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| HTC One X |
With the introduction of HTC One series, HTC has vowed to come back to the top by focusing on designs, and better user experience. It’s the flagship of HTC’s new branding and strategic positioning behind a single line of devices, industrial design, and focus. The strategy mirrors that of Samsung’s with their Galaxy series, and if successful will rekindle the excitement behind HTC’s brand.
Feel
While we personally prefer the One S in terms of overall size, the HTC One X handles its larger size well. Like its smaller brother. It borrows the overall design pioneered on devices like the Sensation, but merges them with the sleek unibody design of phones like the Radar. The One X feels even more like a flattened, slimmed down Amaze 4G than the One S, which is quite awesome. The HTC One X and S are the best-designed HTC phones we’ve used, and possibly the most comfortable as well. The X trades a bit of comfort for its wider profile, but its angular edges make it easier to keep a grip while you stretch your fingers to use its larger screen.
Screen
With the One S, HTC used AMOLED technology, but with the HTC One X, it has used a slightly upgraded form of LCD it calls “Super” LCD. The results are fairly impressive, though HTC’s marketing efforts seem to hide the fact that the X has an LCD screen (perhaps because AMOLED is more popular right now). For a while, we actually believed the screen used AMOLED technology like the S. For LCD, the phone is capable of getting fairly good blacks and bold colors.The screen’s 1280 x 720 pixel resolution and LCD screen does eliminate one of the only problems we had with the One S as well: annoying subpixels. On the HTC One S – which has a smaller 4.3-inch AMOLED screen and 960 x 540 pixel resolution – we noticed some slight problems with jagged edges and black subpixels.
Software Specification
The next major thing to talk about is HTC’s Sense 4. First off, all of the HTC Ones X run Android 4.0.3 as of this writing. Because this runs Android 4.0, users will have many stability improvements. If you can find its new location, the data usage monitoring feature makes a handy way to stay under your data cap, and you’ll notice many other small enhancements, too.
Like previous iterations, Sense 4 includes a number of lock screen customizations, including the ability to launch applications or SMSes by dragging their shortcuts into the ring. Unlike the previous version, you don’t get the ability to change the lock screen shortcuts directly, instead they’re inherited from the bottom dock-like row of applications on the launcher. The launcher now includes ICS features like folders on the homescreen for organizing shortcuts, and a new widget, app, and shortcut management view.
For probably the first time, I can honestly say I think HTC has has nailed that balance with Sense 4. The platform still feels and looks ICSey, and I think that’s what made previous iterations of Sense somewhat awkward - you couldn’t adequately grasp the theme or feeling of the underlying OS. HTC has changed things like overscrolling behavior throughout the OS, as elements now spread apart like an accordion. Toggle switches and buttons also get a new theme, but it isn’t an altogether huge departure from ICS, and (as required) Holo is still lurking underneath for applications that leverage it.
Another major design decision HTC has made is to go with the traditional USB disk drive mount option instead of MTP. I think we’ll see OEMs also go this route as the MTP connector on some platforms still leaves a lot to be desired. Sense 4 also leaves the notification shade virtually untouched - there aren’t any quick power settings or tabs, just the settings pane shortcut like stock ICS. All in all I feel like this is the new Sense 4 design language - minimalist and simple, not the self-justifying customization of every last window and view just for the sake of doing so.
Specs
The One X has a NVIDIA Tegra 3, quad-core 1.5GHz, , 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal flash storage, a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 pixel Super LCD screen, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 1.3-megapixel front camera. It runs on Android 4.0 with HTC’s Sense 4.0 UI overlaid on top. Common features include Bluetooth 4.0, Micro SIM, Micro USB, headphone jack, proximity sensor, digital compass, gyroscope/accelerometer, and Wi-Fi (of course). Sadly, there is no microSD slot.CPU Speed
1.5 GHz, quad-core (global version)
1.5 GHz, dual-core LTE version (USA and select countries)
Platform
Android™ 4.0 with HTC Sense™ 4
Memory
Total storage : 32 GB;
RAM:1 GB
Network
HSPA/WCDMA:
Europe/Asia: 850/900/1900//2100 MHz
GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Sensors
Gyro sensor
G-Sensor
Digital compass
Proximity sensor
Ambient light sensor
Connectivity
3.5 mm stereo audio jack
NFC3
Bluetooth with aptX™ enabled (Bluetooth® 4.0)
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n
DLNA® for wirelessly streaming media from the phone to a compatible TV or computer
micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port with mobile high-definition video link (MHL) for USB or HDMI connection (Special cable required for HDMI connection.)
Camera with HTC ImageSense™
8 megapixel camera with auto focus, smart LED flash, and BSI sensor (for better low-light captures)
F2.0 aperture and 28mm lens
1080p HD video recording
1.3 megapixel front camera (720p for video chat)
Dedicated imaging chip
Capture a photo in the midst of recording HD video
Continuous shooting mode captures multiple snapshots
Auto flash smartly determined by distance from your subject
Video stabilization feature removes annoying, shaky motion
High quality slow motion video capture and playback
Multimedia
Audio supported formats:
Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma (Windows Media Audio 9)
Recording: .amr
Video supported formats:
Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv (Windows Media Video 9), .avi (MP4 ASP and MP3)
Recording: .mp4
Battery
Capacity :1800 mAh
Camera
Given that photography is one of the most popular smartphone usage, HTC went “big” and announced an “Amazing camera” (HTC’s own words) at Mobile World Congress.
The HTC produces photos that are less noisy, but also less saturated and bright than the 4S Photo (very good): in terms of pure image quality, the HTC One X does well, but it’s unfortunately not as groundbreaking as HTC would have you believe. The HTC One X does take very good photos, but they can also look a bit more dull than with other handsets. Obviously, it’s hard to compare if you haven’t seen the actual setting with your own eyes, but in my opinion, the iPhone 4S did a better job with these photos.
In this challenging situation, the 4S goes overboard with saturation and noise, the HTC One X shot is more realistic. In low-light, the HTC One can get blurry pretty quickly, but no the other hand, it did a better job than the iPhone 4S with the noise and the auto-white-balance (AWB). Interestingly, the photo on the iPhone looks better on the handset display because it is brighter and crisper. However, the HTC One X photo is closer to what I was trying to capture.
The HTC One clearly wins in terms of photo management here. It never seems like a big deal, until you want to clean up your camera. Also, note that some of this could be done with Android devices over USB, which again, is not possible with iOS as the USB mount is write-only.
Burst Mode (well-done): although the absolute quality was very good, but not “amazing”, the photographic options are excellent. The burst mode is a good example. Unlike many other implementations, it is very easy to use: just keep the shutter button pressed. It sounds like a “duh”, but most cameras require you to switch to a special shooting mode, which is annoying and therefore becomes unused. The HTC One X is ready for Burst Mode out of the box.
Despite having many options, the Camera App is surprisingly intuitive. After shooting a bunch of photos (typically to capture a special moment), chances are that you only want to keep a few of the shots. HTC makes it very easy to manage this. Right in the preview window, you can hit “Delete” and you will be given the option to select every photo that you want to get rid of in a single action.
I was able to snap a maximum of 20 8-Megapixel photos, and if you wonder, this count will not increase even if you decrease the resolution of the final photo. It’s most likely because the image is pulled directly from the sensor in high-resolution, then processed and downsized later on.
Video (very good): Overall video capture is very good and I’ve uploaded a sample to our flickr account so that you may judge it for yourself. To be honest, I think that although the image quality was very nice, the 1080p could be a little “jerky” at times. I may recommend the 720p recording to make things smoother.
The fantastic aspect of video is that you can actually take full-size photos while shooting a video without affecting the video recording, in theory. In practice, there are a few moments in my video+photo test where I was wondering if the photos were affecting the recording. However, it could just have been the “tap” motion that provoked some jerkiness in the video.
Camera conclusion: I want to set your expectations right with this: while the HTC One X doesn’t deliver exceptional photo quality, it does deliver an amazing imaging experience, thanks to a very refined camera user-interface. Peter Chou (HTC’s) CEO does take photography seriously, and I have to say that the HTC One X camera app is a success that many should learn from, including Apple.
Killer apps
Virtual keyboard (good): Ironically, despite having hundreds of thousands of apps at their disposal, most users sill refer to text-based communication as being the “critical” application for them. That’s why you must not underestimate the important of a virtual keyboard. The more productive you want to be, and the more likely this element may get in the way.
The HTC One X on the right, next to the iPhone 4S
On my wish list, I’d like to see things like up/down swipe motion to access special characters and capital letters. That is so much more efficient, and even entry-level phones from Huawei have this feature, so let’s hope that others pick this up.
Email (excellent): I really like the email client on the HTC One X (and I suppose that all HTC Sense 4.0 would feature the same). It’s clean and very readable and has all the productivity features that I would expect from an efficient email client:
- Emails are actually downloaded in the background so they’re ready when you open the app
- Search is quickly accessible
- Actions can be performed on multiple items
- Reply+All/Forward/Delete are easily accessible
- Account is easily selectable
Calendar (excellent): The calendar is also very effective: first, it’s clear and very readable because HTC has done a good job with the layout and font choice. For frequent travelers, there’s also an option to display two time zones, which is really well integrated. The second time zone shows up on the other side of the screen, and takes very little place.
There’s also an Agenda mode that uses all the available display surface to only show upcoming meetings. Overall, this is a great calendar, and I don’t feel like something obvious is missing. I’ve included a photo that compares the HTC One X Calendar to its poor cousin: the iPhone 4S calendar.
Facebook: Facebook Mobile is its old good self. It works pretty well, and still consume loads of bandwidth. Nothing really new to report, except that the display size makes it a little more comfortable to use than on smaller devices.
Google Maps: it is already excellent on Android, there is no question about it. The app does a great job of utilizing the extra pixels on the screen, so while the overall readability and sharpness stay equal to a regular 3.7” smartphone, you can actually see a bit “more map” on the screen, which is great. My favorite feature: map area preload that lets you download a 10 square-mile map onto your local storage. Rocks!
Skype: it works normally, which means that it is a big laggy and tends to use more CPUs that it should. With the HTC One X, the overall experience is very similar to to other high-end Android smartphones, however, I found the incoming video to be better than usual. On the other end, the outgoing video was not so great: mostly blurry and laggy (and that was over WiFi). The audio part seemed OK..
Battery life (very good)
Keep in mind that battery life varies a lot depending on the apps that run in the background, your network reception, your local network density and the amount of time that the: display is ON. You can always refer to the Android battery report to see what is consuming the power. Finally, keep in mind that network transactions generated by apps can appear as “Android” as it is ultimately the OS that handles those transactions.We typically like the battery depletion test because your smartphone probably spends most of its time doing “nothing” and waiting in your pocket/purse for the next session. It’s precisely with that in mind that NVIDIA has designed the Tegra 3 “5th” companion core, a dedicated ultra-low power core that handles menial tasks while keeping power usage low.
Standby battery depletion is very important because most of the time, your phone is asleep.
For a 1800mAh battery, this is actually pretty good, and inline with the older Galaxy S2 while at the same time providing a much better user experience. I can only imagine what would happen if HTC was using a 2200mAh battery like the Galaxy Note, or a 3200mAH battery like the RAZR MAXX – do you think that HTC should have sacrificed some of the thinness to accommodate a larger battery?
Overall
The One X is as large as mainstream phones should be. To some of you, it will definitely be too large to comfortably hold. We’ve managed to get used to it and it isn’t any harder to hold than the Galaxy Nexus, so we aren’t going to punish it, but if you’re looking for a more reasonable size, the One S is almost the same phone, but a bit smaller. We really like the direction HTC is going with its One series. Everything about this phone is top of the line, from its battery life to its camera, and polycarbonate body.Highs
- Fantastic, thin design
- Comfortable to hold
- Amazing rear camera
- Runs Android 4.0 (ICS)
- Beats Audio included
- HTC Media Link HD is fun
Lows
- Sense 4.0 UI is puzzling
- Non-removable battery
- No microSD slot