Ok, here's another opinion :-)
With the current waves of Fiori apps being delivered with XML views, that's one big reason to write your own apps in XML views too - to become acquainted with that declarative method of defining views, so you are then more ready to understand and modify (extend) SAP-delivered apps in the future as a bonus.
Plus IMHO the declarative nature of the XML views have some advantages which I touch on here a bit too: Mobile Dev Course W3U3 Rewrite - XML Views - An Intro
Yes, there are HTML views that are also declarative, but more verbose than their XML equivalents.
Finally, I think it's OK to reveal that the upcoming version of the sap.m Explored app will have XML view code for all the samples :-)
Go for XML views and build apps like the Fiori development teams!
dj