I don't have the specs on the new seat as far as pitch and angle of recline. AFAIK those haven't been published.
Publication of said specs would provide clarity, wouldn't it? My cynicism about this comes from the fact that if the specs were flattering, they almost certainly would have been published by HA. Of course, one does wonder how the AP and Star-Advertiser reached their conclusion. Better journalism would have provided some frame of reference.
Ultimately, this won't matter for most of us because there is really very little choice in interisland carriers in any practical sense. We take what HA gives us.