Two of the exciting flagships this year are the HTC 10 and the Asus ZenFone 3. How do the two premium models of each handset stack against each other?

First up, although the two top-tier flagships come from different manufacturers, the HTC 10 and the ZenFone 3 Deluxe share some similarities in design, features and specs. The two feature the top-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset and expandable onboard storage. They also have fingerprint sensors, improved camera assembly, a 3,000-mAh non-removable battery, and basic connectivity like WiFi, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.2. The two even sport the new USB Type-C standard reversible connector port. Both flagships also come with Android Marshmallow right out of their boxes.

However, there are also pronounced differences between the two. Being a premium version in its lineup, the ZenFone 3 Deluxe has a larger, 5.7-inch display, a massive dimension when compared with the 5.2-inch screen on the HTC 10. However, although it has a larger footprint, the new Asus lineup iteration is thinner at 7.50 mm compared with the 9.00 mm thickness of the HTC 10. As for the weight though, the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe seems to be made of more dense components since it weighs a hefty 170 grams; the HTC 10 is at 161 g.

Although HTC boasts of its 12MP UltraPixel camera assembly, Asus more than makes up for it by featuring a 23MP assembly with Sony sensor for the ZenFone 3 Deluxe. The Deluxe is also said to optimize user experience due to its 6GB RAM configuration, a first in the lineup. The HTC 10, meanwhile, opts for a 4GB one, which is a standard for today's flagships. It should be noted, though, that the ZenFone lineup is more expansive, since the ZenFone 3 Deluxe also has a 4GB RAM variant.