Sony Xperia Z vs. HTC Butterfly

Introduction

Flagships have evolved significantly during the past year, and in screen terms in particular, what once looked like overkill has become the gold standard for both size and resolution. HTC was the first of the major manufacturers to set the bar high with a fullHD five-incher, and saw the competition scrambling to respond. The Sony Xperia Z wasn't too late to follow, and turned some heads with its sharp design, coupling professional elegance with great performance.

While the HTC Butterfly is no longer in charge of the HTC Android lineup (that honor belongs to the just-announced HTC One), it still is an impressive device in its own right. It debuted back in October as J Butterfly for Japan and visited the US in November as the DROID DNA.

The Butterfly/DNA's spell alone at the top wasn't long enough to make a huge difference, financially. That's largely down to its limited availability too. Even now, the HTC Butterfly is hard to come by in many markets, which is the exact opposite of what Sony's doing with the Z.

So, the Xperia Z is an all-round flagship, while the HTC Butterfly has just slipped down the pecking order. One is readily available and enjoying high demand, the other is a regional version that some markets just won't get. But we don't care which one's better at making money. We've got some quad-core Kraits to benchmark, screens to compare, and batteries to test. So, who's up for a ride?

As usual, let's start by taking a look at what advantages each device has over the other.

Sony Xperia Z over HTC Butterfly

• IP57 dust and water protection
• Higher-capacity battery
• Higher-resolution camera sensor with better image quality
• Wider market availability

HTC Butterfly over Sony Xperia Z

• Curved screen for better usability
• Display has superior contrast and viewing angles
• Can shoot 6MP stills while recording video
• Beats audio amplifier

In terms of sheer specs, the two devices are very similar. In addition to the same screen size and resolution, both phones are powered by a quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait CPU running on the Qualcomm APQ8064 chipset, alongside Adreno 320 graphics. All of the connectivity features are doubled between the two devices, and with the exception of the higher-res camera sensor and battery on the Xperia Z, so is everything else - all the way down to the Android release.

   
HTC Butterfly and Sony Xperia Z live images

In the coming chapters we'll break down how each device performs and where one has an advantage over the other, in areas such as camera performance, sound quality, and benchmarks. But first, let's take a closer look at the exterior.

Hardware overview

From a purely design standpoint the two devices are very different – the otherwise cool-looking polycarbonate unibody somewhat lacks the sophistication of the glass-clad Xperia Z. In terms of footprint, they are largely the same, but the Xperia Z is more than a millimeter thinner at 139 x 71 x 7.9mm, against 143 x 70.5 x 9.1mm for the Butterfly. What we should note here is that the curved screen edges and the symmetrically sloping borders rearside make the HTC Butterfly feel equally slim in hand – which it most certainly isn’t.

Looking at the Xperia Z, the elegant design is initially its most eye-catching aspect, and the glass panels on both the front and rear lend not only to this, but also make the package more solid and of higher quality. The HTC Butterfly's polycarbonate unibody is perhaps more sensible, but the "wow" factor is clearly stronger in the assertively angular Xperia Z.

   
The two devices are pictured here with the Oppo Find 5 (white)

Since both phones feature non-removable back panels most ports and slots are under plastic flaps along the edges. Because of its IP57 rating, the Xperia Z has every one of its ports covered, and it's the same with the Butterfly except for its 3.5mm audio jack. It's important to note that the Butterfly's microUSB port cover is too hard to open, which is a major annoyance considering how much it gets used.

   
The backs of the devices take after some very different design schemes

Weight-wise, the devices are again very close, with the Xperia Z (146 g) being heavier by just 6 grams. It’s certainly not the kind of difference you can feel in hand.

  
The black and white variants of the Sony Xperia Z

As we mentioned earlier, both feature 5-inch 1080p displays, and are almost identical in terms of how much space they take up on the front of the device. The important difference here is that the HTC Butterfly has the main capacitive keys below the display and thus offers a little bit more real estate for actual content than the Xperia Z, which has on-screen controls. Effectively, the two phones have nearly the same amount of lower screen bezel and while the HTC uses this properly, on the Xperia it's just blank space.

 
The screens are identical in terms of size and resolution

The HTC Butterfly’s screen is curved at the tall sides, making it easier to start swipes from outside the screen. In contrast, the Xperia Z's hard edges make this gesture more difficult.

 
On-screen vs. physical buttons

The notification LEDs for both phones are located on the upper right, above the display, but the Butterfly has a second LED on the back, which comes convenient when it's laying on its screen.

As for the other features, the volume rocker is on the right edge of both devices, and both feature power/lock buttons which are not standard - the Xperia has a circular one that juts out on the right, while the Butterfly has one that lies in the direct center of the top, and is almost entirely flush with the surrounding surface. The positioning and lack of definition of the button are an odd design choice and make it very hard to use, and given that this is the most often used hardware button, that's quite irritating at times.

   
The power buttons' location and usability vary widely between the two devices

Both devices feature 3.5mm audio jacks on top (the Xperia's is covered). On the Butterfly, the microSIM compartment and microSD slot are on the top under the same flap, while on the Xperia the microUSB and microSD slots are on the left, separately. The Butterfly has the microUSB port at the bottom.

   
The various ports are all covered by protective flaps

When all's said and done, the pocketability of both devices is about the same, although the glass panels on the Xperia Z make it a bit more slippery.

   
Sony Xperia Z in-hand • HTC Butterfly in-hand

Winner: Sony Xperia Z. Personal design preferences aside, the Xperia Z's construction feels more solid, and the IP57 rating is a nice bonus. The HTC Butterfly, while also a solidly built device, is hampered by its hard-to-open microUSB port cover, as well as poorly placed and designed power/lock button.

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