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When Android flagships collide

SINGAPORE — If you are looking to upgrade your smartphone, there is no better time to do it than right now. All the top Android smartphone manufacturers have unveiled their latest flagship devices and they have finally reached our shores.

SINGAPORE — If you are looking to upgrade your smartphone, there is no better time to do it than right now. All the top Android smartphone manufacturers have unveiled their latest flagship devices and they have finally reached our shores.

We’ve spent some time with the latest offerings from HTC, Sony and LG and were very impressed with all three phones.

Design

The HTC One (M8) is the best looking of the lot with its aluminium body, rounded corners and brushed metal finish on the back.

The LG G Pro 2 has the largest screen at 5.9 inches, but it only weighs a mere 172g because of its plastic body.

The Sony Xperia Z2 also has a metal body, is dust-resistant and waterproof, just like its predecessor. Its glossy back, which would normally make it more susceptible to scratches, remained free from scratches despite having been dropped a few times. It was, however, a fingerprint magnet.

Hardware and performance

All three phones boast great screens, lighting-fast processing speeds and huge batteries that last a long time.

The trio are also shipped with Google’s latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system and quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.

All three devices are significantly faster than their predecessors, but the M8’s processor is the fastest at 2.5GHz and the difference when compared with the Z2 and G Pro 2 is obvious.

Both the G Pro 2 and Z2 are fitted with a 3,200mAh battery that lasted for about a day and a half of heavy use. The M8 has a smaller battery — only 2,600mAh — but it is significantly better than its predecessor and lasts longer than its Sony and LG counterparts.

Watching videos and browsing through pictures on these three devices are also a real joy on their Full HD screens, but the viewing experience on the LG G Pro 2 edges out the competition because of its larger screen.

Camera

The Z2’s 20.7-megapixel camera is the largest among the three and it is no surprise that it takes the best pictures and videos in daylight.

HTC decided to stick with the Ultrapixel camera seen in the original One, but the M8 has three cameras instead of two.

The two sensors on the back allow the M8’s camera to sense depth and lets you selectively refocus a photo after it had been taken.

The G Pro 2 camera’s Magic Focus mode also has a similar function to ensure that users never have to take the same picture twice to get the best results.

The G Pro 2 and M8’s front-facing cameras are also great for taking selfies. The M8 has a 5-megapixel camera in the front that works great in well-lit places, but the G Pro 2’s Flash for Selfie feature is perfect for taking self-portraits in extreme low-light places, such as nightclubs.

The G Pro 2 and Z2 also support 4K video recording, but that feature is not available on the M8.

Which one is best?

The HTC One (M8) is my favourite among the three as it looks the best, has a great camera and is the fastest, while the LG G Pro 2’s larger screen and lightweight design make it very appealing.

Sony’s Xperia Z2 looks elegant, stylish and its user interface provides the closest thing to a vanilla Android experience. Its toughness also makes it perfect for those with butter fingers.

There is very little to separate these three smartphones — and more than enough reason to make iPhone users consider making the switch to Android.

The HTC One (M8) will be available in Singapore from April 5 at the retail price of S$998. The LG G2 Pro is now available at the recommended retail price of S$828. The Sony Xperia Z2 will be available from the first week of April at S$998 (without contract). The pricing and availability of the HTC One (M8) has yet to be announced.

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