HTC One X vs. One S: which phone is The One for you?

Jet Li starred in a 2001 movie called "The One." In it, his character traveled to parallel universes and grew stronger as he killed alternate versions of himself. This continued on until there was only one other copy left, with the movie culminating in an epic battle between the two. We won't spoil the ending, but we were reminded of this movie when thinking about the One X and the One S: both are incredibly powerful phones that we'd be proud to use as our daily drivers, but the vast majority of us are only able to choose one One. (The One V is also a possible option but for the purposes of this feature we're laser-focused on HTC's two higher-end models.)

How can we make a sound decision? The two phones are considered premium devices with top-notch components and relatively few flaws. The major difference, however, is going to be the price. Naturally, the cost will vary depending on where you live and which carrier you choose, but make no mistake: the S is going to be less expensive. Is it worth spending the extra money to go with the top-shelf model, or will the little guy be plenty? Now that the two devices are officially on sale in Europe, it's time to pick a side. We can't decide for you, but our goal is to present each phone's pros and cons, going round by round. Which one is right for you? Read on to find out.

Hardware

Particularly since they were released in tandem, it's obvious these two phones share more than a little DNA. The One X is not only high-end, it's swinging for the fences in its attempt to be the best smartphone money can buy. But the One S is by no means a weakling; in fact, HTC is positioning both handsets as premium devices, though it considers the X to be the more lavish of the two.

So let's get the basics out of the way, because these details alone may be enough to cement your decision. First, the X sports a 4.7-inch display, compared with a 4.3-inch one on the S. While such a gargantuan screen would have been met with skepticism a year ago, 4.7 inches is about par for the course in 2012 (if you need proof, look no further than the popular 5.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Note and 4.65-inch Galaxy Nexus). Then again, the success of competing devices means little when your hands are small.

Thanks to some wise design decisions, like that thin, concave form shape, the X actually feels perfectly at home in-hand, so much so that even a certain phone reviewer with medium-sized hands can hold it without any difficulty. That said, the S is noticeably more compact and easier to grip, so if 4.7 inches of real estate is just a little too much for you, you've already found your winner.

Another bit that could potentially make or break your decision is the matter of available storage space: the One X carries 32GB of internal memory (AT&T's version will only come with 16GB), while its sibling's storage is capped at 16GB. More importantly, neither device has expandable storage. Since the vast majority of Android phones let you add external memory via a microSD slot, this wasn't a commonplace issue with Android phones until just a few months ago. What we're seeing now, however, is a shift in phone design; manufacturers are much more concerned with keeping their devices thin and sleek, and the microSD card slot is on the chopping block. We believe the popularity of the cloud is also partly to blame for this change of heart. Indeed, knowing that its decision to kill the microSD would cheese off a few hardcore fans, HTC is trying to sweeten the pot with free 25GB of Dropbox storage. But if you're on a capped data plan, good luck trying this out without incurring some steep overage charges.

As for industrial design, HTC didn't skimp on build quality. The debate about which one is the most durable will likely rage on for a long time, but suffice to say they're worthy opponents: in one corner you have the One X's high impact-resisting polycarbonate, and in the other sits the One S's aircraft-grade aluminum shell, which has been treated through micro-arc oxidation, in which the metal is zapped with 10,000 volts of electricity to become five times stronger. And though we're not certain which material is ultimately more resilient, we'd be very surprised to learn there's much of a difference; both have a reassuring solidity about them. And in case it's the front of the phones you're worried about, fear not -- they're both coated in Gorilla Glass.

The X and S are both thin, coming in at 8.9mm and 7.8mm, respectively. They're also light: 4.59 ounces (130g) for the X and 4.22 ounces (120g) for the S. And though the X is technically thicker and heavier, it's a marginal difference that feels commensurate with its larger screen and sprawling dimensions.

If you're a fan of Near Field Communication, you'll have no choice but to go with the One X, as this feature is completely absent on the One S. Additionally, Sense 4 includes support for Android Beam and Google Wallet. Of course, though, whether you can actually use Wallet depends on several factors, such as whether or not your carrier actually allows its use on their network.

Another key difference is the type of processor used. The One X is the first phone with NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 chip, offering four cores running at 1.5GHz and an additional "PLUS-1" core that functions at reduced clock speeds in an effort to preserve battery life. The S, meanwhile, is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core 28nm Snapdragon S4 chip. It doesn't sound as good given that it has half the cores, but as you'll see in the performance section, it's not the number of cores that's important; it's how efficiently each one is used.

Now we'll turn to the radios. For the international versions, you can expect to find quadband GSM / EDGE (that's 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100), which means you'll have no problem getting at least some kind of signal as you travel the world. When the need for speed is pressing, you'll find one more UMTS / HSPA + band on the X. Specifically, you'll be able to enjoy 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100, while the S sports all but the 1900MHz radio. T-Mobile AWS (US only) isn't included on either device, so you're stuck with enjoying either blazing-fast 2G downloads or waiting a few weeks for T-Mo's One S to arrive with 900 / 1700 / 2100MHz bands. AT&T users, you should look over your coverage with a fine-tooth comb before you pull the trigger -- if most of your time is spent in a 1900MHz zone, it won't be wise to go with the One S.

Crave more nitty gritty details? We've compiled a handy spec sheet showing off what each phone's packing. As we see it, both devices can talk the talk and walk the walk, but the X just happens to have a tad more spring in its step than its smaller sibling.

	HTC One X	HTC One S
Dimensions	5.29 x 2.75 x 0.35 inches (134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9mm)	5.15 x 2.56 x 0.31 inches (130.9 x 65 x 7.8 mm)
Weight	4.59 oz (130g)	4.22 oz (120g)
Screen size	4.7 inches	4.3 inches
Screen resolution	1280 x 720 HD (312ppi)	960 x 540 qHD (256ppi)
Screen type	S-LCD 2	Super AMOLED
Battery	1,800mAh	1,650mAh
Internal storage	32GB	16GB
External storage	None	None
Rear camera	8MP, f/2.0	8 MP, f/2.0
Front-facing camera	1.3MP	VGA
Video capture	1080p HD	1080p
NFC	Yes	No
Radios	Quadband GSM / EDGE; HSPA+ 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100	Quadband GSM / EDGE; HSPA+ 850 / 900 / 2100
Network speeds	DC HSPA+ 42Mbps	DC HSPA+ 42Mbps
Bluetooth	4.0	4.0
RAM	1GB DDR2	1GB DDR2
MHL	Yes	Yes
WiFi	a/b/g/n (dual-band)	a/b/g/n (dual-band)

Winner: One X

Display

After viewing the gorgeous non-PenTile 720p HD display on the One X for a few days, we realized just how difficult it was to revert to the S's qHD Super AMOLED panel. Let's put it this way: it's nearly the same screen as on the Droid RAZR, which comes as a tremendous disappointment to us. While we admit that the colors on the AMOLED display are a bit more saturated, that's all it has going for it. The pixelation is still easily noticeable -- in fact, it was the very first thing that stood out when we turned the S on for the first time. In contrast, the X's S-LCD 2 is definitely one of the nicest screens you can get right now, and there's no doubt it trumps the One S.

That said, this might not play a critical role in your decision if you're stepping up from a phone with a lower-res display. If that's the case, the qHD resolution might well suit you fine, especially if it means spending less on the phone hardware. But we'll warn you not to spend much time playing around with the X. Once you go 720p, it's hard to go back.

Winner: One X

Performance

It's a debate techies have been having for months. Which is better: NVIDIA's Tegra 3 or Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4? The One series gives us the first real idea of how both processors work on high-end smartphones, and the good news is that both handsets are amazing. Absolutely incredible. With very few exceptions, you'll be completely giddy using either device as your daily driver, as both the One X and One S offer some of the most buttery smooth performance we've had the privilege to experience on a smartphone.

Okay, but which one is better? From what we could tell in real-life usage, the two are neck-and-neck; the quad-core Tegra 3 doesn't offer any substantially significant improvement over the dual-core Snapdragon S4. Sure, the more cores the merrier, but there's certainly more to the performance of the processor than a simple number. We meant serious business in searching for a definitive answer to this puzzling query -- well, as definitive as we can actually get with benchmark scores -- and performed 17 tests. The true comparison of the two chipsets will come when we get our hands on AT&T's version of the One X, because it features nearly the same specs as its global counterpart but uses an S4 instead of Tegra 3. For now, though, this is the closest we'll get.

Here's what we found:

	HTC One X	HTC One S
Quadrant	4,906	5,053
Linpack (multi-thread)	150.54	222.22
NenaMark2 (fps)	47.6	61.0
Neocore	58.2	60.1
Vellamo	1,617	2,452
SunSpider 9.1 (ms, lower is better)	1,772.5	1,742.5
Moonbat (ms, lower is better)	2,676	2,751
GLBenchmark 2.1 Egypt	51fps	60fps
GL Benchmark 2.1 Pro	54fps	61fps
GL Benchmark Egypt offscreen	63fps	57fps
GL Benchmark Pro offscreen	89fps	98fps
AndEBench (Native / Java)	9,223 / 279	5,866 / 189
AnTuTu	11,030	7,067
SmartBench 2012 (Productivity)	4,731	3,028
SmartBench 2012 (Gaming)	2,632	3,383
HTML5 test	364	343
CF-Bench (Overall)	13,233	9,547

Of the 17 tests shown here, 10 came out in favor of the S. But let's break down some of the benchmarks. Of the four that measure browser performance, the two phones split evenly. One of the tests the S won was Vellamo, a Qualcomm-made tool, so take that score with a grain of salt. Still, a swing of 840 is rather sizable, even if there's a possibility the S may have had a slight home-court advantage.

We were able to get a good glimpse of GPU performance by using GLBenchmark, a suite of 28 various tests that measure the phones' OpenGL ES 2.0 (and GLBenchmark 1.0, in the case of the Pro scores). Of the 28, the X nabbed one and tied with the S in another. With that said, the single test in which the S was bested was the Egypt offscreen benchmark, which renders both loads at the same resolution of 720p.

Quadrant, which seems to be the gold standard of benchmark tests, also gave the S a slight advantage. Take into consideration, though, the fact that this test is run at the device's native resolution, which typically lends to a better score for lower-res displays. How much of an effect this has on the overall score is hard to say.

There were a handful of tests that the X won by a country mile. AndEBench, AnTuTu and CF-Bench, for example, are all multi-threaded tests that played up Tegra 3's strengths. The X creamed the S in productivity in SmartBench 2012 but fell short in gaming, which could be explained by the difference in resolution. The S won decisively in Linpack and Nenamark 2, but some of its other victories were thanks to slim margins.

The S conquered more benchmarks, but the tests favoring the X were essentially no-contest affairs. Can we crown a champion yet? We want to, but it's not going to happen right now, not with so many outlying variables (e.g., screen size and resolution). Both are remarkably powerful and our experience using both was nothing short of mind-blowing. To put it another way, it's kind of like trying to compare Magic Johnson with Larry Bird: both were legendary players in their day, one not necessarily better than the other, considering their various strengths and weaknesses. (Lakers and Celtics fans, just go with this analogy, okay?). It's the same with Tegra 3 and Snapdragon S4; both are champions in the league, and until AT&T's version of the One X comes out to play ball, this game will just have to go into overtime.

Winner: Neither

Battery life

There's one design choice we didn't mention earlier, and it's enough of a doozy that it could potentially swing your decision: neither phone has a user-accessible battery. Sure, both handsets are thinner as a result, but we imagine there will be more than a handful of power users who would happily accept a little extra heft if it meant they could swap in a larger juicepack. And let's face it: with the amount of normal use we're getting out of our phones these days, who isn't turning into a power user?

When it comes to runtime, the advantage clearly goes to the One S. But before we get into specific results, there are few variables to consider: first, the X comes with a 1,800mAh pack compared to the S's 1,650, but it also needs to service a larger, higher-res LCD display -- a big potential drain on any phone's battery life.

	HTC One X	HTC One S
Video rundown time	6 hours	8.5 hours
Regular-use time	12.5 hours	13.5 hours

As you can see, the screen in this case does indeed has an impact on runtime. In our standard video rundown test, which consists of looping movies with the brightness fixed at 50 percent brightness, the S led the X by two and a half hours. Still, the S only lasted marginally longer with regular use, which included checking email, web browsing, Twitter, Facebook, downloading apps, some light photo / video recording and other miscellany. When we left both phones on standby, only occasionally checking email, taking a photo or placing a call, the One X actually outlasted the S.

This simply confirmed to us what we already knew: the continually backlit LCD display and larger screen size are going to be a significant drain on the battery, especially compared to the AMOLED display on the S. But another aspect that didn't get a lot of love in this department was graphics performance. In fact, after pushing the Tegra 3's GPU through the full gamut of GLBenchmark tests for 20 minutes, the X's battery slipped 17 percent. And how did the S do when faced with the same task? It only experienced a nine percent drop.

Naturally this is going to be a concern to hardcore gamers, but casual smartphone users won't feel the heat quite as much. Getting 12.5 hours in normal use, as our tests indicated, should get you through the better part of a full day, but you may need to plug in your new beauty just after dinnertime. The One S wins a slight advantage in overall battery life, but the chasm between the two sets of scores isn't as wide as you might think.

Winner: One S

Camera

HTC has been putting a lot of marketing muscle behind its ImageSense technology, and we put its performance through its paces in our review of the One X. Its quick start-up time, machine gun-like continuous shooting and ability to record stills and video simultaneously help make the experience a delightful one. But how different are the cameras on these two phones?

The One S is technically a lower-end device than the X, so it must have a cheaper camera, right? Well, not when it comes to the main, rear-facing camera or its video capture capabilities. Let's break it down: both phones use the same 8-megapixel sensor in back and offer all of the essential components to make ImageSense work as well as it does. Video capture is set at 1080p in both cases. The only difference is the front-facing camera. You'll notice the X delivers a 1.3-megapixel sensor with 720p HD video capture, but the designers in Taiwan weren't as charitable to the S, which makes do with a VGA cam and video capture fixed at 640 x 480 resolution.

But not all is roses and sunshine for the One S when looking at some of the images. Taking shots side-by-side, it's clear that the S produces images that are just a smidgeon overexposed when compared to the One X. Keep in mind that this doesn't mean the photos are worthless junk -- they still turn out great, but the bigger brother is just a tad better in this department. At least, for now. It's highly likely that this slight variation in the cameras' performance is software-related, since every other component is identical between the two devices. We're hoping this will be easily fixed in a future update, but it's important to note for the time being.

Winner: One X

Firmware

With so many factors to consider, there's at least one that won't have any bearing on your decision: the firmware. Both devices come loaded with Sense 4, the latest version of HTC's custom Android skin running atop Ice Cream Sandwich, and it's virtually identical on both devices, the only exceptions being hardware-related (no Android Beam on the S, for instance). As for the question of whether or not the new Sense is right for you, we'll steer you to our extensive review. Suffice to say, though, if you have your heart set on an HTC device, you won't have a choice when it comes to out-of-the-box firmware.

Winner: Neither

Carriers

If you live in the US, your experience with either phone might vary depending on which carrier you choose. For instance, as mentioned earlier, both phones will work on AT&T's HSPA+ / UMTS / EDGE networks, though the S will only get the latter in 850MHz coverage. T-Mobile users, on the other hand, are left with only EDGE speeds since neither One offers the requisite AWS radios.

That's for the unbranded global models. However, three of the four major carriers in the US will get a new HTC device to call its own, and each will be "optimized" to work on its respective network: AT&T will stock the LTE version of the One X, which adds in 700 / AWS LTE bands, reduces the storage to 16GB and uses a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 chipset. T-Mobile opted for the One S with AWS included, to ensure its customers can enjoy 42Mbps HSPA+. Sprint will feature the EVO 4G LTE, a device that's similar to the AT&T One X internally but brings a few radical design choices (read: a kickstand) and bows to a few other carrier whims. Verizon hasn't announced anything, though an Incredible 4G has been rumored for quite some time, and it's uncertain as to whether or not Big Red will decide to offer any additional selections from HTC this spring or summer.

Wrap-up

Have you chosen a team yet? These two offer a unique litany of temptations: the One X with the more convincing spec sheet and the One S with slightly better battery life. We know this might not be what you want to hear, but we think it's safe to say you can't go wrong either way. It really comes down to whether or not each phone fits comfortably in your hand and gives you the combination of features you want. (It wouldn't hurt if it fell inside your price range, too.) Heck, perhaps it even convinced you to wait for the mystical Samsung Galaxy S III. Regardless of what you choose, we hope our guide has soothed your troubled soul somewhat.

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HTC One S review

HTC One S

£415 ($667)

PROS

• Solid performance
• HTC Sense on Ice Cream Sandwich is slick
• Stylish design
• Capable, accessible camera
• Good battery life

CONS

• Screen is already outclassed

BOTTOMLINE

The One S could be HTC's flagship: it's far ahead of its rivals performance-wise and looks great. However the screen is slightly lacking, particularly compared to its bigger brother's.

In some alternate universe, the One S would be HTC's flagship phone. There's the new, forged-for-space body, a uniform 7.8mm thickness and a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display -- normally enough to qualify for the top slot. However, HTC decided to make this its (upper) middleweight contender, putting the quad-core One X right above it -- and launching it at the same time. We've got the HSPA+ global edition, but aside from the radio differences, this is the same hardware you can expect to see from T-Mobile a little further down the line, and it's powered by a Snapdragon S4 processor similar to the one that will run inside the US version of the One X. Can the dual-core Snapdragon Krait possibly hold its own against Tegra 3? If you're in the market for a new Android device, why would you go for what is possibly HTC's second best? Perhaps -- dare we say -- it's not all about the cores and display size. Read on to see what the One series' mid-tier option has to offer.

Hardware

The One S has an aluminum shell, but there's a difference between this and its unibody predecessors: this one's been treated to micro-arc oxidation. Throwing 10,000 volts at that body, what we're left with is a finish more akin to ceramic and stone than the usual matte metallic seen in HTC's past offerings. The company's gone on record saying that it toughens up the surface of the phone. While it certainly feels tougher, don't expect it to behave as flawlessly as Gorilla Glass -- we did notice some light scratches on the matte surface, though we at least didn't uncover any metal. Both the top and bottom segments are coated in a soft-finish plastic which doesn't disguise wear-and-tear as well.

The top part lifts off to show access to the micro-SIM, but that's all you can get to. Like the HTC Radarthere's no access to the battery or microSD storage, but it's probably this hardware lock-down that's helped HTC slim this dual-core phone down to this 0.3-inch profile and it fitted our hand great. If the One X borders on the bulky, the 4.3-inch screen here feels just right. We've come a long way.

The One S also packs HTC's new imaging tech: a dedicated ImageChip combined with a f/2.0 lens. The primary 8-megapixel camera gets a red trim on the black micro-arc oxidized version, while it's blue on the grey anodized variant. The module doesn't protrude as much as on One X, but we'd still have preferred a recessed lens. When we rest the phone down, you're resting it on the camera -- we can hear and feel the lens land on the surface. Aside from this flash of color on the camera, it's a relatively understated phone, with smaller Beats Audio branding at the base of the device, while the loudspeaker and ear piece grills are actually minute holes made into the body. Hidden behind the ear piece is a subtle notification light that glows from behind those holes to illustrate when the phones charging, charged and if there's some email or social networking nugget waiting for you.

A front-facing camera lies to the right of this, with the Super AMOLED screen dominating the rest of the front. While HTC's interpretation of Ice Cream Sandwich has been coupled with three capacitive buttons (no on-screen substitutes), it's replicated the original Android 4.0 phone by including a multitask button -- there's no menu or search buttons here. Protected by that plasma-bathed coating, you'll find Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Krait dual-core processor, ticking away at 1.5GHz, while 1GB of memory accompanies 12GB of available storage. A recent HTC-Dropbox deal means you'll also net an extra 25GB of storage for two years once you log in to the cloud storage service -- and yes, it's in addition to your existing cap.

Display

Which do you want first: the good news or the bad news? Well, the good bit is that HTC has married a 540 x 960 qHD resolution with Super AMOLED. The bad news is that it's missing a "Plus" at the end of that moniker. Yes, we're dealing with a PenTile screen, and while there are still plenty willing to overlook that graininess, after seeing it side-by-side against the high-definition beauty on the One X, we're going to rule in favor of the latter. While Super AMOLED wins with the blacker blacks, whites are just a bit too off. Comparing the resolution on the two One series devices, differences in sharpness will only be apparent in native apps and on the web -- unless games and video content are ready for 720p, there's no difference in graphical polish, aside from those color palette issues.

Camera

This, along with the One X, is possibly the best Android cameraphone we've seen yet.

HTC's been pushing its new camera chops ever since Barcelonaand we finally got a chance to try it out. And it works. Really well. This, along with the One X, is possibly the best Android cameraphone we've seen yet. Specification-wise, it's an eight-megapixel autofocus camera capable of 1080p video capture, with an LED flash and a tempting f/2.0 lens. In use, it's responsive, can capture video and stills concurrently and add several playful filters you might actually use. There's all the stable camera options to tweak inside the menus, including white balance, ISO and exposure, but if you're simply looking for an easy point-and-shoot, you'll never see them. The UI is an understated simple setup, with a big camera button matched by a similarly-sized video icon, while effects are located in a glass orb in the top right corner and a preview of the last still or video is in the lower right corner. Settings for flash, scenes, and the aforementioned technical options are all on the right side. Thanks to the f/2.0 lens, even shots in low-light turn out well, burst photography was especially impressive.

Video capture at 1080p is generally well-focused with a good balance of color and light adjustment. The takeaway here is that the One series have superb cameras; hardware and software both ensure good-quality images were taken quickly and easily.

Performance and battery life

	HTC One S	HTC One X	Galaxy Note
Quadrant	5,053	4,906	3,998
Linpack (single-thread)	103.88	48.54	64.3
Linpack (multi-thread)	222.22	150.54	95.66
NenaMark2 (fps)	61.0	47.6	32.8
NenaMark1 (fps)	60.8	59.5	56.6
Vellamo	2,452	1,617	901
SunSpider 9.1 (ms, lower numbers are better)	1,742.5	1,772.5	2,902

HTC's introduced us to a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 (MSM8260A) paired with 1GB of memory. The One S never shirked from what we asked of it. Attempting to make the browser stutter proved fruitless and tiling a complete non-issue. Provided your 3G or WiFi connection can keep up, you'll sail through the internet. Loading times on meatier apps was short, and it generally coped well with the likes of Shadowgun and GTA 3, although the audio didn't match the video on the venerable console title.

According to these benchmarks, the dual-core One S manages to trump its quad-core contemporary. Admittedly, tests like these can't be directly compared side-by-side, since the One X has a larger screen with much higher resolution, and takes advantage of a quad-core chip. Irrespective of this, the phone smoked its dual-core competition, leaving the likes of the Exynos-powered Galaxy Note choking on its exhaust.

The One S comes with a very middling 1,650mAh battery but performance betrayed those numbers. We hit just over eight and a half hours of constant video playback during our typical rundown test -- 2.5 hours more than its sibling, the HTC One X. This was at 50 percent brightness, with WiFi on (but not connected), and email and Twitter set to fetch updates at regular intervals. This pegs it at around the same lifespan as the iPhone 4S when it comes to video playback, although it doesn't quite match the bigger-screened Galaxy Note. Then again, it doesn't have the same 2,200mAh battery store to draw on. In more standard use, the phone lasted through our daily grind, including emails, web browsing sessions every two hours or so, some Spotify playback and a handful of voice calls and text messages. Charging the One S was still a daily ritual.

Call reception was good, with the extra mic located at the top performing noise-cancellation duties. Data speeds were as expected on both O2's HSPA+ and Three's HSPA service. On HSPA+, we reached speeds of around 2.5Mbps down and just under 1.5Mbps up, while HSPA circled around 1Mbps up and 1Mbps down -- all pretty similar to results on our other handsets. On the other side of the pond, AT&T's HSPA+ nabbed us average speeds of around 4.5Mbps down and 1.1Mbps up. This global version features quad-band EDGE and tri-band HSPA+ 42Mbps (2100 / 900 / 850MHz) support -- an AWS-capable model is coming to T-Mobile in the US.

Software

HTC's latest skin catches up with its corresponding Android version, at least number-wise. Sense 4 aims to cut the excess while offering up an experience that remains familiar to HTC fans in the past. A very difficult trick to pull off, but it's a definitive move forward. While it isn't stock, it certainly holds on to more Android riffs. Several widgets are also now available in both HTC and stock flavors.

Sporting a thinner and lighter design, the One S doesn't deserve to be hidden in the shadow of its pricier brother.

Something worth noting is the new Sense keyboard. We've been testing both the One S and the One X and found key spacing was a bit tighter than on HTC's polycarbonate number. Fortunately, it's held on to some of its better keyboard ideas -- you'll still be able to slide between numbers, accented letters and more obscure punctuation by holding down a letter and sliding across.

Wrap-up

Sporting a thinner and lighter design, the One S doesn't deserve to be hidden in the shadow of its pricier brother. With the latest dual-core Snapdragon S4 and noticeable improvements to HTC's Sense UI, as well as Android 4.0 and a potent camera, this phone is likely to play a large part of the manufacturer's renewed efforts after a shaky 2011. With a tactile finish and enough power to go toe-to-toe with HTC's quad-core entrant, it comes down to whether you're willing to trade a technically weaker screen for a noticeable price difference and better battery life. It's a decision we'd prefer not to make.

via engadget.com

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HTC One X review

HTC

HTC One X

€599 ($800)

PROS

• Looks and feels stunning
• Most gorgeous display
• Fantastic camera
• Incredibly quick and smooth
• Sense 4 UI is thin and light

CONS

• Battery life not as good as the One S

BOTTOMLINE

Buying an HTC One X is a lot like getting a unicorn: it's wild, fast, white, beautiful, expensive and fickle. Still, it gives even the mighty Galaxy Nexus a run for its money.

                                                                                                           


It's been a difficult year for HTC. After several successful quarters, things have started looking less rosy in recent months with the company facing stiff competition and suffering from apparent brand dilution -- the results of launching too many handsets with forgettable names, making too many compromises for the carriers, continuing to rely on Sense, and lacking an iconic flagship to take on Samsung's mighty Galaxy S II. We knew something important was coming for Mobile World Congress after HTC timidly revealed the Titan II at CES -- after all, the company has a long history of innovation.

A few days before flying to Barcelona and after being sworn to secrecy, we were quietly whisked into a San Francisco conference room with clear instructions: no pictures or video. There, in the middle of the table, was a white phone that instantly caught our eye -- the HTC One X. To write that we came away impressed after briefly using it is a massive understatement. This was obviously a halo device made for geeks like us, something designed to take on the Galaxy Nexuses of the world, something with the mother of all spec sheets, something running Ice Cream Sandwich with a significantly thinner and lighter version of Sense. Better yet, there were two other handsets with the same impeccable attention to detail -- the One S and the One V. HTC was finally showing some vision again with strong branding, gorgeous design and a polished user experience. While first impressions go a long way, there's a lot to be learned about a product by living with it for a few days. So is the One X truly HTC's comeback device? Are we still delighted?  Hit the break for our full review.
HTC went back to the drawing board. While many of its products from 2011 blended together in an amorphous, Sensation-esque blur, the company's drawn a line in the sand -- this is its flagship and it's a beauty. The phone is housed in a polycarbonate unibody that's matte on the back and glossy at the sides. This polycarbonate material means the body shouldn't interfere with the phone's signal, while incidental scratches will reveal yet more brilliant white. Some considered contours along the body of the phone mean that despite its 8.9mm (0.35 inch) profile -- and a 4.7-inch display -- it always felt safe in our grasp. Although its size may be borderline for some people's palms, it's nowhere near as monstrous as the Galaxy Note. Compared to the likes of the Rezound and Sensation, it's also around 30 grams (1.1 ounces) lighter -- presumably due to the new materials being put to use on HTC's great white hope.

Touring the body, the device is refreshingly unencumbered by complications -- the earpiece speaker is even integrated into the polycarbonate shell. The staple volume rocker is a white bar on the right side, while the micro-SIM tray is now hewn into the unibody (you'll need a metal pin to access it at the top of the back). On the left edge there's the MHL-capable micro-USB port, while the headphone socket and power button are both found on the top. Again, HTC's placement of this key, which also wakes the screen, makes less sense than if it was placed along the right edge, but the buttons are solid and responsive, coated in the same polycarbonate white as the unit -- no easily-chipped silver paint. The camera noticeably protrudes from the center of the phone, accented by a metallic circle -- this is a phone that's proud of its camera and we've dedicated a section to this below. There's also a five-pin connector along the right side, ready for those inevitable docks and in-car holsters.

The speaker grill, made from 84 individually-drilled holes, belts out plenty of noise. If you're looking to use it to broadcast your music, you'll want to have the device face down -- a built-in Sense feature does exactly that when you flip the device over during calls. It still suffers from the same lack of bass found in most phones, although the One X is one of HTC's first devices to bring Beats Audio enhancements acrossall apps, removing one of our complaints with the tie-up. If you're looking for more detail on this Beats Audio offering, check the write-up we gave it in our Sensation XE review.

Behind the polycarbonate gloss, the phone arrives with 32GB of memory, with 26GB of this accessible to the user. This is further augmented by a new Dropbox deal offering an extra 25GB to anyone that registers a device from the One series. It's all running on NVIDIA's quad-core (plus one) Tegra 3, clocked at 1.5GHz and different from its incoming LTE variant set to arrive with Qualcomm's dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4. The processor is teamed up with 1GB of RAM, while HTC's joined the NFCparty, adding Android Beam functionality -- where ICS apps allow it. We were able to ping some email addresses and websites between the One X and the Galaxy Nexus.

Display

The One X's 720p display under a USB microscope at about 230x magnification.

The One X matches the Rezound's 720p resolution, but houses it in a new Super LCD 2 panel and gifts it with 4.7 inches to play with, which translates to a pixel density of 316ppi. At this resolution, it embarrasses the rest of its similarly-sized cousins (e.g., the 4.7-inch HTC Sensation XL) when compared side by side. And while we're not sure whether it's the pseudo-concave design of the display, that drops ever-so slightly on both edges or the thinner Gorilla Glass, the high definition pixel matrix seems to skim across the face of the phone -- viewing angles are great, especially if the brightness is cranked up. Super AMOLED Plus aficionados, this is what your rival looks like. On the non-PenTile One X, colors seemed more natural and the whites were whiter than on AMOLED devices like the Galaxy Nexus. When outdoors, we had to max out brightness, but once we did, the screen was both navigable and readable.

Camera

There are two basic ways manufacturers implement cameras on higher-end phones. One approach is to build a no-compromise imaging-centric device geared towards photography buffs, as popularized by Nokia with the N8 and the recently announced 808 PureView. The alternative is to take a competent shooter and make it simple and bulletproof for anyone to enjoy, something Apple and (to a lesser extent) Samsung have achieved with the iPhone 4S and Galaxy S II (and derivatives).

While HTC has aimed -- and mostly succeeded -- at pleasing both the shutterbug and the layperson with handsets like the myTouch 4G Slide, Amaze 4G and upcoming Titan II, it has usually favored the ease-of-use approach. The One X continues this trend by delivering one of the best all-round imaging experiences we've come across without sacrificing quality -- thanks to an 8-megapixel backside-illuminated sensor, an incredibly wide aperture f/2.0 autofocus lens (vs. f/2.2 on the Amaze 4G, f/2.4 on the iPhone 4S, f/2.65 on the Galaxy S II and f/2.8 on the N8) and an extra processor called the ImageChip.

It's also the quickest cameraphone we've ever reviewed, the 0.7-second startup time and 0.2-second delay between shots beating even the speedy Galaxy Nexus. A single LED flash capable of five different intensity levels completes the package. While the hardware is generally state-of-the-art, there are a few omissions that prevent this shooter from hitting the bull's eye. Most disappointing is the lack of a dedicated two-stage camera button -- we'll make do without the mechanical shutter, xenon flash and autofocus-assist light common to devices like the N8, but we'll take a proper mechanical shutter key over a basic on-screen button anytime. We're also concerned with the long-term durability of the glass covering the optics which is exposed to fingerprints and scratches by protruding from the phone's body.

Just like the rest of the One X, the camera specs only tell half of the story. The software -- called ImageSense, naturally -- plays a big part in the handset's imaging mojo. It packs serious processing chops and supports a smorgasbord of features like real-time filters, HDR, panorama, burst and slow-motion video (to name a few). Instead of unraveling every minute UI detail, let's focus (pardon the pun) on the shooter's functionality. First, there's no more distinction between photo and video modes -- you're welcome to take still or moving pictures anytime by tapping the appropriate on-screen shutter key. This means you're able to capture 8-megapixel widescreen images (3264 x 1840 pixels) while recording video! Better yet, it's even possible to grab HD frames (1920 x 1088 pixels) from an existing video during playback.

Second, there's a full set of Instagram-like filters -- including tweakable vignette and depth of field effects -- which can be applied to photos in real-time or after the fact. Both the camera and gallery apps provide a plethora of adjustments available before shooting and later while editing, such as contrast, saturation and sharpness. There's also an array of manual settings to chose from, such as exposure level, white balance and ISO. We have a few niggles though -- conspicuously absent is any kind metering option (center-weighted, spot or average) and while touch-to-focus also offers some control over EV there's no way to lock focus and exposure before reframing. Most shooters enable this either by half pressing the dedicated two-stage camera button (N8), tapping and holding any part of the viewfinder until the lock indicator appears (iPhone 4S) or -- our favorite for lack of a proper mechanical shutter key -- tapping and holding the on-screen camera button (Galaxy S II). Hopefully this is something HTC can fix in a future update.

Now let's talk about image quality. We pitted the One X against the current cream of the crop -- the N8, Amaze 4G, iPhone 4S and Galaxy Note (which uses the same module as the Galaxy S II) plus Canon's S95compact point-and-shoot. The camera landed somewhere in the middle of this star-studded pack, marginally beating the Galaxy Note and iPhone 4S while almost matching the Amaze 4G. Sure, it's not in the same league as the N8 (which rivals the S95 in some cases), but this is one stellar camera, especially when you consider that HTC is not positioning this phone as an imaging-centric device like the Amaze 4G.

Low-light performance is particularly impressive thanks to the fast f/2.0 lens and backside-illuminated sensor, which combine to gather a huge amount of light. HDR night shots are truly magical -- no mushrooms required. Still, the software relies on a little too much noise reduction in extreme low-light which results in a noticeable loss of detail, and since there's no assist light, the autofocus often struggles in the dark and requires a few touch-to-focus attempts before getting a lock. Pictures taken in most conditions look fantastic, but looking closely we're longing for a sensor with a wider dynamic range and higher quality lens (yes, the N8's Carl Zeiss optics are hard to beat).

Yes, the proof is in the pudding -- people who care little about aperture and shutter settings will take great photos with the One X.

While color balance is generally top-notch we noticed some issues with the white balance being off at times right after launching the camera -- it rights itself after a few seconds, but it's a problem if you're trying to catch that fleeting moment. Metering is usually accurate, but the lack of exposure lock means that in some instances (like sunsets) we resorted to fiddling with the EV to avoid washing out parts of the shot. Of course, we're being picky here and none of this takes into account ease-of-use, which rivals the experience on the iPhone 4S (and beats it, in terms of speed). Yes, the proof is in the pudding -- people who care little about aperture and shutter settings will take great photos with the One X.

The One X captures 1080p video at a silky smooth 30fps with continuous autofocus and stereo audio. Results mostly look sharp and sound clear -- we noticed some faint video compression artifacts (bitrate is 10Mbps) and the automatic gain control reacted a little too quickly to wind noise, but this is nothing to be concerned about in most situations. In contrast with how quickly the camera handles stills, there's about a four-second (!) delay between tapping the on-screen video capture button and the actual start of the recording which means you're likely to miss some firsts if you're not prepared. There's one more neat trick worth mentioning, and that's slow motion. Yes, this shooter is able to record 480p widescreen video (768 x 432 pixels, to be exact) at 60fps for playback at about 24fps

Performance and battery life

Quad-core phones have arrived. While we've already seen the NVIDIA tech on one of our favorite Android tablets, the One X is our first Tegra 3 smartphone to arrive for testing and it doesn't disappoint. We tried to push the hardware as much as we could and it handled nearly all of our tasks effortlessly.GTA3 loaded effortlessly -- and was fast. Even task-switching couldn't sink the phone, although it doespause to think when you jump between heavier tasks like video and gaming. Browser performance is a revelation too. We couldn't spot any tiling issues as we scrolled at high-speed through the front page of Engadget -- none -- pictures were there before we even got to them.

This triumphant real-world performance is backed up by some understandably jaw-dropping benchmark scores, besting even the Transformer Prime in Quadrant and Vellamo performance tests and thrashing the Galaxy Note -- our previous smartphone heavy-lifter -- across the board.

	HTC One X	HTC One S	ASUS Transformer Prime	Galaxy Note(int'l)
Quadrant (v2)	4,906	5,053	4,018	3,854
Linpack single-thread (MFLOPS)	48.54	103.88	43.35	64.3
Linpack multi-thread (MFLOPS)	150.54	222.22	67.05	95.66
NenaMark2 (fps)	47.6	61.0	46.07	32.8
NenaMark1 (fps)	59.5	60.8	60.07	56.6
Vellamo	1,617	2,452	953	901
SunSpider 9.1 (ms, lower numbers are better)	1,772.5	1,742.5	1,861	2,902

While an AT&T-branded One X is set to arrive carrying LTE (and a SnapDragon S4), this global model features both quad-band EDGE and HSPA+ 42Mbps (2100 / 1900 / 900 / 850MHz). Speed tests on AT&T in the US reached about 6Mbps down and 1.2 Mbps up on HSPA+, and Three and O2 in the UK averaged around 2.2Mbps down and just under 1Mbps up on HSPA. Call quality is good, with the noise-cancelling second mic helping to focus on the voice, although some background static remained on our test calls on several networks.

Battery life, however, looks likely to pay the price for this. With brightness set to 50 percent, WiFi on but not connected, the One X's 1,800mAh juicepack managed six hours of continuous video playback -- that's two hours short of its sibling, the One S. Obviously, this sort of activity is likely to use the phone's multiple cores, but we found that Tegra 3's 4-PLUS-1 setup still continues to slurp the battery on very light use -- we didn't notice that extra companion core taking any sort of burden off the phone's power consumption. Checking our battery status, it seems like HTC's Super LCD 2 screen -- perhaps unsurprisingly-- was also to blame for a life span that didn't last a full workday.

Update: To clarify, we got 12-plus hours of moderate use out of the One X (that's checking, email and social networks, making a few calls, sending some messages, taking a few pictures, downloading a few apps); your mileage will vary. Keep in mind there are differences between the One X and One S beyond the processor, such as like the radio chipset and the display (4.7-inch vs. 4.3, 720p vs qHD, LCD vs. AMOLED).

Software

The latest version of HTC's proprietary skin, Sense 4, comes on top of Android 4.0.3. But this isn't your father's old version of Sense. In fact, it's a much more refreshing take on a skin that used to be incredibly bogged down by nonsense animations and unnecessary UI elements. Is it stock Ice Cream Sandwich? No, not by a long shot. But what you'll get with the One X's user experience is a pleasant mix of ICS and Sense, both halves somehow finding a way to live together in harmony.

That's not to say Sense 4 is a complete and perfect Android skin. But it does a much better job figuring out the spirit of stock Android and truly striving to emulate the OS, instead of throwing Google's designs and inspiration out the window. HTC's goal was to make the new Sense much lighter and less burdensome to the rest of the platform, and we'd say it has largely succeeded.

There is so much to discuss in the new Sense that our overview of it became too large to include with the rest of our impressions on the One X. To get the full scoop complete with screenshots and video, visit our incredibly comprehensive Sense 4 review.

Wrap-up

There's absolutely no doubt that the One X is a masterpiece of an Android device: it obliterates pretty much all of its competitors by giving even the mighty Galaxy Nexus a run for its money. HTC's really crafted something special here, with a brilliant combination of branding, industrial design and user experience. This handset looks and feels stunning, with top-notch materials and build quality, the most gorgeous display we've ever stared at on a phone, a fantastic camera that's fast and easy to use and a laundry list of every possible spec under the sun. Sense 4 is thin and light enough to enhance -- not detract from -- stock Ice Cream Sandwich. Pinch us, 'cause frankly, we're smitten.

Ultimately, buying a One X is a lot like getting a unicorn -- it's wild, fast, white, beautiful, expensive and fickle.

Still it's not all rainbows and glitter. While it's incredibly quick and smooth in actual use, we're surprised that the quad-core Tegra 3 in the One X performed slightly worse in our benchmarks than the dual-core Snapdragon S4 in the One S. Battery life is by far our biggest concern and we really hope that HTC addresses this head-on with future software updates. It'll be interesting to see how its LTE equipped twin (which is also Snapdragon S4-based) fares in those areas when it launches in the next few weeks -- let's just hope AT&T keeps the firmware as unadulterated as possible. Ultimately, buying a One X is a lot like getting a unicorn -- it's wild, fast, white, beautiful, expensive and fickle. Time will tell if dressage school tames this power hungry beast.

via engadget.com

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