Sony Xperia S Vs HTC One XL-Comparison

We pitch the HTC One XL against the Sony Xperia S in an Android flagship battle.
Form
Sony Xperia S - 128x64x10.6mm, 144g
HTC One XL - 134.8x69.9x8.9mm, 129g
The Sony Xperia S is quite a landmark phone for Sony being the first smartphone designed without the help Ericsson. As such, there seems to be more than a slight nod to Sony's existing designs for other electronics - everything is very squared off, coloured dark grey or black and made from smooth, high-quality materials with some solid build quality.
Although there are some design cues reminiscent of earlier Sony Ericsson Xperia models, for the most part things are quite different. The Xperia S' design language is still based on a D-shaped cross-section but now features pronounced straight lines and flat edges, rather than curves and soft corners. The result is a much chunkier handset.
This does however give the phone a very sturdy feel in the hand, both in terms of ease-of-use and the reassurance that it's not going to fall apart any time soon.
HTC's One XL uses the same body shell as the One X which has an extremely high quality finish and an interestingly curved and chiseled shape.
We particularly like the way the screen isn't just plonked into the chassis but rather has a contoured black housing, giving a stepped appearance to its shape and allowing a very narrow bezel around the outside to keep things looking sleek and ultra-modern.
It's difficult to quantify the appeal of the One XL's design and build, but the best way we can think of describing it is as follows: it's as if some artist has just carved a device out of some precious mineral and handed it over to you.
HTC has nailed the two most important aspects of smartphone visual design - a stylish aesthetic and an extremely high-quality feel.
We really like the Xperia S's design and build quality, which is well above average in this regard, meaning it comes highly recommended. But it just can't compete with the HTC in the looks department.
HTC's One range has pretty much established the company at top of the pile when it comes to Android devices, particularly for the external build quality. Take not Samsung.
Winner - HTC One XL

Display
The HTC One XL has a 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD 2 capacitive display with a 1280x720 pixel resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass reinforcement and a pixel density of 312 pixels-per-inch (ppi). The results are pretty stunning – it's a very sharp, clear screen with plenty of colour depth as well as decent brightness and contrast.
As good as this is, Sony has put together a display which not only beats the One XL's but the majority of the current handset market. The Xperia S uses a 4.3-inch LED-backlit LCD capacitive touchscreen with the same resolution as its opponent.
It supports 10-finger multi-touch and has a pixel density of 342ppi, topping the iPhone's Retina display and pretty much everything else.
The Xperia S is also loaded with Sony's WhiteMagic screen technology and the Sony Mobile Bravia engine that enhances the display's capabilities.
Ultimately what you end up with is the best smartphone display around with crystal clear picture quality, deep blacks, excellent brightness and vivid colour reproduction.
Sony's Xperia S is certainly the winner here, but it's important to bear in mind that any display with a pixel density over 300ppi is going to look very sharp and for all but the most discerning display aficionados either phone would likely be more than satisfactory.
Winner - Sony Xperia S

Storage

The One XL has a single storage option and sadly it's lower than the original One X at only 16GB. Likewise the Sony Xperia S has a single option but it's at a more satisfactory 32GB. Both handsets have 1GB of RAM for their respective processors and neither has micro SD capability.
This is an easy win for Sony offering twice the storage capacity as its opponent.
Winner - Sony Xperia S


Processor

Both handsets are based on Qualcomm dual core Snapdragon technology. The Sony Xperia S uses a Series 3 (S3) Snapdragon MSM8260 chip with an Adreno 220 graphics processing unit (GPU) clocked at 1.5GHz.
This is reasonably speedy and Sony has done a good job of optimising things with the Android 2.3 operating system and its own Timescape interface overlay. We were quite impressed with the review unit we used and found things ran smoothly.
HTC's One XL is fitted with Qualcomm's latest S4 Snapdragon MSM8960 ‘Krait' architecture, also clocked to 1.5GHz and featuring an upgraded Adreno 225 GPU. This is one of the fastest chipsets on the market right now being quicker and more power efficient than Nvidia's quad core Tegra 3 (found in the regular One X).
Both handsets are highly competitive on the current market and will run all high-end apps and games along with flawless multi-tasking but the One XL does have a bit more muscle, which should be noticeable during normal use and contribute considerably towards the longevity of the handset too.
Winner - HTC One XL

Operating System
The Sony Xperia S runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Sony's Timescape user interface (UI) on top, while the HTC One XL is on the latest Android build, version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and uses version 4.0 of HTC's Sense UI.
Sony has Android 2.3 running extremely well on the Xperia S and the Timescape UI adds some extra functionality, though some may find the navigation and usability a little obscure.
Android Ice Cream Sandwich is much improved over Gingerbread offering better performance and increased stability. The menu layout has also been refined and is much easier to use.
Fast app switching now comes as standard in Android 4.0 letting you switch between or close apps faster than ever. It's a very intuitive approach to multi-tasking and a joy to use.
HTC Sense 4.0 is far more minimalist and less intrusive than any of its predecessors and is perfectly optimised for Android 4.0. We've yet to experience any real slowdown or stuttering whilst using it and this never used to be the case.
We have to say HTC offers the most up-to-date user experience of these two devices. For Android, there's just no beating Ice Cream Sandwich.
Winner - HTC One XL

Camera
The HTC One XL features the same camera configuration as its companion models. It's an 8-megapixel back-illuminated sensor (BSI) with a 3264x2448 pixel resolution.
The One XL is supported by a dedicated camera chip and added functionality to the HTC Sense UI. Special functionality includes the ability to capture 1080p HD video and still images at the same time, plus a 20-shot rapid multi-shot mode with a ‘best picture' selector.
On top of this it has an LED flash, autofocus, touch focus, geo-tagging, face and smile detection, video stabilisation and stereo sound recording.
There's also a 1.3-megapixel secondary with 720p video capture and vide calling.
If there's one thing Sony does well (and, in fact, there are many) it's cameras.
Sony pioneered the commercial-level Exmor R CMOS back-illuminated sensor, variations of which are now becoming almost ubiquitous in the premium smartphone world.
That exact technology features in the Xperia S's 12-megapixel primary camera with a 4000x3000 pixel resolution.
It may not have some of the fancy pants shooting modes of the One XL but it sure does make some amazing still images and 1080p video.
Features include autotfocus, LED flash, touch focus, face and smile detection, 3D sweep panoramic mode, image and video stabilisation, continuous video autofocus and a video light.
Both are extremely competent offerings capable of producing great images and video but the Xperia S pips with its higher resolution imaging.
Winner - Sony Xperia S

Final Thoughts
Sony has made a brilliant handset with the Xperia S and there's plenty to recommend about it. It has a fast processor, both the camera and touchscreen are amongst the best currently available, the visual design is pleasing and the phone is built to a high-standard.
In addition there's plenty of onboard storage. The only problem point right now is the operating system, although it will be getting upgraded to Android Ice Cream Sandwich in the not-too-distant future
The One XL is our choice here, however. HTC has just made all the right decisions when designing this device. The build quality is incredible, the screen is amazing and the processor is one of the fastest you'll encounter.
The operating system is bang up-to-date and the phone has a comprehensive and high-end camera setup. Our only gripe, and it's a minor one, is it could do with more onboard storage, but apart from that, here you've got a contender for one of the best Android phones of the year.

Read more »

Comparison: HTC One XL Vs Samsung Galaxy S3

Here We compare the HTC One XL and Samsung Galaxy S3
Form
HTC One XL - 134.8x69.9x8.9mm, 129g
Samsung Galaxy S3 - 136.6x70.6x8.6mm, 133g
With the Galaxy S3's shape, Samsung said it had been inspired by beach pebbles and this has manifested as a much curvier, more rounded design than its predecessor, the Galaxy S2.
The results aren't great. in fact we'd go so far as to say the Galaxy S2 actually looks more up-to-date than the Galaxy S3. The other thing we're not impressed with is the build quality.
We shared the view of many other reviewers with the Galaxy S2 that while the plastics used where not the worst they were also not the best but with the Galaxy S3 this is an area we expected Samsung to improve and it's actually gone the other way entirely.
The Galaxy S3 feels very tacky to touch with scratchy, low-quality plastics and is totally unsatisfactory as a premium model.
The One XL is virtually the antithesis of the Samsung Galaxy S3. The materials used have a very high quality feel and are well worthy of the premium price tag. Not only that, but the shape and design is more interesting too.
HTC has gone for a curvy phone but has also tapered and chiselled some surfaces which compliment the curvature very well indeed. The screen placement, seated into a contoured black panel, is very clever as it makes the display look larger than it actually is.
The HTC One XL is the clear choice here as it lives up to our expectations for a flagship phone wile representing a tremendous effort on HTC's part.
Winner - HTC One XL

Display
The Samsung Galaxy S3 has a large 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD capacitive touchscreen with a 1280x720 pixel resolution. It uses Corning's Gorilla Glass and sports a pixel density of 306 pixels-per-inch (ppi). Visuals are very crisp and the AMOLED tech means contrast and colour reproduction are both strong.
HTC's One XL has a similarly sized 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 capacitive display at the same resolution as its opponent, the pixel density is slightly higher at 312ppi but the difference in clarity between the two handsets should be barely noticeable.
These devices are on a fairly even playing field in this category. It's a draw.
Winner - Draw

Storage
Samsung's Galaxy S3 has a variety of options for onboard storage, there are three variants with either 16GB, 32GB or 64GB and each comes with 1GB of RAM plus a micro SD slot which allows for cards up to 32GB.
The One XL only has one option for 16GB of internal space with 1GB of RAM and no card slot.
Samsung easily wins this round by offering two higher-tier onboard storage options and more flexibility thanks to card capability.
Winner - Samsung Galaxy S3

Processor
The Galaxy S3 is Samsung's first quad core device and uses ARM's Cortex-A9 architecture and Samsung's new Exynos 4212 chipset clocked at 1.4GHz with a Mali-400MP graphics processing unit (GPU).
This setup is as fast with initial benchmarking tests suggesting that it's one of the quickest chips on the market.
However, one of the other super-fast chips in that same elite bracket is the Qualcomm dual core S4 MSM8960 Snapdragon Krait, which the One XL uses. Like it's stable-mates it is clocked at 1.5GHz and features an Adreno 225 GPU.
This is the same setup as the HTC One S and we can say from our hands-on with the device that it is seriously quick and delivers very smooth performance.
Samsung's chip is one of the better quad core setups on the market but we'd say it's on a par with HTC's Qualcomm S4 setup.
Winner - Draw

Operating System
Both phones run on the latest build of Google's Android platform, version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) which has a number of improvements over previous iterations.
The Galaxy S3 has a few extra added features including the S-Voice assistant, which is similar to Apple's Siri, but most of these features are somewhat gimmicky and we're more interested in the core platform.
Between these two there's not much to compare.
Winner - Draw

Camera
Each handset is equipped with an 8-megapixel primary camera with a back-illuminated sensor (BSI) and a 3264x2448 pixel resolution.
Common features between the two are autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, face and smile detection, touch focus, simultaneous 1080p HD and still image capture, multi-shot mode with ‘best image' selector and image stabilisation.
The HTC One XL also has stereo sound video recording and video stabilisation. Samsung's Galaxy S3 has a 2-megapixel secondary camera with video call support and 720p video capture while the One XL has a 1.3-megapixel secondary with similar capabilities.
This one's a draw.

Final Thoughts
Overall the Samsung Galaxy S3 has a pretty decent spec. In terms of hardware it's certainly competitive with the current crop of high-end devices, though, contrary to what was expected it doesn't exceed them or re-define the market.
The problem with it, however, is the build quality, which is just not acceptable for the sort of money you're talking about parting with to get your hands on one.
The One XL is on much the same level for performance and hardware but the outer shell is not only made from better quality materials but it's also designed better, making our decision all the more easier.
The HTC One XL wins everytime.

Read more »