Review: HTC One X
HTC is back with the One X, which combines the best of technology - a mean
piece of hardware - with the best software around, offering an awesome
experience for the user.
HTC ONE X
Price: Rs 35,000
SPECS
DISPLAY: 4.7 INCHES*
CAMERA: 8 MP AUTO FOCUS
PROCESSOR: 1.5 GHZ QUAD CORE
RAM: 1GB
STORAGE: 32 GB ONBOARD
CONNECTIVITY: 3G, WI-FI,
BLUETOOTH, A-GPS
WEIGHT: 130 GM
BATTERY: 1800 mAh
In the past couple of years, Samsung has managed to outshine HTC with an array of superb models handsets. But the Taiwanese company has hit back. While the world is still waiting for the next flagship Galaxy phone, HTC has launched its One X , one of the first smartphones powered by a quad-core processor.
Naturally, there was excitement at getting our hands on a quad-core chip. We soon realised that there were a lot of other things in the device that wowed us. The 4.7-inch display is beautiful, sharp, crisp and bright-it is undoubtedly the best 720 x 1080 pixels display. Surprisingly, even with such a big display the phone wasn't uncomfortable to hold.
There are three physical touch keys - back, home and multitasking - below the display that makes it easy to use. Although we have already reviewed Samsung's Nexus, it's not yet launched in India. So officially, the HTC One X is the first handset with Android Ice-Cream Sandwich onboard. However, the interface is not what you would expect of an Android, as it comes wrapped in the customised HTC Sense user interface. To test the 1.5 GHz quad-core processor we had to use the smartphone to its optimum and even run a few benchmark tests. The device scored decently well on most of the tests and using heavy graphic applications or switching between applications were smooth.
The best use of the quad-core chip came while operating the 8 MP autofocus camera where it quickly managed to capture a shot and was ready for the next one. Pressing the camera key down for 15 secs made the phone click 50 images, the shutter sounding like a machine gun. This makes the camera perfect for capturing children or fast moving objects. Full HD videos too did not break the rhythm of this mean device. We didn't notice much lag at all.
Then there is Beats Audio to ensure a good music experience. While Google services and basic apps are usually a part of Android smartphone, the HTC One X has a lot many preloaded apps such as 7 Digital for music, Bollywood Hungama, Car, eBuddy XMS, Flashlight, mirror, Google+, movie editor, etc. HTC is also giving its One X users free access to 25GB storage on Dropbox for two years where they can backup all their data including music, images and documentation. Nothing new, but still a good value add-on. With the heavy usage and the juice guzzling processor, we were worried that the battery would die before the end of the day. But still the battery lasted a few hours beyond the day on a full charge.
IS IT TIME TO BUY?
If you are still thinking of buying the Samsung Galaxy Note or Samsung Galaxy SII, hold on. We have something much better in our hands now, the HTC One X. However, Samsung is expected to announce its new Galaxy flagship smartphone in May while Apple should unveil the new iPhone in June, giving tough competition to the HTC One X.
WHAT ELSE
HTC has once again loaded its SENSE UI on the device, which is better than the traditional Android interface. The SENSE UI lets users launch any four customised apps directly from the lock screen. The main app tray is divided into three-all, frequent and downloads. Three icons remain static at the top-search, play store and menu. And the notification bar has a clear shortcut and settings icon. Above all, the beautiful graphical representation has been used with the multitasking key for switching between the running apps or closing them.
Courtesy: Gadgets and Gizmos
*Disclaimer: The print version of the story erroneously mentioned the display size of HTC One X as 3.7 inches, instead of 4.7 inches. It has now been corrected.
Price: Rs 35,000
SPECS
DISPLAY: 4.7 INCHES*
CAMERA: 8 MP AUTO FOCUS
PROCESSOR: 1.5 GHZ QUAD CORE
RAM: 1GB
STORAGE: 32 GB ONBOARD
CONNECTIVITY: 3G, WI-FI,
BLUETOOTH, A-GPS
WEIGHT: 130 GM
BATTERY: 1800 mAh
In the past couple of years, Samsung has managed to outshine HTC with an array of superb models handsets. But the Taiwanese company has hit back. While the world is still waiting for the next flagship Galaxy phone, HTC has launched its One X , one of the first smartphones powered by a quad-core processor.
Naturally, there was excitement at getting our hands on a quad-core chip. We soon realised that there were a lot of other things in the device that wowed us. The 4.7-inch display is beautiful, sharp, crisp and bright-it is undoubtedly the best 720 x 1080 pixels display. Surprisingly, even with such a big display the phone wasn't uncomfortable to hold.
| An 8 MP auto-focus camera was the icing on the cake. The camera interface looked different. We could also capture videos at different resolution ranging from 1080p to mms quality. A Unibody design with a microSIM card slot at the top. The One X is 8.9mm thin and weighs 130 gm only. Why We Fell For It: Best in class hardware blended with the latest software. |
The best use of the quad-core chip came while operating the 8 MP autofocus camera where it quickly managed to capture a shot and was ready for the next one. Pressing the camera key down for 15 secs made the phone click 50 images, the shutter sounding like a machine gun. This makes the camera perfect for capturing children or fast moving objects. Full HD videos too did not break the rhythm of this mean device. We didn't notice much lag at all.
Then there is Beats Audio to ensure a good music experience. While Google services and basic apps are usually a part of Android smartphone, the HTC One X has a lot many preloaded apps such as 7 Digital for music, Bollywood Hungama, Car, eBuddy XMS, Flashlight, mirror, Google+, movie editor, etc. HTC is also giving its One X users free access to 25GB storage on Dropbox for two years where they can backup all their data including music, images and documentation. Nothing new, but still a good value add-on. With the heavy usage and the juice guzzling processor, we were worried that the battery would die before the end of the day. But still the battery lasted a few hours beyond the day on a full charge.
IS IT TIME TO BUY?
If you are still thinking of buying the Samsung Galaxy Note or Samsung Galaxy SII, hold on. We have something much better in our hands now, the HTC One X. However, Samsung is expected to announce its new Galaxy flagship smartphone in May while Apple should unveil the new iPhone in June, giving tough competition to the HTC One X.
WHAT ELSE
HTC has once again loaded its SENSE UI on the device, which is better than the traditional Android interface. The SENSE UI lets users launch any four customised apps directly from the lock screen. The main app tray is divided into three-all, frequent and downloads. Three icons remain static at the top-search, play store and menu. And the notification bar has a clear shortcut and settings icon. Above all, the beautiful graphical representation has been used with the multitasking key for switching between the running apps or closing them.
Courtesy: Gadgets and Gizmos
*Disclaimer: The print version of the story erroneously mentioned the display size of HTC One X as 3.7 inches, instead of 4.7 inches. It has now been corrected.
