Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the Apple iPhone 6s goes up against the new HTC 10. Yes, I know there will be a few of you that question an Android site comparing our phones to an iPhone – but we need to know the differences and how they stack up against one another. We have the all-metal iPhone 6s versus the all-metal HTC 10 to battle it out in our specification comparison. Does the iPhone 6s, its components, and its iOS have what it takes to beat out the HTC 10 and its Android roots? It is always extra fun to compare an Apple and an Android device – both are accomplished at receiving phone calls, texts, emails and taking pictures, but they do it with a different philosophy. Let’s look for some common ground among these two devices and then we will look at each device on their own.
The iPhone 6s and the HTC 10 have very little in common – the both are similar in physical size with the iPhone 6S being just slightly smaller and 18 grams lighter. Their processors, RAM, storage, batteries and even NFC are all different. They both sport a 12MP main camera and 5MP front-facing camera (FFC) some of the usual suspects – WiFi, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS and a fingerprint sensor. Apple travels a different road of ‘sameness’ for everybody rather than Android’s quest for individuality. Apple’s difference shows up in their hardware and software – some good, such as every device is running up-to-date software, and some bad, such as no customization.
Please take a deliberate look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each device in greater depth and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information, we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.
Specifications
Apple iPhone 6s
If you want to believe Apple and Tim Cook, the iPhone 6s is “totally new,” but in reality, it is a refresh of the iPhone 6. This is not necessarily a bad thing if you are a lover of all things Apple – the iPhone has always been about incremental steps. It does have an improved aluminum body, a new processor, new camera, new video options and a 3D Touch Display. There is no arguing it is a beautifully designed smartphone with a solid build – but we could say the same of the HTC 10.
The iPhone 6s has a 4.7-inch IPS LCD FHD display with a resolution of 1334 x 750 pixels and 326 pixels-per-inch (PPI) – we wonder if Apple will ever jump to a QHD display. The iPhone 6s uses a new 64-bit Twister A9 dual-core processor clocked at 1.84GHz – it is smooth and fast when operating iOS, but then not much is asked of it in the way of multitasking. Coupled to that is its great PowerVR GT7600 GPU that offers up fantastic graphics. The 6s comes with 2GB of DDR4 RAM and a choice of 16GB, 64GB or 128GB of storage and no expansion is available.
Apple has always emphasized the camera on its iPhone and it continues to be one of its high points. Apple increased the size of the sensor from 8MP to 12MP along with other tweaks here and there on the iPhone 6S. It has the phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and a dual-tone LED flash, but no OIS on the 6s – only on the 6s Plus. It has always been one of the best point-and-shoot mobile cameras on a smartphone. However, the Android flagships have not only caught up to the iPhone cameras but have now surpassed them. The FFC on the iPhone is now a larger 5MP for social media selfies or video chatting – but ONLY through Apple’s FaceTime unless both users download a third-party app. The iPhone has suffered when it comes to battery life and the small, 1715mAh non-removable battery in the 6S does not help its cause and Apple does not even provide any rapid charge feature.
What does the iPhone 6s have the HTC 10 does not? Its iOS is easy to use, runs smoothly and efficiently, but is rather boring and restrictive when compared to the Android OS with its customization capabilities and multitasking features. The iPhone has Apple’s proprietary connectors, Apple Pay, and FaceTime video chat feature – if you can call those a good thing. Apple improved the photo and video options and added what Apple calls a 3D Touch display. This is where the display can ‘sense’ up to three different levels of pressure – press once to open up an app and then press harder within the app to go somewhere else – this is much like Android’s long-press, only somewhat more advanced. The pricing has always been a sore spot with the iPhone, commanding an off contract price of $650 for just the 16GB all the way up to $850 for the 128GB model. It measures 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm, weighs in at 143 grams and comes in four colors – Space Gray, Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold.
HTC 10
HTC really came through this time with their new flagship, the HTC 10 – the body is still made of aluminum, but this time around to quiet those complaining that the design was getting old, HTC gave it a chamfered design around the edges. It has a QHD display, the best processor currently on the market, a powerful GPU to satisfy the most avid gamer, along with 4GB of DDR4 RAM and expandable memory. The HTC 10 incorporates a great camera and a newly configured BoomSound Hi-Fi and Hi-Res Audio – but is it enough to sway new customers to try the HTC brand? HTC is hoping old customers will upgrade and new customers will give them a try out this time around. Just how does the HTC 10 stack up to the iPhone 6s?
HTC finally ditched their FHD display – the HTC 10 sports a 5.2-inch Super LCD5 QHD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 565 PPI. HTC chose the best processor currently available – the Qualcomm 64-bit Snapdragon 820 quad-core with dual cores clocked at 1.6 GHz and dual cores clocked at 2.15 GHz. Qualcomm paired the 820 with an Adreno 530 GPU to handle the most demanding graphics you can throw at it. The HTC 10 packs a full 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 32GB of internal memory that is expandable to 2TB via a microSD card.
HTC tried many different camera setups for the past three years, but it looks like they finally got it right on the HTC 10. Those “UltraPixels” are still there, but instead of only using 4MP, this time around HTC is using a 12MP sensor for their primary camera to capture more light and imagery. Even this year’s Samsung Galaxy S7 series did the same thing with great results, calling them Dual-Pixels. HTC added laser autofocus, a dual-tone LED flash, a large aperture of f/1.8 and OIS. The 5MP FFC includes an f/1.8 aperture, wide-angle lens, and even includes a screen flash and OIS to ensure great selfies and video chatting even in low-light. The HTC 10 packs a 3000 mAh non-removable battery with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0, which will give you up to a 50-percent charge in only 30 minutes.
The HTC 10 made a few changes on this latest version – HTC placed their fingerprint sensor down front where its second speaker once resided, so they had to do some rearranging with their infamous BoomSound. HTC renamed it BoomSound Hi-Fi, but it still features two speakers – the woofer is located on the bottom end of the device and the high-end sounds now originate from the earpiece. The HTC 10 measures 145.9 x 71.9 x 9mm and weighs in at 161 grams. It comes in Carbon Grey, Topaz Gold, and Glacier Silver and it will cost you about $650 for 32GB of memory.
…And The Winner Is…
Summary
This is a rather easy pick, and not because we are comparing an Apple and Oranges…I mean Android. The HTC is, at this point, the superior device and deserves to be the winner of this comparison. Look at the facts – the HTC 10 is every bit equal to the build quality of the iPhone 6s. The HTC 10 has a better and larger display (QHD vs FHD) – more advanced processor and graphics – double the RAM – expandable memory – better camera – better sound, and quick charge. It also offers Android Pay, which requires the retailer no special equipment to purchase for mobile payments. If you factor in the price, it is obvious that the HTC 10 is the winner in this specification comparison.
If you are already deep in the Apple ecosystem, then the iPhone 6s might be the device for you. However, the Android OS offers true multitasking, widgets that operate on the main displays, the ability to customize your Home page, and the inclusion of many third party apps. Apple’s iOS has its rewards – it runs smooth and fast and you are guaranteed an update when available. But most people like the ability to customize their displays, pick their music player, their favorite keyboard, etc. The HTC 10 offers this flexibility and so much more for a lower price – it must be the winner.
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