HTC Windows Phone 8X Review
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Out of the woodworks, Microsoft is about to embark in yet another chapter in its mobile platform story. Rightfully so, they have a lot of support from longtime smartphone manufacturers who believe that there is a budding growth worth investing with Windows Phones. In fact, we all know way too well how there has always been a symbiotic relationship between the Redmond based company and Taiwanese handset maker HTC.
Would you believe that it has been over six months since our eyes last feasted upon a Windows Phone device from HTC? For those of you who might’ve forgotten, which shouldn’t be too surprising considering Window Phone device releases have been non-existent of late, it was none other than the HTC Titan II. Now that Windows Phone 8 is making a big push, the Taiwan based company is banking to see its HTC 8X being the premier smartphone for the platform out of the gate. Indeed, it’s treading a different path with its out-of-character design, but will it be enough to compete in the ring with some of today’s heavy hitters in the business?
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The package contains:
- microUSB cable
- Wall Charger
- Stereo Headphones
Design:
It’s hard not to point it out, but some would argue that HTC took a bit out of Nokia’s playbook with the design of the 8X – especially when that the handset is available in a wide array of bright and flamboyant colors. However, upon closer examination, it’s a unique design that’s in stark comparison to the cold industrial designs we’ve seen attached to many of the maker’s previous efforts. Whereas Nokia’s Lumia handsets have flat top and bottom trims, the HTC 8X employs tapered angles around its sides that converge seamlessly together in the rear – giving it the illusion of having an even skinnier frame (0.4” thick). Wrapping our hand around it, the 8X feels comfortable enough as our hand perfectly hugs the contour of the smartphone’s rear.
In addition to that, the design is further complemented by its solid unibody construction, light feel (4.59 oz), and clean appearance due to its soft touch finish. Honestly, it’s appreciable in so many levels because we haven’t necessarily seen this kind of design from HTC, but more importantly, it goes to show that the company is willing to jump outside the box and experiment with other uncanny designs. Indubitably, the palatable color options surely sprinkles a dose of character and style to the handset, which is wonderful in being attention grabbers from the onset.
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Wrapping our hand around it, the HTC Windows Phone 8X feels comfortable enough | ||
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You can compare the HTC Windows Phone 8X with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.
As usual, it’s sporting the usual trio of capacitive Windows buttons we’ve been familiar with beneath its screen, which are spaced far away from one another to reduce accidental presses. Yet again, the handset shows a nice balance with its design thanks to the color-splashed earpiece. Nearby, we find its ultra-wide 88-degree angle 2-megapixel front-facing camera that’s tucked away in the upper left corner.
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Capacitive Windows buttons | Front camera |
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Power key and 3.5mm jack (top) | Camera and volume keys (right) | microUSB port (bottom) |
The sides of the HTC Windows Phone 8X | ||
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Back | Rear camera | Loudspeaker |
Display:
It’s not a massive size that we find on here, but rather, it’s a modest 4.3-inch Super LCD-2 display that’s sporting a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. Comforting to say the least, it’s about darn time that Windows Phones moved up in resolution – especially all previous Windows Phones employed WVGA.
Visually, it‘s a beautiful thing to behold with its exquisitely sharp details (342 ppi pixel density), punchy colors, wide viewing angles, and good visibility outdoors – all of the characteristics of a wonderful screen. And just like on the HTC One X, the display curves slightly around the edge to provide a seamless transition between it and the handset’s trim. Knowing that we’ve seen this kind of display elsewhere, we’re not totally bonkers over it, but for a Windows Phone, there’s no arguing that it’s a delightful sight for sore eyes.
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Viewing angles of the HTC Windows Phone 8X | |||
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Color production | ||
Fullscreen
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66 Comments
1. sadaivadai posted on 29 Oct 2012, 14:11 18 8
Good one .. but still would go with Lumia 920 ..
2. Muhannad posted on 29 Oct 2012, 14:13 3 3
I feel the same here too, I love it but there something better around the corner, this doesn't mean I'm saying it's a bad phone.
27. MeoCao (unregistered) posted on 29 Oct 2012, 23:26 1 11
This is a ugly phone: too thick and looks like a toy not a serious device.
31. SuperMaoriBro posted on 30 Oct 2012, 04:43 0 2
why such a thick bezel HTC? It makes it look a bit dated,
43. dexter_jdr posted on 30 Oct 2012, 10:01 0 1
8x as videocam is s**t.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgUzVEB6Ud8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyPd32rO-90
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hbl1fud3dg
48. GMC626 posted on 30 Oct 2012, 14:41 0 0
The bezels seem about the same size as those on the iPhone 5.
32. StreetNerd posted on 30 Oct 2012, 04:45 0 0
thn just take a black 8X
35. thephonedude posted on 30 Oct 2012, 04:53 1 0
It is not ugly.. its targeted for the younger crowd. Older business men and middle aged adults are not welcome.
58. thephonedude posted on 04 Nov 2012, 02:54 1 0
This HTC has similar looks to the Nokia Lumia range... hate this design? hate nokia lumias.
59. nooraldeen posted on 04 Nov 2012, 03:59 0 1
no 1 can hate this design or the Lumia's design , it's true that HTC copied the nokia deign but for some people it's a good thing cuz if some1 hates nokia and likes the lumia design then this is a perfect choice hhhhh :P
65. fredje posted on 06 Nov 2012, 07:17 0 0
I have one and I like the design and the material. it may be 1 cm thick but I feels perfect in the hand and looks and feels like a 0.8 cm device.
It doesn't look or feel cheap
10. OptimusOne posted on 29 Oct 2012, 14:45 3 0
this one is pretty good too. I like it
Ill wait until the lumia 920 to make my decision on which one is better
22. PotDragon posted on 29 Oct 2012, 21:02 0 6
So...you must be on at&t. Good for you. Hope you enjoy the terrible coverage, horrible reception, and worst customer service in history on your 920.
28. johnny9000 posted on 30 Oct 2012, 00:30 3 0
I love how anyone who has ever been burned by a company can make blanket statements like that. I've been a customer of AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. I have talked to great customer service reps on all 3 networks, and horrible ones. From what everyone tells me, there is a "best" customer service (US Cellular), but there is no way AT&T is the worst, not by a long shot. And network reception is all relative and depends on where you live.
66. vzwapple83 posted on 06 Nov 2012, 08:18 0 0
Actually...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/06/consumer-reports-att-verizon_n_1132220.html
39. -box- posted on 30 Oct 2012, 09:36 2 0
In short, the phone is exactly as expected: a good, solid product, which runs a good, solid OS with a few small gaps like app count (which isn't that important if the good ones that last a while are there), and it's priced very well to match. There wasn't anything broken, so nothing to fix, thus no sweeping huge UI changes. It's a OneX+ running WP8 with a slightly different body. If this were an iphone it would have gotten a 9.
42. dexter_jdr posted on 30 Oct 2012, 10:01 0 2
8x as videocam is s**t.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgUzVEB6Ud8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyPd32rO-90
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hbl1fud3dg
13. OptimusOne posted on 29 Oct 2012, 14:52 8 3
not all nokias have good cameras... my 3310 just gives me black screen
40. -box- posted on 30 Oct 2012, 09:38 3 0
...you're seriously comparing a 3310 with a 920? Might as well be comparing a disposable camera with a Leica...
62. bayusuputra posted on 05 Nov 2012, 00:00 0 0
/saaaaarrrrrrccccaaaaaasssssssmmmmmmmm.......
4. _Bone_ posted on 29 Oct 2012, 14:17 7 0
Damn, tech news are STORMING today. Hope everybody will be all right.
5. pookiewood posted on 29 Oct 2012, 14:28 6 1
You forgot about the Live Wallpaper/Lock Screen function.
12. shirtlessrabbit4 posted on 29 Oct 2012, 14:49 0 0
Amen! I knew there was quite a bit more that pa left out!
14. Mobile-X-Pert posted on 29 Oct 2012, 15:16 7 0
Not only that, They forgot about Xbox music, The Wallet, the new Skype, Skydrive, the new Office 2013, Smart glass......etc.
23. snowgator posted on 29 Oct 2012, 21:11 3 0
Thank you both. WP 8 devices getting reviewed the day of the announcement? Not buying they spent a ton of time understanding it.
I truly do not expect an Android set of features yet. I am betting it is vastly better then WP 7, and that developers will be happier to develop for the wallet hub, the family hub, the new camera capabilities, ect.
I enjoy the WP experience. I just want improvements. And there are a TON.
24. pookiewood posted on 29 Oct 2012, 21:50 2 0
Yeah I don't get it! Spend some time with it before making a decision on it. Very weird.
6. smallworld posted on 29 Oct 2012, 14:29 8 1
"Few worthwhile improvements with WP8" I expect the same cons for the Lumia 920.
8. Mobile-X-Pert posted on 29 Oct 2012, 14:31 2 1
Good review, but there are many things missing.
9. Vikranth posted on 29 Oct 2012, 14:31 4 4
Rock on Buddy..The Hero of Windows Phone Ecosystem is Lumia 920...
15. GoBears posted on 29 Oct 2012, 15:54 2 4
Not a bad device but I think the Nokia 920 is much better. I really hope MS does some fast upgrades to this OS. If this is the OS that Nokia is betting the bank on, then they are in bigger trouble than I thought.
16. Schmao posted on 29 Oct 2012, 16:19 0 0
Whatever happened to the special audio amplifier? Doesn't seem like it is anything useful...
18. papss posted on 29 Oct 2012, 17:22 1 2
What others have said.. If its not the 920 it's not worth the Upgrade
19. lzsbleach posted on 29 Oct 2012, 17:58 1 0
I thought the windows 8 UI was going to better; maybe the Nokia 920 will get a 9
25. lubba posted on 29 Oct 2012, 22:34 0 0
How? His review will be the same across the board. If it's not customizable or has an Apple logo, no WP will ever get a 9 plus. You see these people don't pay attention to Joe b. when he does his presentations. All they care about is "where is the phone? What does it have in it?"
20. darac posted on 29 Oct 2012, 18:32 2 7
Best design out there.. beats the 920 convincingly.
That said, the screen should be bigger and the phone should be thinner to make this look really shine.
33. StreetNerd posted on 30 Oct 2012, 04:50 1 0
bigger? 4-4.3 inch perfect.... bigger is like a brick in ur pocket
29. psysect posted on 30 Oct 2012, 02:26 1 0
like it..good spc..It has Mini amplifire..
im waiting for it ..lumia too expensive.
34. StreetNerd posted on 30 Oct 2012, 04:52 0 0
yea true story.... i just sold my Lumia 800 for 200 euros and pre-ordered the 8S for 270 euros off contract.
my contract will be till march 2013, by thn i will get a real high end WP8 device(surface phone maybe?)
30. dblue45 posted on 30 Oct 2012, 04:21 1 0
I believe this is the first Windows Phone to get 7.5+ from Phonearena. Hats off to HTC! Great job.
38. snowgator posted on 30 Oct 2012, 08:06 1 0
Both the Focus S and the 900 got "8". I am waiting for the first WP to break that barrier.
36. pikapowerize (banned) posted on 30 Oct 2012, 06:30 1 0
this is already available?!
wow so early!! but still would go for lumia 920 instead!
37. MitchellSheehan posted on 30 Oct 2012, 06:32 1 0
Mr John. Kindly tell me what features are lacking. Id like to know. Please be specific. Coz from where I see it, Its a winning platform here.
41. Joshing4fun posted on 30 Oct 2012, 09:47 0 0
Don't be upset, he also says it can't take good pictures in the dark and has a "blah" internal speaker... like every other phone in the history of everdom.
44. b1acktiger posted on 30 Oct 2012, 11:59 0 0
The Display and the Camera makes the difference with 8x. the light weighted design and beats audio amplifier is +1 for 8X. I see the 920 wave is hitting the whole WP8 devices. The range of colours and light weighted of 8X impressed me.
49. dexter_jdr posted on 31 Oct 2012, 04:15 1 0
the audio amplifier has a catch on 8x..coz it only works through headphones..
on the other note, nokia lumia 920 has dolby digital software. i saw it on the settings. its for headphones aswell.. so they are tie on headphones.
lumia 920 built in speaker is louder... reason? because its bigger than htc since thinner phones cant put better speaker inside...
so the +1 is for nokia here.
46. Seanburns posted on 30 Oct 2012, 14:14 0 0
Phone Arena,you talk rubbish. Windows 8 & iOS non of these OS need quad core. We don't need quad core in a mobile phone. Android is so resource heavy and laggy even the GS3 lags. Android is the only one that needs quad core. You talk crap reviews
51. picassimo posted on 31 Oct 2012, 06:28 0 0
The area of Township, NJ that the reviewer took pictures of, I'm wondering how the streets look right now after Sandy.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=%09150+Quakerbridge+Mall++Law rence+Township,+NJ+08648&hl=en &ll=40.212441,-73.943481&spn=2.240029,4.93835 4&sll=42.062327,-87.932094&sspn=0.136111,0.3086 47&hq=150+Quakerbridge+Mall++L awrence+Township,+NJ+08648&rad ius=15000&t=m&z=8
52. Altair posted on 31 Oct 2012, 12:11 0 3
Only thing you need to know about this HTC device is:
Cheap copycat -> see how long you can throw it or puke on it!
53. Aslam posted on 01 Nov 2012, 13:10 0 0
HTC WP phone will build a competitive with Nokia Lumia 920 or Samsung Galaxy Note 2 !http://www.gsmsouth.com/
56. nooraldeen posted on 02 Nov 2012, 09:41 0 0
the htc 8x already lost the fight against Lumia 920 , im not saying it's a bad phone. it's good but not enough to beat the Lumia 920
57. GMC626 posted on 03 Nov 2012, 10:09 0 0
The initial reviews of the Nokia 920 haven't been decisive over the 8x.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/02/nokia-lumia-920-review/
http://www.pocket-lint.com/review/6042/nokia-lumia-920-windows-phone-review
60. nooraldeen posted on 04 Nov 2012, 04:15 0 0
the specs sheet is a thing and the performance is another thing , it's true that there is not a big difference between the 2 but the lumia is better
both have 8MP camera but the lumia's camera is better and the screen is better (u cant tell the difference between the 768 or 720 in res or the 332/342 ppi) but it's considered better and also the lumia got a faster refresh rate so there is reduced blur when moving the UI ir the text . both don't have a SDcard slot . so the lumia is better with it's 32 gigs , the 8x is 16 gigs . so if some1 will have to choose between the Lumia or the 8x the Lumia is a better choice unless that 1 didn't want a bulky phone :)
54. adrikfog posted on 02 Nov 2012, 06:22 0 0
The design is absolutely wonderful. Love HTC and can't wait to try out WP8 for myself!
http://www.agorabiz.com/annonces/immobilier-d-entreprise/boutique/location
