Reviews Roundup: HTC’s Powerful One X is a Hit
Apr 2, 2012 01:30 PM EDT by 
The early reviews are in for HTC’s newest super phone, the One X, and by all accounts it is one of the best Android smartphones to hit the market since Samsung’s vaunted Galaxy Nexus bowed late last year. As the first-quad core smartphone, it’s powered by a 1.5-GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, the One X has a lot to live up to. The phone also serves as a fresh start for HTC, which saw its sales slow down in recent months.
We spent some brief time with the One X during its unveiling at Mobile World Congress and were more than impressed to say the least. In fact, we went as far as to call the One X one of our 10 most anticipated smartphones of 2012. So what are the rest of the reviewers saying about it? Read on to find out.
Before we dive into the reviews, we’d like to make note of one thing. The One X our colleagues reviewed this week is a world phone version and only offers 3G connectivity. The version we are expected to see here in the U.S. will feature 4G LTE connectivity, and as a result, a different processor. Instead of the quad-core Tegra 3, the One X will launch with a version of Qualcomm’s dual-core Snapdragon S4. The change is a result of issues concerning the amount of power it takes to support both a Tegra 3 and 4G LTE connectivity at the same time.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get to the reviews.
Engadget’s Myriam Joire said the One X is a return to form for HTC and places the company in the upper echelon of Android smartphone makers. She pointed to the One X’s 8-megapixel rear-facing camera as one that will please both photography buffs and the average user and says it delivers, “one of the best all-round imaging experiences we’ve come across without sacrificing quality.” Joire also heaped praise on the One X’s speedy Tegra 3 processor, which she said was able to handle most everything she threw at it with ease.
Unfortunately, Joire said the One X’s Tegra 3 performed worse than Qualcomm’s dual-core Snapdragon S4 when put to the test in a variety of benchmarks. She also knocked the One X for its six-hour battery life, which she blamed on the phone’s Super LCD 2 display.
CNet UK’s Natasha Lomas said the One X, while powerful, could prove too much for the average user. She also criticized the phone’s large footprint and poor battery life. Still Lomas awarded the phone four out of five stars, saying it had a classy look and feel, and that its HTC Touch Sense 4.0 was slick and responsive, although in need of some slight tweaks.
Chris Ziegler at the Verge was clearly enamored with the One X saying, “It can’t be overstated what a beautiful device this is.” From its display to its performance, Zieglar sang the One X’s praises, adding “The One X isn’t isn’t just one of the best Android phones I’ve ever used – it’s one of the best mobile devices I’ve ever used, period.” Ziegler even went as far as to say that the One X could be one of the best smartphones ever made if only HTC had hued closer to a more stock Android experience.
Still Zieglar did have some critiques for the One X, specifically that it can become noticeably warm during extended use sessions and only last 4 hours and 22 minutes while using both Wi-Fi and 3G with the screen’s brightness set to its max. When user the phone under what he referred to as “normal” usage, though, Zieglar said the One X lasted roughly 13 hours and 38 minutes.
Phil Nickinson over at Android Central said the HTC One X sets the bar high for the newest crop of Android smartphones and praised the One X’s 4.7-inch 720 x 1280 Super LCD 2 display for its clarity and viewing angels, especially in direct sunlight. We can personally attest to the One X’s display quality having seen it in person at Mobile World Congress in February. As Nickinson pointed out in his review, the display looks more like those simulated screen stickers stores slap on their display models than an actual smartphone screen. It’s that good.
As for the One X’s flaws, Nickinson pointed to the phone’s non-removable batter cover, lack of a MicroSD card slot and bulbous camera lens, which he said can be easily scratched.
The Next Web’s Matt Brian gave high marks to the One X’s stylish design calling it the, “best-looking smartphone we ahve seen from the vendor to date.” Brian, like most reviewers, also offered adulation for the One X’s “supremely fast” 1.5-GHz Tegra 3 processor. He did, however, point to some minor issues with the device, specifically related to its software, but said overall it is a phone that should please both the average user and Android fanatic.
via The Verge, Engadget, CNet, Android Central, The Next Web
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