HTC 8X user reviews

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.

Dyonas 15 February 2013

Good: Screen colour, camera, speed, styling, Beats Audio

Bad: No expandable storage or removable battery

Comment: I have the California Blue 8X and it stands out so much among the crowd of mostly black phones that I notice people looking at it to try and see what I'm using. The shape fits in my hand really well and with a 1280x720 resolution 4.3” screen it has more than enough screen for anything I want to do on a phone from playing games, watching short videos, viewing photos or even actual phone functions like sending text messages. There are others with bigger screens so that's a personal preference.

The screen is vibrant and colours show through sharply with images full of detail. The matching HTC tile set adds an impression that the colour is flowing from the case throughout the phone and is a nice touch. Unlike a lot of phones recently the 8X includes a physical camera button. It’s a Windows Phone standard feature but HTC have given the camera button, volume rocker, power button and camera lens surround a splash of colour that further adds to the one colour look instead of silver or black buttons.

The cameras on the phone are very good with sharp detail, good colour balance and contrast. The main camera is 8MP and while there are 13MP cameras coming out on phones any digital photographer will tell you that a quality 8MP photo is better than an average 13MP photo. A special mention has to go to the front facing camera due to it being 2MP and using an extra wide angle lens. While it isn't for me it lets you do video chats in 1080p. It’s great for group photos or even putting yourself in a picture with a memorable background.

Audio quality is great with Beats Audio mode adding a little extra to music when using a wired headset. Some may not like it but personally I think it adds a little extra punch to music and listening to music without it now feels strange. If you use the phone’s speaker or a wireless headset you can’t use Beats Audio unfortunately but sound is still pretty good with no distortion occurring at louder volumes.

The hardware is very good with it using a dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait CPU from Qualcomm which is a top performing chip in any phone. It’s coupled with 1GB RAM and in use I’ve never noticed it slow down and lag or stutter as I have with other phones I've used. Storage is a choice of 8GB or 16GB with no expandable storage option. It may be a deal breaker to some but it’s more than enough for my needs. The battery, too, is non-removable but more than adequate for 24 - 30 hours use at 1800mAh.

Overall I absolutely love the phone and it powers through any task I have for it without breaking a sweat.

andrewlone 15 February 2013

Comment: outstanding phone
andyl from middlesbrough ,uk ,09 February 2013
this is an outstanding phone it;s a thing of beauty and its like a old friend in your hands,it fits snugly in your hand.the tiles are very good and easy to use if you want a website on your frontscreen you just pin and a tile appears you can enlarge your tiles to suit you.photo hub is good always changing through your photos that are on your...(read full review)
Age group: 40 - 49
I have used this product for: 1-3 months
Expertise: intermediate
I use this product for: Personal
Overall
Ease of use
Battery life
Features
Reliability
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andrewlone 15 February 2013

Good: the simplicity of system

Bad: not enogh apps

Comment: outstanding phone
andyl from middlesbrough ,uk ,09 February 2013
this is an outstanding phone it;s a thing of beauty and its like a old friend in your hands,it fits snugly in your hand.the tiles are very good and easy to use if you want a website on your frontscreen you just pin and a tile appears you can enlarge your tiles to suit you.photo hub is good always changing through your photos that are on your...(read full review)
Age group: 40 - 49
I have used this product for: 1-3 months
Expertise: intermediate
I use this product for: Personal
Overall
Ease of use
Battery life
Features
Reliability
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Report inappropriate review
Share this review:

markthomson1404 14 February 2013

Good: Fantastic design, Great build quality, Smooth UI

Bad: Non removeable battery

Comment: The first thing you notice about this phone is its looks, it is so very different, the texture the shape all flow into one, Then the under the hood is great, very fast fluid and buttery smooth it is a phone you want to hand around to show off. The display is probably one of the best I have seen. The blacks ARE black , great contrast and colour it really complements out the windows os . Though I have seen some complaints about the camera I don't really expect my phone to be as good as my dedicated camera, and I have to say I have no complaints. the sound quality is very good across a wide range of music. Overall this is a very good phone verging on the excellent when it comes down to design and build quality. This is a phone that is about being an individual.

Craig Fish 14 February 2013

Comment: I have had my California Blue 8x for a couple of months now and I have to say, it is a fantastic device. It looks great, is very aesthetically pleasing to the eye and to the hand, it is just the right dimensions for me, the screen spills off the edges and the tactile grippy finish adds to the pleasing feel of the front. The rear of the 8X is just as pleasing with its thin, curved edges. HTC as usual have paid attention to the details and have nailed it yet again.
The 8X is really smooth on the inside, the dual core innards are really zippy and it doesn't lag whatsoever. WP8 does take a little getting used to but once I had readjusted from Android it was a refreshing change and a pleasure to use.
The battery, once bedded in easily lasts me all day long and more, standby life is phenomenal too. HTC's use of Beats Audio means that their phones in recent times have sounded great thru headphones, well, the 8X has a dual amplifier on board and music thru the phones speaker has to be heard to be believed, I haven't experienced anything like it, the volume is really impressive and with headphones it sounds divine too.
My favourite part of any smartphone is the camera and the 8x has two. The rear 8mp is great (it is missing Panorama and Burst mode but I think they will arrive in a future update) but the real winner here is the 2.1mp wide angle front facing camera (88degrees no less) I am so impressed with it in fact that I am doing a photo a day project (along with some friends) called 8x365, where we use the front camera to do a self shot for the whole of 2013...
All in all a great handset and I am really glad that I choose the 8x. I am positive you will love it too :)

martyjw 14 February 2013

Good: design, display, keyboard

Bad: no access to battery, no sd card

Comment: The HTC 8X is by far the best looking phone that I have owned, the design is beautiful , I have the Californian blue coloured one and it is a real head turner, lots of people stare whilst I’m using it!. I love holding the HTC 8X , it just feels great in your hand, the back of the phone is like nothing I have ever felt before, feels almost like velvet which is a strange but nice sensation, the phone feels very light and sits well in your hand. I like how the buttons are placed, but there is no access to the internal parts of the phone. This is a real downside to the design of the phone, if the phone freezes you can’t get at the battery, also no option of carrying a spare battery. Also the lack of an SD card slot is also rather annoying. I know I can access storage through the cloud, which is maybe what Mircosoft want, but having the option would be nice.
The battery life seems better than my previous phones, but I still have to charge at least once a day. On a few occasions I have also noticed that the phone overheats.
The camera on the 8x is pretty decent and the front facing camera is a mega selling point on this phone with the wide angle lens.
The sound quality both with and without headphones is awesome,.
The windows operating system is fantastic, although a few improvements are needed, and the App developers need to get the finger out! But I find I have all the functionality I need from the phone itself, so I find myself needing less Apps to perform tasks.
All in all I love this phone to bits, and I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking of buying it. I think this is a real winner for HTC!

Jon Pace 14 February 2013

Good: Front Camera,Quality of Screen, Design

Bad: Lack of Apps

Comment: The only way you can start a review of this phone, is to talk about how well designed it is. It looks are sleek, its curves are beautiful and I can honestly see every new smartphone on the market in the next 24 months taking some inspiration from it. I’ve had the phone nearly two months now and it always draws admiring glances.

Apart from the phones glamorous looks, it also packs a hefty punch underneath. The first thing you will notice is the display is very clear and I enjoy looking at the Internet more on the 8X than I do on my HTC One X despite the screen being smaller, the touchscreen also responds to every touch well.

Although the WP8 music system is not the best I have seen on a phone, the sound quality on the phone is very high quality, especially through the loudspeaker which I use a lot to entertain my daughter!

HTC have also looked hard at the front camera on the phone, something which almost seems like an afterthought on many smartphones, in an age where we seem to be taking more pictures of ourselves with friends (admit it, we’ve all done it, or at least seen them on Facebook!) it is good to see phone designers thinking of how we use a phone. The clarity you get from the front facing camera is like nothing I have seen, this is also true of what you can fit into the pictures I guess due to the wide angle lens. (My current record was taking a group picture of 10 of us in a pub!)

The tradition reverse camera is adequate, although I do have a few concerns over indoor pictures.

If you have made the decision to migrate to Windows Phone 8, or you are looking at your first smartphone I couldn’t recommend this innovate phone enough. Its ease of use is a big plus point, you could hand it to your dear old Mum and she would be able to customise it to her tastes without any problems.

Abid6814 14 February 2013

Good: Front Facing Camera, Beats Audio, Stunning Design, Live Tiles

Bad: Need more apps in the marketplace

Comment: The HTC 8X is my first step into the world of Windows after years of being an Android user. I have to start my review by talking about the actual hardware. The 8X is one of the most beautiful handsets I've ever seen. My California Blue model is absolutely gorgeous and is contoured to fit in the hand perfectly. I was surprised at how light the phone is and the quality of the workmanship and finish. With the exception of the sim insert tray the phone is a complete unibody design with drilled in speaker grills on the front and back of the handset.

The screen is stunning, the display is better than the Iphone 5, colours are rich and the darker colours particularly black stand out.

The wide angle front facing camera is definitely a winner, not only is the quality of shots exceptional for a front camera particularly in natural light but the camera captures twice as much as a standard front facing camera making family portraits a breeze. The rear camera is also of a good standard if there is to be a criticism it would be that the camera functionality lacks some of the basic settings available on the HTC One Series handsets. As soon as these are added it will compliment perfectly the high quality rear lense.

The Beats Experience is what you expect but where the 8X really excels is the quality of sound from the phone speakers when you're not using Beats Enabled Headphones. The quality is the best I have heard on a mobile phone.

The phone performs really well in terms of speed, switching between applications and general scrolling. The built in web experience is excellent with the Internet Explorer browser and pages load faster than on my Android devices.

I do miss the lack of a FM radio but I hope this can be rectified in a future software upgrade. The app marketplace is beginning to expand and there are some good apps available but still lacking the choice available on Android or iOS. The Windows People Hub and Live Tiles are a great feature and the operating platform is a lot more user friendly and interesting than alternatives on the market. If you're an Xbox user than the 8X creates some great compelling options to connect up your devices. Microsoft Office functionality is also much welcomed and a feature you will definitely use.

Skydrive integration is brilliant and for the first time ever I am really using cloud storage, its simple, works in the background and requires very little set up.

Battery life has been surprisingly good, the phone gets me through a full day without a need for recharging and I am a fairly heavy user of data and am constantly switching the screen on to use apps. The battery life is definitely better than that on my Android device.

Overall I would definitely recommend the HTC 8X to anyone looking to upgrade. You get a stunning handset which feels great in the hand and is powerful and nippy when you use it. Be prepared for all and sundry to want to handle and play with the device it is definitely a crowd pleaser and easy on the eye!The build quality is better than anything on the market and you get an amazing camera experience especially if you're a heavy user of Skype or Video Calling.

The minor gripes I do have are more software and platform related and easily fixed as more apps come online in the marketplace. The 16gb storage is adequate for my current needs but I do think it would be useful to have the handset available in 32gb and 64gb formats especially as memory is not expandable.

A big thumbs up for the HTC 8X which marks a definite return to form for HTC.

the1beard 10 February 2013

Good: WP8 it's not android or ios

Bad: battery life

Comment: Lazy Journalism app who cares about apps
If anything a lack of apps is a good thing who needs 1,000 spirit level apps to chose from?


Is the Phone good ?????

YES it is .

Battery life could be better