iPhone 5 vs. HTC One XL: Is the HTC Smartphone Better or a Cheaper Alternative?
The much awaited iPhone 5 announcement already passed that brought us the tech giant Apple's 2012 flagship phone and put an end to all of the ongoing rumors surrounding the device.
Apple unveiled its latest smartphone in San Francisco at the Yerba Buena Center for Arts, and has the entire tech world watching to see the next generation iPhone. Some of its amazing features are 4G/LTE connectivity, 4-inch screen display and new operating system.
Meanwhile, one of the best smartphones in the HTC One product line is the HTC One XL. The device was introduced earlier this year that impressed a lot of consumers in many parts of the world. HTC is considered as one of the strong competitors of Apple that is slowly rising in the smartphone market.
Is this mobile phone from HTC better than the iPhone 5 or is it just an alternative to Apple's smartphone?
Design - HTC One XL is a thin and lightweight smartphone and is available in gray and white color cases. The iPhone 5, on the other hand, claimed to be the thinnest and lightest iPhone yet and is available in its staple black and white color cases.
Screen Display - The new iPhone finally let go of its prehistoric 3.5 inch screen and put a 4-inch screen display. The new screen has 1136 x 640 pixel resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio. However, this is nothing compared to the 4.7 inch screen display of HTC One XL with 1280x720 pixel resolution.
Processor - HTC One XL is powered by 1.5 GHz dual core Qualcomm S4 Snapdragon chipset; while iPhone 5 is powered by the new A6 processor. According to Schiller, the chip is 22 percent smaller than the previous A5, available in the iPhone 4S, but is twice as fast and doubles the graphics performance of its predecessor.
Operating System - The iPhone 5 will be run by the new iOS 6 packed with new amazing features. HTC One XL is run by Android v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgradable to the latest version - Jelly Bean.
Connectivity - Both devices support 4G/LTE connectivity, which is the latest trend in devices nowadays. 4G claimed to be a faster connection yet. However, it is not clear yet if iPhone 5 will work on the 4G connection in Australia.
Camera - Both devices has 8 megapixels rear cameras. However, iPhone 5's front camera now supports 720p video for video calls.
Battery Life - HTC One XL has 1800 mAh battery. On the other hand, Apple promises strong battery life in the iPhone 5. The company claims it'll deliver 8 hours of 3G talk time and 8 hours of LTE browsing. On standby, the device will last 225 hours on a single charge, the company says.
Each device also has its own features that cannot be found in the other. HTC One XL supports Near Field Communication (NFC) that Apple did not include in its latest smartphone.
IPhone 5 changed its dock connector and making it smaller. It will not work on any of your expensive accessories that you already have. You will have to pay $30 for an adapter.
HTC One XL is already available under different plans in Australian carrier Telstra that has the largest 4G coverage in the country. Pre-orders of Apple's iPhone 5 started last Friday and will hit the shelves on September 21.