The HTC One X was the first new-generation Android smartphone to come out this year. It introduced us to a new kind of Android experience – one powered by an ultra-fast quad-core processor. Moreover, it helped HTC become relevant again, after a brief period of slowdown in innovation that caused the company a few disappointing quarters. Until now, the One X was pretty much the go-to phone if a user wanted one of these new Android marvels, equipped with an extremely large screen and the latest silicon inside. With the recent introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S III, though, things are going to get much more interesting. While HTC has always been a leader in the Android sector, even its best phones have always been in the shadow of Samsung's Galaxy S series, at least in terms of popularity. Thanks to their relatively close launch timings, we now have a perfect opportunity to pit these two powerhouses against each other.
Take a deep breath, people, as what follows is the most epic Android clash for the first half of the year – the Samsung Galaxy S III is facing the HTC One X!
Design:
Samsung and HTC have always had two completely different approaches regarding the design of their handsets. While the South Koreans have never really paid attention to those expensive materials that can make your phone feel like a tank, the Taiwanese from HTC have clearly been big fans of crafting devices that look better, and last longer. The same tendencies are found with their newest hits. On one hand, we have the Galaxy S III, which is made entirely of plastic, and feels a bit more generic when held in the hand. On the other, the One X is also made of plastic, but a higher quality one, giving it somewhat more refined look and feel.
Design has always been a strength of HTC, and this is once again proven by the One X's impressive build quality. This, however, doesn't translate to how comfortable the phones are to hold. To tell you the truth, the Galaxy S III feels better in the hand, as its side edges are actually much smoother compared to those of the One X. Otherwise, both handsets are about the same size – no big difference between the two in that respect (meaning they are both very big).
Display:
The radical differences between the two phones continue with their displays. The Galaxy S III, being a Samsung handset, is employing an HD Super AMOLED screen. In contrast, the HTC One X is sticking to good-old LCD, but in the significantly refined form of S-LCD 2. After our latest screen comparison, we concluded that the One X has the best phone display at this time, sporting very high levels of brightness, as well as saturated colors, with natural temperature. So, how does the PenTile-based HD Super AMOLED of the Galaxy S III compare to all that? Well, due to its AMOLED nature, the GS III's display is superior when it comes to color saturation and contrast. This screen can easily look spectacular and eye-catching – that's what it's best at. However, it is significantly colder than the One X. And thanks to its colors being saturated enough in order to guarantee an enjoyable picture, we'd consider the screen of the One X to be superior in terms of image quality.
As you know, both handsets sport HD resolution screens, so they both look incredibly crisp and clear. You might be wondering if the PenTile pixel arrangement of the Galaxy S III doesn't make it look a bit more pixelized. Well, there is a difference, but it is so small, that it can be easily neglected. In 99% of the time using the GS III, the effects of the PenTile matrix will not be noticed.
