The good: The HTC Windows Phone 8X's edgy design joins forces with a top-of-the-line processor, LTE speeds, and great call quality.
The bad: This phone's 8-megapixel camera took a few poor pictures, the buttons are too flush, and the OS lacks some key apps.
The bottom line: With top specs and a striking design, HTC's Windows Phone 8X makes a smart choice for anyone ready to dive into the Windows Phone OS.
When you see it in person, there's no question that the HTC Windows Phone 8X is a premier smartphone on any platform. That it happens to run Windows Phone 8 signals a shift in the luster and credibility of Microsoft's mobile future. It has the processing power, the LTE speeds, and the camera quality to stand on its own. And you know what? The tailored handset makes the Windows Phone 8 OS look goooood.
The 8X also inherits its operating system's edgy interface, NFC sharing, and built-in integration with Microsoft Office 2013.
Yet the Windows Phone 8X isn't without its flaws. The camera isn't quite as consistently good as other top smartphone shooters, and missing or underdeveloped apps in Microsoft's mobile OS may turn some people off. When it comes to such a tight battle between top phones -- be they Windows, Android, or iOS -- small details like those could make the difference between getting bought and getting shelved.
While tests are still under way for the Nokia Lumia 920, (and yes, I'll update this review when that other verdict is in), the 8X is the smaller, lighter phone of the two, and the one that's available on more carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, starting at $199.
Design and build
While simply designed, the 8X's slim, sleek face and squared corners immediately draw you in. On the front, the screen offers deep black bezels and peeks of the phone's color: black, red, a chartreusey yellow, and my favorite, "California Blue." The face may be all business, but the back and sides of the unibody 8X are definitely "casual Friday."
While simply designed, the 8X's slim, sleek face and squared corners immediately draw you in. On the front, the screen offers deep black bezels and peeks of the phone's color: black, red, a chartreusey yellow, and my favorite, "California Blue." The face may be all business, but the back and sides of the unibody 8X are definitely "casual Friday."
The phone feels good in the hand thanks to the soft-touch finish on the curved back, a design that HTC refers to as "pillowy." It slides into my pockets easily and doesn't take up too much room. I usually used my back pocket to tote it around short distances. I handed the phone around the office to men and women with all shapes and sizes of hands and pockets. The majority found the phone comfortable to hold and carry, with one exception, who didn't like the feel and worried that the corners would bore holes in his pockets.
The 8X stands 5.2 inches tall by 2.6 inches wide by 0.4 inch thick. Its 4.6-ounce weight didn't bother me, but it tips the heavier side of the scale that will make the iPhone 5's 4-ounce weight feel featherlight.
Live tiles, Web sites, and photos look great on the 8X's 4.3-inch Super LCD 2 display with its HD 1,280x720-pixel resolution (that's 342ppi, if you're wondering). One little flaw with the screen if you're picking: if you press down hard on the edge of the screen, you'll see a flash of light from squishing the LCD; most people won't be affected, let alone even notice.
Below the display, three capacitive buttons navigate you back, home, and to the Bing search tool. Press and hold on the Start button to also launch the TellMe voice actions app. The same motion applied to the back button brings you to the task-switching pane.
Above the display there's a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. On the back, you'll see the 8-megapixel lens and LED flash. The left spine is bare, but up top are the 3.5mm headset jack and power button. Volume control and the physical camera shutter live on the right. My one complaint is that in one review unit, the volume rocker is so flush with the side, you control it more by faith than by feel while on a call. I had to keep lifting the phone from my ear to get the volume just right. Part of the volume rocker stuck out a skosh more in another review unit, so I could adjust volume by feel, but buttons were still extremely low-profile.
The charging action happens from the Micro-USB port on the bottom. Because it's a unibody device, you'll need to use a small "pin" tool to open the 8X's SIM tray, and the embedded battery isn't removable.
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