HTC has released its latest flagship smartphone, the HTC One (M8) in the US, so customers Stateside can now see what has got Brits excited for the last couple of weeks.

The new device brings with it some exciting specs and features, sticking with a similar design to its predecessor. But how does it compare to some of the other great handsets already available on the market?

We put it up against the Google Nexus 5, the pure Android handset, to see what each device does well and which comes out on top.

The Nexus 5 has a sharper but smaller display

The HTC One (M8) comes with a 5-inch display offering a resolution of 1920 x 1080 that provides a pixel density of 441ppi.

The Nexus 5 on the other hand has a slightly smaller display coming in at 4.95-inches, but with the same 1920 x 1080 resolution, which results in a fractionally higher pixel density at 445ppi.

This means the Nexus 5 has a sharper display in terms of numbers, but with such a little difference in the amount of pixels per inch, it won't be noticeable to the human eye and we were impressed with both displays when we viewed them.

The HTC One (M8) has a more solid build

The HTC One (M8) features a similar style to the signature look of the previous HTC One (M7) with front-facing speakers and an aluminium build and it offers a solid device that looks and feels great.

The Nexus 5 is also a good looking device but rather than a metal design, it offers a plastic finish with a matt back.

The HTC One (M8) measures 146.36 x 70.6 x 9.35mm and weighs 160g compared to the Nexus 5 that measures 137.84 x 69.17 x 8.59mm and hits the scales at 134g. This means the Nexus 5 is not only quite a lot lighter, but also shorter, narrower and slightly slimmer.

Design is always down to personal taste and both offer their own styles, but both are good aesthetically. In this case, we prefer the HTC One (M8) for its premium look but we were fans of the Nexus 5 too and depending on what you are after, you might like the Nexus better.

READ: Google Nexus 5 review

The HTC One (M8) will take better selfies

The HTC One (M8) comes with a Duo camera with one UltraPixel snapper that takes the images and a secondary camera  above it, said to be added to capture depth of field. 

The Nexus 5 on the other hand comes with an 8-megapixel rear snapper, but it is hard to compare the cameras on these devices by looking at the numbers. We were pleased with both when we tried them out.

READ: HTC One (M8) review

In terms of the front-facing camera, the HTC One (M8) comes out on top with a 5-megapixel offering compared to the 1.3-megapixel camera on the Nexus 5. Therefore if you are a selfie snapper, you might want to opt for the HTC One (M8) here.

The HTC One (M8) will be faster and last a little longer

The Nexus 5 packs in a lot of power with a 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, which will glide swiftly through tasks and perform them with ease, but the HTC One (M8) will be a little faster.

The HTC One (M8) takes it up a notch to the latest 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, but both devices keep it the same with 2GB of RAM.

In terms of battery, the Nexus 5 offers a 2,300mAh capacity, while the HTC One (M8) has a 2,600mAh battery meaning the HTC should last a little longer. We were impressed with both when we checked them out so we don't think you'll be disappointed with either and you should get through the best part of your day without a problem.

The Nexus 5 has wireless charging

Both the HTC One (M8) and the Nexus 5 have the same options when it comes to connectivity in that they both offer the usuals including Bluetooth, NFC, GPS and Wi-Fi.

Where the Nexus 5 takes the lead here is that it offers wireless charging, which is something the HTC One (M8) does not and it's a feature that comes in handy so it might also be one that makes you opt for Google's offering.

The HTC One (M8) has microSD support

The Nexus 5 is available in 16GB and 32GB storage options, as well as white, black and red colour variants.

The HTC One (M8) on the other hand, only has 16GB of internal storage but there is a microSD slot for further storage expansion up to 128GB, plus 65GB of free Google Drive storage.

Therefore, if you take a lot of pictures, download a lot of videos or have a lot of music on your device, the HTC One (M8) will serve you better in this instance. 

When it comes to colours, you will get Gunmetal Grey, Arctic Silver and Amber Gold on the HTC One (M8), which is perhaps a more premium offering, but maybe not as fun if you like bold colours.

Both devices run on Android 4.4 KitKat

The Nexus 5 and the HTC One (M8) both come with Android 4.4 KitKat, but you will see a difference between them as the Nexus 5 is stock Android, while the HTC One (M8) has the company's Sense 6.0 skin on top.

This will mean you will get certain features such as BlinkFeed with the HTC One (M8), but you will get other pure Android features such as the Phone Dialler with the Nexus 5.

The Nexus 5 is cheaper, by a lot 

The Nexus 5 is available for £299, which is a lot cheaper than the HTC One (M8) which will come at a premium - price is yet to be confirmed. When you take this into consideration, what you get from the Nexus for the price is quite astounding.

The HTC One (M8) falls into the flagship category along with the Samsung S5 and Sony Xperia Z2, but if you are on a budget and want a fast and great device with plenty to offer, the Nexus 5 is probably more up your street.

Conclusion

It's almost unfair to compare these two devices given that the HTC One (M8) is a full five months newer than the Google Nexus 5 and a lot can change in that length of time.

Comparing spec to spec, the HTC One (M8) comes out on top in terms of processor, display size, build design, battery and front camera.

The Nexus 5 is cheaper though, by a significant amount, and it tops the HTC One (M8) in terms of display sharpness, wireless charging, build size and weight, plus it has a brighter colour offering.

If you are looking for a premium-looking device, the HTC One (M8) is a fantastic choice, but if you want something cheaper that doesn't compromise on power, then the Nexus 5 won't disappoint.