All the best festival tech and gadgets you need to pack
30/05/2012 10:25 | By Duncan Jefferies, contributor, MSN Tech & Gadgets
Samsung Galaxy S3 v iPhone 4S v HTC One X: which is better?
Samsung Galaxy S3 v iPhone 4S v HTC One X: usability
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Usability
HTC has vastly improved its Sense overlay for the One X, doing away with pointless animations and streamlining the whole user experience. Combining this with Android's Ice Cream Sandwich mobile operating system makes for a smooth, slick interface that's crammed full of customisation options. Samsung has also overhauled its Touchwiz overlay, bringing it in line with the 'inspired by nature' theme of the phone and reducing on-screen clutter and introducing some nifty motion sensing controls. In terms of sheer ease of use, however, the iPhone 4S still comes out on top. If you want a smartphone that 'just works', this is it.
Winner: iPhone 4S
Full review: Samsung Galaxy S3
Full review: Apple iPhone 4S
Full review: HTC One X
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150Comments
20/04/2012 17:42
There is nothing to compare.
Samsung and HTC have been ahead of Apple for well over a year now. The gaps were very visible with the first gen Galaxy and Desire HD.
Anyone saying and thinking otherwise is either an Apple fanboy or hasn't had a Samsung/HTC high-end phone in his/hers hands.
Samsung and HTC have been ahead of Apple for well over a year now. The gaps were very visible with the first gen Galaxy and Desire HD.
Anyone saying and thinking otherwise is either an Apple fanboy or hasn't had a Samsung/HTC high-end phone in his/hers hands.
21/04/2012 01:07
I work in the business of building chips used in these types of phones. I can tell you that under the hood they are much of a muchness but in pure tech terms Apple is not a leader; never have been - look at Macs v PCs for the history and truth on that.
Where Apple leads by a massive distance is brand, convergence (everything on one device) and to a lesser extent usability. The main criticism of Apple is its proprietary system which locks users in and also traps them into paying huge (unjustifiable) additional sums of money for hardware components that do not cost very much, e.g. bigger memory versions.
Apple users need to get their heads around the fact they are buying fashion not best in class technology. Nothing wrong in that but let's not pretend it's the other way around 'cos as an engineer I can tell you it ain't.
Where Apple leads by a massive distance is brand, convergence (everything on one device) and to a lesser extent usability. The main criticism of Apple is its proprietary system which locks users in and also traps them into paying huge (unjustifiable) additional sums of money for hardware components that do not cost very much, e.g. bigger memory versions.
Apple users need to get their heads around the fact they are buying fashion not best in class technology. Nothing wrong in that but let's not pretend it's the other way around 'cos as an engineer I can tell you it ain't.
20/04/2012 17:39
I just got a smart phone, the Galaxy S second hand. I have watched movies on it straight from the server using Allshare and to be honest when using such a small screen the extra definition that the IPhone has is of no importance what is important is that at such a high resolution movement is not so sharp. I had a weekend playing with an IPhone and my biggest grip with it is that everything has to be done through Apple software. I can't copy my music on to it or more to the point copy a couple of tracks of my music without it creating a pairing with my machine which then deletes all the music from the machine it's normally synced with.
The cost of anything Apple is always more and it does not stop with just the hardware, take I Tunes for example. Stuff is much cheaper in normal MP3 format.
As to getting to grips with Android, well that a load of bull. The same could be said of Apple if its your first smart phone. You give an IPhone t an android user and they will have a problem to start with, do it the other way round and ditto. It's like Linux and Microsoft users swapping PC's.
Battery use, well that depends on how many calls you make and for how long hence it is not really that simple to compare. My Galaxy, so often complained about for it's short battery life, lasts two weeks if left on and not used (I left it behind when I went on a two week holiday by accident which is how I know), I guess an IPhone would last just as long.
I like the fact that Android software is either free or a nominal price plus I can actually find things I can seriously use. I am sure there are some good Apple apps but far less choice and a lot more money.
At the end of the day it's down to cost and it has to be said there is a bigger android choice at much lower prices and given the little small differences I would prefer an android phone to an IPhone.
20/04/2012 23:53
It's crazy that so many sad people become verbally abusive and offended when others question the merits of the brand of mobile phone they are currently using. It's the mentality of the school playground - "mine's great, so yours is rubbish; mine is bigger than yours" etc.etc.
I can hardly begin to even guess at the level of exchanges that might have taken place if the issues were of some importance. Get a grip - they are just phones!
I can hardly begin to even guess at the level of exchanges that might have taken place if the issues were of some importance. Get a grip - they are just phones!
30/05/2012 18:54
I do not think I will bother and just keep my ordinary phone just to make and receive
calls, does not even have a camera but it does the job so why spend so much money
that will only be out of date in another year and it seems you have to keep updating really!
too much money I guess,
20/04/2012 17:49
get a life guys
30/05/2012 20:37
I dont own a smartphone. What I would like to ask everyone to think about is the cost of the phone bits?
I have a Samsung S3.6 sold as an MP3 player with loads of extra features just like the S3 but without the phone capability(under £200).
Considering you can buy a full function Mobile for under £40, how do the manufacturers justify asking nearly £500 for a few phone bits.
I suspect we are all being taken for a ride by the smartphone industry, and the longer we put up with it the more we will have to pay for a few extra bits costing probably no more than £20.
I have a Samsung S3.6 sold as an MP3 player with loads of extra features just like the S3 but without the phone capability(under £200).
Considering you can buy a full function Mobile for under £40, how do the manufacturers justify asking nearly £500 for a few phone bits.
I suspect we are all being taken for a ride by the smartphone industry, and the longer we put up with it the more we will have to pay for a few extra bits costing probably no more than £20.
20/04/2012 21:00
I have iphone 4 and HTC one X I think the HTC is alot better. the camera quality is superb crystal clear
30/05/2012 19:14
The 4S is slower than the S2 so no way it could beat the S3
30/05/2012 18:41
LOL, why is the iphone even there, its nothing compared to these two
23/04/2012 00:31
You all may laugh.............
Does anyone make a mobile phone that only makes phone calls?????????
Or are we going back to the eighties!
20/04/2012 19:04
I have just bought the HTC One X and i can honestly say it makes the iPhone 4S look and perform like phone which a toddler would have for christmas. The retina display is perfect and crystal clear, all moving images and videos play perfectly and that goes for the camera aswell. The quad-core processor is mighty quick and you can do just about everything that you can do on a laptop or desktop computer. But what makes this so good is that you can do all this on the move. There will now be no need for me to buy a ipad, the HTC One X is everything and more. The design is perfect, i have it white and looks smart, the cool charcole/ black colour is also very slick. The apps are great, you can have just about anything. Not to forget the AUDIO, the sounds which come from the phone are pure, the sounds just make the phone that much better than the rest. My girlfriend has the iphone 4s and the putting the phones side by side she also agrees with me. I have never written on forums about technology or phones before but when something is real and works so well its hard no to tell everyone about it. Go and Buy One this weekend!!
21/04/2012 09:32
I agree with Bruce Berry, my Nokia 3210 makes phone calls and messaging easy. I have a laptop and a P.C. which do all the rest. Don't get suckered into this system of spending a fortune every time a new version of the same phone hits the shops, they're a waste of money. Unless of course you're one of those Facebook saddo's who has to tell everyone what you're eating, or what you're listening to on your i-pod. These things are mere status symbols amongst the half wits.
26/04/2012 18:46
iphone suck ****
20/04/2012 21:01
I ve just had a very nice curry
21/04/2012 08:19
What's the hype about HTC and Iphone? Nothing beats my £9.99 Nokia. It suits my every day needs. Battery lasts about 4 days and find I don't need to oogle the google for 24 hours a day. Besides my job does not allow for that anyway. I don't need a fancy gadget. I have a computer that does all that and I'm not on the shopping list for muggers either
30/05/2012 22:04
@ darren monk
you dont help your argument by saying you have had 3 of them
why does one person need 3 iphones unless of course they are unreliable and have broken on you so you require a second and third
my opinion would be the samsung galaxy
i have used all 3 phones but dont own any of them i think this helps keep me unbiased
30/05/2012 15:27
it all comes down to samsung galaxy or htc.
i like samsung more
30/05/2012 18:59
Why are they still trying to compare the iPhone to these 2? iOS is becoming a very old operating system compared to Android and if Apple don't make drastic changes the iPhone is set to have problems in the coming years.
*Battery remaining after playing a video for 1 and a half hours (from 100%, full brightness):
HTC One X = 55%
Galaxy SIII = 82%
Hope this helps.
20/04/2012 21:08
Sorry folks but I still use my faithfull Nokia 6610, mobile for making calls. Never lets me down.
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