HTC One X review

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Full Review
The HTC One X is huge, slim and comes with a NVIDIA Tegra quadcore processor chip and Android 4.0 Ice cream sandwich. What’s not to like?
HTC One X review
Love
Strong design
Very solid build
Immaculate display
Hate
Too big for some
HTC’s new One range - which also includes the HTC One S and HTC One V - aims for the Android heights with slick design, fast NVIDIA processors, greatly enhanced cameras and Beats Audio from the Wonka-esque lab of Dr Dre.

The HTC One X is the flagship, sporting a truly spectacular 4.7-inch screen, yet remaining thin, easily pocketable and usable by everyone short of Tiny Hands McGee.

HTC One X: Design

This is not just a slight reworking of the HTC line. Long-standing problems such as samey, mediocre looks and poor battery life have been addressed and the result is an HTC handset unlike any other, even if it talks the same design language.

It’s a highly tactile phone that you want to stroke and roll round your hand like a worry stone, it’s perhaps the most touchable handset since the iPhone 3GS.

That’s partly because there are no visible seams apart from the power and volume buttons, the micro USB charging slot and a tiny cover for the micro SIM.
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It’s under 9mm thick and this makes it manageable in all but the smallest hands.

There’s a sealed battery, so no removable back to spoil the look, and more space to squeeze in more battery with less cladding; vital with such a big screen in such a thin body.

Like the Nokia Lumia 800, this handset proves that you can achieve a high-end feel without relying on aluminium or glass.

The One X is made from polycarbonate – posh plastic, basically – making it light in spite of its size. The unibody frame means it all holds together effortlessly, with no creaking, no matter how much you try and flex it.

Look closely and you’ll see the white back is matt but the edge and front are gloss. Matching these different finishes so smoothly is further proof of HTC’s forensic attention to detail.

HTC One X: Screen

About that screen: turn the phone on and you can’t miss the remarkable display. At 4.7 inches, it’s massive, sure, but actually it’s the resolution that stands out.

This measures 312 pixels per inch, almost as high-definition as the iPhone 4S, and the larger size means it looks arguably more impressive.

It’s sharp, colourful and deeply attractive, looking as detailed as a printed photograph. It’s especially good with video or showing off photographs.

HTC One X: Camera

You’ll likely be doing plenty of that because the eight-meg/1080p camera with backside illuminated sensor and LED flash is another standout feature.

It take great pics and vids, with minimal shutter lag, but HTC has really aced it with the extra features.

You can shoot stills while recording video or even extract stills from video in “post-production”, picking the frames you want from recorded footage.

Stills shutter and video recording buttons are onscreen at all times, along with a lens which, in Instagram style, lets you add sepia, vignette, distortion and other effects which you can view as you snap.

Then, when you’re playing back video, touching the shutter icon will capture still images from the moving ones.

HTC One X: Speed

The One X is one of the first phones to employ a NVIDIA Tegra quadcore processor, and it is BRISK. Video playback is stutter-free, games are quick and glitchless.

The touchscreen’s responses are Teflon-smooth and immediate. In every department, the phone’s speed knocks you out.
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Hands on
The HTC One X is the flagship model from the brand's new One Series of Android Ice Cream Sandwich-powered smartphones. We went hands-on...
HTC One X review
Love
Strong design
Very solid build
Immaculate display
Hate
Too big for some
The HTC One X was announced at MWC 2012 in Barcelona and is the flagship model of the the brand's new One Series, which also comprises the HTC One S and HTC One V. The new handset sports a large 4.7-inch screen along with a Nvidia Tegra Quad-core processor and NFC capability. We went hands-on for a closer look....

HTC One X: Build

The HTC One X features the maker's usual unibody design, though this time it sports a new polycarbonate material. The edges of the phone have a glossy look and feel, while the back panel feels more silky to the touch.

Not only does this make the One X look and feel like a premium phone, it also makes it very comfy to hold. We got hands-on with a grey model, while there's also a white version available.

HTC One X: Features

Along with the other two handsets in the new range, the HTC One X includes built-in Beats audio, as found on previous models such as the HTC Sensation XE and the HTC Sensation XL.

The phone also includes a new version of HTC Sync which enables you to wirelessly sync from a PC.

HTC One X: Screen

The HTC X has an impressively large screen, measuring in at 4.7-inch, putting it head-to-head with the likes of the HTC Titan and the LG Optimus 3D, in terms of screen size. Even under the harsh lights of the demo room, the screen held its own, appearing bright and clear, with an impressive viewing angle, we it looks set to be a good performer in bright sunshine.

HTC One X: Camera

HTC has invested heavily in the development of a the camera on its new ranges of phones, introducing the brand new HTC Image Chip. The 8MP camera has been designed to boot up in just 0.7 seconds, while the autofocus is said to be faster than the blink of an eye at 0.2 seconds. The new camera also enables you to take pictures, while filming video - a simple but nifty trick.

The flash is also now more flexible, with several different levels of adjustment. There's also a camera burst mode that continues to snap away as long as you hold down the camera button. The phone then automatically combines some of the pictures to get the best results.

What's more, you'll get 25GB of free Dropbox storage for two years, so that you can automatically upload your photos for safe storage.

We only had the chance to try out the camera under the artifical lighting in the product demo room, so it was difficult to see how well it performs in well-;lit conditions, but it appeared to cope reasonably well with the limited light available.

HTC One X: Performance
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Packing Ice Cream Sandwich, the HTC One X sports a new version of the HTC Sense UI which appears to be zippy and easy to use, so although we didn't actually get to try the phone out in the wild, it certainly looks as though the Quad-core processor is powerful enough for a slick user experience.

HTC One X: Verdict

Although we were only able to get our hands on the HTC One X for a limited amount of time, we were impressed. The large screen is bright and ;punchy and the new UI looks great and has a few nice nips and tucks that make it noticeably better than the previous version.

The build quality and finish were also strong, and possibly enough even enough to rival the likes of the Apple iPhone 4s and the Samsung Galaxy S2 in looks. Stay tuned for a full review.

HTC 1X availability: April 2012

HTC 1X pric: TBC

Hands-on review by Libby Plummer
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