[Galaxy S 4 General] puremind:
This is absolutely not true. The vast majority of users does not cover their phone in an obstructive way.

But again, that's not the point. People want to identify with a phone. Whether or not it needs to be perceived by others varies from individual to individual. Style and premium feel for social sharing crowds is what HTC have chosen to be their marketing promise and they have selected and promoted a few features to epitomize this. The debate is not whether or not this is the right thing to do, the topic is about what fits best for the original poster, HTC is the brand that articulates this marketing promise clearly. For Samsung, social sharing is one aspect amongst others. The S4 is positioned as a jack of all trades that can appeal to the greatest number and brings people closer. Choice is not necessarily about better or worse product, seeing as both devices are great phones. It is about what brand epitomizes your own values best. I think HTC's and Samsung's add campaigns and press statements clearly show what they chose to articulate. I don't think it is down to my interpretation that HTC is trying to capture some market share from that exclusive-feeling Apple clientele, whereas Samsung has a broader spectrum.

No one is unsuccessful with their flagship device. HTC is experiencing "brisk sales". Samsung talk about "unprecedented demand". Give it a minute? Those devices have just been released. Give it some time and see how the market settles.

HTC is promoting not only the zero gap aluminum construction as part of their premium experience, they are also promoting a number of media sharing and social networking features.

According to a poll I ran, the top 5 characteristics smartphone purchasers are looking for are:

More hours of battery life

Better screen

Faster processor

More stylish design/more premium feel

Better camera

HTC differentiate themselves in terms of screen, design and camera (plus boom sound, blinkfeed) - they consider the other items to be a must haves, but nothing to "brag about".

How can you have the arrogance to give anyone lessons. This is not what this forum is for! Please stay on topic and refrain from personal attacks. I have never quoted you personally in conjunction with any kind of derogatory "name", so don't invent things!? :eek:

It has only been a couple of weeks since the HTC One launched? I hope you are aware of that? How can you even make an analysis right now without any official figures yet available for those past 6 weeks?

Those insinuations are absurd and disparaging.

"Falsehood, artfully presented, surprises and stuns but truth sways and prevails" Marquis de Vauvenargues

I don't have to convince you and this would bring us too far off topic anyways.

Noone is disagreeing with that? But I don't think either Samsung or HTC fails on any of the highest rated features (battery life, performance, screen, camera, sound....), so what's your point?

Please don't fight statements that no one has made. No one is disagreering that Samsung has the bigger marketing budget by far, so it doesn't take a medium to know that they will not be knocked off their throne that easily. But I don't think that's how you measure success for HTC, success for HTC would be to be in the top 3 for 2013 and get closer to Samsung. That seems like a realistic goal and would indicate that they are doing the right thing.

For someone who likes to debunk pseudo science, you fail at deduction. Just because person A is successful does not make person B unsuccessful. Regarding young and old, look at the ads I posted and tell us what you see? All kinds of ages, mixed together. Rural and urban setting. Individuals and families. Based on their advertising, do you disagree that Samsung is a mainstream brand that seeks to appeal to the masses and does not restrict itself the way HTC does?

And if they aren't a mainstream brand that tries to please the greatest number, how do you explain that they appeal to the masses whereas HTC seems to resonate more with only a particular fringe of the market that seeks that premium feel and experience ("best technology wrapped in mouth watering design")?

That's your opinion and does not add anything to this thread. I am not betting my success on anything. And HTC is not stopping at one device. They have already disclosed plans for a 4.3" smartphone that has an almost identical design to the HTC One M7 (cf. leaked pictures) and will likely also export that "recipe" to a 5.5" device when the S800 Snapdragon comes out.

I just think HTC has done something right by giving to the market the 4th most wanted feature in a smartphone right now, plus the other three (and some of the other further down the list) and that Samsung has perhaps underestimated the importance of premium feel and style, thinking it was the preserve of Apple. It turns out the market wants it on Android devices also. Is it going to knock Samsung off their throne? Probably not. Will it have an impact on their sales (and Apple's/Sony's), personally I think so, but that's my opinion and I don't ask you to agree. Plus that's not the topic at hand.

So in conclusion, I would ask the original poster to look at both products and decide whether he falls into the Samsung target segment (users that want a feature packed, jack-of-all-trades life companion that brings them closer to their loves ones) or whether a brand with a premium market positioning ("best technology wrapped in mouth watering design for the social networking crowds") is more in line with his aspirations. That's the best advice I can give, considering those smartphones tick most of the "most wanted" boxes this year. Just find the brand that you can best identify with.