283cd/m². This is Samsung's attempt to bridle brightness for power consumption reasons, like plasma displays do. What this usually also means is incorrect gamma when maximum brightness is used (so called "white crush", fluctuating gamma based on content and as apparent in the gamma curve, black crush is also present):

Gamma one of the most if not the most important property in a display.

When auto-tune is disengaged, brightness will be at 300cd/m² no matter what content is displayed and also result in a better gamma. But there is a reason while it is engaged as a default, and that is power consumption. If I remove this option on my S2, battery life becomes a joke! Like everyone else I am looking to see the ratio of battery performance relative to maximum auto brightness because to me this will be the true deciding factor. If to enjoy good display properties I have to live with mediocre battery performance or incorrect gamma (or vice versa), this will not be the device for me.

Also, the following statement from the review is not entirely true:

My galaxy S2 does reach 300cd/m² without power saving engaged, so the same as the S4. The reason why it cannot be used though, is battery performance. It gets cut in half.

Smartphone Choice

I haven't yet made my mind regarding my phone. In Germany you can order and send back free of charge within the regulatory 14 days and I will be testing several HTC One in succession (to test multiple screens) until the S4 becomes available and I receive my preorder. As you probably know from previous threads, an important factor to me is screen quality. So we will see how the new AMOLED fares with regards to this but the first measurement from a couple of days ago is encouraging. I have made bad experiences with AMOLED deterioration on my S2 but the white balance the S4 seems to start from a much better place, so like everyone else I am impatient to see what will happen with it.

But I am still concerned about battery. I don't know if you have owned an AMOLED device before, but you end up feeling guilty for preferring custom ROM's that have whites in it and you keep using dark wallpapers because brighter content is depleting your battery so much faster. There is a reason why HTC and Apple can afford white interface while Samsung is confined to black.

I will be testing the S4 as soon as I receive it, so wait and see...You know me, I never a decision without actual in depth testing and I never let myself be blinded by test reviews or marketing presentations. Real life performance is what matters.

You may remember this poll I created:

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2192572

My top 3 most important features in a new smartphone are exactly on par with the xda population's top 3:

1. Extended battery life

2. Improved screen quality

3. More stylish design/premium feel

For now HTC looks like a winner on 1 and 3, and 2 is still undecided. But the relationship between 1 (screen properties) and 2 (battery life) will be the deciding factor for me. If Samsung can improve the screen to a sufficient amount without compromising battery performance, then it will be Samsung. If to enjoy great screen properties in everyday activities I have to live with shorter battery life, it will be HTC.

PS: For Samsung's sake, don't titillate me on things like that. Look at what happened one the HTC One screen thread. All it does is uncover truths left uncovered in public reviews and these manufacturers could do without that extra attention from the press.