The latest premium smartphone from Taiwanese device manufacturer HTC, the 2015 HTC One M9, is on its way to a release date very soon. HTC's chief rival in Android-land, Samsung, will release its newest flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S6, around the same time.

So how will the HTC One M9 fare against its chief Spring 2015 premium Android smartphone rival? Here's how they stack up on paper for their respective features, expected release date, price and availability, and all-important hardware specs.

HTC One M9 vs Samsung Galaxy S6: Overview

Unlike the last two years, this Spring 2015, it's a toss up between the latest HTC One M9 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 when it comes to design.

Previously, the HTC One series was one of the only Android smartphones to match Apple in premium build materials, while Samsung's Galaxy S4 and S5 continued to primarily use plastic. But the Samsung Galaxy S6 has been completely redesigned with metal and glass construction, making Samsung a competitor with HTC for the first time since the "One" debuted. And so, on to the hardware specs.

Galaxy S6 vs One M9 on Specs:

Display

The Samsung Galaxy S6 clearly outmatches the HTC One M9 on display quality, size, and resolution. While the HTC One M9 didn't improve upon the 1080 x 1920p resolution of its predecessor, Samsung did: the Galaxy S6 packs a 1440 x 2560p 2K HD display on its 5.1-inch screen, yielding an amazing 577 pixels per inch.

The HTC One M9, however, gets 441 ppi on its 5.0-inch display, which in real terms, makes the difference between the two barely perceptible for most consumers.

Still, it's a difference, and it makes the GS6 more primed for use in a virtual reality headset, for one real-world (future) example.

Point: Samsung.

Speed, Power, and Storage

It's hard to know at this stage for sure which device is truly faster and more powerful until thorough benchmarks can be completed on both.

But here's a decent indicator that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will outclass the HTC One M9 on CPU and graphics: Samsung rejected the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 system on a chip (SoC) that's in the HTC One M9 and instead decided all GS6 models would run the new Samsung Exynos 7420 -- because the Snapdragon 810 couldn't keep up.

In any case, when it comes to future-proofing, the 64-bit Exynos wins over the Snapdragon 810, as it likely will for graphics and CPU benchmarks as well.

The same grain of salt should go with the pre-release, pre-benchmark battery stats, but here it appears HTC will probably come out on top. The One M9 packs an ample 2840 mAh battery, the life of which should only be extended by the lesser-powered display, compared to the Samsung Galaxy S6's 2550 mAh battery.

And for storage? It's a tough call. The HTC One M9 only comes with 32GB of internal storage, while the Galaxy S6 starts with that option, going up to 64GB or 128GB depending on how much you want to pay extra. [UPDATE] According to Phone Arena, the 64GB variant has been confirmed. But the HTC One M9 is one of the only premium smartphones left on the market that still offers microSD expansion (up to 128GB for this edition).

That would be a definitive advantage, except that Google's new Android 5.0 Lollipop OS (and this is a persistent trend) takes away external storage capabilities compared to earlier versions of Android, leaving the One M9's expandable memory useful only for long-term media storage at best.

Point: Samsung (likely).

Camera

HTC has spent a lot of time hyping the new 20.7-megapixel main shooter on the back of the HTC One M9, and it appears to be for good reason. It offers incredible detail (5376 x 3752p resolution photos), dual-LED flash (like Apple), auto-focus, and the ability to take pictures while recording video (again, like Apple).

Meanwhile, the low-light "UltraPixel" camera has been moved to the front, which makes sense for indoor selfies without the aid of flash.

Samsung is still going with the 16-megapixel main camera, but it now comes with optical image stabilization. Still, Samsung doesn't have much of a track record for responsive sensors or intuitive camera software, so HTC probably edges the Korean device maker in this category.

Point: HTC.

Operating System and Software

Both devices will come with Android 5.0 Lollipop (or incrementally newer) preinstalled. This is a good thing, as Lollipop is simultaneously the most advanced and simplest to use OS by Google so far.

Samsung has rolled back its sometimes bloated TouchWiz interface, while Sense UI 7.0 by HTC looks pretty snazzy, but its full impact on device performance is still unknown.

Ultimately, if you're choosing between the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9, it's a matter of style, familiarity, and personal priorities. HTC will probably provide better camera software no matter what, for example, but the Samsung Galaxy S6 will come with some great Microsoft apps and perks.

Point: Toss up.

Release Date, Availability, and Price

Ultimately, consumer decisions come down to price.

According to the latest from BGR, HTC is rumored to set the 32GB base model at about $700 without contract, with a release date of March 16 at least internationally, and likely at U.S. carriers -- Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T all likely -- before March 23.

While prices on two-year contracts haven't been confirmed yet, it's safe to guesstimate that a $700 unlocked device will cost at least $200, carrier-subsidized.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is heavily rumored to cost more than usual, with a two-year contract for the base model running as much as $250 (also likely on Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, etc.) and unlocked for as much as min. $750.

That would put Samsung at a distinct disadvantage in the market, so don't count Samsung's chickens until they've officially hatched, which is on the April 10 release date.

Still, if price is the same or similar enough, it appears Samsung's Galaxy S6 is a better deal, as too many important features outclass the half-heartedly updated HTC One M9 for 2015.

Disagree? Tell us why in the comments!