I have to admit, I use very few of the S 3 'special features'. Never use NFC to share, don't use any of the hand gestures or tilt scrolling.
It's just a solid performing Android phone that i've customized to my likes via 3rd parties like SwiftKey 4(best keyboard ever).
I also have to admit the HTC One has a more 'premium feel' and visually is more impressive as a physical device.
However, like the iphone, the price for that 'one piece' aluminum design is no ability to swap batteries which is important. Especially if you need to use it as a wifi hotspot.
In reality, you can say the reviewer was fair saying nobody will use these features for the sake of features, but...It's also fair to say (and I never see anybody say this), that in this day and age, how many 'naked' phones do you see in the wild. Anybody who carries an iphone or HTC One or even a Galaxy phone around without a case is somebody who hasn't had the joy of a cracked screen and a big repair bill.
Virtually everybody has their phone wrapped in something plastic and bulky. if they don't, even if it doesn't crack it will garner lots of scratches and other permanent blemishes. So the iphone and HTC could be made out of pure gold and it won't matter a rats ass. All that matters is how good the screen technology looks.
Also, like it or not, Galaxy's are getting like iphones where due to sales volumes, every 3rd party vendor has to ensure compatibility. Whether it be bluetooth in the car, bluetooth speakers, some type of charging station or dock or whatever.