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Samsung Galaxy S3 vs HTC One X+, competent comparison

Every now and then we like to bring readers a comparison of two of the most talked-about phones of the moment and today it’s the turn of the Samsung Galaxy S3 vs. HTC One X+. Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S3 (S III) has been a huge hit already, selling in massive numbers while the HTC One X+ is a successor to the popular HTC One X, another successful flagship device. Let’s take a look then at how they compare.

First of all we should point out that the Samsung Galaxy S3 has now been available for several months whereas the HTC One X+ is still to hit the shelves. The latter is due for a release in some regions such as Europe and Asia later this month with other regions to follow at some point. Both of these are truly impressive smartphones that have a lot to recommend them and we’ll delve into some of the key specs and features of each. If you’re thinking of purchasing either of these phones, hopefully our comparison will help you decide which one may be the best option for you.

Processor
The Galaxy S3 has an Exynos 1.4GHz ARM Cortex-A9 quad-core processor for the international version or the 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor in the US model, while graphics are taken care of with the 400MP Mali quad-core GPU. The HTC One X+ steps up from its predecessor’s processor to a 1.7GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor and ULP GeForce GPU so on this count there’s not too much to choose between them. There have been claims though that the HTC One X+ runs 60% faster than the original One X and if that is accurate that’s pretty notable.

Display
The SGS3 has a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display with resolution of 1280 x 720 and 306ppi featuring Corning Gorilla Glass 2. The One X+ has a 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 display with resolution of 1280 x 720 and 312ppi, also with Corning Gorilla Glass 2. Both of these are high-quality displays and although the pixel density is slightly higher on the One X+ the difference is not significant.

Storage
The Galaxy S3 has 1GB of RAM in the international version and 2GB for the US LTE model. It comes in 16 or 32GB models for internal storage with a 64GB version still to be released. This is expandable via microSD. The One X+ has 1GB of RAM and will be available in 32 or 64GB models. However there’s no microSD for expanding and this is something we would have hoped for on such a high-end device.

Camera
The setup for the Galaxy S3 brings an 8-megapixel-rear camera with autofocus, f/2.6 aperture, face and smile detection, video stabilization, HDR mode and 1080p video recording. There’s also multishot and simultaneous HD video and image capture. Add to this you get a 1.9-megapixel front-facing shooter with 720p video capture for video calling. Moving on to the One X+ there’s an 8-megapixel rear camera, dedicated image chip, touch focus, autofocus, f/2.0 aperture, face and smile detection, video stabilization, HDR mode and 1080p video recording. It also has rapid multishot and again there’s simultaneous HD video and image capture. The front-facing shooter is 1.6-megapixels with 720p video capture. There’s a lot to consider here but as you can see many of the camera specs are similar. The Galaxy S3 aperture isn’t quite as good but all things considered there’s really not much between them.

Operating System
The Galaxy S3 launched running Android 4.0 ICS, the latest at that time. However the Android 4.1 Jelly update is now in the process of being rolled out to the device. The S3 also uses Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface. The One X+ will release with 4.1 Jelly Bean, as you would expect, along with the newest build of the HTC Sense UI, Sense version 4+. The S3 also has the Samsung app suite while the One X+ comes with specialized apps for photos and music. Again these are a pretty even match once the S3 actually receives the Jelly Bean update, although users may simply prefer one interface to another.

Design
Although we think the design of a smartphone will always be an issue of personal preference it’s fair to say that the aesthetic appeal of both phones is pretty equal. Both are good-looking handsets as far as design goes but one of the only criticisms the Galaxy S3 faced on its release was the plastic construction that makes it feel rather cheap. The One X+ casing on the other hand is made of strong polycarbonate with a matte finish, giving it a much more high-quality look. We’d favor the One X+ on form factor then but of course you may feel differently. Dimensions-wise the Galaxy S3 measures 136.6mm x 70.6mm x 8.6mm and weighs 133g while the One X+ measures 134.4mm x 69.9mm x 8.9mm and weighs 135g so there is hardly any difference at all between the two as far as size goes.

Conclusion
To be frank this is a tough one to choose a winner on. Both have many additional features to take into account and we feel that both are imposing smartphones that have a lot to offer. Ultimately it may come down to which interface you prefer and the very personal factor of design choice. With either handset though you’d be choosing an impressive device.

We’d like to hear your thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the HTC One X+. If you are thinking of purchasing a smartphone soon is it likely to be one of these two? If so, then which is your preference and why? Let us have your comments on this.

Sources: HTCPedia AND Know Your Mobile

Comments

59 thoughts on “Samsung Galaxy S3 vs HTC One X+, competent comparison”

  1. ikokkinos says:

    Man you must have splinters in your arse sitting on the fence like that. I didn’t buy the one x because of what I heard about the battery and got an SIII. Three months after using the SIII I sent it back and went back to my HTC desire HD which I prefer to it (believe it or not) and will definitely buy the One X + now that the battery is the same as the SIII as I have to be fair battery life on the SIII was superb, the only reason I kept it for 3 months, but Kies did my head in, spent two days trying to get it to work and it was a big fail. Touch wiz is crap, the way you can’t plug and play without Kies is crap (Samsung just try to mimic apple) And in this day and age WTF is it with hard home buttons on apple and Samsung. Anyway just my opinion as I find Sense suits me, if it doesn’t suit you and you like hard home buttons get a samsung or iphone.

    1. GiJo says:

      Hey, just wanted to shout out, and say I see the wisdom/insight in your comments. I’m on an HTC (Evo) and my gf is on a Samsung (note). As she got her note after me, I was surprised to see that the ease of connecting (i.e. the phone interfacing as a hard-drive with my laptop) was absent from Samsung’s interface equation.

      My only real complaint with the Evo is the battery life, or lack thereof. I’ve actually been quite impressed with HTC Sense, particularly since the ICS update.

      1. Peter says:

        Don’t realy see what you are talking about regarding Kies.
        I never used it, and I do have a Galaxy S, S2, S3 and tomorrow I will get my Note 2. I have been using HTC Desire and I have been trying out HTC One X
        As soon as I connect the USB cable to my computer I get a new unit, with 2 drives.
        I use the cloud for almost all syncronisation, file transfer and backups. So I don’t need Kies.
        Regarding Touchwis or Sense thats an other story. Thats more what you are used to, and I prefere a 3rd party software.
        The sound is much better in One X.
        I realy hope the battery time is better in the + version.
        And I do hate the locked in battery in the HTC. The S3 have a good battery but I still uses the spare battery now and then. espesialy when I’m in areas where there is bad cell coverage and I use both GPS and Bluetooth.
        The extra 1 GB internal memory is worth gold to me, in all HTC models I’ve tried I have been running out of internal memory.

        So as usual it is a matter of tast and what you are used to 🙂

        1. Chris says:

          Hey buddy, I’ve always had a samsung, still got the S1, but stuck between the s3 and the onex+. Ive not really used an htc before but had a go on mums desire s and have to say I much more preferred the interface on the galaxy as I felt it was cleaner and smoother. Which one do you reckon I could last with for a 2 year contract??

  2. Abdul says:

    I think Samsung S3 has establish them self. However I believe the HTC One X+ will be a faster more powerful processor. I am happy to hear about their improved battery life, which make a big difference as that was the main problem along with over heating of previous HTC One X

  3. Bartleby says:

    I’d love the One X+ but no SD card – ARE TYHEY SERIOUS? that’s the ONLY reason I wo’t buy it! do they not know their customer base? they’re cutting out a huge sector of the meerkat ;o)

      1. Fernando says:

        That is noooooot true at all. Currently, I have a 64GB iPhone 4S and believe me, I use all the space. My phone is about to explote. I even had to bought an iPod Classic with 160GB because my music library is extemely big. (And I am using Dropbox, Google Drive and iCloud too)

        Despise that, I am going to buy the One X+ but I don’t know what the hell am I going to do without the SDcard.

        1. NIGEL says:

          lol!!! seriously an ipod classic, icloud, dropbox, google drive and you still ain’t got enough space….wtf?!!! hahahaha,…and there was i thinking 16gb is enough…lol!!!!!!! seriously, thats like a million songs dude…!!! do you listen to all of them…. 😀

        2. midi510 says:

          I recently upgraded to an ASUS router with USB to connect up to two hard drives. I have access to terabytes of storage space from anywhere in the world that I can access the internet. The 64GB in the + model is now enough to store back country maps and plenty of music for when there’s no internet.

    1. Glenn says:

      dude. 64gb AND dropbox storage? what are you doing on that phone? are you never cleaning up? iphone has no removable sd card and no one is complaining about that…. for music, pictures, some movies and all the TOP100 apps on the google store its more than enough 🙂

    1. george says:

      are you kiddin’ me….??!! iphone 5 or htc one x+….???!!! there’s no comparison…i5 hasn’t got half the features that the 1x+ has got…..!!! and further,..ios is totally rigid and you can’t personalize it to your requirements……..whereas, you can personalize the heck out of an android phone…!!! definitely the 1x+…..

  4. Pickedypick says:

    The Heading reads: “competent comparison” and then in the Display section you say ” although the pixel density is slightly higher on the One X+ the difference is not significant.” Sorry, had stop reading after that. The screen on the One X was already 100x times better than on the S3, so this is a huuuge difference and a big plus on the HTC side. And who on earth needs more than 64GB storage on a phone (plus 25GB in the Cloud)? If that’s really an issue, people should complain about their F250 only having 2-axles.

  5. definitely htc one x+
    the processor 1.7 makes it like a phone on steroids lol and i really love the htc sense how they modify the software is amazing
    samsung’s build quality is not very good two of my friends had samsung galaxy s2 and galaxy note but after some time they had problems with there phones touch screen and recently they are having problems with signals on there phones its not because of the network i know it because i am using the same network
    where as i never had such problems with my htc desier hd so definitely buying htc one x+ 🙂

  6. Dayle says:

    For the past 3 months (since realising my upgrade is coming up) I have been dead set on an S3 simply for how it wipes the floor with iPhone 5. But i’ve been on a HTC Desire HD for 2 years and to put it simply- it’s been PERFECT! Not had a single problem with it, but was avoiding the One X for the issues i’ve heard about it (battery power, crashing), but this One X+ seems to have corrected those problems AND with built in Beats and Jelly Bean and with my personal experience of HTC devices, i’m left swaying towards the One X+… What would everyone else choose??

    1. Robert says:

      Hi there Dayle I’m the same im due and upgrade soon and in two minds for S3 or the one X+, I have also been using the Desire HD for nearly two years and perfect in my eyes as well. Now the reviews I have read and comments I have seen are taking me towards the One X+ which is due to me released the begining of November. So go with the HTC One X+ 🙂

    2. I was definitely going to upgrade in Nov with the S3, but I think the One X+ has changed my mind… I have used HTC phones for since ever now, and I know they’re good, plus Beats! Oh decisions decisions… you’re not on your own!

    3. Blake says:

      same dude same.. im using an htc sensation for almost an year now and i think its pretty cool except that it lags alot sometimes.. i like htc!

      and im planning to buy the one x+ i mean its BEAUTIFUL, but then im like s3 has a 2 mp secondary cam and a bigger screenn and memory card and removable battery!! ive never used a samsung before..

      but whatever 😛 im sticking to one x+ 312 pixels, beats, image recording, pretty, more battery and faster processer 🙂

      and galaxy note 2 is out too wtf! :/ but i hate the stylus so screw that :’)

  7. Andy says:

    well i was going for the s3 on my next upgrade after using a sensation xe for the last year. But now the one x+ is coming, what a dilema…. but think will now stick with HTC

  8. carlyanne says:

    I am so glad to see I’m not the only one in the dilemma of s3 vs htc one x+. I was set on the s3 for my upgrade but now I am so confused! First world problems eh? I think I’m gonna get the htc…

    1. Everett says:

      Not sure if the 64gb storage makes it $300 though. I like how my s3 has 2gb of ram vs HTC’s 1gb which especially makes the web browsing much faster. Beats on htc phones doesn’t really don much other than raise high and lows/reduces mids (but no problem if your not heavy on music). The s3 seems to have a slightly better battery too. Its normally $100 on amazon and $50-free at best buy,samsclub this friday just to let you know though you’ve probably bought your phone by now 🙂

      1. Jamie sharpe says:

        2gb of ram doesn’t make the web browsing faster. it helps with the multi tasking. 2gb of ram isn’t that important if I’m honest. hence the fact that only one tablet in the top 10 android tablets has 2gb of ram.

    1. kenneth says:

      hey man…gs3 is a good phone…and you’d have to sell it for a song if you’re planning on selling it…!!! don’t do that….use your phone for some time and wait till htc comes up with a better phone, then go for that….!!! although the htc one x+ is like wayyyyyyyy better!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂

    2. Grant says:

      Hi there yes you should return galaxy s3 as ive had 3 galaxy s3 phones from a retail store and all were returned due to bad call quality and now have just ordered a htc one x+ which should be receiving within a few days

  9. Joy says:

    I had the original One X and loved it except for the lack of an sd card because 16gb is just not enough for me. I have the galaxy s3 now and I have been happy with it because I have always been a Samsung fan but I will be switching to the One x plus once it comes out since the have fixed the battery and increased the storage space. Also something to think about….I had a 32gb sd card in my s3 and don’t know why but it got a card read error and I lost everything on it so sd may not be the best way to go. I also prefer the HTC UI and with all the new upgrades….it is an easy choice for me……HTC One X Plus!!

  10. Lozza says:

    I’ve been using the basic HTC One X for 4 months now, and it’s on par with the Galaxy S3. At least it is now it’s had it’s upgrade. In fact, my colleague at work brought his swanky GS3 into work for the first time, and no matter which benchmark test we did, my upgraded One X floored his Samsung, and felt like he’d been ripped off by by all these review sites that clearly harbour bias. Samsung are crap at upgrading. Their Kies software is terrible. Everything on the HTC is simply put, Simpler! My wife has a Samsung GS2, after I recommended it to her, and she loves it. But she has to admit, my HTC is just easier to use. They always have been. And I am further persuaded by HTC’s far superior build quality. Again this has always been the case. My Sensation looked and felt better than the Samsung GS2, and my new One X is better built than the GS3. And now the HTC One X+ is clearly quicker, why is anyone deliberating between these phones. The only people deciding between these two phones are those who believe the hype, & are happy to Pay for that hype. The truth is, on paper, and in the hand, the HTC is a better phone. Why pay for the marketing, popularity premium on a Galaxy S3?

  11. Mal says:

    Ok it doesn’t have a MicroSD slot … but surely all you’d do is buy a MicroSD card and put that in the slot?

    I guess most people will see 64Gb as more than enough and wouldn’t be swapping memory cards so HTC have removed the MicroSD slot as a point of failure and mounted the memory direct onto the phone.

    I’m in the same position as many of you … had an HTC Desire HD for 2 years and just out of contract, I was tempted by the SGSIII but after reading about having to connect the phone to the PC using Kies instead of the much easier HTC way of the phone connecting as an external drive I think I’ll wait for the OneX+ to arrive.

    1. Koos says:

      You can simply choose which USB mode you want to use; mass storage (so the phone will be visible as a removable drive), Samsung Kies (so you’ll use Kies to sync your data/contacts/etc), or Media Player (so it’ll be visible in Windows Media player for example as a Media device).

  12. Yolonde says:

    I’m another HTC desire HD user, and upgrade time is looming. I’ve looked at the S3, but tbh I’ve loved my htc and reading all your comments has sealed it for me. Looking forward to getting my hands on a One x+ 😉

  13. bullshizendetecter says:

    I am seriously considering upgrading from the HTC one x to the x+, I seriously love this phone hence the reason why I put up with 25gb storage for so long. A one x with a bigger battery and 64gb storage and running Jelly bean will make this the best phone on the market very soon I think.

    1. Glenn says:

      smaller screen and comparing apples with oranges 🙂
      completely different phone and interface/os.

      iphone 5 has pro’s and con’s. it’s the people itself who deside if they like the freedom of android or the quality and design of iphone…

  14. Andy H says:

    The primary reason behind the battery upgrade is due to the processor upgrade to the One X +, does this mean the battery issues from the One X will carry on? My desire HD has an awful battery life, 15 minutes on facebook and I am literally down to 75%. I’m still really torn on what to get. But as things stand, I’ll be buying an S3 tomorrow (unless someone makes me change my mind in the next 10 hours) purely because of the positive response from workmates that have had it a couple of months.

  15. Anton says:

    Galaxy S3 for me is way much better than One X+ especially when it’s already updated to Android Jelly Bean. I already updated my S3 to Jelly Bean and it’s really faster and better than that of the Ice Cream Sandwhich. Is Google Now present in HTC One X+? Just askin’ because it’s just helpin’ me a lot. But for me, the Galaxy S3 is still much better than that of the One X+ .

  16. Glenn says:

    a good thing to remember for some people in there decision…. HTC is coming with a new line up in second week of April 2013 with the new processor range and a lot more better features and android 4.2.

    in the 3th week of january there will be more information about the line up.

    The one x + is just a updated phone for HTC to get true the holidays (more sales in december)..but they really relay on the new range phones to get there status back

  17. denmarkG says:

    YOU want a smartphone without problems, so buy htc.. i’ve been on a HTC Thunderbolt 4G And HTC Desire HD for 1 year each, No problem, no crash, it’s been perfect.. htc is the best smartphone, htc one X+ is that one I will chose and advice , the procces 1.7GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor and ULP GeForce GPU. There’s no smartphones had that befor. ”CRAZY” ..

  18. VlaDan says:

    S3 without JB(if your provider still hasnt implemented it) – dont take it.I had it for 4 months now,and only since OS got an upgrade two weeks ago,it started working without lags.Before that,my old S2 was much faster

  19. geejay008 says:

    simple…

    HTC ONE X+ would have been a good winner… however…

    No ext SDCard support = deal breaker for me vs One X… =(

    I went with the GS3 i9305 LTE + 2X 32GB Class 10 Micro SDHC Cards… just awaiting the AOKP rom to be ported and it should be all peachy… ^_^

  20. I have also been with HTC Desire HD for 2 years and never regret it. Too bad the marketing of HTC has lost the battle to Samsung. Seriously consider One X + now and hope that it will live up to the quality of the Desire HD.

  21. Hmm the s3 or the one x plus?, I can’t really seem to decide,I’ve had a samsung galaxy y for a year now and I think its time for a new upgrade.Hmm my only bother with the s3 though is that i’m a little bit tired of touch wiz now and that everyone has an s3 here,However the one x is unique here,none else has it.But I’m not really sure about Htc,whereas the S3 is tried and tested and reliable.Which one should I get?.btw Specswise doesn’t really matter that much for me,since that getting any phone of that class would a huge one,considering I’m coming from a galaxy y.

  22. Daniel says:

    performance might be tight between both, but at the end you are also paying for quality, durability and reliability, and although the S3 maybe look bullet proof(unscratchable) have you ever though if it is a phone that won’t die(burn) in less than 2 years?
    with HTC that’s not a problem

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