The HTC One X was given a healthy reception when it arrived earlier this year, and impressed the CRN Tech labs so much it was awarded A-List smartphone status.
It’s a true powerhouse of a smartphone, with masterful engineering and design. How does the new iPhone 5 stack up against HTC’s flagship?
Design and build
Apple's latest iPhone 5 continues the famed build quality that made the company a favourite the world over. Two versions are available in anodised black and aluminium white – both of which have a build quality that's well ahead of the competition.
The polycarbonate One X on the other hand might not have fancy glass or aluminium, but its single piece polycarbonate body is just as solid, with the right amount of curves to sit nicely in the hand. But overall, you just can't beat the shiny precision of Apple's iPhone 5.
Apple has also jumped into the headphone battle, first introduced by HTC with Beats, by adding EarPods – Apple's improved in-ear phones that are bundled for free.
Screen
Apple has crammed in a stunning 326ppi while increasing the screen to 4in and adding 44 per cent more colour saturation.
The One X's Super LCD 2 screen in all its 4.7in glory squeezes a little less pixels out with 312ppi.
The resolution vs size advantage debate is a matter of personal preference, but there's no denying that the iPhone 5's 4in screen will be easier to use for small-handed users.
OS and power
iOS 6 has yet to be fully tested against the ever increasing might of Android but it's certainly raised its game with turn-by-turn and 3D map navigation, and deeper Facebook and Twitter integration – all powered by an A6 processor that's twice as fast as the iPhone 4S' A5 offering.
The HTC One X is still rocking the now-familiar Ice Cream Sandwich iteration of Android, juiced up with HTC's Sense 4.0 enhancements. Disappointingly there's no confirmation of a Jelly Bean update for the One X as of yet, but its quad-core Tegra 3 processor should eat through anything you throw at it with little trouble at all.
Camera
The iPhone 5 has got an 8MP backside illuminated back camera with a 720p front-facing snapper.
HTC really took its 8MP camera to another level by offering an f/2.0 aperture for brilliant night shots and rich colours. Plus innovation like built-in panormama (which Apple has finally added) and shooting pictures while filming mean the One X takes this title for innovation.
Verdict
While the HTC One X is a brilliant phone with a top display, great camera, and quad-core processing powers, the iPhone 5 has closed the gap on the spec sheet with the addition of its unrivalled build quality.
It's a close call, but the drawcards on both smartphones means Apple and and Android fans are likely to be too enamoured with their above respective devices to consider switching over to the other team.
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