HTC Butterfly vs. HTC One X+

Now that we’ve reviewed and thoroughly used the HTC Butterfly and the HTC One X+, we’re somewhat torn between which of the two we will be using on a daily basis.

Normally, we carry at three different phones on a daily basis and one of them has been the One X+ since December. However, since we bought the HTC Butterfly, it has temporarily replaced the One X+. Now that the two ha been fully reviewed, the only question that leaves us is which of the two is better.

Let’s break the two down, shall we?

Display Size & Screen Resolution.

The Butterfly is bigger at 5 inches while the One X+ is at 4.7 inches. At the same time, the HTC Butterfly has a high pixel density of 440ppi with a resolution of full HD 1080p while the One X+ has a pixel density of just 312ppi and a resolution of just 720p. That doesn’t count the SLCD3 and Gorilla Glass 2 on the Butterfly.

HTC Butterfly: 1, HTC One X+: 0

Processor and RAM.

The One X+ uses a faster NVidia Tegra 3 processor with each core running at a maximum 1.7GHz and 1GB of RAM. The HTC Butterfly uses the latest Snapdragon S4 Pro from Qualcomm, with each of the 4 cores running at 1.5GHz and 2GB of RAM. Based on our benchmark results, the Butterfly wins by a mile.

HTC Butterfly: 2, HTC One X+: 0

Storage.

We thought this one would be pretty easy — the Butterfly only has 16GB of internal storage while the One X+ has a huge 64GB storage. However, the latter doesn’t have any microSD card expansion slot and the Butterfly has one.

We’re giving the One X+ this round since the 64GB storage is more than enough and will even with the 16GB internal and 32GB expandable storage of the Butterfly, the One X+ has more space.

HTC Butterfly: 2, HTC One X+: 1

Camera.

We compared the 8MP camera of both handsets produce the same great results, same full HD video recording, same sensor features (f/2.0, 28mm). The only time the Butterfly edged over the One X+ is with the front-facing camera (2.1MP 1080p vs. 1.6MP 720p) but we don’t think that’s a huge over-all edge so we put it to a tie.

HTC Butterfly: 3, HTC One X+: 2

Multimedia and Connectivity.

Both have Beats Audio, DLNA, fast WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth and operates with a quad-band radio. However, we the One X+ has NFC while the Butterfly does not have one.

HTC Butterfly: 3, HTC One X+: 3

Battery Life.

The One X+ has a 2100mAh battery and the Butterfly has a slightly lower battery rating at 2020mAh. Other factors will affect battery life but we think it’s too close to call between the two.

HTC Butterfly: 4, HTC One X+: 4

Design and Build Quality.

This one is also too close to call and will really depend on the personal taste of the user. Both device are pretty solid although we like the design of the One X+ better. The Butterfly also has a waterproof front panel while the One X+ has a ceramic finish compared to the glossy one on the former.

HTC Butterfly: 5, HTC One X+: 5

Our Verdict.

So you can see our dilemma — the newer, faster handset would normally be the obvious and better choice. However when we break it down to bits and pieces, very few reasons will point us to the older model. However, sometimes when all things are almost equal or pretty close, the design and build of the handset oftentimes take the upper hand.

This is almost the same reason why the iPhone 5, with its relatively lower hardware configuration would still win out against a lot of really good competitors — consumers are more attached to design more than anything else.

This is also the reason we’re inclined to carry the One X+ around more often compared to the HTC Butterfly.