Phone processors are getting faster
and faster. But is there a real difference between them or is it just a numbers
game? We found out...
There are two main ways in which a new
generation of Android devices is judged - screen size and processor speed.
While the former seems to have hit its limit with massive 4.8-inch displays,
the latter is an ongoing bloody battle where bigger numbers are always better,
and the numbers can never be big enough.
With clock speeds pretty well exhausted,
the focus has moved on to the number of cores a processor has. The theory is
that more cores can make a system more efficient, as more horsepower Is put
into a single, demanding task (such as a 3D game), or shared between several
tasks running simultaneously. But in all cases the software needs to be
optimised for this. So while it may be a no-brainer that a quad-core device
will offer better results than a dual-core, the reality may be different.
We had this in mind when testing the Galaxy
S III and HTC One X, both quad-core handsets, and the dual-cored Sony Xperia S
and Huawei PI. In a real world test will you notice the difference, and are
those extra cores worth the premium price? Read on to find out...
HTC One X
The HTC One X has a striking design
that suits its position as one of the world’s most powerful handsets
Lighter, but heavier!
The feel of the HTC One X certainly emits a
strong aura of build quality which could explain why it felt heavier to hold
than the similarly sized Samsung, despite on paper the latter weighing 3g more
Camera lens
We felt in some ways that the camera lens,
which protrudes slightly from the back of the casing, seems a little less
refined. Of course, this was done to prevent the casing from being too thick,
but it did little to enhance the design
Camera features
The HTC’s camera does provide a nice range of
features including the ability to shoot videos and capture images at the same
time. Mind you, for the extra $208 you pay over the Sony, the latter still
provided the better images
4.7-inch IPS screen
The IPS LCD2 panel does provide great
viewing angles and a more natural tone to the colours, which was evident when
watching HD videos or playing games. But, in our opinion, the Super AMOLED
technology of the Huawei and Samsung produced more vibrant viewing angles
The HTC One X is a strikingly designed
handset, unique in its look and with a real quality finish. It feels slightly
heavier to hold than the S III, despite actually being lighter, but this could
be due to the choice of materials used which does offer a slightly more premium
feel.
The smooth design is spoilt somewhat by the
camera lens that sticks out the back of the casing (and leaves the lens prone),
and similarly to the Sony, there is no access to the battery or a memory card
slot. You get 26MB of available storage for your files, and HTC does supply an
extra 25GB of free Dropbox storage, although you will need access to a fast
Wi-Fi connection to make this a reliable alternative.
Powering up the HTC gives you your first
glimpse of the spectacular screen. The SLCD2 panel produces a more natural colour
tone when watching streamed HD content from YouTube for example, and it is
bright and crisp to view. You’ll also find HTC’s Sense 4.0 Ul in place, which
for the most part offers a smooth Android experience and it’s joined by a nice
range of apps, Including its Beats Audio technology which certainly brought
headphone playback to life. But in all honesty the Samsung’s Ul felt more
exciting to use.
The
IPS LCD2 panel does provide great viewing angles and a more natural tone to the
colours, which was evident when watching HD videos or playing games
Also, with the omission of the physical
Android Menu button, you’ll find that some games will sacrifice screen space to
accommodate the onscreen variant. However, for full-screen games, such as the
EA titles that you can try or download like Dead Space, this showcased just how
good the platform can be for games, both visually and In performance. We
couldn’t praise it highly enough.
Likewise, the large screen helps with
typing over the smaller Huawei and it partners well with the supplied Polaris
Office for document creation. In the four benchmarks we ran (Vellamo, AnTuTu,
CF-Bench and Quadrant) the HTC One X was streets ahead of the dual-core
devices, as you would expect. Only the Samsung managed to better it on three
accounts by a very small margin.
The One X’s camera also provided a solid
range of features such as being able to take photos and videos at the same
time, but while the images were good, it still could not match the brilliant
Sony in terms of its final image quality.
Battery life was marginally better than the
latter device but due to the large screen you’ll need regular charges if you
play a lot of games.
Head to head
Design
The phone offers exceptional build quality
over Its closest quad-core competitor and feels heavier to hold, despite being
lighter on paper. However, the camera lens on the back spoils the design a
touch, as does the lack of access to the battery.
General performance
In our benchmark tests it scored 1931 in Vellamo
(which tests browser performance) versus the Sony’s 1620, which is not a vast
improvement. But in the comprehensive multi-core CF-Bench tests it streaked
ahead. Blisteringly quick.
Features
The Ul felt less exciting than the Samsung,
but it still proved effective. Its Beats Audio technology also enhanced
headphone playback. The 4.7-inch HD screen looked great for watching videos.
The camera was good, but still no match for Sony’s.
Battery life
Battery life proved less effective for
heavy gaming sessions, so expect daily charges. In our video playback tests (we
set the backlight to full with Wi-Fi active) it dropped to 67 per cent from a
full charge.
Verdict
A powerful handset with exceptional build
quality, but the Ul and camera quality are not up with the best
Information
Price: $715
More information: www.htc.com
Technical specs
Operating system........Android 4.0.4
(upgradeable to 4.1)
Processor...........................Nvidia
Tegra 3: quad-core 1.5 GHz
Memory...............................1GB
RAM, 32GB (26GB free); No expansion
Dimensions......................134.4 x
69.9 x 8.9 mm
Weight..................................130g
Display..................................4.7-inch
Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen, 720 x 1,280 pixels
Connectivity....................Wi-Fi
802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
Camera...............................8-MP
rear (LED flash), 1.3-MP front camera, 1080p @24fps
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