Images Apple iPhone 5 vs HTC One head to head review

The HTC One was unveiled just before Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and is designed to reignite interest in HTC's smartphones. Because of this HTC's loaded the One with pretty much every innovation and design feature it can think of.

However, despite being midway through its lifecycle, the Apple iPhone 5 remains one of the world's most popular smartphones and in many users' minds is still a benchmark used to judge all other smartphones.

Design and build
From a distance the iPhone 5 and HTC One do look slightly similar, both being made of aluminium and boasting rectangular unibody chassis. However, viewed up close there are a few notable design differences separating the two phones.

Chief among these is the marked difference in size and weight between the One and iPhone 5. The One is far bigger than the iPhone 5 measuring in at a hefty 137x68x9.3mm that makes the 124x59x7.6mm Apple phone look downright tiny.

The increased size also means that the One is far heavier than the feather-light 112g Apple iPhone, weighing in at 143g. The One's increased size is further emphasised by the inclusion of two speakers, which line the bottom and top front face.

Another big difference is the inclusion of a physical home button on the Apple iPhone. The One by comparison only features capacitive front facing back and home buttons. While some users are fans of the physical key, we prefer the more minimalist look of the One, feeling it makes the device look far more swish.

In terms of build quality we found that both devices are prone to picking up scuff marks. Both the One and iPhone 5 are dirt and blemish magnets, with even the slightest of knocks generally leaving a permanent mark on their cases.

However, testing the two we did feel the One was the more sturdy of the two, with its chassis and Gorilla Glass front feeling significantly more robust than the iPhone's, which does have a track record for cracking when dropped.

Winner: The HTC One