India Gadget Reviews

When the iPhone 4S was launched in October 2011 it was the most advanced mobile handset available and as a result scores of consumers were eager to get theirs hands on one of the devices. As time passes however technology moves on and now the specification of the 4S is more comparable with a high quality mid range device rather than one of the new premium handsets that are available. As a result of this we have seen the price of the iPhone also decrease slightly over this period. We see how the model compares with the new HTC One S, one of the leading new mid range phones, for screen technology and design.

The iPhone 4S boasts a very unique design which is part of the reason why it has been so popular with consumers. The model perfectly combines two glass panels with a slim steel strip which is sandwiched in between them. When you actually handle the phone it feels very premium and part of the reason for this is that it weighs 140 grammes which is slightly heavier than many of the new models that are being released. The glass design of the phone is actually very durable which is somewhat surprising and this is thanks to Apple using Gorilla Glass in the design which is much tougher than traditional panels. The chassis design was first used on the iPhone 4 in 2010 and despite its age it still compares favourably with many new models that are being launched. The HTC One S is also a very stylish phone and one could argue that it is the best looking device that HTC have ever released. The model uses a metallic chassis which has undergone an oxidising treatment during its manufacture which gives it an impressive finish and also helps to make it more durable. The model is slightly larger than the Apple device but it does feature a larger screen so this is to be expected. The HTC handset offers a much more curved design and the appearance of the phone could almost be described as pebble like. Both of these handsets boast excellent design and while the iPhone 4S may offer the more unusual materials one could argue that the gentle curves of the One S are more aesthetically pleasing.

At its time of release the iPhone 4S had the highest quality screen available and it still remains one of the best examples of display technology on the market. The Retina display used on this phone uses LED backlit technology to produce an excellent resolution of 960 x 640 pixels. This enables the handset to display a pixel density of 326PPI. This is actually a level that exceeds what the human eye can detect and this is why the screen has been affectionately named the Retina Display. The one disadvantage with this display is that it is one of the smallest of any current smartphone at just 3.5 inches. The HTC One S uses a larger 4.3 inch Super AMOLED screen. Technically this screen is superior to the LED panel on the Apple device as it can produce more vivid colours and more natural depth. The resolution however is lower at 960 x 540 and combined with the larger display means that pixel density on this model drops to just 256 pixels per inch. Although the technology found on the One S is very impressive the screen cannot deliver the image clarity of the 4S thanks to the superb pixel density offered by the Apple phone.

Despite being one of the older phones on the market the iPhone 4S still manages to hold its own against many of the newer handsets that are being released. When compared to the HTC One X it was hard to fault either phone in terms of design but when we looked at screen performance the Apple device still offered a superior picture.