HTC One X vs iPhone 5 revisited

We compare the latest rumours surrounding the iPhone 5 to the HTC One X.

Form
Apple iPhone 5 - TBA
HTC One X - 134.4x69.9x8.9mm, 130g

Rumours surrounding the iPhone 5's form factor have been some of the longest running in mobile tech, but generally the overall consensus hasn't changed from the idea of a metal-backed ‘teardrop' shaped design.

What is slightly different though, is the new rumour that it'll be made from ‘liquid metal'. We're not sure exactly what kind of benefits this will create, however, but it is expected to be very light, thin and durable.

We suspect it'll look enough like its predecessors to fit in with Apple's signature style with slightly rounded corners and a proportionate stretch of bodywork at the top and bottom.

There is still the possibility that Apple will introduce the rumoured ‘edge-to-edge' display, which would mean either no bezel along the edges or a remarkably thin one.

We expect the iPhone 5 to look suitably flashy, dynamic and different enough from the iPhone 4S to make a mark when it lands.

HTC's One X is a much more refined device than the company's previous offerings with a slightly curved profile and high-quality materials which give a premium feel.

The Taiwanese manufacturer has pulled a clever visual trick by seating the touchscreen in a black wedge-shaped panel, which means that from the front you can only see a thin bezel of the main bodywork for a more up-to-date look. It's particularly striking with the highly contrasting white coloured version.

We think the iPhone 5 will look fantastic but the HTC One X has some striking visuals and we don't think Apple's next handset will detract from this. We're calling it a draw.

Winner - Draw

Display
As we mentioned, it's possible the iPhone 5 will feature edge-to-edge screen technology with no bezel. Whether it does or not, the other rumours consistently suggest it will have a larger screen than previous models.

Apple is expected to upgrade its Retina display from 3.5-inches to at least 4-inches. Potentially it could be larger, but somehow we doubt it.

Having cracked Retina technology on a device as large as the new iPad it should mean that a slightly larger iPhone touchscreen should pose no problems for keeping visual clarity and a high pixel density.

HTC's One X has some impressive display tech with a 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 multi-touch capacitive screen, reinforced with Gorilla Glass and boasting a 1280x720 pixel resolution. This pegs the pixel density at 312 pixels-per-inch (ppi).

This screen is seriously sharp and bright with vivid colours. Aside from Sony's Xperia S it is one of the best Android displays on the market currently.

Our guess is the iPhone 5 will sport a 4-inch screen with a pixel density approaching 400ppi, logically Apple should be able to match the HTC One X's resolution of 1280x720 pixels, which would put the pixel density more precisely around 367ppi.

The thing is, when you get past the high 200's on ppi it becomes hard to notice a difference unless you have perfect 20/20 vision, and even then past a higher threshold in the low 300's even people with better peepers are going to be struggling to tell which is better.

Winner - Draw

Storage
Apple's freshest hardware always features the same variety of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage models and we don't expect that to change with the iPhone 5. What is also sure not to change is the absence of micro SD capability, so there won't be any extra storage via cards.

However, with the third-generation iPad Apple broke the 1GB wall for onboard RAM and we think it's likely this will transfer across to the next smartphone from the Cupertino-based giant.

The HTC One X has only one option for 32GB, but this is still a hefty amount of space. It has the same 1GB of RAM as its opponent and the lack of card storage, but this means it comes out a bit below Apple's offering in terms of total storage space available.

Winner - Apple iPhone 5