FollowThe HTC One, with its metal design and high-end specifications, such as quad-core processor and UltraPixel camera has been well-received in the smartphone market. In fact, it has been a hot rival of the equally adept Samsung Galaxy S4 and even comparable to the iPhone 5. The Sonly Xperia Z Ultra made a bold entry into the phablet market with avant-garde features like water and dust resistance and stylus capabilities. Each phone exhibits a unique skill set, so let’s see how they compare against each other.
Design
The Sony Xperia Z Ultra, flaunted as the biggest and slimmest Full HD smartphone, is more of a phablet. Slim yet solid, the size is impressive, but you may not be able to operate it dexterously one-handed. With a dimension of 179 x 92 x 6.5mm, the device weighs 212 grams.
At first glance the HTC One looks simple and minimalistic with its all-metal unibody design. With a strip made of anodized black or glistening silver and rounded corners, the design renders a premium feel. HTC One weighs 143g and measures 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm.
Display
The Xperia Z Ultra flaunts a whopping 6.4-inch display having a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and a pixel density of 342ppi, plus a super-slim bezel. The screen features the “Triluminous” technology, which provides a rich color palette of 16 million colors, with enhanced color saturation, contrast and sharpness. An added feature is that the touchscreen responds to pens and pencils with a nib-size of 1mm or more. The display is scratch-resistant.
HTC One features an impressive 4.7-inch Super LCD 3 display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and a pixel density of 468ppi. The Full HD 1080p resolution provides crystal clear clarity, excellent brightness, rich colors and good contrast. However, the screen is not scratch-resistant.
Hardware and Storage
Xperia Z Ultra is a winner with its water and dust resistant features, which hold good even with the headphone jack exposed. Certifications to this end – IP55 and IP58 – are said to be higher than that of the Xperia Z. The stylus feature is an extra. The device comes with 16GB onboard storage that can be expanded up to 64GB via microSD slot.
The HTC One has micro-USB and headphone ports. Front-mounted speakers, Beats Audio and BlinkFeed are some of the HTC-specific features. HTC One has 32GB onboard storage, but lacks a microSD slot for further expansion.
Processor and Connectivity
The Xperia Z Ultra bears a more powerful chip set – Quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 – which clocks at a speed of 2.2 GHz. It has 2GB RAM and Adreno 330 GPU.
HTC One is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 APQ8064T chipset clocked at 1.7GHz. It has 2GB RAM and Adreno 320 GPU.
Connectivity-wise, both support 4G LTE, HSPA+ 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DLNA, micro USB and NFC. The phones also support MHL to hook up to a TV.
Operating System
Xperia Z Ultra comes with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, the latest version. HTC One, which debuted much earlier, runs on Android 4.1.2, but is in for an upgrade to the latest version.
Camera
Xperia Z Ultra comes with an 8MP back camera and a 2MP front-facing camera.
HTC One is better off in camera features. Its 4.3MP camera boasts HTC’s unique UltraPixel image sensor and a LED flash. The camera has HTC’s Zoe, a feature that can pile several images to convey action. The front camera has a 2.1MP sensor.
Battery
Xperia Z Ultra comes with a more powerful 3,000mAh battery compared to HTC One’s 2,300mAh battery.
Conclusion
Either phone flaunts its own unique design, streamlined interface and a rich array of features. Operation is smooth, whether it is swiping between screens, running graphic-intensive games or multitasking.
On the dimensions front, the HTC One’s minimalist design is comfortable on the hand, while the Xperia Z is a little tough for one-handed operation.
HTC One boasts additional camera features, while Xperia Z Ultra flaunts an advanced display technology, plus a stylus pen feature. Lack of microSD slot for expandable storage may be viewed as a drawback on HTC One.
For those looking for a ruggedized handset, Sony Xperia phones are perhaps, the best water-resistant devices in the market right now.
