HTC Windows Phone 8X vs Apple iPhone 5

Introduction

Now that Windows Phone 8 is finally here, we guess some users (not many, but some) will think about purchasing a WP8 handset. So, here we are, bringing you in-depth comparisons between the leading WP8 handsets and the iPhone, as well as the major Android handsets.

In this article, we'll take a look at how the HTC Windows Phone 8X stacks up against the iPhone 5. Both devices are pretty popular right now, so it will surely be interesting to see who's going to come out on top once we're done with them.

Design

Although both handsets have pleasing looks, it's undeniable that the iPhone 5 is a work of art that no mass-produced phone on the market can currently rival. From the visuals to the materials in use, everything about the iPhone 5 screams “class”. Meanwhile, the Windows Phone 8X by HTC is by no means bad-looking, but its shape is not as ergonomic and the soft type of plastic its body is made of leaves a lot to be desired.


Both the iPhone 5 and Windows Phone 8X are equipped with essentials like a 3.5mm headset jack and noise-cancellation microphones, but the HTC features a standard microUSB port for charging and data connection, while the Apple relies to the proprietary Lightning connector. It's not a big deal, just something to keep in mind.

An interesting detail we noticed is that the physical buttons of the iPhone 5 feel better when pressed, especially the power/lock key, which is quite stiff on the Windows Phone 8X.


Display

We are fascinated by the beautiful screens that these two handsets own. Using LCD technology, they are extremely bright and clear, while pixel density is incredibly high on both – 342 ppi for the 8X and 326 ppi for the iPhone 5.

It should be noted that the screen of the 8X is slightly bigger at 4.3 inches, compared to the iPhone 5's 4” one. When it comes to quality, though, as we said, both panels are extremely capable, with the colors of the iPhone 5 being just a tad more natural-looking. Although they both have great brightness levels, the iPhone 5 does remain a bit more visible outside.

Interface

Obviously, what we're dealing with here are two very different products. On one hand, we have the 8X's dynamic Live Tiles, which are animated and display additional information like upcoming appointments, contact pictures and current temperature, and on the other, we have the iPhone 5's iOS experience, which is quite static compared to WP8.

Even though WP8 is full of animated menus are all kinds of small transitions between screens, it's very difficult to say that it's the better-looking OS, due to its overly simplistic appearance. Meanwhile, all the app icons in iOS are so full of color that it's pretty much up to the user to decide which one they like best – the lively, but flat Live Tiles of WP8, or the static, but colorful app icons of iOS 6.



When it comes to functionality, however, we do prefer the “Live” part of Windows Phone 8's tiles, as it allows us to discover important information right from the homescreen, which is not really possible with iOS.

Messaging

The virtual QWERTY keyboards of the HTC Windows Phone 8X and Apple iPhone 5 are very good, allowing you to type long messages or emails without causing you too much trouble. The portrait options are pretty much equally great, with maybe just a slight advantage of the 8X due to the slightly larger screen, but the iPhone 5 is definitely better in terms of its landscape keyboard. This is so, because iOS's landscape keyboard takes up almost all of the available space, while the one of WP8 doesn't, leaving strange empty spaces to its left and right.




Processor and Memory

The Windows Phone 8X, like all other WP8 handsets is equipped with a Snapdragon S4 Plus 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU, whereas the iPhone 5 relies on an in-house designed A6 SoC, the CPU of which is also dual-core and clocked at 1.3 GHz. The graphics chips are also different – the one in the 8X is the Adreno 225, while the iPhone 5 houses a PowerVR SGX543MP3. The latter has proven to be a real monster when it comes to graphically intense applications, but all in all, the configurations of both devices provide the operating systems with enough power to run smoothly.

The amount of RAM for both phones is set to 1 GB, with the one of the iPhone 5 said to be faster.

None of these phones offers the convenience of a microSD card slot, but at least the iPhone 5 comes in three storage size variants: 16, 32 or 64 GB. The Windows Phone 8X only comes with 16 GB, which should still be more than enough for most users.

Internet

Internet Explorer 10 on Windows Phone 8 is very cool, but it's just a bit glitchy compared to Safari on iOS 6. Nothing major, though, you'll get superb browsing experience with both handsets, but the iPhone 5 is a bit better. Plus, ironically, it is now Apple's handset that offers a full-screen mode when viewing a webpage in landscape orientation, rather than the Windows Phone 8X.



Unsurprisingly, both the Windows Phone 8X and iPhone 5 feature LTE connectivity, but they can also take advantage of very fast HSPA+ networks. In theory, both handsets should be able to reach 42.2 Mbit/s download speeds on HSPA+ in case you're out in the open, there's cell tower right next to you, there's no one else around, and you've drunk your Felix Felicis potion this morning.

Camera

The Windows Phone 8X doesn't have a bad camera. In fact, it takes some decent photos, but in comparison to those of the iPhone 5, they leave something to be desired. With a slightly better detail and more accurate color reproduction and exposure, the iPhone 5 takes a well-deserved win here.

Indoors, we found the iPhone 5's camera to perform better in most lighting conditions, though, the HTC 8X does manage to present us to better-looking shots when the light is extremely low.

Video recording is another area where the iPhone 5 shows its superiority, thanks to a much better overall image quality. Just take a look at the samples below to see the difference – you can't miss it!

HTC Windows Phone 8X Sample Video:



Apple iPhone 5 Sample Video:



HTC Windows Phone 8X Indoor Sample Video:



Apple iPhone 5 Indoor Sample Video:



Multimedia

Once again, it's very difficult to name a definite winner in the multimedia category, as the 8X has a larger screen, but the iPhone has access to iTunes and the App Store, which means a lot more content.

Still, if you are content with what's offered by Microsoft in terms of apps and games, you should find the larger screen of the 8X to be more entertaining than the one of the iPhone 5.

When it comes to listening to music, we'd take the iPhone 5's EarPods earphones over the 8X's unnamed ones any day. Even though there's a Beats logo on the back of the 8X, the software enhancements aren't enough to compensate for the inferior sound quality of HTC's offering. With the Beats setting set to “off”, the sound coming from the 8X's earphones is simply terrible. With the Beats enhancements on, things do get much better, with the bass being punchy and the highs getting a significant boost. Unfortunately, that is a really big boost, causing an unpleasant hissing when you listen at louder volumes, but still audible at moderate volume as well. Meanwhile, if you truly want to hear the music the way the artist intended, you'll get much better results with the iPhone 5's EarPods, which have a very detailed and balanced sound. If you really need to pump up that base, you can always use one of the provided EQ settings.

Call quality

Both the iPhone 5 and Windows Phone 8X emit audible and fairly clear tones through their earpieces. All in all, calling using either of them is a joy, especially when we take their strong noise-cancellation technologies into account.

The loudspeaker of the iPhone 5 is superior, as it manages to produce a louder and clearer sound, compared to the one of the 8X.

Battery

Unfortunately, HTC hasn't provided talk- and stand-by times for the battery life of the Windows Phone 8X, but we can safely say that depending on your usage pattern, you should be able to get from one to three days of use on a single charge. Getting three days, of course, would require you to use a fairly low brightness setting and refrain from doing... much with the handset.

Conclusion

All things considered, we have to admit that the Apple iPhone 5 has managed to out-perform the HTC Windows Phone 8X in most areas, although the latter doesn't lag behind too much. But this is if we're talking about their speed, screens and software capabilities.

If we have to factor in their physical designs, there can be no argument at all, as there can be only one winner, and it's not an HTC.

Despite the significant advancements made by Redmond, the Windows Phone 8 platform is yet to prove its worth. It found a very tough opponent in iOS 6, and if it weren't for some clever tricks like the Live Tiles, it may not have come out of this fight alive. Though, it will take much more than that to seriously challenge the two horses currently leading the race.

Software versions of the reviewed units:
Windows Phone 8X: OS 8.0.99.03.10, Firmware 1532.20.10001.401
iPhone 5: Ver. 6.0 (10A405)

HTC Windows Phone 8X vs Apple iPhone 5: