HTC Sensation 4G vs. iPhone 4S
The HTC Sensation 4G is rated among the best Android smartphones on the market today. However, many others adamantly believe it cannot stand against Apple’s iPhone 4S. After comparing the differences, you can be the judge.
Antenna
So far we haven’t heard of any Android Phone with reported antenna issues. The iPhone 4 faced problems that we fondly remember as the Antennagate. However, the 4S has dual antennas that work very well, no matter how you hold the phone. Apple has, of course, resolved the problem, relegating the antenna issue into history.
On the other hand, we’ve also heard of a few related issues concerning the HTC Sensation 4G. Some people complained the network speeds slow down when the device is placed flat on any surface. It’s not a major problem, because the network speed otherwise hovers around 1.6 Mbps mark, which is quite good.
Design
The HTC Sensation 4G does not have any outrageously different design specs when compared with other Android smartphones, but it does work quite well. It has the usual four touch buttons for home, back, search and trash. There is a mini USB port, a power button and a volume rocker on the top. In a way, it is more alike to a large and powerful Google Nexus.
The iPhone 4S has nothing groundbreaking from the design standpoint. It is identical to the iPhone 4, which is wholeheartedly accepted by people. The design is just as sleek and it exudes class, as does everything from Apple. We like the Sensation 4G a bit more in this aspect, but you might have a different view on this.
The Screen
The Sensation 4G has a generous 4.3 inch HD screen and it is very bright. Many people prefer this phone to iPhone 4S just because of the screen size. It surely makes a difference while browsing the web and watching movies.
The iPhone 4S has not deviated much from the original iPhone’s 3.5 inch screen, but it has worked well for all the users so far. It retains the retina display of its predecessor, and it is definitely the best screen on the market. However, if you want a larger display, you might want to go for the Sensation 4G.
Camera
Both smartphones sport 8 megapixel cameras. The image quality of the Sensation 4G is very good. It has two LED flashes, and it works quite well even in low light. It captures full HD videos at 1080p and has a front facing VGA camera for video chat. The front camera’s quality is par for the course.
The iPhone 4S sports a new 8 megapixel camera that is much better than the iPhone 4 camera. You can take pictures pretty quickly too, at intervals of about 1.4 seconds between each photo. The Sensation 4G camera is quick too, but the iPhone camera has a slight edge in taking pictures.
Network Speed
Although HTC calls its phone 4G, it does not actually support the 4G network. It supports only the HSPA network at a maximum speed of 14.4 mbps, which is still good enough for most users. If you do not have the facility of unlimited downloads on your network package, you will hit your cap pretty soon even at these speeds.
The iPhone 4S also sports the HSPA+ network at speeds up to 14.4 Mbps. Again, you might want to be careful with that kind of speed. Unless bandwidth prices become significantly cheaper, the phone network speeds will only have a limited value.
Software
The HTC Sensation 4G runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, though it is not the latest Android version. If you like Android, you will love this phone. HTC has added its Sense UI 3.0 on top of default OS, which contributes to functionality and beauty. You have more apps than you can use in a lifetime. Even though iOS has more apps than Android, there is nothing that you cannot accomplish with Android.
Apple iPhone 4S, of course, runs iOS 5, which is the latest and greatest mobile operating system from the company to date. It brings in a new notification bar and some other improvements.
Picking out a winner in this category is out of question, since it depends on taste. When it comes to functionality, both phones are pretty similar.
Performance
Sensation 4G runs on a dual core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, which is quite fast. However, there is some stutter, which has been noticed on other Android phones as well. This is partly because of the big screen and the fact that the processor may not always be able to handle complex graphics. Although, browsing overall is very smooth, the lag issue can be annoying sometimes.
iPhone 4S has no issues with performance whatsoever. It comes with Apple’s latest A5 processor, which also powers the iPad 2. Scrolling on the browser and around the phone is buttery smooth, and the interface feels very fluid.
Battery Life
The battery powering of the HTC Sensation 4G is good enough to last a whole day with normal usage. When watching videos and playing games on this phone, the battery life drops down to 4-5 hours. Overall, the battery life is neither terrible, nor spectacular.
Battery life of iPhones has always been typically longer than that of other smartphones, and iPhone 4S is pretty much the same. You can watch around 9 hours of video before the battery dies out. For general use, it lasts almost 2 days without a recharge, which is very much impressive. iPhone 4S is clearly the winner when it comes to battery life.
Siri
Well, there is one exception that makes iPhone 4S better than Android phones. It is Apple’s new voice recognition software, Siri. It clearly sets iPhone 4S apart from other smartphones.
Siri is so smart that many blogs have been written just for explaining what it can do. If you do not need this feature, you can go for the Sensation 4G. We are however, enamored of this feature, which is exclusive to 4S.
Price
The HTC Sensation 4G was launched at a price tag of $199.99, and consumers have to sign a two-year contract with T-Mobile, otherwise it’ll cost them $549.99.
As for the iPhone 4S, it was launched in three versions, 16, 62 and 64GB, so the prices differ respectively. The iPhone 4S price list is below:
| With a contract | unlocked | |
| 16GB | $199 | $649 |
| 32GB | $299 | $749 |
| 64GB | $399 | $849 |
Conclusion
Sifting through the details, it becomes clear that the iPhone 4S is the winner. Performance is a key factor in success and the 4S has the edge over the 4G in this regard. While the screen size of the 4G is appealing, it falls on its face when matched head to head against the iPhone.
