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.

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Comparison : Sony Xperia S Vs Samsung Galaxy S3

We pitch the Sony Xperia S against Samsung's latest and greatest handset, the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Form
Sony Xperia S - 128x64x10.6mm, 144g
Samsung Galaxy S3 - 136.6x70.6x8.6mm, 133g
The Sony Xperia S is a landmark device in the Xperia catalogue because it marks the first smartphone produced solely by Sony. The result is something that is both familiar to existing Xperia designs from the Sony Ericsson era and yet different thanks to a new Sony-specific twist.
Broadly speaking, the phone is recognisable as an Xperia model thanks to its D-shaped cross section and the overall form-factor distinctively echoes the Xperia style.
However, if you compare it to the last Sony Ericsson model, the Xperia Arc S, it's a much bulkier and more angular device. The extensive use of curved lines and surfaces is reduced to only a few curved accents here and there and the abundant razor thin edges have been replaced with broad, flat and more grip-friendly alternatives.
In terms of build quality the Xperia S delivers a satisfying plastic which feels good in the hand and overall the phone seems solid and sturdy.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 appears to have taken design cues from the Galaxy Nexus and the HTC One S school of curved and rounded-off bodywork, which is a very current and contemporary approach.
Some of the proportions are a little strange, however, and it ends up looking somewhat ‘bottom heavy'. The biggest faux pas though is the plastic used which has a very tacky feel and totally detracts from the overall quality of the handset.
We think the Xperia S is very sharp looking while the Galaxy S3 is fairly uninspiring, add to that the poor quality plastic feel and Sony's handset easily comes out in the lead.

Winner - Sony Xperia S

Display
Samsung's Galaxy S3 features a large 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD capacitive multi-touch screen with a 1280x720 pixel resolution and a pixel density of 306 pixels-per-inch (ppi). The display is reinforced with Corning's Gorilla Glass.
The Xperia S has a smaller 4.3-inch LED-backlit LCD capacitive display at the same resolution as its opponent, which gives one of the best pixel densities we've seen on a smartphone at 342ppi. It has a scratch resistant coating and supports 10-finger multi-touch.
Clarity on both screens is superb, although the Xperia S is way out in front. That said, a perceptible difference may only be noticed by people with perfect 20/20 vision as most people have trouble discerning differences in pixel density much over 300ppi anyway.
The Xperia S's backlit LCD should deliver consistent brightness and work well in direct sunlight, while the Galaxy S3's Super AMOLED HD will cope better than most OLEDs in such conditions. The Galaxy S3 enjoys deep blacks, vivid colours, good brightness and excellent contrast with plenty of ‘pop'.
We expect that for most users in practice there will be very little difference between these displays and both offer brilliant picture quality.

Winner - Draw



Storage
Sony's Xperia S comes in one internal storage flavour and that's 32GB backed up by 1GB of RAM. There's no micro SD capability to be found here.
Against the apparent tide of decreased onboard and card storage in premium phones, Samsung has sensibly gone for a full range of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of internal space, each with 1GB of RAM and micro SD for cards up to 32GB. We approve.

Winner - Samsung Galaxy S3

Processor
When Sony Ericsson produced the Xperia Arc S we saw the company could put out a single core smartphone on Gingerbread and make it run well.
With Sony's Xperia S we have the same operating system but this time there's an ARM Cortex-A9 dual core processor running a Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon chip clocked at 1.5GHz alongside an Adreno 220 graphics processing unit (GPU).
Performance here is extremely smooth and the phone should have no trouble handling intensive multi-tasking or high-end games.
Samsung's Galaxy S3 uses a quad core ARM Cortex-A9 setup on the company's own Exynos 4212 chipset clocked at 1.4GHz with a Mali-400MP GPU. We only had hands-on with the device for a brief moment at Samsung's launch event but things were looking seriously slick with iPhone-like levels of smoothness and nothing in the way of hiccups.
We think Samsung's offering comes out a bit better here, but the Xperia S is no slouch.

Winner - Samsung Galaxy S3



Operating System
The Sony Xperia S runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread with its own Timescape interface on top, while Samsung's Galaxy S3 uses the latest Android build, version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) with the TouchWiz interface.
Android Ice Cream Sandwich is a massive improvement on Android Gingerbread. For one thing it is faster and more stable, even on devices running the same hardware. On top of this, the menus have been organised in a more sensible way which is easier to use. Lastly, the addition of a quick app switcher control, complete with swipe-to-close functionality for windowed apps, is an extremely useful feature.

Winner - Samsung Galaxy S3


Camera
The Xperia S sports a 12-megapixel back-illuminated (BSI) Exmor R CMOS sensor with a 4000x3000 pixel resolution and 1080p video capture. Features include autofocus, geo-tagging, touch focus, an LED flash, face and smile detection, 3D sweep panoramic mode and image stabilisation.
For video capture it has a video light, video stabilisation and continuous autofocus. A secondary 1.3-megapixel camera captures video in 720p. Pictures and video are both of very high quality here.
Samsung has a similarly impressive offering with its 8-megapixel BSI CMOS primary camera with a 3264x2448 pixel resolution. This camera is capable of capturing 1080p HD video and still images at the same time and with video stabilisation.
There's also a rapid multi-shot mode with a best picture picker.
Other features include autofocus, touch focus, geo-tagging, LED flash, face and smile detection, exposure control, white balance, ISO control, HDR and image stabilisation. A 2-megapixel secondary captures video in 720p and can make video calls.
Sony's Xperia S can capture higher quality images but the Samsung Galaxy S3 isn't far behind. Both are feature-packed but the Galaxy S3 arguably has a more diverse range of additional capabilities.
On balance we're calling this one a draw as we have little doubt either setup would be pleasing to all but the most demanding camera aficionados.

Winner - Draw


Final Thoughts
Samsung's Galaxy S3 has performed very well here in most categories but has fallen down on the form factor and build quality, where the Xperia S emerges superior.
The Xperia S also technically has a better display and camera in terms of raw statistics, though in practice both are on a fairly equal footing.
Despite Samsung's victories in processing power and storage they are not won by a significant stretch.
Arguably there isn't a need for four processor cores as most apps are not programmed to take advantage and two is more than enough for tackling multi-tasking.
Likewise, although the 64GB top end storage of the Galaxy S3 is desirable the 32GB and 16GB models and those of its Sony opponent are nothing to be sneezed at.
The most distinguishing points for the Galaxy S3 are the operating system, which is much more up-to-date, and the micro SD capability for some added storage flexibility.
Despite all this, we'd still be sorely tempted to take the Xperia S over the Galaxy S3, mainly due to the build quality issue on Samsung's device and the fact that later this year, Sony will be offering an optional Android 4.0 upgrade for the Xperia S.

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