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HTC One X camera tested against iPhone 4S

Our buddies over at CNET Asia pit the new HTC One X's camera against the iPhone 4S's to see which one will get you the best snaps

Andrew Lanxon Editor At Large, Lead Photographer, Europe
Andrew is CNET's go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
Expertise Smartphones, Photography, iOS, Android, gaming, outdoor pursuits Credentials
  • Shortlisted for British Photography Awards 2022, Commended in Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022
Andrew Lanxon
2 min read

For many of you, a good camera is one the most important features to consider when you're shopping for a new smart phone. It can make the difference between coming back from holiday with a phone full of glorious memories you'll cherish forever or some grainy, dull shots you'd rather forget.

The iPhone 4S has proven itself to be the big daddy in the smart phone world, but HTC is hoping its new One X will be able to knock Apple from its high and mighty throne. Our buddies over at CNET Asia have taken its camera for a spin to see whether it can challenge the iPhone 4S in the imaging stakes.

It's only a brief test of the camera's capabilities, so keep your eyes peeled for our full review, including our own extensive camera tests soon.

Both cameras pack 8-megapixel cameras, but the One X has a slightly wider-angle lens so the results should be interesting. Bring on the snaps!

HTC One X camera test

While both phones do an adequate job of capturing the still-life scene that's been set up, the iPhone produces a much richer image with a greater amount of detail to be seen on our good friend Sackboy.

HTC One X camera test

Round two sees our two phones tackle some bright colours in the studio. The iPhone 4S provides a much brighter, bolder scene, but it seems that it's close to over-exposing the image in the bottom-left corner. The One X's picture isn't nearly as bright, but it seems more balanced, which would help if you were doing some touching up in Photoshop.

HTC One X camera test

Round three is still in the studio, but this time, the flash has been turned on. The iPhone's flash is particularly powerful, which results in a spotlight effect that would make for rather unflattering low-light portraits. The HTC One X, meanwhile, achieves a much more balanced result, if a little muted.

HTC One X camera test

Round four sees the HDR function turned on with both phones. HDR stands for high dynamic range and combines multiple photos of differing exposures that, when combined, aim to achieve a more balanced exposure.

The iPhone 4S did a better job of exposing for the bright sky, with less of the scene being blown out. However, the One X was far superior at exposing for the figure in the foreground and for the bright green grass behind.

Keep your eyes peeled for our full review, but in the meantime, go and check out the rest of the test pictures at CNET Asia. If Android phone camera tests are your thing, see my hands-on with Huawei's D Quad camera.