Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X Comparison Thread

[EliteIntel]

Locked.

Thanks to Styrafoam and BlahBlahYouToo for highlighting what appears to be some form of astroturfing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing) or shill advertising. I will say that I'm sorry to you guys for letting this thread go on like it has for so long. Another moderator and I did do some research into EliteIntel earlier but apparently we didn't dig deeply enough. I had suspicions from the beginning but I should have googled key words from the post and I would have spotted it sooner.

Moderator PM









So what are your opinions of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the HTC One X? Apparently many reviews have given credit for Samsung Galaxy S3's supposedly premium and luxurious build quality (something which the previous SGS2 did not have). The Samsung Galaxy S3 uses a polycarbonate body material and also has a metallic trim. It has a metallic finish for the pebble blue version and a glossy finish on the white version. The HTC One X has a polycarbonate uni-body which means you can open the phone from the back and the battery is not replaceable.

So it seems Samsung has really improved their build quality to a level even higher than HTC's. Though the design is still questionable.

Spec-wise, the Samsung Galaxy S3 packs a Exynos 4 quad-core processor which is better than the Tegra 3 quad-core processor of the HTC One X. But it's useless comparing the International versions if you're from the US.

Browser speed test (BrowserMark)

Source: http://www.gsminsider.com/2012/05/samsung-galaxy-s3-gt-i9300-browsermark.html

If you're from the US, you will most likely be looking at the US versions of these phones.

Processor

International version
Samsung Galaxy S3: Exynos 4 quad core
HTC One X: Tegra 3 quad core
Result: Samsung Galaxy S3 wins

CPU/GPU tests:

GLBenchmark 2.1 (Egypt)



Quadrant


Sunspider


4G/LTE versions
Samsung Galaxy S3: S4 Krait
HTC One X: S4 Krait
Result: Draw

RAM

Samsung Galaxy S3: 2GB RAM
HTC One X: 1GB RAM
Result: Samsung Galaxy S3 wins

3G/4G LTE Signal transmission tests:

BrowserMark - web browser speed tests


Result: Samsung Galaxy S3 wins

Camera



Result: Samsung Galaxy S3 wins in daylight, HTC One X wins in dark

Video camera

Source: GSM

We were pleased with the video capture on the HTC One X. But the Galaxy S III is just too good to compete with - the resolved detail in the Galaxy S III videos is incredible and they are very smooth with accurate colors.

Here's the Galaxy S III 1080p FullHD sample.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aif8pLLjDJs&feature=player_embedded

And the One X 1080p video sample.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfBRkR682rg&feature=player_embedded

There's also the bitrate to take into account. The HTC One X videos come out with a relatively low bitrate of about 10 Mbps, while the Galaxy S III's clips hover around the 17 Mbps mark. Both devices offer stereo sound recording during capture. Below we've lined up 720p video samples by each of the devices.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr-BdysccZM&feature=player_embedded

The lower bitrate is evident here as well. At 6Mbps the One X videos have about half the bitrate of those captured with the Galaxy S III. (Galaxy S3 is the winner)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee0qO4Z9u2c&feature=player_embedded

Overall, it's hard to see beyond the Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III for the winner in the video recording category. The One X shoots decent videos, but those are nowhere near the S III standard.

Result: Samsung Galaxy S3 wins 100%.
Some versions of the HTC One X can not record at 30 FPS and sometimes even dip below 20 FPS which is poor.

Storage

Samsung Galaxy S3: comes in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB options and includes 64GB of microSD
HTC One X: only comes in 26GB option and no microSD
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S3

Screen

Samsung Galaxy S3: Super AMOLED HD screen with 1280x720 resolution
HTC One X: LCD 2 screen with 1280x720 resolution
Winner: Draw

Design

Subjective although many people find the Samsung Galaxy S3's design too conservative. Some say that the HTC One X's design lacks ergonomics. Watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MFCx4z6LCQ

Battery life

Samsung Galaxy S3: 2100mAh removable Li-Ion battery with 43hrs Endurance rating
HTC One X: 1800mAh non-removable Li-Po battery with 37hrs Endurance rating
Winner: Clearly Samsung Galaxy S3

Note: The Samsung Galaxy S3 truly has an amazing video playback battery life of more than 10hrs+, whereas the HTC One X only has a 5hr video playback battery life




Overall

Samsung Galaxy S3 is overall better in pure specs. However both are great phones and definitely the best Android phones of 2012. For the enthusiasts? The Samsung Galaxy S3 provides a much longer battery life so for people who use their phones often for Internet browsing, music and movies, the Samsung Galaxy S3 offers top-notch battery life which can be replaced with more powerful batteries.

 

[WelshBloke]

I think you can't really go wrong with either of them.
It's nice to see a bit of choice and competition at the high end in the android sphere.

 

[EliteIntel]

I think you can't really go wrong with either of them.
It's nice to see a bit of choice and competition at the high end in the android sphere.

I agree. Competition is the thing that drives higher technologies to be developed and this is the reason why we have these excellent smartphones. I am a bit disappointed that A15 processor technology was not used in both of these smartphones... something that I look forward to in 2013 I guess.

 

[WelshBloke]

I agree. Competition is the thing that drives higher technologies to be developed and this is the reason why we have these excellent smartphones. I am a bit disappointed that A15 processor technology was not used in both of these smartphones... something that I look forward to in 2013 I guess.

Its easy to get impatient with the progress of tech, but smart phones must be the fastest progressing gadgets at the moment. Hell, thinking back I can't think of any other tech that has moved this fast.

Its nice to see that HTC have realised that they need to make a continued effort to get to the top, they had it too easy for too many years.

I also like that Samsung and HTC seem to have slightly different aims with their devices.
HTC seem to be aiming for cloud storage and pretty form factors whereas Samsung seem to be staying with expandable storage and a more traditional form factor. For my needs I'd go for the Samsung but they are so close its just the little personal usage choices that swing things.

I'm surprised that there is so much arguing about which is better, and about how heated the arguments are getting. Its going to come down to how you use your device, they are both really,really good phones.

 

[EliteIntel]

Its easy to get impatient with the progress of tech, but smart phones must be the fastest progressing gadgets at the moment. Hell, thinking back I can't think of any other tech that has moved this fast.

Its nice to see that HTC have realised that they need to make a continued effort to get to the top, they had it too easy for too many years.

I also like that Samsung and HTC seem to have slightly different aims with their devices.
HTC seem to be aiming for cloud storage and pretty form factors whereas Samsung seem to be staying with expandable storage and a more traditional form factor. For my needs I'd go for the Samsung but they are so close its just the little personal usage choices that swing things.

I'm surprised that there is so much arguing about which is better, and about how heated the arguments are getting. Its going to come down to how you use your device, they are both really,really good phones.

Well Samsung has improved their build quality significantly. The polycarbonate body, metallic trim and the metallic finish feel very premium and luxurious as mentioned by reviewers from GSM Arena, The Verge and CNET. It is even better built than the HTC One X. Samsung phones are manufactured in Samsung manufacturing centers in Korea and they are the most reliable brand when it comes to electronics.

I always had a problem with HTC phones because they lack reliability. There have been reports of faulty batches of the HTC One X (especially the ones from China). If you get a HTC phone from Taiwan, the quality will be what you'd expect, however Chinese manufactured (I don't think HTC's factories in China are even owned and inspected by HTC- just "under contract") ones are really a mixed bag. I really do like HTC's design and screen on the One X. It's a shame that they don't have any options for storage and offer no memory expansion and no microSD is a huge disappointment.

 

[Dari]

Another Samsung employee registering for Anandtech to post these threads? This is getting pathetic. What happened to the other one?

 

[EliteIntel]

Another Samsung employee registering for Anandtech to post these threads? This is getting pathetic. What happened to the other one?

Samsung employee? I'm definitely not a Samsung employee. Do I sound biased? Because I'm not. I'm just saying that the storage options of the HTC One X is really a disappointment. How does that make me as biased as a Samsung employee?

If you're here to troll on my thread, get out. Because if you're not going to contribute anything useful then you are clearly a troll. Even if you have 11,150 posts and been a member since 2002, you do not have the right to accuse me of being an employee of X company.

Please contribute something useful to this discussion. Thanks.

 

[Oyeve]

The lack of MSD on the HTC is definitely pushing me to the sgs3. no doubt about it. spec-wise there are similar but the msd is definitely the issue.

 

[MrX8503]

You're out of your mind if you think the sgs3 build quality is better than HTC's unibody OneX.

 

[WelshBloke]

You're out of your mind if you think the sgs3 build quality is better than HTC's unibody OneX.

I've not handled both so I'll bow to your hands on experience with both.

 

[dagamer34]

I'm wondering when the S3 suddenly got 2GB of RAM...

 

[ITHURTSWHENIP]

I'm wondering when the S3 suddenly got 2GB of RAM...

The japanese version with Snapdragon S4 has 2 GB RAM. TS is assuming the US version will also have it

 

[ImDonly1]

You do realize Samsung has manufacturing plants in china too?

Also the screen comparison, most would argue htc wins.
The one x also had slightly better battery life I think.
I also never heard anyone say the sgs3 has better build quality. If might be more improved over the sgs2 but not better than the one x.

 

[vshah]

every review i've seen has said that the One X screen is way better than the SGS3

 

[Trader05]

i thought the SIII has a Quad Exynos cpu?

 

[dagamer34]

i thought the SIII has a Quad Exynos cpu?

Will most likely be using Snapdragon S4 for LTE variants.

 

[stormkroe]

Hmm... when did anyone get to test the S3 battery life? How about comprehensive camera comparison with the one X? Also, pretty slick to only list the HTC 'left-over' storage space on the 32gb model, yet not do the same for the S3. Maybe 'employee' is too strong a word, but you have to admit the OP seems to have a bit of an agenda given that this list is a lot of opinion paraded as facts.

 

[zerogear]

What's really pushing me away from SGS3 is how much Samsung butchered the ICS interface to make it look/use like Gingerbread.

 

[Skurge]

every review i've seen has said that the One X screen is way better than the SGS3

How many reviews are there of the S3 vs the One X, most I've seen are previews. The only one I've seen was the one from GSM arena. They did say the HTC screen had a slight edge, but the S3 had better sunlight legibility.

http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_iii_vs_htc_one_x-review-759.php

 

[WelshBloke]

What's really pushing me away from SGS3 is how much Samsung butchered the ICS interface to make it look/use like Gingerbread.

The ICS interface is not that different to the GB one. The menus are nicer in ICS and the task switcher is better, but I think Samsung have kept those. The app draw in stock ICS is horrible with the pages of Widgets to flip through and the stock launcher is not that great.

Which bits of ICS have Samsung stripped out that you like?

 

[zerogear]

The ICS interface is not that different to the GB one. The menus are nicer in ICS and the task switcher is better, but I think Samsung have kept those. The app draw in stock ICS is horrible with the pages of Widgets to flip through and the stock launcher is not that great.

Which bits of ICS have Samsung stripped out that you like?

I'm actually basing my opinion on SGS2 with TW4. But it's small things like Power Menu when you hold the power button. Notification slide down panel. Having a "Task Manager" button in the task switcher. It just makes everything kind of awkward and not very unified as opposed to Holo interface on ICS. Also SGS3 changed the buttons as well instead of back/home/multitask, they did menu/home(multitask)/back which is the same as all SGS series, but I thought it really didn't make sense for ICS.

 

[WelshBloke]

I'm actually basing my opinion on SGS2 with TW4. But it's small things like Power Menu when you hold the power button. Notification slide down panel. Having a "Task Manager" button in the task switcher. It just makes everything kind of awkward and not very unified as opposed to Holo interface on ICS. Also SGS3 changed the buttons as well instead of back/home/multitask, they did menu/home(multitask)/back which is the same as all SGS series, but I thought it really didn't make sense for ICS.

Apart from the button thing (which I have no strong feelings about either way) I prefer Samsungs changes. I don't use the TW launcher as I do think that that is pretty limited but then again the stock ICS one is not great either.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Hmm... when did anyone get to test the S3 battery life? How about comprehensive camera comparison with the one X? Also, pretty slick to only list the HTC 'left-over' storage space on the 32gb model, yet not do the same for the S3. Maybe 'employee' is too strong a word, but you have to admit the OP seems to have a bit of an agenda given that this list is a lot of opinion paraded as facts.

In the US the S3 and One X have the same SoC but the S3 has a much larger battery and a more energy efficient screen so it's pretty clear it will have better battery life.

HTC does not have the best track record for quality either so based on past evidence it's very fair to give that to Samsung.

What's really pushing me away from SGS3 is how much Samsung butchered the ICS interface to make it look/use like Gingerbread.

Have you seen Sense 4? It's every bit as different from stock ICS as Touchwiz but it doesn't add any useful functionality to make up for it. Not to mention multitasking on the One X is basically what everyone used to bash iOS for having.

The lack of a menu button on the One X was also stupid, because of that many apps must bring up a bar for a menu soft key which makes having physical buttons 100% pointless since the screen space must be used for buttons either way.

 

[386DX]

Have you seen Sense 4? It's every bit as different from stock ICS as Touchwiz but it doesn't add any useful functionality to make up for it. Not to mention multitasking on the One X is basically what everyone used to bash iOS for having.

I agree with you about the skins. Although Touchwiz isn't as pretty as Sense 4 it actually has useful functionality in it. The quick toggles to turn on/off features from the notification bar is infinitely useful and is a touchwiz feature, along with the changing screen brightness by sliding a finger on the notification bar, and built in support for playing many video codecs without having to download a third party player.

Sense on the other hand causes random stuttering on the phone not to mention its to aggressive app killing where you may want to multitask but end up having to restart the program instead and lose where you are at.

Its easy to compare specs on the phone and decide which is better based on specs but there are other useability features you miss out on. For instance the Verge mentioned that the Galaxy S3 had one of the best voice quality of any phone, and gsmarena rated the speakerphone for voice on the S3 at 75.1 db while the One X got 65.1 db. That's a pretty big difference in loudness and is one of those useability things that matter when using speakerphone in a car, etc.

 

[stormkroe]

In the US the S3 and One X have the same SoC but the S3 has a much larger battery and a more energy efficient screen so it's pretty clear it will have better battery life.

HTC does not have the best track record for quality either so based on past evidence it's very fair to give that to Samsung.

It's true that the S4 One X and the S4 S3 have the same SoC, but it's by far not an apples to apples comparison. Just look at HTC's horrible battery life in the past, yet other manufacturers using the same SoC were just fine. Between the UI skin, power profiles, ram (2gb vs 1gb), etc, there's just too many variables. Also, isn't it accepted that samoleds are power hogs in low-black scenarios? And that low black scenarios are the majority in non-phonecall smartphone usage? I don't want to say one way or the other, but with the info available the only thing we can say for sure is that the Galaxy has a bigger battery.

As for quality, I was talking about a side by side camera comparison, not build quality. And to that, weren't pre- S2 Sammy products considered cheap and plasticy? When hTC was failing at a lot of other things, build quality was never a common complaint from what I've read.

I sincerely hope that someone steps up to the plate with better metrics to measure how 'good' a phone is. There's just too much wiggle room in what we've got right now, and it would be silly to think that ANY of the companies would refuse to exploit some wiggle. Once people start getting S3's in hand, things will clear up a bit. I hope it's as good as previews say.

Also, I'd like to say that The Incredible Hulk is stronger than Thor. Not in the Avengers movie, but in real life.