HTC promised that in 2012 it would only be releasing ‘hero’ devices on the market and the HTC One X is the best example of that promise. Arguably the most powerful Android smartphone readily available on the market, its available on AT&T as well as Sprint (HTC EVO 4G LTE). So how does it compare to another popular Android smartphone that has a lot of things going for it, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus? We check it out.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus or HTC One X?
Starting off with the hardware, both smartphones boast candy bar form factors and large displays. The HTC One X has a 4.7-inch Super LCD display wrapped in Gorilla glass, while the Galaxy Nexus goes with a 4.65 inch Super AMOLED touch screen with an oleo phobic coating. Both have 720p resolutions and look great despite the different screen technologies.
Next up is hardware. While the HTC One X boasts a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, this is only applicable in selected markets. The US variants (AT&T and Sprint so far) will go with dual-core Snapdragon S4 setups. However the S4 chipset is based on new architecture so don’t feel you will be getting shortchanged, as tests show it is as capable (if not more) as the quad-core Tegra 3. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has a slightly outdated 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP processor. On top of this is Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with the HTC One X having an extra scooping of HTC Sense.
Moving to the rear we find the HTC One X a winner. It boasts a 8-megapixel camera with auto-focus, LED flash, geo tagging, and bi sensors. The Nexus comes with a 5-megapixel shooter than doesn’t perform as well as the HTC, but both are capable of 1080p HD video recording.
While on paper the HTC One X seems to be a little better off than the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (it is a newer model after all), when it comes to making a decision you only need to look at two things – camera and Android update. Sure the HTC One X is also faster in terms of its more powerful hardware, but we left that out for a reason. Despite the HTC One X having slightly more processing power, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus feels ‘smoother and lighter’ thanks to the pure Android 4.0 UI. HTC has publicly stated that it is aware how bloated its HTC Sense UI has become and have taken the right path with the One X by reducing some of it, however it still doesn’t compare with stock Android 4.0.
Answer boils down to two ‘features’
While there are many things to consider when choosing between the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and HTC One X, the two biggest differences is where you should put most of your attention to – Android updates and the camera. The HTC One X boasts a better camera and image processing software, as well as utilizes a LCD display which in our opinion is better than AMOLED for picture and video playback. However if your smartphone is not your primary camera and faster Android updates is what you would prefer, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is your phone.
