HTC 8X user reviews

Adam Farrer 5 April 2013

Good: its not super fragmented.

Bad: Reviewers not being very good at reviewing it.

Comment: 2 days battery life, excellent screen and the secret none of the reviewers dont want you to know... barely any need for apps as its very capable already and the apps that are available... plenty, the lack of apps is a lack of multiple apps all that do exactly the same thing.

Meg Tierney 21 February 2013

Comment: I think the top two features of this phone are its design and its camera. The front facing camera is absolutely fantastic and rivals some of the main cameras I've had on phones in recent years. You can take some stunning photos with the back camera too, and view them on the incredible screen. The design is sleek and elegant and receives many compliments. I have the blue design and it really stands out from the boring black and silver phones on the market. This phone is very simple to use and great to play around with. The number of customisation options means that you can change your phone depending on your mood or your current needs - brilliant. The calender integration is really good and helped me stay organised. This phone is a great all rounder, speedy to use and would be fantastic for a first time smart phone user to an advanced user with a heavy usage.

ashleycheekuk 21 February 2013

Comment: Plus points:
+ Screen size
+ Screen resolution
+ Music sound quality
+ Ease of communicating
+ Uniquely customisable interface
+ Excellent cameras, both forward and rear facing
+ Camera button makes it easy to quickly take a photo
+ Great for gaming, integrated with XBox Mobile
+ Has NFC built in... we just need technology to make use of it!
+ Slim & light
+ Screen doesn't mark with fingerprints as easily as earlier phones

Areas for improvement:
- Battery life / No swapable battery
- No memory card expansion
- Volume control on the wrong side for my hand in a call (personal preference)
- sharp corners could have been rounded a little more
- Only interfaces neatly with Live, Skydrive and Bing (Disadvantage when all my cloud services are hosted by Google)
- Gets extremely hot using apps like Skype (which should be a native and well programmed app for Windows Phone)

In summary, would I recommend this handset? Yes, based on the hardware and interface. It's a delight to use. So easy and intuitive to use, I've introduced my mum to the slightly smaller 8S she loves it!

So all great, it has the potential to really take off... but companies need to start developing their apps for this platform too and soon. For now i'm having to use the 8X as a wifi hotspot and use all the apps on my old HTC Android handset. I won't be this patient forever.

t0mke11y 18 February 2013

Good: Excellent design

Comment: Having used the 8X for around a month now I have to say I am nothing but impressed by this device. It looks and feels like no other phone out there.
If you're thinking of grabbing a Windows Phone handset then this is the one to have. The feel and texture of the device just makes it feel so good in the hand. It's the first device I've had where I haven't wanted to go straight out and buy a protective cover for it. With its gorilla glass screen, I haven't needed to either!
For me, my phone has to be right up there as an entertainment device and this doesn't dissapoint. From the superb cameras, both front and back, to the beats audio the 8X delivers on every level.

southy 18 February 2013

Comment: I have had this phone for about 6 weeks now and I think its superb, looks so cool, fits nicely in your hand, the shape of it makes it feel a lot slimmer than it actually is. Great sounding Beats audio, if you like listening to music on your phone. The camera takes amazing shots, and an extra wide 2MP front facing camera to get all your pals in that all important photo. Battery lasts well, about a day and a half with normal usage. Well recomended!

Rob Shaw 18 February 2013

Good: Screen, design and speed

Bad: Wifi

Comment: The modern aesthetics of the HTC 8X are fantastic. The smooth finish, in this case, matte black, is great. It’s good at resisting fingerprints and really feels solid in your hand. The rubberised coating is also good, ensuring that you can grip the phone without being over cautious about it slipping out.

The outer casing has the usual power button on the top and the volume rocker switch on the side. In addition, there is also a camera button. Pressing this when the phone is on, even when locked/sleeping, triggers the camera app to fire up ready to start shooting. A very useful little feature.

The lower screen has 3 soft buttons, back, home and search. The search tool, being from Microsoft is Bing. It works quite well. Results are presented in web, local and media tabs allowing you to filter for the type of result you need. The local tab lists local results for your search term. Useful in finding a product with a local stockist as a map is also displayed. From the map you can also access directions.

The 4.3? Super LCD 2 is one of the clearest I’ve seen. The colours are vibrant and sharp. I think screens shouldn’t really go much bigger that this. It’s still pocketable and usable. Certain other phones with larger screens look cumbersome and awkward. Yes, the big screen is great for surfing, playing games etc. it’s just not suited to the back pocket of your 501?s.

I like the tile layout on the home screen as it allows you to arrange important information and shortcuts to suit your own tastes. As an android user though I’m used to having several screens worth of icons to scroll through, rather than one screen that scrolls vertically. I found that some of the apps available free from Google Play are not free on the Microsoft App Store. For me this is not so much an issue but if the 8X was my only phone I’d be miffed that I had to pay. A stronger ecosystem will enable Microsoft to compete or a more level playing field, but it won’t happen overnight.

I am a little disappointed with the WiFi connectivity. I have still to connect to my home network setup. The phone simply does not see the SSID on my wireless router. Numerous phones and devices connect without issue but the 8X just refuses. I don’t know why.

The camera is also fantastic. The images and sharp and vibrant. I tried printing a few at A3 and they came out well. Would be nice to see some filter effects, but there are lots of apps that available that can do post processing.

Video is also pretty stunning. The camera can shoot at 1080P in widescreen format so is ideal for playing back on a large panel TV. Videos uploaded to YouTube look very sharp.

Overall I really liked the 8X, but would I switch from my everyday One X. No. I suppose I just like familiarity and the services/features offered by an Android handset. HTC design is the best in the market at the moment with their phones looking sharp. I just can’t warm to Windows Phone. It is almost there but I can’t quite put my finger on what it’s lacking. My One X just feels like it has more going for it. The hardware on paper is decent, I think that it is just let down by the software. It would be good to see how this phone handles JellyBean…

Maybe I’m not being fair by comparing to the HTC One X, had I been comparing against another phone, I think I would be saying that I love the 8X.

As a final note, as an avid user of Twitter, I love the interface on the Windows Phone version. The design of the screen just screams quality. The new MS tab style really suits this app. It is so intuitive to use you don’t have to think what each button does, you just know.

HTC 8X is currently the flagship Windows Phone from HTC.

My usual phone is also from HTC, the One X.

jonfromlondon 16 February 2013

Good: Stylish

Bad: Battery

Comment: I have been using the 8X for a month now. It features a unique product design and colour options that is different to the usual bland industrial design favoured by other manufacturers.

Despite its thickness, thanks to the tapered design, the 8X feels great in my palms. The 4.3" display is perfect for me, not too small and not too big. Paired with Windows Phone 8, the size is perfect for one handed use. All I need to do is swipe. The display isn't quite as brilliant as the One X, but it is still good and more importantly, sharp.

Powering the 8X is a Snapdragon S4 SoC with dual core 1.5GHz Krait CPU. While not exactly the fastest processors you can find, the 8X is fast. The already fast Windows Phone gets a well needed boost. Operations are instantaneous, and any lags are minimal. The only thing that would hold this phone back is your mobile connection speed.

The 8MP f/2.0 camera is good, but not great and suffers from noise. But images still turn out pleasant and it was capable of capturing images at low light. Great for capturing images for use on web pages and social networks, but it won't replace your compact camera yet.

However it is the front facing camera that impressed me most. While the image quality is average, the inclusion of an ultra wide angle lens meant I can now easily capture group shots with my friends without too much hassle or lending my phone to a stranger.

The battery life is adequate. I do wish HTC would have either included a removable battery option, or increased the battery capacity, even if it means increasing the thickness of the phone by 1mm. It will between half a day to a full day depending on usage. Power users will likely want to top up throughout the day.

All in all, I like the 8X. It is a unique device that stands out among the sea of bland smartphone design. The lack of expansion slot and battery life will put off some people, but as a whole, HTC has done really well with crafting the 8X.

I have been using the 8X for a month now. It features a unique product design and colour options that is different to the usual bland industrial design favoured by other manufacturers.

Despite its thickness, thanks to the tapered design, the 8X feels great in my palms. The 4.3" display is perfect for me, not too small and not too big. Paired with Windows Phone 8, the size is perfect for one handed use. The body is a unibody design made of plastic, but finished in a rubbery matte finish. All I need to do is swipe. The display isn't quite as brilliant as the One X, but it is still good and more importantly, sharp.

Powering the 8X is a Snapdragon S4 SoC with dual core 1.5GHz Krait CPU. While not exactly the fastest processors you can find, the 8X is fast. The already fast Windows Phone gets a well needed boost. Operations are instantaneous, and any lags are minimal. Even Internet Explorer is fast.

The 8MP camera is paired with a fast f/2.0 wide angle lens, and is pretty decent. It's not the greatest smartphone camera, and does suffers from noise. But images still turn out pleasant and it was capable of capturing images at low light. Great for capturing images for use on web pages and social networks, but it won't replace your compact camera yet.

However it is the front facing camera that impressed me most. While the image quality is average, the inclusion of an ultra wide angle lens meant I can now easily capture group shots with my friends without too much hassle or lending my phone to a stranger.

The battery life is adequate. I do wish HTC would have either included a removable battery option, or increased the battery capacity, even if it means increasing the thickness of the phone by 1mm. It will between half a day to a full day depending on usage. Power users will likely want to top up throughout the day.

All in all, I like the 8X. It is a unique device that stands out among the sea of bland smartphone design. The lack of expansion slot and battery life will put off some people, but as a whole, HTC has done really well with crafting the 8X.

David Elders 16 February 2013

Good: Fast, fully-featured, unbeatable for social usage

Comment: Although I am primarily a business user, I also utilise a lot of the multimedia functionality in a phone so require a good all-round device.

It has to be able to function well with regards all aspects of connectivity; from getting a good signal in almost all instances and places, to being able to connect via WiFi or Bluetooth as and when required through to being able to handle synching my multiple email accounts in real-time throughout the day without the battery giving in prematurely.

The phone is always responsive, easy to get a comfortable and secure grip of at all times, very light and all with a top-end finish and elegant design. Camera shots are excellent too. Ports for charging and headphones are well placed and easily accessible. Camera button does occasionally get pressed accidentally but you can turn off the option for it to 'wake' the phone. Music playback is clear and crisp. Video playback is silky smooth.

Only hardware feature that I feel slightly let down by its absence is wireless charging but overall no complaints. Would have been nice to have either greater storage on-board or the option to utilise a Micro SD card but again, not a massive issue.

Overall, great combination of excellent hardware and - for me - by far the best mobile OS around makes the 8X a winning combination for work [and for play!]

Craig Marc 15 February 2013

Good: Build quality

Comment: I have had the HTC 8x for a while now and I can honestly say it's the best feeling and well put together smartphone I have ever had the pleasure of holding!
The design of this phone is exquisite. HTC haven't missed a single detail and in my opinion it's the best looking smartphone available today. The tapered edges make the phone extremely comfortable to hold and it's easy to reach all corners of the screen.
The screen itself is simply stunning, one of the sharpest available at 720p hd resolution. Colours are vibrant and pop.
The camera is also amazing. compared to my girlfriends iphone it's much better. The camera also has a dedicated shutter button which allows quick and easy access to the camera.
Sound is also awesome with integrated beats audio.
One of the biggest plus points for me over previous smartphones is the excellent battery life. A single charge will easily last more than a day with heavy use in my experience.

I really can't recommend this phone highly enough. I hope HTC carry this great design language forward into future smartphones.

If your in the market for a new phone BUY IT.

Rafi Ahmed 15 February 2013

Good: Camera, design, music experience

Bad: No expandable memory, limited apps

Comment: I was a proud owner of one of the first Windows Phone 7 handsets, the HTC HD7. Having upgraded to the 8X this year, I'm finding HTC's flagship Windows Phone 8 handset an absolute joy to use. I've always snubbed the sheep that go for iPhones and the culture-less folk opting for Android, because I know that the Windows Phone OS beats the competition.
The gorgeous, innovative interface brings live updates on things I care about in the form of Live Tiles, which can be customised to fit my mood. One of the improved Windows Phone features is being able to resize tiles, which makes the UI even more attractive and flexible. The social network integration is the best I've seen on a phone - you almost don't need an app for Facebook; everything is pretty much built into the OS! The Xbox LIVE integration is fantastic, giving me that extra Gamerscore and letting me control my Xbox using my phone. In terms of the handset itself, it's the most beautiful phone out there. Slim, soft and sexy, coming in a variety of colours. It's not all looks, though, for within lies a Beats amplifier that provides immense sound - listening to music is a great experience. Both cameras capture 1080p video and the front camera has a brilliant wide-angle feature that allows you to fit more people in! My only wish is that HTC had included an SD card slot to allow me to store music on it, as the phone is limited to only 16GB storage. And I don't have an iPod :p.
A short review where I could talk endlessly about the qualities this phone possesses, but I encourage everyone to 'meet their match' and go for a Windows Phone, especially the HTC Windows Phone 8X.