HTC Desire S vs Apple iPhone 4: Smartphone showdown
- — 23 February, 2011 11:20
HTC's Desire S is the successor to the original Desire, which is currently sold exclusively through Telstra in Australia.
The HTC Desire, along with the Samsung Galaxy S, is one of the most popular Android smartphones on the market in Australia. HTC has just lifted the lid on its hotly anticipated next-generation Desire, called the Desire S. Does it have what it takes to compete with the Apple iPhone 4?
Read our original HTC Desire review, and our Apple iPhone 4 review.
Check out our detailed preview of the HTC Desire S and see our roundup of the best upcoming smartphones in 2011.
The HTC Desire S has a 3.7in SLCD display with a resolution of 480x800, a 5-megapixel rear camera that doubles as a 720p HD video recorder, a 1.3-megapixel front camera for video calls, and an aluminium "unibody" design that HTC claims makes it stronger than the original Desire.
With this in mind, how does the HTC Desire S stack up against the iPhone 4 when it comes to specifications?
HTC Desire S vs iPhone 4: Specifications
| Feature | Apple iPhone 4 | HTC Desire S | Verdict? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system (OS) | Apple iOS | Google Android 2.4 (Gingerbread) | Draw |
| Display size | 3.5in | 3.7in | Desire S |
| Display technology | Capacitive retina IPS | SLCD | iPhone 4 |
| Display resolution | 640x960 pixels | 480x800 pixels | iPhone 4 |
| Multitouch | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Camera | 5 megapixels, LED flash, autofocus, geotagging | 5 megapixels, LED flash, autofocus, geotagging, image stabilisation | Draw |
| FM radio | No | Yes | Desire S |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Internal memory | 16GB or 32GB | 1.1GB | iPhone 4 |
| Expandable memory | No | microSD card slot | Desire S |
| Dimensions | 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm | 115 x 59.8 x 11.6mm | iPhone 4 |
| Weight | 137g | 130g | Desire S |
| Application store | Apple App Store | Google Android Market | iPhone 4 |
| Processor | Apple A4 | Qualcomm Snapdragon (1GHz) | Draw |
| 3G networks | HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 | HSDPA 900/1900/2100 | iPhone 4 |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g/n | Desire S |
| Bluetooth | 2.1 with A2DP | 2.1 with A2DP | Draw |
| NFC (Near Field Communication) | No | No | Draw |
| HDMI-out | No | No | Draw |
| Quoted talk time | Up to 7 hours | Up to 7 hours 10 minutes | Desire S |
| Quoted standby time | Up to 300 hours | Up to 455 hours | Desire S |
| Adobe Flash support | No | Yes | Desire S |
Comments
some random
Mon 28/02/2011 - 10:49
the desire s is better but htc had an oppertunity to blow your mind with this phone but they didnt take the oppertunity that was very dissapionting i would get a desire s but easly change to a galaxy S2
Ross Catanzariti
Tue 01/03/2011 - 10:24
Hi pissed,
If you read the whole article, I've compared the specs in an easy to read table, and then explained some of the key differences, which answers the question.
Thanks.
Junior
Wed 13/04/2011 - 04:17
I prefer the body design of the Desire S, but I think the navigation on the iPhone 4 is more enjoyable.
Overall I prefer the Desire S over the iphone 4, taking also in consideration that it's released 6 months after the iphone 4
If the iphone 5 will be released this year, it will be a great competitor to the Desire S.
Thanks!
Lippy
Tue 26/04/2011 - 00:50
Thanks for the table of comparisons! I've decided to go for the desire s, whereas before I was totally sold on the iPhone 4.
Pissed is an idiot.
Alisa
Thu 19/05/2011 - 13:51
iPhone 4 can't take incoming call while surfing the net. And can't load webpage more than 1 page at a time.
THEMAN
Mon 23/05/2011 - 16:20
I have had both phones as well and the iPhone 4 feels better and more like it is worth something in your hand while the desire feels like a piece of junk, and the retina display destroys that of the desire but the desire is way faster, more customizable and just funner to use so i would buy the desire over the two. But the real competitor is the atrix 4g.
johnny65
Wed 23/02/2011 - 14:50
I have had both, and personally I like my HTC alot more. Android is a better operating system, plus it just seems faster and alot more open. Plus Flash support is a huge bonus