We size up the HTC flagship, the One X, against Samsung’s eagerly awaited successor to the wildly popular Galaxy SII, the surprisingly named Galaxy SIII. Unlike shoplifting or playing “chicken-in-the-road” these two phones are big and they are clever. Let’s see how they square up on paper…
Processor
The international version of the HTC One X comes with an nVidia Tegra 3 quad core +1 processor clocked at 1.4GHz. The Samsung comes packing the brand new Exynos quad core processor, also clocked at 1.4GHz, but if early benchmarks are to be believed, it might just be a bit quicker than the Tegra 3.
Screen
The displays of both devices are both top notch 720p monsters with superb viewing angles, with the screen of the Samsung being slightly bigger despite the device being the same size as the HTC. Clearly witchcraft. The Samsung is also one of the first devices to use Corning’s new Gorilla Glass 2 and alos uses a PenTile matrix, which Samsung says should make it last longer.
Camera
Samsung has come slightly late to the party on the simultaneous video/still shooting, brought to the masses with the HTC handset. Still, both cameras take stunning 8MP shots as you’d expect from handsets of this calibre, although initial reports show that the 1080p videos shot on the Galaxy are recorded at a higher bitrate (17Mbps compared to 10Mbps on the One X). This means that videos will be of a better quality, but noticeably bigger in file size. The camera shutter on the SGS3 can also be activated by shouting “cheese”! Oh, technology…
Android
Both handsets come, as you would expect, the latest and greatest version of Android 4.0. They both place their own proprietary interfaces (HTC Sense and Samsung TouchWiz) on top of the stock operating system which add extra features and UI styles not found in vanilla Android.
Storage
The HTC comes with a whopping 32GB of internal storage compared to the 16GB in the base model of the SGS3 (it’s worth noting that 32 and 64GB versions of the SGS3 are available, but it’s unclear when they will reach the UK SIM-free), although it does allow users to insert their own microSD card which can add up to an extra 64GB of storage.
Other Features
There’s very little to choose in terms of the additional features, with both packing the new low power Bluetooth 4.0 technology, NFC, a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Assisted GPS and DLNA technology for sharing protected content to other devices.
Overall there’s a lot to love about both of these phones, although there’s no ignoring the almost £40 price difference between them. The Samsung comes out on top in most categories, although this is to be expected considering its launch is two months after that of the One X.
Is this performance difference worth the higher price? We’ll let you know once we’ve had a long enough hands on with the S3 to draw a solid conclusion.
About Clove
“The Samsung is also one of the first devices to use Corning’s new Gorilla Glass 2.” HTC One X had a Gorilla Glass before Samsung. Why Samsung is first in this case?
Hi Roman,
The HTC spec doesn’t list it as Gorilla Glass 2, although it does seem that some models of the One X could have Gorilla Glass 2.
Hi Chris, I’ve heard of this before. But all official sources I find simply state the HOX has Gorilla Glass, never that it has GG2.
Could you help me find a reliable source?
Thanks in advance
Bert
Hi Bert,
I’ve had a look into this previously and it is often hard to find the exact specification listed. Perhaps have a look over at XDA developers to see if any more info is available.
This whole article is sided with GS3!
First off, HTC’s (5 cores) processor’s clocked 1.5 GH and not 1.4 as you said (when 1 of the cores is load balancing the other four for minimum battery usage).
Second, The screen is HTC’s biggest advantage on Samsung. by far. and I can’t believe your pointing the winner in this category is Samsung’s Pentile. Why? because it’s .1 inch larger? is that what makes a better screen? COMPARE HTC’s screen to the Galaxy Nexus screen (same tech as SGS3) and return with conclusions.
Third is the camera. I have no idea where you’ve taken the higher bitrate thing (some reference?), but HTC’s camera is the fastest one on the market and includes it’s own chip (processor?). This means this is a kick ass camera while the S3′s camera is the same one from the S2, though can be remotely activated by saying cheese. Jesus.
Next is the Android version. You know it’s true that they both come with integrated ICS. But you know there really is no real comparison between the new TouchWiz and HTC’s Sense 4.0. And I don’t know if that’s HTC’s pros or Samsung’s cons. Either way, I know a lot more people changing Samsung’s default ROM and Laucher than I know people that would like to give up Sense 4.0.
And last (but not least!) is the overall design. I can’t believe you haven’t said a word about HTC One X’s stunning looks and Samsung’s plastic legacy.
I don’t say HTC should win this fight. No one can say that. I just say if you’ve already gone and published this article – at least have the decency to make it accurate.