At 600,00 Euros (that's about 800 $US) I do sympathize with smartphone enthusiasts (I'm included) ... that these are dark, sombre days. We're all virtually broke. Spending that kind of money, today, is a great effort. Pure contorting gymnastics. And if the wives (they do well to survive with a dumb 49 Euros phone, generally) get to know about it, then our days won't be dark or sombre anymore. They'll be pure red, with flames and extensive heat. I mean, you spend that kind of money, and where in the heck will they (the wives) have money left over for the hairdresser or special creams?
So, and (also) since Pinstack does not give me an allowance to purchase any phone, not even an empty box, and Pinstack around here isn't a major web marketing mogul, I consider myself very lucky to just have had this beast for the last 4 days. My retribution to the distributor is a translation of this review for his web site. Ok enough said.
INTRODUCTION:
Before it became the One X it was known to us as the HTC Endeavour. This baby is a quad-core (actually the first in HTC history) with a 1.5 Ghz engine under the hood. Like the good old days when we could press the gas pedal to the floor panel, this lets you enjoy all of the ultra-fast high end graphics included in the new Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS. The HTC Sense 4.0 is the fur on the dashboard.
It has a ginormous 4.7" screen, smaller than the NOTE, but somehow it feels just as big. Or bigger. It has the Beats thing, and the sound is out of this world, although I had to get the appropriate Beats earphones to really sample the sound.
The 720p HD super LCD screen is an extremely satisfying experience. The videos are vivid.
The whole HTC is enclosed in a polycarbonate unibody design. Its comfortable, non-slippery. Attractive.
The HTC ImageSense camera has a f/2.0 aperture and 1080p HD video recording capabilities. Great pictures. In the sun and in dark areas. I tried them all. But mostly at night. It just works.
And then they offer Dropbox. 25Gb of it. So, you can Drop everything you need to drop, into the Box, like files, videos, music, your wife and kids.
WHAT I LIKED:
- The huge 4.7 inch screen. It's the best looking display I've seen in a long while.
- Great web surfing. The V8 in this monster does help. It's heavy on gas though, and the fuel will only last for half a day. With me anyway.
- Fabulous quality videos and images with an 8MP camera and 1080p HD video recorder.
- The HTC Sense 4.0 (ok, I know, it's bloatware, the fur on the dash) but it was enjoyable. Lovely widgets, functional and smooth. The UI is an eye pleasing, marketing, selling hot point. You've got to give HTC due credit here.
- Ok. The design of the whole ship. Seamless, no bezels. Very aerodynamic. So much so, even for it's big size, holding it up to your ear doesn't feel like you're ironing your head.
- It has HTC Media Link - turning every TV into a Smart TV. I tried it at home, and my B&O TV had a new lease on life. Quite good.
- The integration of HTC Sense 4.0 with ICS.
THE SPECS: (Taken from HTC.com)
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
Memory1
Total storage : 32 GBRAM:1 GB
Network2
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
Sound enhancement
Beats Audio™
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 mAhWHAT I SAY:
HTC has really created(another) masterpiece here.
I do however have some concerns regarding the screen itself. When you press, or touch the sides with a little more vigor, there is a discoloration of the screen. Like when you press the screen of your PC and everything gets distorted. I had a look at the HTC blog and some people are complaining about it. Also, and I imagine it has to do with the size of the screen and the absence of bezels, it creaks (!)... these things don't auger well for the One X. My opinion. Maybe the local distributor got a bad, rotten egg in the box. Let's wait and see.
Another complaint I heard from the one and only buyer that he managed to sell a One X to, was the chipped paint on the phone. His was the model with a ceramic finish. And the ceramic is cracking. Off it went for a guarantee claim with HTC, but since its the law here that if a client returns a faulty device within 15 days, the distributor has to give him a new one. Or so the client thought. It was actually the one I carried. Ssshhhh....I hope he doesn't read this. But it was in mint condition. It still had the plastics stuck to it too.
And of course, the battery. Well, what do you expect? From such a large screen and the videos (Discovery Channel was a charmer even Bear's bad eating habits weren't so yuck...), the quality of the images you're going to get, what do you expect?
No. HTC will not donate an extra battery. No, HTC will not donate a Seidio charger.
Nope. Nothing. I suggest you get these when you buy the One X. You going to need them.
But then, you'll have the best screen, the best video, the best game play, the best audio, and the damn best camera around. Not to mention that reading documents (or Google Reader and what not) I didn't have to reach for my glasses.
That's all a good trade.
That's it folks.
Next week will be the NOKIA LUMIA 900. At least that's what he promised...
Picture from: HTC.com
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