Fight: HTC One X Vs Samsung Galaxy S III

The two biggest Android flagship smartphones of the year have been launched and the competition couldn’t have been any closer. HTC has already proved its mettle with the One X (read our review here) and now Samsung’s Galaxy S III attempts to take the Android flagship crown from it with the Galaxy S III. Samsung not only managed to build Apple-like hype in the build-up to the launch but also managed to add many software features on top of Android ICS. No, we are not talking about TouchWiz (that’s there too) but actual usable features. But will that be enough to beat the HTC One X? Let’s find out.

First and foremost, when it comes to the look and feel of the two devices, the One X wins hands down. Even before Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S III, there were rumors it would feature a ceramic back case. But that was not to be. Samsung has continued the tradition of using plastic, though for the Galaxy S III it is using a finish it calls ‘hyperglaze’. Yeah, it looks better than what we are used to in Samsung devices but it still doesn’t feel premium enough. The One X, on the other hand, feels solid and sturdy with its polycarbonate plastic finish. It feels like you are holding a high-end product and comes next only to the iPhone 4S.
Hardware specs-wise both the Galaxy S III and the One X are quite similar. Both run on quad-core processors, have 1GB RAM, 8-megapixel camera and the usual suspects like Wi-Fi, GPS and others. One of the major differences would be the display – the Galaxy S III has a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD display while the One X has a 4.7-inch SLCD2 display, the former being better. While the One X has a 32GB internal storage (25GB available to the user), the Galaxy S III offers just 16GB but has a microSD card slot too. Also, the Galaxy S III has a  2,100 mAh removable battery while the One X has a 1,800 mAh non-removable battery. (You can check our spec comparison sheet here.)
Where the Galaxy S III really scores high and probably blows the One X away is the software add-ons. Yes, both devices run Android ICS and both come with their own UI on top (TouchWiz and Sense) but both have added some new features. While HTC basically innovated on the camera UI with the ability to click pictures while shooting videos, Samsung has gone all out and added everything under the sun – from the Siri clone it calls S Voice to an eye tracking feature to intelligent photo gallery that recognizes people in photos from the users contacts, which happens to be among our favorite feature. There are more intelligent features like the ability to call someone directly from SMS inbox by raising the phone to one’s ear as well as a smart alarm that informs the user about missed calls and text messages. (Check out our feature round-up here.)
The biggest factor for most users, however, would be the price, where the Galaxy S III takes a severe beating. Currently it is priced at a whopping Rs 43,180 while the One X is easily available in the market for about Rs 37,000. At the Galaxy S III’s current price, we would recommend the HTC One X. However, it is unlikely for the Galaxy S III to sell at its MRP for a very long time. If it can come down in the vicinity of Rs 38,000 (which we believe it will), the Galaxy S III seems to be a better product. It all boils down to your preference – form or function. The One X wins on form but the software add-ons in the Galaxy S III does the trick on function, at least on paper and during our hands-on with the device. All will be revealed once we review the Galaxy S III.