Head-To-Head: HTC One A9 Vs. Google Nexus 5X

Dueling Androids

Since Google revealed its newest Android operating system rendition, Marshmallow, two Android-based phones have been revealed that use the new software.

Google in September revealed its 5.2-inch Nexus 5X smartphone, a plastic-bodied phone for $379 manufactured by LG with an impressive hardware base on the inside. Meanwhile, HTC on Tuesday pulled the trigger on its new One A9 smartphone, a 5-inch phone with a high-end metallic body priced at $400.

Both smartphones run Marshmallow, which contains several new features for Android users, including support for fingerprint scanners for phones and support for Google's mobile payment system, Android Pay. Following is a head-to-head comparison of HTC's One A9 and Google's Nexus 5X.

Body And Display: Nexus 5X Is Thicker But Lighter

When it comes to body frame and screen design, the Nexus 5X has a bigger, lighter body, but also a cheaper, plastic frame base compared with the One A9's high-end metal body.

The One A9's all-metal design is one of its hotter features, as the phone's metallic frame gives it a high-end, elegant finish.

While the two smartphones' displays have the same 1,920-by-1,080 resolution, the One A9's 5-inch AMOLED display is a bit smaller than the Nexus 5X's 5.2-inch LCD screen. Meanwhile, the Nexus 5X is thicker at 7.9 mm thick, compared with the One A9's 7.26 mm, but Google's new smartphone weighs just 136 grams, compared with HTC's One A9 slightly heavier 143 grams.

Processor: Nexus 5X Packs More Snapdragon Performance

Both the One A9 and Google Nexus 5X run on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, but these are two different models in terms of core count, performance and cache.

The One A9 contains a Snapdragon 617, an octa-core CPU that clocks up to 1.5 GHz and touts an Adreno 405 GPU. On paper, the processor, targeted at midrange phones, packs less performance and is slightly slower than the Nexus 5X's chip, with four cores going at 1.5 GHz and the other four at 1.2 GHz. However, the One A9's chip has more options in terms of memory, with either 2 GB or 3 GB of RAM.

Meanwhile, the Google Nexus 5X has a slightly faster quad-core Snapdragon 808 CPU, which clocks up to 2 GHz, coupled with an Adreno 418 GPU.

RAM And Storage: One A9 Has More Memory, Storage Options

Both phones contain similar options for storage and memory. The HTC One A9 comes with either 2 GB or 3 GB of RAM, and has models with either 16 GB or 32 GB of storage. Meanwhile, Google's Nexus 5X comes with only one option for memory, 2 GB, and storage options of 16 GB or 32 GB.

HTC's One A9 also comes with a MicroSD option of up to 2 TB, which the Google Nexus 5X lacks. This gives the One A9 a big advantage in terms of storage potential.

Marshmallow Mash

Both smartphones run on Google's Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the successor to its Lollipop operating system. This new mobile OS contains several enhanced features, such as fingerprint scanners for phones and support for Android Pay, Google's mobile payment system.

In addition, the new mobile OS also simplifies app permissions so that users can choose to deny or accept individual permissions, and has improvements to Google Now that expand its functionality significantly.

The One A9 contains HTC Sense, a software suite that modifies aspects of the Android user experience and adds features like an altered home screen as well as additional widgets.

Camera Clash

On the camera front, HTC's One A9 contains a 13-megapixel rear camera and Ultrapixel One camera on the front, which means that the pixels are larger, letting in more light. Google's Nexus 5X contains a 12.3-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel camera in front.

One A9's camera has enhanced photo features such as optical image stabilization, which detects hand movements in 0.125 milliseconds, as well as pro mode, allowing users to save photos using RAW capture. Meanwhile, Nexus 5X's camera trumps HTC's for video, with 4-K capabilities and recording capabilities of up to 2160p, while the One A9 records to just 1080p.

Battery And Charging

HTC One A9 contains a non-removable, 2,150-mAh battery, which it says lasts for up to 12 hours of video playback and 9 hours of Wi-Fi usage.

That's a smaller battery than that of Google's Nexus 5X, which contains a non-removable 2,700-mAh battery. However, while on paper its battery is bigger, Google has not yet revealed the stats for its battery.

Both smartphones contains fast-charging features, but do not contain wireless charging capabilities. The Nexus 5X has a USB Type-C port, which allows for reversible plug connectors.

Other Features

Both the One A9 and Nexus 5X have fingerprint scanners, which enable enhanced security features and mobile payment capabilities. The One A9's scanner is on its front, while the Nexus 5X's is on the back.

HTC's One A9, which will be offered in Opal Silver, Carbon Gray and Deep Garnet, costs $400 unlocked with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. The One A9 will be available this month, according to HTC, and preorders may be made online. Meanwhile, the LG Nexus 5X with 16 GB costs a little less at $379. The Nexus 5X is available for preorder and started shipping Oct. 22.