HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z smartphone comparison

Smartphone technology promises to take a giant leap in 2013, with flagship handsets sporting large 5in full-HD touchscreens, 13Mp cameras, quad-core processors, more efficient battery life, plus dust- and waterproof designs. Getting a head-start on this week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, two of the first examples we've seen are the HTC One, aka HTC M7, and the Sony Xperia Z. So, how do these two high-end Android smartphones compare?

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Price

The Sony Xperia Z lauches this Thursday (28 February), while fans of the HTC One will need to wait another couple of weeks to get their hands on the handset, which launches on 15 March. Both smartphones are available for pre-order now. See Android Advisor and our latest Android phone group test.

Both HTC One and Sony Xperia Z will be available on plans starting at £34 per month from Three, with an upfront cost of £69. Vodafone, meanwhile, is offering the Sony Xperia Z free on plans starting at £42 per month.

If you prefer to buy your smartphone SIM-free, the HTC One has a £519 RRP, according to Amazon, while the Sony Xperia Z is currently available to pre-order through the sales giant for £499 (RRP £549).

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Dimensions

The Sony's larger 5in screen demands a bigger chassis than its 4.7in HTC rival, at 71x139mm versus 68.2x137.4mm. However, thanks to a super-thin skeleton chassis and a few tweaks to the layering of its screen technology, the Xperia Z remains the slimmer of the two, measuring just 7.9mm thick. Not that the HTC One is chunky, at just 9.3mm - it is in fact the lighter of the two: 143g against Sony's 146g.

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Build

Both smartphones are beautifully designed, and feel utterly solid. The HTC One features an all-metal (lightweight aluminium) chassis and is beautifully put together; our only complaint is that its glass screen doesn't stretch from edge to edge.

Meanwhile, the Sony's squareish design is typical for an Xperia handset, although it's far more stylish than 2012's top-end S and T. Its front and back are durable tempered glass, with an anti-shatter film, although we're not keen on the grime-attracting gap between the two.

Sony's Xperia Z is also water-resistant up to 1m (for up to 30 minutes), and dust-proof. Although this means you can use the phone in a variety of conditions, it also demands that ports are covered in flaps that lessen the phone's premium feel. The Xperia Z is available in black, white and purple.

With largely similar weights and dimensions, both smartphones feel good in the hand.

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Screen

HTC's One has the highest pixel density we've ever seen on a smartphone, cramming in a spectacular 468 pixels per inch. This 4.7in panel shows off full-HD content in razor-sharp glory, perfectly rendering details in photo and video even under harsh strip lighting. But while the HTC has the edge on picture resolution, the Sony Xperia Z bests it on screen size and colour.

Also with a full-HD (1920x1080) screen, but here stretched over 5 inches, the Xperia Z boasts an impressive 443ppi pixel density. Sony's Mobile Bravia Engine 2 analyses content and optimises the image sharpness, colour, contrast and noise reduction to suit. Sony dubs its screen 'Reality Display', with quality to match its Bravia HDTVs. It's also made a few tweaks to the screen layering technology, removing a layer of air to reduce reflections and glare, and integrating sensor and lens to improve responsiveness.

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Processor & performance

Both HTC One and Sony Xperia Z pair 2GB of RAM with quad-core Qualcomm chips and Adreno 320 graphics. Sony specifies a powerful Snapdragon S4 Pro chip, clocked at 1.5GHz, while HTC offers the more recent 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600, also seen in the MWC 2013-unveiled Asus Padfone Infinity and LG Optimus G Pro.

Both running on the same Android 4.1 Jelly Bean software, we expect the HTC One to take the lead in performance. However, while we were able to spend some hands-on time with the HTC One at a launch event last week, we haven't yet been able to get it into our lab for full benchmarking. We aim to update our review at the earliest opportunity.

To date, the fastest Android smartphone we've benchmarked is Google's Nexus 4, which runs the very latest version of Android, 4.2 Jelly Bean. It scored 2,009 points in Geekbench 2, recorded framerates of 39fps in GLBenchmark 2.5, and was clocked at 1,906ms in the SunSpider JavaScript test. Although there's very little in it, the Sony Xperia Z failed to take the Nexus 4's crown: we recorded scores of 1,986 in Geekbench 2, 30fps in GLBenchmark, and 1,791ms in SunSpider. That's still incredibly fast, and the HTC could be even faster still. We can't wait.

Sony Xperia Z: Video review

Sony Xperia Z video review

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Storage

HTC's One is available with 32- or 64GB of storage, and you can take advantage of 25GB of Dropbox storage free for two years. While the Sony Xperia Z offers a paltry 16GB in comparison, its microSDXC slot means you can very easily add up to 32GB, for a total of 48GB.

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Cameras

It's all but impossible to compare cameras on the specifications alone, and the megapixel count doesn't directly correlate with picture quality. This is something HTC hopes to address with its UltraPixel Camera, which has a 4Mp rear camera with a BSI sensor and f2.0 aperture.

That 4Mp isn't a typo: using ultra- rather than megapixels, this camera is said to let in 300 percent more light than comparable 13Mp cameras. It can shoot full-HD video at 30fps (720p at 60fps), and take 16:9 still images at 2688x1520 pixels. There's also a burst mode that can capture up to 20 stills and a three-second video, making sure you get exactly the shot you wanted. HTC calls this Zoe.

The HTC One also sports a 2.1Mp front-facing camera with HDR capability for full-HD video chat.

Sony's Xperia Z, meanwhile, is the first of many smartphones to enter the market in 2013 with a 13Mp sensor. This snapper uses Sony's Exmor RS BSI sensor to offer very good photos, and it's the first smartphone to support HDR for video as well as still images. There's a 16x digital zoom, the ability to take stills in video mode, and a burst mode that'll capture 9Mp snaps at 10fps until you run out of storage or battery power. Waterproof to 1m, you can capture snaps wherever you are.

Sony uses an Exmor R sensor for its 2Mp (full-HD) front camera for improved picture quality in low light.

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Connectivity

In terms of connectivity, there's very little difference between these two smartphones. Both offer 4G LTE connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, DLNA, GPS and Glonass, HDMI (via MHL), and Micro-USB. Combined with its Sense TV app, the HTC One can also function as a remote control for your TV.

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Software

Both smartphones run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, with Sony promising an upgrade to 4.2 shortly after launch (this may bring its performance closer to that of the Nexus 4). Sony's interface will be familiar to Xperia fans, and the company provides its own Music Unlimited and PlayStation Mobile apps as part of the Sony Entertainment Network. The interface is otherwise largely untouched.
HTC, on the other hand, runs a heavily customised version of Jelly Bean with its Sense 5.0 overlay. Sense includes features such as the aforementioned Zoe and Sense TV, as well as BlinkFeed, which streams all your favourite content to tiles on your home screen. There's also HTC BoomSound and Beats Audio which, combined with dual front speakers and powerful amplifiers, allow you and your mates to truly enjoy content without a pair of headphones. Sense Voice is also here, with dual mics detecting and compensating for loud background noise by tweaking the in-call volume for improved clarity.

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Battery

The display is usually the chief culprit behind battery drain, and with large full-HD panels fitted to these smartphones you might expect runtime to be a problem. The Xperia Z has an ever-so-slightly larger-capacity battery than the HTC One, at 2,330mAh versus 2,300mAh, and both are non-removable. Sony claims its battery will stretch to 11 hours of talk time and 550 hours on standby, but we certainly wouldn't expect either to last much longer than a full day's use.
The Xperia Z has a very useful Battery Stamina mode, which turns off unnecessary functions such as Wi-Fi and data traffic when the screen is off (you still receive incoming calls and texts).

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Verdict

Until we've had time to properly benchmark the HTC One it's difficult to give a definitive verdict. On paper it should beat the Xperia Z, but in reality HTC's heavy Sense overlay may slow performance. We suspect the difference between the two will not be enough to affect your purchasing decision.
We also want to get a better look at that camera. We all know megapixels aren't everything when it comes to image quality, but can the HTC One's 4Mp snapper really take on the Xperia Z's 13Mp Exmor RS sensor? It's a tough act to follow.
Performance and camera quality aside, both smartphones are premium devices with a desirable design and a similar weight and feel. They're evenly matched in connectivity terms, and each offers a stunning displays - the HTC's is sharper, while the Sony offers better colours and more screen estate. The Sony has less storage, but you can add a microSDXC card. The HTC One and Xperia Z even cost about the same amount.
Until we've had time to properly test the HTC One, we're swayed toward the Xperia Z's larger, more colourful screen. However, HTC Sense offers a number of benefits over plain Jelly Bean, and that camera and powerful processor may yet tip us in the other direction.
- See more at: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/mobile-phone/3428492/htc-one-vs-sony-xperia-z-smartphone-comparison-review/?pn=2#sthash.7HquwrRw.dpuf

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Connectivity

In terms of connectivity, there's very little difference between these two smartphones. Both offer 4G LTE connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, DLNA, GPS and Glonass, HDMI (via MHL), and Micro-USB. Combined with its Sense TV app, the HTC One can also function as a remote control for your TV.

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Software

Both smartphones run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, with Sony promising an upgrade to 4.2 shortly after launch (this may bring its performance closer to that of the Nexus 4). Sony's interface will be familiar to Xperia fans, and the company provides its own Music Unlimited and PlayStation Mobile apps as part of the Sony Entertainment Network. The interface is otherwise largely untouched.

HTC, on the other hand, runs a heavily customised version of Jelly Bean with its Sense 5.0 overlay. Sense includes features such as the aforementioned Zoe and Sense TV, as well as BlinkFeed, which streams all your favourite content to tiles on your home screen. There's also HTC BoomSound and Beats Audio which, combined with dual front speakers and powerful amplifiers, allow you and your mates to truly enjoy content without a pair of headphones. Sense Voice is also here, with dual mics detecting and compensating for loud background noise by tweaking the in-call volume for improved clarity.

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Battery

The display is usually the chief culprit behind battery drain, and with large full-HD panels fitted to these smartphones you might expect runtime to be a problem. The Xperia Z has an ever-so-slightly larger-capacity battery than the HTC One, at 2,330mAh versus 2,300mAh, and both are non-removable. Sony claims its battery will stretch to 11 hours of talk time and 550 hours on standby, but we certainly wouldn't expect either to last much longer than a full day's use.

The Xperia Z has a very useful Battery Stamina mode, which turns off unnecessary functions such as Wi-Fi and data traffic when the screen is off (you still receive incoming calls and texts).

HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z: Verdict

Until we've had time to properly benchmark the HTC One it's difficult to give a definitive verdict. On paper it should beat the Xperia Z, but in reality HTC's heavy Sense overlay may slow performance. We suspect the difference between the two will not be enough to affect your purchasing decision.

We also want to get a better look at that camera. We all know megapixels aren't everything when it comes to image quality, but can the HTC One's 4Mp snapper really take on the Xperia Z's 13Mp Exmor RS sensor? It's a tough act to follow.

Performance and camera quality aside, both smartphones are premium devices with a desirable design and a similar weight and feel. They're evenly matched in connectivity terms, and each offers a stunning displays - the HTC's is sharper, while the Sony offers better colours and more screen estate. The Sony has less storage, but you can add a microSDXC card. The HTC One and Xperia Z even cost about the same amount.

Until we've had time to properly test the HTC One, we're swayed toward the Xperia Z's larger, more colourful screen. However, HTC Sense offers a number of benefits over plain Jelly Bean, and that camera and powerful processor may yet tip us in the other direction.

	HTC One	Sony Xperia Z
Display
Screen size	4.7in	5in
Resolution	1,920 x 1,080 pixels	1,920 x 1,080 pixels
Pixel density	469ppi	441ppi
Type	TFT LCD	TFT LCD
Processor and battery
Family	Snapdragon 600	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4
CPU	Krait 300	Krait
Cores	Quad-core	Quad-core
Clock speed	1.7GHz	1.5GHz
GPU	Adreno 320	Adreno 320
Battery	2,300mAh	2,330mAh
Claimed 3G talk time	TBC	Up to 11 hours
Storage and memory
RAM	2GB	2GB
Internal storage	32GB / 64GB	16GB
microSD	No	Yes
Camera
Rear	4-megapixel	13.1-megapixel
Video	1080p @ 30fps	1080p @ 30fps
Front	2.1-megapixel	2.2-megapixel
Wireless
Standard	4G LTE	4G LTE
Wi-Fi	802.11 a / b / g / n	802.11 b/g/n
NFC	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth	v4.0	v4.0
Integrated wireless charging	No	No
Dimensions
Size	137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm	139 x 71 x 7.9mm
Weight	143g	146g
Operating System	Android 4.1 Jelly Bean w/Sense 5.0	Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Price (SIM-free)	£510 via Clove	£500 via Amazon