Google Nexus S vs HTC Desire S
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Google Nexus S and the HTC Desire S, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Google Nexus S | HTC Desire S |
|---|
| Price | $39 | $899 |
| Our rating | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 1,500 mAh | 1,450 mAh |
| Storage (max) | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Screen size | 4 in | 3.7 in |
| Main camera | 5 MP | 5 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 129 g | 130 g |
| Released | Dec 2010 | Mar 2011 |
Summary: Google Nexus S is ahead on battery, screen size, weight (lower is lighter). HTC Desire S is ahead on our rating, storage (max).
★ Which should you buy? Google Nexus S is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Google Nexus S | HTC Desire S |
|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED, 16M colors (GT-I9020/A) or Super Clear LCD (GT-I9023) | S-LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Size | 4.0 inches | 3.7 inches |
| Resolution | 480 x 800 pixels, WVGA | 480 x 800 pixels, WVGA |
| Protection | Contour Display with curved glass | — |
| Pixel Density | — | ~252 ppi |
Platform
| Google Nexus S | HTC Desire S |
|---|
| OS | Android 2.3 Gingerbread, upgradable to 4.1.2 Jelly Bean | Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread), upgradable to 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) |
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 3110 (Hummingbird) | Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon S2 |
| CPU | 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 | 1.0 GHz Scorpion |
| GPU | PowerVR SGX540 | Adreno 205 |
Memory
| Google Nexus S | HTC Desire S |
|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDHC (dedicated slot), up to 32GB |
| Internal | 16GB (1GB internal storage, 15GB "USB storage") | 1.1 GB ROM, 768 MB RAM |
| RAM | 512MB | — |
Main Camera
| Google Nexus S | HTC Desire S |
|---|
| Single | 5 MP, autofocus | 5 MP, AF |
| Features | LED flash, geotagging | LED flash |
| Video | 480p@30fps | 720p |
Selfie Camera
| Google Nexus S | HTC Desire S |
|---|
| Single | VGA | VGA |
| Video | No | No specific resolution mentioned |
Battery
| Google Nexus S | HTC Desire S |
|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 1500 mAh, removable | Removable Li-Ion |
| Stand-by | Up to 713 h (2G) / Up to 428 h (3G) | Up to 430 h (2G) / 455 h (3G) |
| Talk time | Up to 14 h (2G) / Up to 6 h 40 min (3G) | Up to 9 h 50 min (2G) / 6 h 30 min (3G) |
| Music play | Up to 45 h | — |
| Capacity | — | 1450 mAh |
Body
| Google Nexus S | HTC Desire S |
|---|
| Dimensions | 123.9 x 63 x 10.9 mm | 115 x 59.8 x 11.6 mm (4.53 x 2.35 x 0.46 in) |
| Weight | 129 g (GT-I9020/I9020A/I9023) | 130 g (4.59 oz) |
| Build | Plastic body | Aluminum unibody |
| SIM | Mini-SIM | Mini-SIM |
Comms
| Google Nexus S | HTC Desire S |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 2.1, A2DP | 2.1, A2DP, EDR |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS | Yes, with A-GPS |
| NFC | Yes | — |
| Radio | No | Stereo FM radio with RDS |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 | microUSB 2.0 |
Launch
| Google Nexus S | HTC Desire S |
|---|
| Announced | 2010, December 06 | February 15, 2011 |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued (Released March 2011) |
| Release Date | 2010, December 16 (US) | — |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Google Nexus S or HTC Desire S?
Google Nexus S — 1,500 mAh for the Google Nexus S versus 1,450 mAh for the HTC Desire S.
Which is lighter, Google Nexus S or HTC Desire S?
Google Nexus S — 129 g for the Google Nexus S versus 130 g for the HTC Desire S.
Which is newer, Google Nexus S or HTC Desire S?
HTC Desire S — Dec 2010 for the Google Nexus S versus Mar 2011 for the HTC Desire S.
Is the Google Nexus S or the HTC Desire S rated higher?
We rate the Google Nexus S 6/10 and the HTC Desire S 7/10.
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