Windows Phone 8X vs. Galaxy S3 vs. iPhone 5: spec showdown

DIGITAL TRENDS [06/11/12]
By AJ Dellinger

Galaxy S3 vs Windows Phone 8X vs iPhone 5 spec comparison
The biggest representatives of every operating system go head-to-head-.to head. The iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3, and HTC Windows Phone 8X square off in a Spec Showdown. Which phone best meets your needs? Take a look at our comparison and make your call.
Since Apple makes its own products, it’s latest product is the default market leader for iOS. For Android and Windows Phone handsets, however, the field is wide open. The market defines the front runners with their wallets, and there’s the media darlings that manage to snag the hearts of reviewers. The Samsung Galaxy S3 has become Android’s model phone, in part because of an aggressive and enjoyable ad campaign, and because it’s just a darn good handset. With Windows Phone 8 just becoming available, we can’t be certain what the mobile operating system’s chief representative will be. What we can say with confidence, though, is that HTC’s Windows Phone 8X can make quite a case for itself. How do these three heavyweights of the handset world stack up against one another? Take a look at the stat sheet and draw your own conclusions.

Read our full reviews for the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3, and HTC Windows Phone 8X for our extended take on each option. 

iPhone 5 
iPhone 5 display
Galaxy S3
galaxy s3
HTC 8X 
HTC Windows Phone 8X tiny
Size  123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 (mm)  136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 (mm)  132.3 x 66.2 x 10.1 (mm)
Weight  112g  133g  130g
Screen  4.0-inch LCD  4.8-inch Super AMOLED  4.3-inch Super LCD 2
Resolution  1136×640 pixels  1280×720 pixels  1280×720 pixels
OS  iOS 6.0.1  Android 4.0 with TouchWiz UI  Windows Phone 8
Storage  16/32/64GB  16/32GB  16GB
SD Card Slot  No  Yes  No
Processor  Dual-core A6X  Dual-core Snapdragon S4 (US)  Dual-core Snapdragon S4
RAM  1GB  2GB  1GB
Connectivity  Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+  Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+  Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+
Camera  Front 1.2MP, Rear 8MP  Front 1.9MP, Rear 8MP  Front 2MP, Rear 8MP
Bluetooth  Yes, version 4.0  Yes, version 4.0  Yes, version 3.1
Battery  1440mAh  2100mAh  1800mAh
Charger  Lightning connector  Micro USB  Micro USB
Marketplace  Apple App Store  Google Play Store  Windows Phone Store
Price  $200+  $200+  $100+
Availability  AT&T, Sprint, Verizon  AT&T, Sprint, T-Mob, Verizon  AT&T, T-Mob, Verizon

What it means: You can sit and compare the processing power and pixel-per-inch count on each device and come to a conclusion about which phone is most technically sound. That said, the biggest and most glaring difference between these three handsets is in one category: the operating system. Apple’s iOS is streamlined and smooth, like everything Apple; Google’s Android OS is in a seemingly constant state of upgrade, but rarely are the changes met with complaints; Windows Phone 8 brings the complete implementation of Live Tiles, and we’ve already started to see that Microsoft may be on to something. The deciding factor may come down to your other devices and computer. If you own a Mac, sticking with the Apple theme may be best for the purposes of continuity. PC users that sprung for Windows 8 should consider snagging the Windows Phone 8X to get the full functionality of the OS. Android devices can work with Mac, Windows, or even Linux, and the NFC features like S Beam make the Galaxy S3 appealing if your friends of co-workers also own the device. Luckily, if you are making your choice from this group, it’s hard to pick wrong.

(Specs by Jeffrey Van Camp)

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