Sony has announced its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z3, during its press conference at consumer electronics show IFA 2014.

The new device will bring a host of new features including the ability to play PlayStation 4 console games, but does it offer enough to compete in an already saturated market? We have compared it to the praised HTC One (M8) to see how it stacks up.

The Xperia Z3 is thinner and lighter

The Sony Xperia Z3 features an aluminium frame with a tempered glass rear. The back is a flat slab, while the edges of the device are smooth and round and Sony has introduced nylon to the corners to help protect it if you drop it.

The HTC One (M8) offers a complete solid aluminium casing and the design features both a curved back and curved edges. You'll find front-facing speakers on both handsets, but the HTC One (M8)'s are more of a design feature while the Xperia Z3's blend in.

When it comes to size and weight, the Xperia Z3 is slightly larger but a couple of millimeters thinner than the HTC One (M8) as well as a few grams lighter and the Xperia Z3 is IP65 and IP68 rated so it will be fine to go swimming with, whereas the HTC One (M8) will not appreciate a dip at all.

The Sony Xperia Z3 measures 146 x 72 x 7.3mm and hits the scales at 152g, while the HTC One (M8) measures 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4mm and weighs 160g.

The Xperia Z3 has a bigger display, but the HTC One (M8)'s is sharper

Both Sony and HTC have opted to stick with a Full HD resolution display rather than go down the 2K route, however the HTC One (M8) should be slightly sharper than Sony's offering as it packs in a few more pixels into its slightly smaller display.

The Xperia Z3 has a 5.2-inch display compared to the 5-inch display on the HTC One (M8) but as they both have a 1920 x 1080 resolution, the pixel density on the HTC One (M8) comes in at 441ppi compared to Sony's 423ppi.

Both displays are LCD and while Sony brings in its X-Reality, Triluminos and Live Colour LED technologies, HTC brings Super LCD3 technology so they both believe they offer the means to give you the best display possible.

The Xperia Z3 will be slightly faster

The Sony Xperia Z3 comes with a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM, while the HTC One (M8) has a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and 2GB of RAM under its hood.

This means the Sony device should be slightly more capable at performing more difficult tasks, especially with the extra RAM but difference between the two should be minor.

Both the HTC One (M8) and the Sony Xperia Z3 sport Adreno 330 graphics so you'll see no difference here.

Better rear camera on the Xperia Z3, but HTC One (M8) will take better selfies

When it comes to the camera, these two devices are hard to compare spec for spec as HTC opts for its UltraPixel technology, making it more difficult to put the numbers side-by-side.

The Sony Xperia Z3 has a 20.7-megapixel rear camera and a 2.2-megapixel front camera, while the HTC One (M8) has a 4-megapixel UltraPixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front facing snapper.

HTC offers a dual LED flash, while Sony ramps up the ISO sensitivity with a maximum of 12800 and you will be able to record video in 4K so there are plus points to both devices.

They also both offer their own camera features with HTC opting for its Zoe Camera app while Sony has features such as Face-in that lets you capture your own reaction while taking a photo.

The Xperia Z3 has an exclusive feature for gamers

The Sony Xperia Z3 will run on Android 4.4.4 KitKat with Sony's skin on top, while the HTC One (M8) runs on Android 4.4.3 KitKat and comes with HTC's Sense experience.

You'll get elements of Android with both but it will depend on whether you prefer HTC's overlay with features such as BlinkFeed, or whether you are all about Sony and its content services such as Walkman or Entertainment.

If you are a gamer, the Sony Xperia Z3 might have a little more appeal to you though as it will eventually come with the ability to play PlayStation 4 console games on it over a Wi-Fi network. There is no chance of that on the HTC One (M8) so if that's a feature you want, you don't have an alternative here.

Both devices offer the usual connectivity options including NFC, Wi-Fi and GPS, and both also come with a range of sensors including an accelerometer, gyro and proximity.

When it comes to sound, HTC has BoomSound to give you a bit more oomph when you're listening to your music but Sony has opted to make the Xperia Z3 hi-res enabled and included DSEE HX technology to make low-res audio files near hi-res.

The Xperia Z3 will last longer

The HTC One (M8) comes with a 2600mAh battery while the Sony Xperia Z3 has a 3100mAh battery capacity so in theory, you should get a bit more life out of the Xperia Z3.

Both devices come with battery saving software, but Sony claims the Xperia Z3 will last two days, which is quite a big statement.

The HTC One (M8) and the Sony Xperia Z3 have 16GB of internal storage, both of which are expandable up to 128GB through microSD.

Conclusion

The Sony Xperia Z3 is slimmer and lighter in terms of build and it comes with a bigger display, while the HTC One (M8) has a slightly smaller footprint and offers a sharper display.

The Sony Xperia Z3 also wins when it comes to RAM, processor, rear camera and battery but if you want a smartphone that's good at selfies then the HTC One (M8) is a winner here.

Ultimately, it will probably boil down to design with these two devices and which you prefer. The HTC One (M8) is a fantastic device but the Sony Xperia Z3 looks set to be the best Xperia yet and it wins a lot of the points here so it's certainly worth considering.