[Prestidigitweeze]

If the new HTC One had an SD slot, removable battery and supported OTG cables for digital audio on most portable DACs, I'd choose it over the S4 in a second.

My sense about the Galaxy S line's popularity is that it has to do with flexibility and reliability. People like me are willing to buy devices like the Note 2 despite the lack of style, not because we think the style is superior.

The main thing that recommends Android in the first place is flexibility. The hardware which provides the most powerful and least locked-down Android experience is the one I'll always choose, and I doubt I'm alone in that.

Truthfully, I hate to see Samsung triumphing over smaller companies. If only HTC would stop interpreting its customer surveys in terms of imposed limitations and add options instead -- particularly to their painstakingly confected hardware.

Try playing with the new One for an hour and then choosing the S4 with no qualms whatsoever. It's a harder choice than you might think.