The video capabilities on the HTC One X are impressive

HTC regains lost ground in the smartphone market with two new models, but with the Samsung Galaxy S III on the near horizon, not to mention Apple’s iPhone 5 — does it impress enough?

The HTC One X and One S smartphones look the business from what we have seen so far with big screens, high-spec cameras and slick design.

The One X in particular looks like a match for the iPhone, when you look at the camera spec, but is it a series rival? Well, it comes with an 8-megapixel CMOS (complementary-symmetry metal–oxide–semiconductor) with a backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor for improved low-light performance. The One X also boasts an F2.0 aperture, 28mm lens and a dedicated imaging chip.

HTC has been advertising the model heavily on UK TV with a skydive shoot to show off the camera’s capabilities.

And get this; the One X can record Full HD 1080p video – while shooting 8mp still images at the same time as recording footage. This is achieved by placing both the video recording and the shutter release button on the screen permanently, along with a new effects control and image editing options.

Display wise, the HTC One X packs a 4.7-inch Super LCD2 HD display, compared with the iPhone 4S’s 3.5-inch IPS LCD screen, however the iPhone 4S has better pixel density.

Other points to note: the One Series is the first HTC device to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and also included are two microphones, one on top and the other on the bottom edge, for noise-reduction during calls and stereo audio recording in video clips.

The European One X has an NVIDIA’s 1.5GHz quadcore Tegra 3 chipset, paired with 1GB of RAM and 32GB of non-expandable storage, not bad if you intend to shoot video all day.

In the UK, O2, Vodafone, Three, Orange, and T-Mobile are now taking orders for the brand new One X and One S. To buy it without a contract will set you back £489.99 (about $780) for an an unlocked and SIM-free One X. A 16GB Apple iPhone 4S costs roughly £580, for example.

Tempted? The HTC One X is not bad, but for an extra £100 you get an iPhone 4S, or you could wait for the iPhone 5? Decisions … decisions.

• HTC One X, iPhone 4S comparison battle video

• HTC One X Review by Slashgear

HTC regains lost ground in the smartphone market with two new models, but with the Samsung Galaxy S III on the near horizon, not to mention Apple’s iPhone 5 — does it impress enough? The HTC One X...