Database Info

One X or One S?

Hello, I am currently choosing between One S and One X, so I would like you to comment on some of my questions. First of all, let's talk about screen. I just had iPhone 4S, which has retina display. It is awesome, but after it, I used Omnia 7. And I see so many pixels there... It makes me sad. So can you see pixels on One S?
Second is question about real life usage. Is One S better than One X in terms of speed? I read some comments that One S is laggy in browser and some other places. Also, HTC removed some visual features from it. Like carusel effect when going between app browser and it's categories. So, One S doesn't have all the goodies that One X has?
Third is battery life. How good is battery life on One S? Would it easily last a day with 8h screen-on time? I surf a lot and play games, listen to music. So battery life is important to me.
Forth, size. I can't test them in real-life, so I have to make some decisions from comments and reviews. Is One X comfortable to use, or not? How does it compare to Galaxy Nexus, Titan and other big phones? I know that One S size would be perfect.
Fifth, the quality of materials. I just read about some strange things with One S, that it gets scratched and etc. I want to buy black/red version. Will I be affected with this thing?
Sixth, please comment on both phones and give arguments why one is better than other
BTW, how about memory? I listen to a lot of music, is there any easy way to compress mp3 and not loose quality? I think that 9GB won't be enough...
I am really thankful for all of your comments and I am really waiting for an honest help Also, I am returning to Android after more than a year being without it. So help me make the right decision and not be disappointed with it Thank you guys!

I'm currently in a very similar situation as you. When I saw One X & One S after release during MWC I planned to get One X, because it looked like a better device for me.
My opinion changed after first negative feedback from One X early adopters, who noticed many bugs & defects, such as UI & browser lags, screen glitches, build quality issues and so on, there are many threads about that kind of problems in One X section.
After that I focused on One S, which appeared to be much faster thanks to 28 nm Krait CPU, which easily outperforms Tegra3 in day-to-day operations. One S also has better build quality, especailly the black/red one, with MAO. Polycarbonate may be fine, but for me nothing beats metal unibody, when it comes to build quality of a smartphone.
One S is also smaller which is an advantege for me. I don't have small hands, but I want to be able to use my smartphone comfortably with one hand.
I prefer LCD to AMOLED, but I could live with One S's qHD SAMOLED, it's not a deal breaker. Also I do not notice Pentile on my Galaxy S, so I guess I won't notice it on One S.
When it comes to memory more is always better. 10 GB may be too much for some, but for others it will be too little.
Tegra 3 SoC is also very closed-sourced, so it's much harder to work with for devs, than Qualcomm SoC's.

I prefer S (dont have one yet, getting when avaible)
1. I dont know about pixels, Im moving from HTC Tattoo, so I probably dont have problems (I might have, if I can test HTC One X and S side by side @ shop)
2. S should be faster. It have smaller screen and in daily uses its faster then tegra3 (daily programs dont use quad core).
3. I dont think u can last 8h screen time...
4. I dont even know if 4.3 is good for me, but 4.7 would be to large... I would prefer same hardware in 4' size
5. S should be built with really good quality, but recent topic stated some wierd scrach... Follow that thread to see more info (search general section).
6. I prefer S because: Smaller screen, faster daily use, better battery life

One S -> One X
I bought it 4 days ago and its awesome...
Most of the guys here on xda bought the one x.. the looked at the specs and see an quad core and instantly bought it.
But they forget that the tegra 3 is totally crap! 40nm, built on a 8 years old platfrom. ( shame on you nvidia) mostly closed source and crap support by nv.
qualcom did the better job with that s4

Hey guys, HTC Sensation user here
Ive been suffering terrible signal issues with the Sensation (XE) On Vodafone UK networks. This is a well known problem, And ive had a couple replacements with the same issues so i know the device isnt faulty.
Upon research ive discovered its the Antenna design which is the culprit, So after some complaining, Ive been offered The One S or One X
Id like to know about the antenna design (google wasnt much use) Is the antenna on the One series an external antenna ? Where the antenna connectors are on the back cover ?
Id like to know a bit more before i commit to getting it, So is anyone here a Vodafone (preferably UK) User with either The one S or X ??
Could you let me know about your signal reception ? And maybe if your feeling generous Post some pictures of the Back cover for me to inspect
Also, Which would you say is the 'better' device ? I know the X is quad core, The S is Dual core, But does that make a massive difference ? Except to the battery life, which isnt the best at any given time
Thanks people, Hopefully Speak to you all again when i receive my nice new phone

I had the One X and the width of the phone annoyed me.
Now got the One S and very happy with it. Little bit more snappier I feel in menus too.

I would say the One X. It's 2012 and all highend smartphones should have HD screens.
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using xda premium

NardVa said:
I would say the One X. It's 2012 and all highend smartphones should have HD screens.
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the One X is a disappointment. The tegra 3 is just not good enough anymore for a high end modell, even if it's a quad core.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapdragon_(System_on_Chip)
There is a snapdragon with a quad core coming soon, i guess htc will switch to those when they release new high end phones, that will be way better.
But it's just my humble opinion here.

Rosinior said:
I think the One X is a disappointment. The tegra 3 is just not good enough anymore for a high end modell, even if it's a quad core.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapdragon_(System_on_Chip)
There is a snapdragon with a quad core coming soon, i guess htc will switch to those when they release new high end phones, that will be way better.
But it's just my humble opinion here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you I had the choice of both today, I chose the One S. I know the X has quad core, but more isnt always better, There are pluses and negatives to both devices but in the end the S won my vote.
Besides i can see the quad core draining battery in a heartbeat lol

Yeah, quad core is probably the last feature I am interested in from the One X. I'd take the screen, 32GB storage and NFC over the processor.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium HD app

Hey, i'm quite new here and tought I write here too. I have the same problem right now. Don't know which to choose. But here are some points for both phones. At first there is the One X:
It has a 720p 4.7" display, based on HTCs new Super-LCD 2 with IPS technology and NO Pentile-Matrix. It is said to be the best display out there. Bright and natural colours with very good black and white values. But as said it is a very big display and not fitted for every hand.
The body is out of polycarbonate which is quite durable but also not too hard. But it still is plastic and so it feels a bit cheap( correct me if I'm wrong). It surely feels cheaper than the HTC One S. But it's lighter
Let's come to the processor. The One X has the nvidia Tegra 3 Quad Core built in. It's an SoC based on the ARM Cortex A9 architecture in 40nm( for comparison: the Exynos 4210 is built on 45nm).
This isn't bad, but if you compare it to the new Krait architecture( somehow comparable to the new ARM Cortex A15 built on 28nm) it is significantly older and also slower. The Tegras GPU is an Nvidia own graphic unit which is known to be the worst of the newer GPUs( when all of them are at the same clock speed) but it should be fast enough to run most games smoothly so right now every new GPU is fast enough. A good point for the Kal-El may be the Tegra Zone, but I do not know enough of that service.
A big problem is the Quad Core unit. It's not that it's bad or doesn't work it's simply not optimized so most apps won't even fully use it. The companion core which is built into the SoC is a great power saver but it seems that it switches early to quad core( the companion core is not able to run when the quad core unit is active and the other way round) which could be seen on the battery life.
Let's come to battery life:
The One X has a 1800 mAh accu which is really good but cause of the quad core and the big display it will be consumed away very fast. So don't expect more than a day.
I don't know how much the Tegra and the display eats away so I cannot say if it will hold your 8h( display on).
I will only mention the differences of both handsets so I won't talk about the beats audio enhancement and the camera.
So let's come to the One S:
It is the smaller phone, and as you said it would be the perfect size. I think it's more comfortable to hold and also has the better feeling cause of it's unibody made out of aluminium. There are some known issues with the red black version but you can look them up in this forum.
The display is a Pentile-Matrix Super-AMOLED design with a qHD resolution( 960x540). If you compare it to the Galaxy S II Super-AMOLED-Plus non-Pentile display with a resolution of 800x480 the effective resolution is roughly the same( somehow 800*480*3 and 960*540*2 cause of the subpixel).
One problem for you may be the pixel density of the One S. When the One X has an pixel density of around 300 pixel per inch ( similar to your iPhone) the One S has one similar to your old Samsung.
The processor is something that really confuses me. It has the new Qualcomm Krait S4 SoC which seems to be a mystery.
It is built on a licensed ARMv7 architecture on 28nm called Krait. Qualcomm itself said it's comparable to a ARM Cortex A15 cpu. While that has to be seen it is clearly much faster than the Tegra 3, especially in everyday single-thread tasks. Here the Krait is extremely fast. The GPU while not the best out there is also a remarkable fast one that can compete to ARMs Mali 400 built in the Galaxy S II. You should not have problems with it.
One more thing for the Krait is it's really power efficient clocking. The Krait can clock each core independently so if it only needs one and a half it will clock the second core to half the speed. This gives it another great advantage over the Tegra which can only clock all together down.
At least the One S should hold as long as the One X despite it's smaller battery( 1650 mAh).
One other advantage may be the fact that some One S devices do have the new 3.0 Linux kernel. This is not confirmed but if it's right then the One S may be able to get USB-Hosting which means that you can use a real keyboard for example. This may arrive as an update.
So I personally prefer the One S despite the worse display and the small issues with the black and red version.
If you are interested in another phone you may also look for the Asus Padfone. Nearly the same stats as the One S but with an expendable storage and no beats audio enhancement. It may be interesting for you too.
Greetings Askannon
Sent from my LT18i using XDA

I want the screen from the One X and the S4 from the One S. I guess I'm gone have to get me the One XL.
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using xda premium

NardVa said:
I want the screen from the One X and the S4 from the One S. I guess I'm gone have to get me the One XL.
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully the one XL comes to T-Mobile s4>tegra 3
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

One s gets my vote... One x looks huge .. Uncomfortable to hold
Sent from my GT-S5360 using XDA

Midian666 said:
One S -> One X
I bought it 4 days ago and its awesome...
Most of the guys here on xda bought the one x.. the looked at the specs and see an quad core and instantly bought it.
But they forget that the tegra 3 is totally crap! 40nm, built on a 8 years old platfrom. ( shame on you nvidia) mostly closed source and crap support by nv.
qualcom did the better job with that s4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
does your phone support glonass and the front camera is 1.3mp or 0.3mp VGA? thanks inadvance

I do not know whether it has glonass or not but the one s has a vga (0.3) and the one x has a 1.3 mp front camera
Sent from my LT18i using XDA

Niiceg said:
Hello, I am currently choosing between One S and One X, so I would like you to comment on some of my questions. First of all, let's talk about screen. I just had iPhone 4S, which has retina display. It is awesome, but after it, I used Omnia 7. And I see so many pixels there... It makes me sad. So can you see pixels on One S?
Second is question about real life usage. Is One S better than One X in terms of speed? I read some comments that One S is laggy in browser and some other places. Also, HTC removed some visual features from it. Like carusel effect when going between app browser and it's categories. So, One S doesn't have all the goodies that One X has?
Third is battery life. How good is battery life on One S? Would it easily last a day with 8h screen-on time? I surf a lot and play games, listen to music. So battery life is important to me.
Forth, size. I can't test them in real-life, so I have to make some decisions from comments and reviews. Is One X comfortable to use, or not? How does it compare to Galaxy Nexus, Titan and other big phones? I know that One S size would be perfect.
Fifth, the quality of materials. I just read about some strange things with One S, that it gets scratched and etc. I want to buy black/red version. Will I be affected with this thing?
Sixth, please comment on both phones and give arguments why one is better than other
BTW, how about memory? I listen to a lot of music, is there any easy way to compress mp3 and not loose quality? I think that 9GB won't be enough...
I am really thankful for all of your comments and I am really waiting for an honest help Also, I am returning to Android after more than a year being without it. So help me make the right decision and not be disappointed with it Thank you guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1: Screen. It depends on you and your eyesight I'm afraid. I'm using a Nexus S as my daily driver and I didn't so much notice the pixels compared with my iPhone 4, as the screen is larger, so it's generally easier to use. I don't see the pixels on the One S; the One X does have a larger screen with a higher resolution but the difference wasn't as stark as I imagined it would be. SLCD vs AMOLED, too; AMOLED is a bit of a battery drain at times whereas the SLCD doesn't look as good at night.
2: Performance. Both felt beautifully smooth in that classic Androidy way, that is, sometimes the interface can feel a little elastic. I didn't notice any difference.
3: Battery. I didn't see eight hours of usage from my iPhone 4 unless that included a lot of music (the usage isn't screen on time). I doubt you'll see this from the One series. I'll see five hours of screen on time from my Nexus S if I restrict my data usage, especially over the 3G network. Reviews say that the One S has a small advantage, but from customers and colleagues, they're both "charge once a day" devices. No change here from almost anything else in the smartphone world, then!
4 Size. The One S feels very thin in the hand. It isn't small, it's tall, relatively narrow and oh-so-thin. It feels divine in my hands if I'm getting all arty about it. The One X, however, surprised me at how adept it felt in my hands. I was expecting it to feel a bit of a monster and it didn't. I don't like the One X's protruding lens for the camera, mind. It's quite a bump on the back.
5 Quality. Both feel good, but for me the One S takes this one. Going back to how wonderful it feels to handle, part of that is what it's made of.
6 What's better? If you need NFC, you need the One S. If you game, you're probably going to want the One X. If the One S had NFC I'd already have one, but it doesn't and I'd really like a slice of the NFC pie. If the One X didn't have that bulge on the back, I'd have one of those, but it does... So... I'm undecided.
Finally, as others have said, 9 Gb isn't so much, but it depends on your personal requirements. I don't believe the 9 Gb versus 14 Gb in my Nexus S would make any difference whatsoever as I don't use my handset as my main music device.

I think this thread has been the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I've never really cared about a pretty screen to be honest.
When the display is not a factor, the One S is just... better...

I agree, The One S is the underdog... Majority of people will think One X because its more expensive, its at the top of the One Series.... But in all fairness, The One S wins hands down for me...
Bigger isnt always better ...... ask my misses

azzledazzle said:
I agree, The One S is the underdog... Majority of people will think One X because its more expensive, its at the top of the One Series.... But in all fairness, The One S wins hands down for me...
Bigger isnt always better ...... ask my misses
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, thanks for all your opinions But I decided to buy One X. Why? Because I hate Omnia 7 screen, which is almost the same as One S. I see pixels, it's not sharp and etc. Also, I decided that 12GB are not enough for me.
In my opinion, HTC did a bad thing releasing One S with this poor screen and small storage.

Coming back to the One S!

Some people will call me mad and no one probably cares but I'm coming back to the one s! I sold mine back at the start of February and I bought a nexus 4. The nexus 4 is a nice device but stock android is incredibly plain and the software keys take up so much screen space the screen is barely bigger than the one s (except when watching videos)
The sound quality is also a big step down from the one s, The audio on the one s is 100x better the DAC and beats are the reason for this I think. And the nexus 4 is a lot quieter. Everyone's moaning about how quiet the volume output is and I'm pretty sure its hardware.
The camera is also a major downgrade, the pictures my nexus 4 takes aren't much better than what my HTC wildfire took! I'd just thought I'd let you guys know my opinion on the nexus 4 if you consider upgrading to it but I think apart from the bigger and better screen the one s beats it in every way. As for the s4 pro and 2gb of ram I've hardly noticed any difference in real world usage.
So anyone thinking they've had enough of the one s, just think you've still got a great phone I've just sold a nexus 4 to get another one s so that's how much I miss it. I'll need to get used to the non HD pentile display again which will probably take me a week or so but I'm looking forward to it A lesson to anyone who loves htc sense. Don't buy a nexus!

I don't wonder about it. One S probably will remain the best android phone of this size until HTC M4 out at Q3 end hopefully. The only weak point on One S is QHD pentile screen(some said no microSD) and all the other stuffs are very good to excellent. If I have budget problem in this year, I can imagine I could use it til next year, it's a very powerful phone. Indeed, I decided to hold One S as my backup phone though I may get a M4 or M7 later, or give it for my parents.
Plain stock android is always bad because you got too little function and settings but the best thing on nexus is you always have a perfect working CM rom. The most updated and bugs free CM. There are many hardware problems on N4 like camera and sound, make it the worst Nexus in the record.

TheEndHK said:
I don't wonder about it. One S probably will remain the best android phone of this size until HTC M4 out at Q3 end hopefully.
Plain stock android is always bad because you got too little function and settings but the best thing on nexus is you always have a perfect working CM rom. The most updated and bugs free CM.
There are many hardware problems on N4 like camera and sound, make it the worst Nexus in the record.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree, the fact that I'm giving up a phone with a hd display for a phone with a qhd pentile display is a credit to how good the One S is. I'll only probably have it for about 4-5 months and then I'll get the HTC One when my contract runs out but the One S is great, I suppose I'm just a sense maniac. I love HTC sense.

theguitarman94 said:
I completely agree, the fact that I'm giving up a phone with a hd display for a phone with a qhd pentile display is a credit to how good the One S is. I'll only probably have it for about 4-5 months and then I'll get the HTC One when my contract runs out but the One S is great, I suppose I'm just a sense maniac. I love HTC sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You aren't alone to doing this mad thing..lol... I was once have a Sony Xperia S and finally sold it out for One S in June and never look back. But yep, you're right, 720P is very impressive for text reading.

Do you guys think a higher resolution would be worth it on a 4.3" screen? I come from a Galaxy S II and I agree that 800x480 is far worse than our 960x540. But going any higher would be worth it?

nor-ric said:
Do you guys think a higher resolution would be worth it on a 4.3" screen? I come from a Galaxy S II and I agree that 800x480 is far worse than our 960x540. But going any higher would be worth it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do but no higher than 720 x 1280. The 8x has that resolution and the screen is as sharp as anything. I personally think the higher resolution is great for text but apart from that it's hardly a big deal. The resolution of the one s is fine for videos and picture viewing etc. I certainly see absolutely no point in the 1080p full hd screens that they're putting in these newest flag ship phones! So I don't think it's worth it although it would be nice. Anything above 4.3" i'd say it certainly is worth a higher resolution than qhd.

I'd have to agree that 4.3" is likely the sweet spot for this screen resolution.
I'm also switching to a One S soon; I currently have an LG Optimus L9, mostly for audio purposes since a large majority of my smartphone time is spent listening to music (for its price, it's sure low on distortion and seems to be able to drive my NuForce IEMs with no fuss). Being an avid GSMArena reader, I was pleased to learn that the One S still holds some of the lowest distortion readings of all smartphones ever reviewed (and that the Snapdragon S4 really zooms on this particular device).

AwesomeTurtle said:
I'd have to agree that 4.3" is likely the sweet spot for this screen resolution.
I'm also switching to a One S soon; I currently have an LG Optimus L9, mostly for audio purposes since a large majority of my smartphone time is spent listening to music (for its price, it's sure low on distortion and seems to be able to drive my NuForce IEMs with no fuss). Being an avid GSMArena reader, I was pleased to learn that the One S still holds some of the lowest distortion readings of all smartphones ever reviewed (and that the Snapdragon S4 really zooms on this particular device).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll love it, the sound quality is superb on this phone. It's half the reason why I missed the phone in the first place! The jellybean update made the audio a bit distorted and the volume was too loud so I don't know if that's been fixed but I know the sound quality was immense on sense 4.1 on ice cream sandwich.

Wow, you guys are updating quite fast! I just bought my one s (for a bargain) and I'm hoping to keep using it for 2 years. My previous phone was a galaxy s1, so compared to that, the one s really flies

theguitarman94 said:
Some people will call me mad and no one probably cares but I'm coming back to the one s! I sold mine back at the start of February and I bought a nexus 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome back but 64 GB variant will be batter
From HTC One S

theguitarman94 said:
I do but no higher than 720 x 1280. The 8x has that resolution and the screen is as sharp as anything. I personally think the higher resolution is great for text but apart from that it's hardly a big deal. The resolution of the one s is fine for videos and picture viewing etc. I certainly see absolutely no point in the 1080p full hd screens that they're putting in these newest flag ship phones! So I don't think it's worth it although it would be nice. Anything above 4.3" i'd say it certainly is worth a higher resolution than qhd.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1080P is still useful if you are going to read some low quality pdf documents(probably scan via scanner) but WWW should be enough at 720p.

Do you think third party apps are more optimized (more fluid, stable...) on nexus 4 than on htc one s? Im thinking of switching to an iphone because of this...
Enviado desde mi VilleDroid V2.3 usando Tapatalk 2

carlos_abril_94 said:
Do you think third party apps are more optimized (more fluid, stable...) on nexus 4 than on htc one s? Im thinking of switching to an iphone because of this...
Enviado desde mi VilleDroid V2.3 usando Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus is not necessary better when you only stick with stock plain os. However, if you are willing to flash Nexus CM rom with 3rd kernels then the answer is 100% yes. But N4 is really bad at music, camera and voice call(or use BT handfree instead)........really really bad
iphone is good if you can live with the tiny screen.

TheEndHK said:
Nexus is not necessary better when you only stick with stock plain os. However, if you are willing to flash Nexus CM rom with 3rd kernels then the answer is 100% yes. But N4 is really bad at music, camera and voice call(or use BT handfree instead)........really really bad
iphone is good if you can live with the tiny screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 to this

Apps run a little bit smoother on the nexus 4 but stock android and 4.2 are the main reason why. I just think the hardware of the device is rubbish. The dac is poor and the camera is awful. The nexus is good if you want a snappy stock android phone.

If you flash acid audio engine, music with earphones should be great, as it is on hos with cm and that mod.
Ill wait for ios 7 and key lime pie to decide, but I really dont see why not choosing a nexus instead of any other android phone: the SO is far more polished and software is always up to date. However when I see even nexus devices lagging in browser ,for example, I doubt a lot about android as SO...

Aside from the camera and sound I wouldn't go back to the one s , yea the widgets look better on sense and the theming is cool but I got rid of the soft keys thanks to a ROM and now I have the screen space jack and I really love the display ... I just wish they can make a nexus the size of a one s with HTCs camera and Googles freedom ... I know Google said the next nexus is going to have an insane camera so that might be the one!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Matter of opinion I suppose

theguitarman94 said:
Matter of opinion I suppose
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't fret too much guitarman (get it?) Look in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2116062
Tecardo is a master of restoring bricked HTC One S, give him a PM and see if he can help you out.

Daiskei said:
Don't fret too much guitarman (get it?) Look in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2116062
Tecardo is a master of restoring bricked HTC One S, give him a PM and see if he can help you out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hehe I get it, nice one

Anyone here switch over from the Nexus 6?

I got my nexus 6 last month when they were on sale but honestly it's just to big. It hurts the sides of my fingers lol. I know the processor is better than the 617 but I am not some benchmark guy who only cares about that. Also I am living abroad in Colombia so I can dump my nexus easily and probably make money since cell phones are very $$$ here. I already ordered 3 A9's, one of each color so I am deciding if I should keep one and sell the other two along with my nexus.
Any thoughts from some nexus guys would be appreciated

I'm not coming from a Nexus 6 but I do have a Nexus 5X and an HTC One M9. I'm not seeing any performance difference between the 5X and the A9. I'm also not really noticing much, if any, performance decrease from the One M9. A9 seems like a really solid device. Fingerprint reader is really convenient and is fast. The size of the device is great too.

TMartin said:
I'm not coming from a Nexus 6 but I do have a Nexus 5X and an HTC One M9. I'm not seeing any performance difference between the 5X and the A9. I'm also not really noticing much, if any, performance decrease from the One M9. A9 seems like a really solid device. Fingerprint reader is really convenient and is fast. The size of the device is great too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sweet thanks, just what I wanted to hear
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app

I'm considering the A9 coming from a Nexus 5... The 5x build quality is meh and the 6p has that ugly visor that i can't get used to.
The A9 looks like a nice phone for someone wanting to move on from the Nexus 5. I'm used to a poor battery, speaker, and camera. The A9 appears to be an upgrade in the speaker and camera, and a push with the battery.
I'm Nexus snob, so I'm kind of waiting to see how the A9 shakes out, especially with ROMs

HTC One A9 or Nexus 5x?

I bought a 32GB Nexus 5X with the discount from black Friday and gonna receive soon.
I actually wanted this phone(the A9) more but the discount made the nexus really appealing.
Now, here in Mexico I can get a 32GB A9 for less than a Nexus 5x so I could probably sell the Nexus for more than I bought it and get an A9.
Should I do it? Are there any differences that could make the A9 a worse experience than the Nexus?
What do you guys think?

*bump*
Any opinions? I've been reading there are lots of problems with the nexus 5x, that's my main reason for wanting to get an A9 instead

Hope this helps
I'd go for it! or at least that's my opinion.
********Here's why*******
The htc a9 does raise some questions about how it's able to perform. But from experience, as in being an owner of the device.. I've come find that this phone is in fact fast and smooth. The battery isn't the best but keep in mind that quick charge 3.0 is just an update away!
Coming from a good old 64gig sandstone black oneplus one In mint condition (with Exodus and ak kernel). I still happen to own that device, although I've been using my a9 as a daily driver for a good month and now perfer it over the original, all mighty oneplus one.
Go for it!

I have both. I say get the One A9. I think the performance and battery life are better on it compared to the 5X.

TMartin said:
I have both. I say get the One A9. I think the performance and battery life are better on it compared to the 5X.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Nexus 5x arrived a few days ago but it was defective... I can't sell it, and bhphotovideo doesn't want to comply with Mexican customs so I can't exchange it for a new one without having to pay import taxes again

The 5X isn't a bad device at all. You'll love it.
Sent from my HTC One A9 using Tapatalk

My choice is 5x because it have super camera, and normal battery and modern chipset. A9 have too many compromises and a lot of questions about them.

I currently have both, and I'm keeping the A9. They're both great devices; it's all about what your specific priorities are.
The 5x will get you:
oodles of development activity, and a pure Android experience. This also translates to much better longevity.
An amazing camera
better battery life
better performance imo
the A9 gets you:
A great amoled screen.
A button on the front of the phone.
A phone you can put in your pocket. The difference in size comparison on Phone Arena is slight, but in the hand, the A9 feels much smaller than the 5x.

I prefer Nexus 5X since it offers a stock Android experience. The performance is also better as we all know it. These two seems to be a hard choice, but after I saw quality issues on 5X I would suggest you to go for HTC A9 since quality issues sometimes depends on your luck.

I do not know the Nexus, but the HTC One A9 is a great Device. I would buy it again.

Not sure if this will affect you, but you may have tethering guard block you from doing wifi tethering. That is my one regret so far getting the A9 of the 5X. I have been using GPE for the last 3 years, so I am kinda used to the cleaner interface.

I have and use both! Have had both from the first day they were available! I'd say it all depends on what is important to you. I have anyway been an HTC fan and love sense and good HTC hardware. On the other hand, since the nexus line has come into play I used the Nexus 6, 6p and 5x and I don't know that I can live without the pure AOSP experience that I can get from custom ROMS like chroma and PureNexus and custom kernels like Franco or Elmentalx or Elite . The make for make for unbelievable battery life and an amazing feature set. . Being able to enjoy custom recovery (TWRP) for full backup and restores and flashing new ROMS/kernels every night if I wish, No adds ever and more features than I can shake a stick at is slowly starting to trump out the HTC experience. Having said that, a more direct compare of the 2.... My HTC A9 is rooted and does have TWRP so I have some of the above mentioned benefits, but as of today there are still no custom roms or kernels, my 5x on the other had has Chroma with elementalx and I have every available feature I can imagine!! ( Even have the HTC Sense calender, music app, Gallery and a few others on it ) Battery life on my 5x is slightly better than the A9 due to all the things I can customize but the A9 has a very acceptable battery life, as good as my M9. Both have excellent finger print readers with the 5x easily winning on the amount of accurate reads but the front placement of the one on the A9 is SO SO SO much better and more useful. I totally love having it on the front. The 5x hands down smokes the A9 on processor speed. I can throw whatever I want at the 5x and almost never see it bog down or become unresponsive where as I can easily make the A9 lock up and become quite unresponsive if I use it hard. Having said that, outside of heavy multi tasking or gaming the A9 still delivers a very usable experience. When it comes to screens ppl will scream you from both sides and say that LCD or AMOLED is better but in this case the A9 clearly has a far superior screen to the 5x on every level. The screen to me is one of the biggest disappointments on the 5x. Build quality, at first glance the 5x feels plastic and cheap but after using it seems to become more and more durable and doesn't impress one as being cheap, but the A9 is a clear winner here. I love the build quality on the A9. Speakers, well lets just say the A9 is a far cry from the previous one series HTC phones. I don't like the A9 speakers, the 5x has better sound. All in all, the one thing that the A9 phone does well is that it doesn't do anything wrong.. It just works. It's not that impressive but also doesn't disappoint. The 5x has some very impressive things but also disappoints in some areas. and lastly, the cameras... Both are great!!! If possible the A9 might actually beat the 5x but both are great and far out preform any of the previous HTC One phones and the Nexus 6. I can provide any stats or photo comparisons or anything like that if wanted

What's up with the A9 and Verizon? Does it work yet? I heard only with LTE... is this true? While I rarely drop LTE at home, I do travel a lot.
I like the 5x, and am typing in it now. But man does the build quality leave me wanting a more premium device.
I tried the 6p but its just too big and cumbersome.
I really want an iPhone with Android! I was hoping the a9 would be it.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

mcgrathpatj said:
What's up with the A9 and Verizon? Does it work yet? I heard only with LTE... is this true? While I rarely drop LTE at home, I do travel a lot.
I like the 5x, and am typing in it now. But man does the build quality leave me wanting a more premium device.
I tried the 6p but its just too big and cumbersome.
I really want an iPhone with Android! I was hoping the a9 would be it.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is def your iPhone running android and it has a very premium build compared to the 5x, a much nicer screen and so on, but if your on Verizon your currently out of luck... I just got the 6.0.1 OTA and still data only on VZW with no talk and No text. It will always be an LTE only phone ( On VZW) as it doesn't have a CDMA radio but the plan is for Verizon to support it sometime in the 1st quarter of 2016 as an LTE only device. It's the wave of the future but I'm not sure VZW's LTE network is ready for it yet..

Verizon doesnt support VoLTE or the A9 does not? I'm guessing the phone since there is said to be a software update.
Damn, well, keeping my eye on this.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

How do you like this coming from a Nexus 6p?

I'm curious what you folks who came from the Nexus 6p think about this smaller phone. Are you regretting going with the smaller option? Loving it? I've ordered a Pixel for me and the missus (thanks to the TMo promo) and am fully expecting to have a love/hate relationship with the smaller phone. I mean, I totally miss having a reasonable size phone (my N6p is HUGE!!) but boy is it nice to have a large screen when I don't care about my phone being small.
I'm still a week or two away from getting our Pixels but trying to decide whether I should change my order to an XL or not.

I'm loving my Pixel. So much easier to handle. Battery life has been great. Camera is amazing. The only thing I miss are the front facing speakers. However, the Pixel speaker is plenty loud and sounds really good despite it being one speaker on the bottom of the device.

daewond3r said:
I'm loving my Pixel. So much easier to handle. Battery life has been great. Camera is amazing. The only thing I miss are the front facing speakers. However, the Pixel speaker is plenty loud and sounds really good despite it being one speaker on the bottom of the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback! Oddly enough, I don't think I'll care much at all about the speaker. The N6p has great speakers but I never use them - almost always have better audio options available (7 Chromecast audios at home, B&O Bluetooth speakerphones that also sound great for music, car integrated Bluetooth, & a Bluetooth stereo headset). I think the last phone I has that wasn't too large was the OG Moto X. That was a long time and many phones ago!

The smaller phone is hugely liberating. Finally feels normal and just right. Heck, I wish it were smaller. I guess I never did adjust to the phablet madness. Now it fits in my pocket, cup holders, anywhere I can think of. I tend to worry less about it. It's less of a thin flat large slab that may bend. One handed use is so underrated. 4.5" would have been perfect though.
Okay, so the things I don't like are the price, it is definitely not hundreds of pounds better than the 6P, which was IMO 2015's best smartphone and the 6P held its own right up to now.
Then there's no 64gb option.
Then the design itself is also rather ugly at the back. Face looks awesome.
It hasn't added much to the 6P. It took a few things away from the 6P. The small size and the marginal speed performance differences made my mind up really.
It's not better than last year's. It's just a different phone. Because it HAS no last year model to compete with.
I have compared the camera on both and the camera is over hyped. It produces the same stills as the 6P does. However, focussing is better in video and stabilisation is finally here. Not forgetting to mention that it can do macros closer up. That's it really.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app

subhani said:
I have compared the camera on both and the camera is over hyped. It produces the same stills as the 6P does. However, focussing is better in video and stabilisation is finally here. Not forgetting to mention that it can do macros closer up. That's it really.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to admit the quality is not leaps and bounds better than the 6P. However, another important factor with the Pixel camera is speed. I had to settle for subpar pics with my 6P many times because the first snap wasn't great then I had to wait for HDR+ to process before I could snap another one. The Pixel allows me to snap pictures much quicker giving me more opportunities to get the shot I want.

Thanks all! You're helping me feel better with my choice of the smaller version. I'm not worried about the aesthetics since it'll be in a case most it's life. I'm really excited for this phone even if it's not a huge upgrade from the N6P. Definitely looking for that faster camera most of all!

i have both and ive come from the 6p..i love the smaller phone..fast photos..compact..i loved the 6p..but love my pixel more
Sent from my sailfish using XDA Labs

Jaxidian said:
I'm curious what you folks who came from the Nexus 6p think about this smaller phone. Are you regretting going with the smaller option? Loving it? I've ordered a Pixel for me and the missus (thanks to the TMo promo) and am fully expecting to have a love/hate relationship with the smaller phone. I mean, I totally miss having a reasonable size phone (my N6p is HUGE!!) but boy is it nice to have a large screen when I don't care about my phone being small.
I'm still a week or two away from getting our Pixels but trying to decide whether I should change my order to an XL or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My suggestion if you have a Best Buy or Verizon store near, is go and play with both for a couple hours. It's kind of daunting to come from a 6-inch screen to a 5-inch screen. You might find it that mrs. Prefers the 5.5 inch where you find yourself happy with the 5-inch or vice versa.

subhani said:
The smaller phone is hugely liberating. Finally feels normal and just right. Heck, I wish it were smaller. I guess I never did adjust to the phablet madness. Now it fits in my pocket, cup holders, anywhere I can think of. I tend to worry less about it. It's less of a thin flat large slab that may bend. One handed use is so underrated. 4.5" would have been perfect though.
Okay, so the things I don't like are the price, it is definitely not hundreds of pounds better than the 6P, which was IMO 2015's best smartphone and the 6P held its own right up to now.
Then there's no 64gb option.
Then the design itself is also rather ugly at the back. Face looks awesome.
It hasn't added much to the 6P. It took a few things away from the 6P. The small size and the marginal speed performance differences made my mind up really.
It's not better than last year's. It's just a different phone. Because it HAS no last year model to compete with.
I have compared the camera on both and the camera is over hyped. It produces the same stills as the 6P does. However, focussing is better in video and stabilisation is finally here. Not forgetting to mention that it can do macros closer up. That's it really.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the camera side of things - from the reviews I have looked at online the low light performance is superior on the Pixel when compared to the 6p, or any other phone camera for that matter.

I have the same situation too. I find 6P is too bulky..I kind of miss the Nexus 5 feeling. My biggest concern is the battery life because how significantly smaller the battery is compared to 6P.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I've found the move fine, pixel easier to handle, battery life not an issue. Camera is much faster and definitely better in low light, screen colours are better too making things look crisper. Excellent piece of kit.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app

Jazd71 said:
I've found the move fine, pixel easier to handle, battery life not an issue. Camera is much faster and definitely better in low light, screen colours are better too making things look crisper. Excellent piece of kit.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please see here. I compare the Pixel and the 6p
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=69434548
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app
---------- Post added at 07:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:14 PM ----------
digitheatre said:
I have the same situation too. I find 6P is too bulky..I kind of miss the Nexus 5 feeling. My biggest concern is the battery life because how significantly smaller the battery is compared to 6P.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found the Pixel to hold its charge better than the Nexus. Still early days so may degrade over time.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app

Loving it!
So I'm a bit of a junkie. I switch phones every 6-12 months, going back as far as the HTC Desire HD.
I've been bouncing between Nexus and HTC Flagships for the last couple years, having had every HTC One and both the Nexus 6 and 6p.
While I AM still a huge fan of the large form factor of the 6p (I still haven't sold it yet, so I have been doing a lot of direct comparisons), I decided on the Pixel instead of the XL and I don't regret it. It's so comfortable, so fast, the battery is AMAZING, the camera is AMAZING, it's just so good. What I was most surprised with is actually the speaker quality! It is very clear and full sounding, especially for a single bottom firing speaker.
I don't know what else to say, I thought this would be more structured but it turned into a bit of a rant.

RyanTX said:
On the camera side of things - from the reviews I have looked at online the low light performance is superior on the Pixel when compared to the 6p, or any other phone camera for that matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's good I sub low-light but when it's really low light ois or manual is needed. Great camera otherwise,so much faster then stock 6P (there is now a hacked one in the 6P forum). I Have a pixel, this iPhone and a Huawei P9 and can't decide witch one to stay with but the pixel is really really good.
Skickat från min iPhone med Tapatalk

WinterApocalypse said:
So I'm a bit of a junkie. I switch phones every 6-12 months, going back as far as the HTC Desire HD.
I've been bouncing between Nexus and HTC Flagships for the last couple years, having had every HTC One and both the Nexus 6 and 6p.
While I AM still a huge fan of the large form factor of the 6p (I still haven't sold it yet, so I have been doing a lot of direct comparisons), I decided on the Pixel instead of the XL and I don't regret it. It's so comfortable, so fast, the battery is AMAZING, the camera is AMAZING, it's just so good. What I was most surprised with is actually the speaker quality! It is very clear and full sounding, especially for a single bottom firing speaker.
I don't know what else to say, I thought this would be more structured but it turned into a bit of a rant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This ia precisely how I feel. The small form factor, the power and speed. The camera and battery life sold me. The price was high. I think no phone should ever cost this price. It's a phone and a social media toy. A camera even. That's it.
But as the market rate goes, this is the best phone for the money. RIP phablets. If more top end hardware was available for smaller handsets, I would wager phablets would be dead in quick succession.
One plus 3 really is the wild card of smartphones... It throws a spanner in my perfect Pixel world.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app

The one thing making my decision difficult is reduced resolution. I'm ready for smaller form factor but I've had qhd for such a long time that I'm not sure I'm ready for the compromises when going down to HD.
Can anyone please elaborate on their experience (gaming and multimedia) coming from higher resolution display?
I'm mostly concerned with Vainglory.

Bruce lee roy said:
The one thing making my decision difficult is reduced resolution. I'm ready for smaller form factor but I've had qhd for such a long time that I'm not sure I'm ready for the compromises when going down to HD.
Can anyone please elaborate on their experience (gaming and multimedia) coming from higher resolution display?
I'm mostly concerned with Vainglory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never game on any of my mobile devices (I have a gaming PC 980ti, i74790k, 1440p display with Gsync). However, I do have the 6P and the Pixel side by side. I can't say I can tell the difference at all. I think you really have to go looking for the difference and squint to pick any minute details.

I've now had my Pixel 5" for 24 hours and I'm loving the size!

Bruce lee roy said:
The one thing making my decision difficult is reduced resolution. I'm ready for smaller form factor but I've had qhd for such a long time that I'm not sure I'm ready for the compromises when going down to HD.
Can anyone please elaborate on their experience (gaming and multimedia) coming from higher resolution display?
I'm mostly concerned with Vainglory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm the OP of this thread so I obviously came from a N6P, which is 1440p @ ~5.8". With that background, I can say that I love this screen even more than I loved the N6P screen. The drop in resolution isn't noticeable to me at all (my main monitor on my computer is 4k, so I get it and demand resolution).
The only situation I can imagine where the Pixel 5" resolution would be a problem would be with Cardboard/Daydream where the pixels are magnified. That's VERY secondary for me and I'd never change my phone decision because of that. Simply put, 1080p on this phone is pretty amazing! Don't forget that this is much sense of a DPI than any Apple phone.

Went from the 6p rooted and heavy use of xposed to a 2 week test of a stock 5x to see how the smaller phone felt...Definitely liked the smaller device, but that phone is under powered .. Got the 5 inch pixel last week and it is fantastic.
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk