The iPhone 5 vs. The HTC Windows Phone 8 S – A Comparison that Apple Wins

Just how are you supposed to go about choosing a new mobile phone? You're going to be spending quite a fair amount of money, so you do want to make sure that you're making a good decision. But not only that, you want to make sure that you're getting something good and something reliable. So many of us depend on our mobiles these days either because we've already got rid of that expensive home land line phone or for professional reasons but a bad phone purchase can be a nightmare; choosing the right phone can be a nightmare too. If you're of a technical inclination, you can spend a few hours going through spec sheets and looking at features and comparing them for different phones. However, for the average user, those spec sheets are confusing with their plethora of numbers and technical jargon. That's why we've been looking at some of the most popular new mobiles on the market and comparing them. We put two top new phones up against each other in head to head competition to see how they fare, and to help you make a better decision. The two phones that we're looking at today are the iPhone 5 and the HTC Windows Phone 8 S. So, if you want to know which of these two models wins out, you're going to have to keep reading to get your answer...

Today's Phones...

HTC are unusual in that they manufacturer both Windows and Android phones, whilst most companies tend to focus on one or the other. Windows phones haven't always been particularly popular with the public, but newer incarnations of the operating system are actually pretty good, smooth and easy to use. The HTC Window Phone 8 S isn't the top of the line model, that honour belongs to the HTC Windows Phone 8 X, but it is one of the newest releases from the company. It's pretty affordable, particularly since Windows phones tend to be more expensive than other options, but do you sacrifice too many features to get that low price tag? The iPhone 5 is the latest release from Apple. A bestselling handset, it's Apple's flagship phone. The iPhone 5 has a faster processor and a bigger screen than any other iPhone on the market. But it's also expensive. Is it worth paying so much for a mobile device, or would you be better off saving some cash?

Pricing...

There is a huge difference in pricing between these two phones. iPhone deals on contracts with mobile operators will run between zero and eight hundred pounds, depending both on the amount of internal memory you need on your phone and on the size of the contract that you're signing. If you're not looking for iPhone deals on contract, you can buy a brand new iPhone SIM free. This is going to run between five hundred and thirty pounds and seven hundred pounds, depending on how much internal memory you want. The HTC Windows Phone 8 S costs between zero and a hundred pounds on contract, depending on the size of the contract that you sign. New and SIM free, it goes for a very reasonable two hundred and twenty pounds.

Similarities?

There aren't many similarities here, as those prices might have led you to expect. The HTC 8 S and the iPhone 5 are both touch screen phones though. And they both have the same four inch screen, which is a little small for an expensive device like an iPhone.

Why the iPhone 5 is Better...

The iPhone 5 just has a ton of features that are better than those on the HTC 8 S. It has a faster processor, running a 1300 MHz model versus the 1000 MHz model on the HTC, making it more powerful, more responsive and snappier. You also get an awful lot more internal storage. The HTC comes with just 4 GB of internal memory, whilst the iPhone gets between 16 GB and 64 GB depending on how much you pay. That's a lot more space to store your data, music and photos. The screens on these two phones might be the same size, but that's where the similarity ends. The display on the iPhone gets a massive ninety per cent higher resolution, as well as forty per cent more PPI (pixels per inch), making it clearer, sharper and just nicer to look at. The in built camera is higher resolution too, since it's an 8 MP model rather than the 5 MP camera on the HTC. That means that your photos are going to be better quality and you'll capture more fine detail. Plus, the camera on the iPhone shoots full high definition video, and the camera on the HTC 8 S just doesn't. There's newer Bluetooth support on the iPhone, which is equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 instead of the older 2.1 version that's on the HTC. If you regularly use a Bluetooth device such as a hands free set in the car, this will mean that you get faster data transfer between your phone and the device, and that your phone will use less battery power when connecting. Into apps and games? You will have a lot more choice with the iPhone 5. Apple's App Store contains about nine times more apps available to download than the Windows Phone Marketplace, so you might want to keep that in mind. And, even though both phones have the same size of screen, the iPhone is around thirty per cent smaller and thirty per cent thinner than the HTC 8 S.

What Can the HTC Windows Phone 8 S Do?

Really the only advantage to the HTC is its battery life. You get about sixty per cent more stand by time per battery charge cycle on the HTC than you do on the iPhone, meaning less frequent phone charging for you.

The Results...

Obviously, the iPhone 5 is the clear winner here. You're going to pay more for your device, but the iPhone 5 is a far better phone with far better features than the HTC Windows Phone 8 S.

Sam Jones's sister knew that he would be able to help her get some great iPhone deals.It only took him a minute or two on uSwitch and similar sites to help her to save some of that all-important cash.