Camera
HTC has refined its camera offering over its previous flagship handsets, bringing in Zoe and the Duo depth sensor - giving it credible tools to mount a challenge to Apple. With the Desire Eye, the UltraPixels have been abandoned in favor of standard megapixels.
The headline feature is, of course, the twin 13MP cameras that both feature dual-LED flash, Full HD video capture and their own microphones. Throw in some extra features like voice control, head tracking and the ability to simultaneously capture back and front-facing footage and the iPhone has a lot to beat.
For its part, Apple's device boasts an 8MP lens with a 1/3 sensor and f/2.2 aperture. Rather than hugely overhaul the hardware, Cupertino has added features like image stabilization and improved autofocus to keep the iPhone current.
In practical terms, the iPhone takes great pictures that will be more than sufficient for the vast majority of users. But the Desire Eye goes a little better for those with a serious selfie streak by adding little things - like a physical shutter button - along with the big specs to draw you in.
The front-facing 1.2MP camera on the iPhone 6 really doesn't compete with the Desire Eye at all, topping out at 720p HD footage. There's also an obvious difference in low-light performance that easily gives the Desire Eye the edge.
Battery
Once again, the HTC Desire Eye is able to offer more in purely technical terms than the iPhone 6 can. The Eye is powered by a 2,400mAh battery that dwarfs the 1,810mAh one inside the iPhone. However, although we haven't been able to completely test it out yet - the larger and more demanding screen on the Desire Eye is likely to have a serious effect on battery life.
Apple has worked to optimize the hardware and software for maximum efficiency and it works better here than in any previous iPhone. But power consumption is a weak point when it comes to iPhones and can be an issue for some people.
HTC, for its part, has put the power somewhat in your hands with the addition of a super power saver mode that will switch off all non-essential apps and services in order to preserve battery life. You'll hardly use it every day but it can be extremely handy when needed. The simple truth though is that both these devices will require nightly charges.
Connectivity
HTC's Desire Eye boasts the usual roster of wireless connectivity functions: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, GPS and NFC. It's got 4G LTE and DLNA as well as wired connectivity in the form of the the microUSB port used for charging the device and swapping media.
Apple, as you would expect, matches this (excluding the microUSB port) having included NFC for the first time for use with Apple Pay.
But the key differentiator comes with storage space. While HTC has only given the Desire Eye 16GB of native storage, it has included a micro SD card slot letting you expand with a memory card up to 128GB.
With the iPhone, you're only going to get native storage in choices of 16, 64 and 128GB - the latter of which doesn't come cheap. There really is little point in getting a 16GB iPhone as well, so it really comes down to price again. If price is an issue, then the HTC Desire Eye is the better bet.
Quick verdict
The iPhone is still the people's champion when it comes to handsets and that's not going to be upset by the arrival of the HTC Desire Eye. Better build quality and overall features are still to be had on Apple's device.
That being said, when it comes to things like selfies, video calling and general photography, HTC's device is deservingly a better option. There's also a viable argument that it's better value for money in terms of the specifications on offer - although obviously we need to wait until pricing is announced to really bear this out.
Overall though, if you're not worried about how much you spend and want a long-lasting handset that does everything well, the iPhone 6 is a good bet. But if you're wanting a powerful camera-based phone and aren't too worried about the "premium" nature of your handset, take a chance on HTC's latest.
