The Samsung Galaxy S3 is one of the highest pre-ordered handsets ever. However the HTC One X is still selling well despite the S3 now being on the market, so just what is its secret? Putting hype and marketing aside, and looking at the specs on paper, we can see why.
HTC One X vs Samsung Galaxy S3: Where is HTC better?
The HTC One X comes with a quad core processor, as does the Samsung Galaxy S3, and it was the first Android phone from HTC to do so. Both of the phones come pre-loaded with Android 4.0 ICS and the processors are very close. The One X comes with 1GB of RAM and the 1.5 GHz quad core, which puts it slightly in front of the S3 with its 1 GB of RAM and 1.4GHz quad core processor on paper. While it may appear that the HTC handset is the more powerful, what many don’t know is that in benchmark tests the Galaxy S3 actually came out on top due to the newer architecture of the chipset. In this case it seems that bigger is not always the better but for buyers looking at that white sheet next to the phone in stores, it appears so. Furthermore in the US, both the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3 boast dual-core Snapdragon S4 processors.
Display wise the Samsung Galaxy S3 has a Super AMOLED screen of 4.8 inches at 1280 x 720 and 306 ppi, while the screen of the One X is a 4.7 inch Super IPS capacitive touchscreen. Both phones displays are covered with Gorilla Glass. When the displays were tested outside in direct sunlight the display of the HTC One X did seem to be the clearer of the two. The display on the S3 has seen some disparaging remarks due to it being Pentile.
Both of the phones cameras are matched with them both being 8 megapixels. The One X comes with autofocus, LED flash and 1080p video, along with having a 1.3 megapixel camera capable of video shooting at 720p. The Galaxy S3 camera comes with 3264 x 2448 pixels, geo-tagging, image stabilization, zero shutter lag and smile detection, along with autofocus. There is a 1.9 megapixel camera for video calls. HTC did market the camera on the handset heavily thanks to it having a custom image processing chip that rivals that of the iPhone 4S. Samsung have not pushed their camera as hard as its S-features and so people assume that it remains the same as the one on its predecessor (S2 had an 8MP camera too).
The HTC One X matches the S3 in almost every way on paper and it is also the easier of the two handsets to get hold of at the moment, anywhere in the world, the US included. At the moment Samsung are being plagued with shortages, along with what some consider being exorbitant prices worldwide (unlocked models and even the T-Mobile version). The design of the One X also looks of a higher quality, as some say the glossy S3 has a cheaper plastic look to it. The One X also feels more high end when holding it in the hand.
The HTC One X can be purchased on AT&T and Sprint in the US, as the HTC EVO 4G LTE, with prices being in the range of $133 to $199, dependent upon which third party retailer you purchase the handset from. The S3 is available on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon, but is in short supply and T-Mobile have set a ridiculous price tag of $329, on contract, with a $50 mail in rebate which takes the price down to $279.
So while the Samsung Galaxy S3 has more hype behind it, if you walk into any store and compare both Android phones you will quickly see why the HTC One X still continues to seel so well.
