It had been a difficult year for both HTC and Nokia as Apple and Samsung took the lead on the best smartphone manufacturer. But the two tech companies had proven the world that it can still win the race with HTC One and Nokia Lumia 1020.

The question now is which of the two is a better buy? Below is a comparison of specs and design for HTC One and Lumia 1020.

Design and Chassis

When it comes to dimension, HTC One is thinner and slimmer at 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm than Lumia 1020 at 130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4 mm. It is also lighter weighing 143g against 1020's 158g. HTC One has a flawless aluminum body, color available in black, blue, red and silver, while 1020's body is a one-piece polycarbonate affair, available in black, white and bright yellow.

In terms of design, Lumia 100 rougher on its edges compared to HTC One's curvy appearance. What is unique about Lumia 1020 is its enormous black, round camera unit at the back, as if announcing to the world its best feature - its 41 megapixel-sensor.

If you want your phone to be able to camouflage like a super thin camera, the point is for Lumia 100. But, if you want your phone to look like, well, a phone, then it's a point for HTC One.

Screen and Display

HTC One has a 4.7-inch 1080p full HD display sporting a ridiculous 468 pixels per inch. It has stunning level of contrast and color reproduction as compared to Lumia 1020's 4.5-inch screen with only a display 334 pixels per inch.

When it comes to screen and display, it's a point for HTC One.

Performance

In terms of performance, HTC One can be considered as one of the fastest phone on Earth with a 1.7GHz quad-core processor along with 2GB of RAM. Lumia 1020 only has 1.5GHz dual-core processor.

Expect no lag if you're using an HTC One despite a heavy multi-tasking.

Camera

In terms of photo imaging, it's a definite win for Lumia 1020 with its 41 megapixel-sensors. It has 2 camera apps: Windows Phone 8 camera app for casual shooting and Nokia Pro Cam app with manual control over shutter speed, ISO, white balance and focus.

HTC One, though not at par with Lumia 1020's camera feature, still has an exceptional lowlight image capture and good color reproduction with 4MP Ultrapixel camera.

The Ultimate Decree

For tech savvies out there, HTC One definitely wins against Nokia Lumia 1020. It has a faster processor and better display. Plus, it can support more and better phone apps. But, if you're more of a photo aficionado, then Nokia Lumia 1020 is a better choice.