HTC 8X Windows Phone 8 UK Sim Free Smartphone - Blue

When the iPhone 5 is on sale for £550 or whatever it was on release, it baffles me that people actually bought it over this beauty of a phone. I have the black version of the HTC 8X and it's lovely. I would have bought this over the iPhone 5 even if they'd cost the same.

The hardware on HTC's Windows Phone range has seen a healthy bolster, and now it sports dual core processors, and notably much higher resolutions. The screen on this phone is excellent, making it a joy to use. App loading is quick and everything on the phone is much faster than it used to be for me.

Holding the phone feels amazing, although the sides are so thin sometimes it's hard to get a firm grip!

In terms of software, I really really like Windows Phone 8. People criticise its Store for not having 'enough' apps. But what does this mean? It means games that go global are produced on either Android or iOS because they have much larger user bases - it's impossible to go global with a Windows Phone exclusive app - and people then have a go at Windows Phone for not having said apps even though it is inevitable that they will initially be produced for the other two platforms or they would not have been huge successes.

Furthermore, the Windows Phone Store is more than enough for most users. No Instagram, I hear you ask? This is the only main app the Store is missing, and even then I don't think it's that important. All the useful ones are there. If you're aggrieved that the latest timewasting game isn't available (yet) then maybe you should have a portable games console instead of a phone.

I moved from an HTC Mozart, whose battery life had deteriorated severely by the end of its life, so it's hard for me to judge the 8X's battery life independently. However, I can say it lasts me well over a day with average use (even though I charge it daily, just in case), and with heavy use it should last too. Gaming was always the thing that drained battery for me in the past, but it's not been too taxing with the 8X (yet).

Windows Phone 8 is a brilliant upgrade from 7, and it adds a few great features that the OS has missed. It's now quicker, easier to use and much more functional, and works well with a Windows 8 PC.

I dare you to try this phone and not want it.

The only way you can start a review of this phone, is to talk about how well designed it is. It looks are sleek, its curves are beautiful and I can honestly see every new smartphone on the market in the next 24 months taking some inspiration from it. I've had the phone nearly two months now and it always draws admiring glances.

Apart from the phones glamorous looks, it also packs a hefty punch underneath. The first thing you will notice is the display is very clear and I enjoy looking at the Internet more on the 8X than I do on my HTC One X despite the screen being smaller, the touchscreen also responds to every touch well.

Although the WP8 music system is not the best I have seen on a phone, the sound quality on the phone is very high quality, especially through the loudspeaker which I use a lot to entertain my daughter!

HTC have also looked hard at the front camera on the phone, something which almost seems like an afterthought on many smartphones, in an age where we seem to be taking more pictures of ourselves with friends (admit it, we've all done it, or at least seen them on Facebook!) it is good to see phone designers thinking of how we use a phone. The clarity you get from the front facing camera is like nothing I have seen, this is also true of what you can fit into the pictures I guess due to the wide angle lens. (My current record was taking a group picture of 10 of us in a pub!)

The tradition reverse camera is adequate, although I do have a few concerns over indoor pictures.

If you have made the decision to migrate to Windows Phone 8, or you are looking at your first smartphone I couldn't recommend this innovate phone enough. Its ease of use is a big plus point, you could hand it to your dear old Mum and she would be able to customize it to her tastes without any problems.

What can I say? The 8X is light, pretty, fast and tough. It feels good in the hand - grippy without being sticky and a perfect shape. The lines aren't spoilt anywhere and the colour is a bold statement. Let me walk you around the phone.
The power button is at the top right; and while it's sometimes difficult to hit perfectly it doesn't irritate much. The SIM card slot, volume controls and camera shutter button are down the right hand side; made flush with the edge but easy to find and use. (Sometimes the camera button can be a little TOO easy to hit, but there are options in the settings to help). Charging is at the centre of the base (BIG plus point for me) and the left side of the phone is unadorned. The headset socket sits at the top left.
The display is simply stunning; the clarity and sharpness of just about everything it shows is delightful; and it's bright and strong too - even in sunlight it's easily visible. Accompanying the display on the front of the phone are the front-facing camera lens (top right), the earpiece (centre) and at the bottom the three Windows Phone keys back, start and search.
The main camera and flash LED are near the top of the back surface, and the loudspeaker is near the bottom in the centre. Mentioning the speaker brings me to playing music: this phone's built-in speaker is LOUD - and some of the best quality reproduction I've heard from a phone's internal speaker. That doesn't mean it'll rival even a small docking station - duh - but for a phone speaker it's excellent. Plug in some headphones and it is INCREDIBLY loud - you will very rarely need full volume on this beast.
Using the phone, I'm struck by the speed. Transitions are completely free of lag, stutter or slowness - everything feels extremely slick and responsive. Lots of pretty little animations are built into Windows Phone to provide feedback on what you do on the display, and even these don't faze the processing speed at all. Response of the network is adequate on Edge, excellent on 3/3.5G and WiFi.
Battery life is great; with moderate use I'm getting about a day and a half - light usage keeps it going for two days easily.
The cameras are brilliant - I'm really impressed with both (for different reasons). The main camera is FAST. Press the button and the pic is done; no lag (or at least, not more than 1/10th of a second). All the normal "Effects" and camera settings are present, and the flash is good and bright. Photos are great quality with good colour reproduction and pin-sharp focus. The front facer isn't quite as fast, but the difference compared to other phones is immediately obvious when you look at the display... it's INSANELY wide angle, with a viewable area of almost 90°. This means that you can fit in an awful lot of stuff, even when the subjects are only at arm's length. Snaps are by default at 1920x1080 on the front cam which is very reasonable. Videoing with both cameras is great, too!
Downsides? Well, there are some minor irritations but the phone is seriously good - they really are acceptable. Firstly, the power button, as mentioned above, could be tilted back a tiny bit away from the display to make it easier to find. With the front camera, it's very easy to get camera shake in anything less than daylight. It is impossible to charge the phone with the power off; as soon as you plug in power, it switches itself on and won't switch off (it restarts instead).
That's it - I hope you find it useful!