Sunday, 16 September 2012

Apple iPhone 5 Vs HTC One X – Technical Specifications Comparison

Announced four days ago, and all set to be launched on September 21st, five days from now, the iPhone 5 will be competing directly against Windows Phone 8 based smartphones like the Nokia Lumia 920 and Android based smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One X. We’ve already compared the former two against the iPhone 5, and now it’s time to compare it against the One X.

The iPhone 4S was considerably lagging behind latest Android offerings like S III and One X, at least technically; the iPhone 5 does a lot to almost completely fill those gaps. It comes with larger but still comfortable to use 4-inch display (326ppi) display, the A6* processor that is twice as fast as the king of last year’s dual core chips – the A5, and 1GB of RAM to name a couple of things.

But if it’s one thing I’ve learned about smartphones over the last couple of years, it’s that the outcome of comparisons like the one you’re reading cannot be based on specifications and specifications alone. It’s more about how smooth and intuitive the user-experience it offers and how much the “ecosystem” offers for users in terms of music, movies and TV shows than how many cores it has.

Apple knows this and that’s why you’ll see them use descriptions like “apps load faster, games look better than ever” instead of technical terms like “1GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM” in promotional content.

Looking at the specifications sheet, you can tell that both the iPhone 5 and HTC One X are verycapable phones. Which one you should buy ought to depend on your familiarity and comfort with using their operating systems (iOS and Android, respectively), ecosystems (iTunes and Google Play) and the apps library.
The iPhone 5 seem better to me solely because of the fact that I use iTunes to manage my music library and have bought hundreds of iOS apps over the past few months. Shifting to an Android phone would mean losing the tight integration between desktop and mobile, and having to shift to, and perhaps, buy a whole set of new apps.
What do you think? Which phone is better? Why?
*According to the latest reports, the A6 is a dual-core processor that is based on a custom design (instead of Cortex A9 or A15 as is usually the case). We’re still waiting for the benchmarks.

	iPhone 5	HTC One X
Display
Screen size	4in	4.7in
Resolution	1136 x 640 pixels	1280 x 720 pixels
Pixel density	326 PPI	312 PPI
Type	IPS LCD	IPS LCD
Processor and battery
Family	Apple A6	Nvidia Tegra 3
Cores	TBC	Quad-core
Clock speed	TBC	1.5GHz
Battery	TBC	1800 mAh
Claimed 3G talk time	8h	TBC
Storage and memory
RAM	TBC	1GB
Internal storage	16 / 32 / 64GB	32GB
microSD	No	No
Camera
Megapixels	8MP	8MP
Resolution	3264 x 2448 pixels	3264 x 2448 pixels
Flash	Dual LED	Dual LED
Aperture	f/2.4	f/2.0
Stabilisation	TBC	No
Video	1080p	1080p
Front-facing camera	1.2MP	1.2MP
Wireless
Network	4G LTE	3G
Wi-Fi	802.11 a/b/g/n	802.11 a/b/g/n
NFC	No	Yes
Bluetooth	4.0	4.0 with A2DP
Charging	No	No
Dimensions
Size	123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm	134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9mm
Weight	112g	130g
Operating System	iOS 6	Android 4.0 ICS
Price	£599 (32GB)	£479.95
UK Availability	21 September (pre-order now)	Available now

Size and weight

By virtue of its more expansive display, the HTC One X is the larger handset, measuring 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9mm where the iPhone 5 sizes up at at a marginally smaller 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm. As a result of its larger form factor, it's a slightly heavier piece, weighing in at 130 grams where the iPhone 5 is a mere 112 grams. There's not a lot in it, though, and most buyers' decisions are likely to be dictated by their screen-size preference.

Display

With a 4.7in display, the HTC One X is an attractive option for consumers who crave the largest display possible, though personally I feel the iPhone 5's 4in display is quite well considered and more than ample. Apple's new handset offers an improved media experience - particularly with regards to gaming and video playback - whilst still maintaining the device's physical manageability. Still, with the One X, HTC impresses by not compromising image quality despite the size of the screen: with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels at 312 PPI, it certainly competes with Apple's smaller, 4in screen, which features a still attractive resolution of 1136 x 640 pixels at a sharper 326 PPI.

Storage and memory

With the iPhone 5 likely to match the One X's 1GB RAM capacity when the spec is confirmed, this particular battle becomes largely about internal storage, and the iPhone 5 looks the safer option for those concerned with being able to pack more on to their smartphone. Since neither handset features a microSD slot, the fact that the HTC One X is limited to just a 32GB model could send a fair few consumers Apple's way. The new iPhone comes in an expanded 64GB iteration in addition to the more standard 16GB and 32GB models, but it's going to cost you a pretty pence or two - the large-capacity iPhone retails for £799. Still, if you want such a ridiculous amount of storage, you're probably willing to cough up the extra dosh. Ultimately, this aspect of the device deathmatch goes a long way to highlighting why some consumers see microSD slots as so important.

Processor

Apple made a lot of nice sounding claims about it's new A6 chip, saying the SoC offers CPU and GPU performance that's twice as fast as the older A5, which would certainly appear to make the iPhone an above-average machine from a hardware standpoint. What it didn't do was to reveal whether or not the A6 is a dual-core or quad-core unit, with the subsequent consensus being that the lack of hoo-hah on Wednesday points to the former. It's a clearer picture with regards to the One X, which packs a Tegra 3 quad-core that clocks in at a commendable 1.5GHz. Performance will ultimately vary by application, so we'll have to wait to get our hands on the new Apple device before we can say if either device is noticeably more powerful.

Software

It's a classic iOS versus Android battle in regards to software, with the iPhone 5 set to benefit from Apple's latest mobile operating system, iOS 6, while the HTC One X runs on version 4.0 of Google's OS, dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS). There's little doubt that iOS 6 is going to be a hugely appealing interface, demonstrating all the smoothness and ease-of-use that Apple's platforms are noted for as well as a characteristically strong selection of apps. ICS is no slouch either, though many Android fans now view the latest iteration of the OS, version 4.1 Jelly Bean, as the more desirable product these days, and there's no word on when the One X might get an upgrade. Both platforms have devoted followings, though on balance, more casual consumers may prefer iOS.

Camera

On paper, it's pretty much a dead heat camerawise. With the iPhone 5, Apple has optimised the highly serviceable 8-megapixel primary camera found on the 4S with some new features, including sapphire crystal construction to add extra durability to the lens, and a brand new panorama mode which offers a wider spectrum of photography options than before. The front-facing snapper - used for FaceTime calls - has been upped to 1.2MP, making for HD video calling. The One X offers the same key photography specs - both devices also boast a resolution of 3264 x 2448 pixels and feature video at 1080p - but features a larger f/2.0 aperture compared to Apple's f/2.4. The One X narrowly shades its, therefore, on the basis of its faster aperture speed.

Connectivity

A clear win for the iPhone 5, many people probably won't even consider purchasing the HTC One X given it's stuck on 3G as the UK's 4G LTE spectrum is set to begin rolling out. Rivals, including Apple's new handset, are already confirmed to be supporting the new high-speed network. The One X does come NFC-ready where the new iPhone lacks the increasingly desirable connectivity extra, but it's hardly enough at this stage to tempt you away from vastly superior network speeds. With the phones quite evenly matched in other categories, this is most obvious tipping point in the iPhone 5's favour.

Price

But then there's the small matter of pricing. As an Apple product, the iPhone 5 is priced far more enthusiastically than its high-end rival, with an equivalent 32GB model running at £599 where the HTC One X is £479.95 new from Argos, with some stunning deals for those willing to look: popular online retailer Expansys offers the HTC phone for £439.99, while one Amazon re-seller is flogging the One X for a mere £380. In other words, the One X is around £200 cheaper than the equivalent Apple handset, a ridiculous premium if iOS 6 and the iPhone's more svelte body were the only obvious improvements. However, throw the iPhone 5's 4G connectivity into the equation and the picture starts to look a bit more balanced. Even if the iPhone 5 doesn't turn out to be the year's must-have smartphone, 4G LTE is almost certain to be considered indispensable by many in the not-too-distant future. If this is the predicament you're considering, the iPhone 5 looks to be the better mobile overall - so get saving.