Surface / GUI
The HTC 8X uses an almost unchanged Windows Phone 8. It lacks all of Nokia developed offerings. Although the HTC apps are ok, but nothing special. Only the "attentive phone" is convenient: Turn the phone when ringing, and it comes from; Phone in your pocket, and it will ring loud; Setting up the telephone in his hand, and the ringing is quieter. The rest is superfluous: For image processing, there are better (I use ProShot for the camera and the filters and editing on the PC), and the weather does the Bing Weather app better. The Nokia Navigation program is available for free as a "HERE Drive" in Microsoft AppStore and was my first download. So for the Navi you do not need more Nokia. Incidentally, Windows Phone 8 is functioning properly, HTC has released any updates available, and I could not detect any significant errors. Crashed the system Never before (my HTC Desire with Android crashed about once a day from), and the system saves its settings, contacts, SMS (with Android, there was not even a well-functioning app for that), and images automatically with Microsoft. That may be a privacy issue, but this problem is probably system-wide.
Feel / look
Actually, I wanted a phone with metal casing that gives it but for Windows Phone 8 not (When Samsung Ativ S, the metal is not genuine, but metallic-looking, very cheap-looking plastic). The plastic cover ("unibody", ie a piece of) the HTC 8X feels relatively comfortable and looks chic. I immediately ordered the ultra-thin protective sleeve "Incipio Feather" to which I can wholeheartedly recommend: The mobile phone still feels high quality and looks it, the shell contributes less than 1 mm, and the problems of other users with strong abrasions Me me saves. For this I can say nothing. The screen takes fat to hardly and is scratch-resistant (Gorilla Glass). It reflects only moderately and is extremely bright and high contrast. Subjectively, I find the picture much better than on the Samsung Ativ S and compared to Lumia 820 (and simpler Nokia devices) is the image much sharper. This is probably due to the HD resolution of 720x1280 points. Particularly Internet sites can be read well. The touch screen is extremely precise; so far he has been decalibrated twice, simple switching on and off of the screen (not the phone), the corrected again (shortly press 2x Anschaltknopf, an action of a second).
Performance / Reception
The surface jerky basically never. Apps launch quickly and usually with no perceptible delay. Games run smoothly and without any lag with high detail settings. There are no locked apps except the Nokia-exclusive games that appear with three months delay for HTC. The data rates are good, the reception also; in direct comparison with an LG E900 (Windows Phone 7.8) and a Motorola Pro + (Android 2.3) the reception is the best, even in buildings. The GPS synchronized within seconds. The Bluetooth receiver is a little bitchy: With my Opel Insignia Navi 900 synchronizes since the last update no longer sporadically. Here just trying, because the HTC 8X appears in almost no compatibility list. Tethering is impeccable, the wireless antenna is strong and reliable. The HTC 8X can not LTE, but supports HSDPA +, which also works reliably.
Sound / Phone
The phone part works well, the voice quality is very good listener. The built-in speaker is very noisy, but only conditionally suited my feeling for language; here was very optimized toward music that sounds very well come from the speaker, roughly at the level of a building site clock radio. Using the speakerphone language still sounds understandable, albeit distorted. The built-in microcomputer works the phone at the ear very well, in speakerphone unfortunately bad. This appears to be an HTC problem: My HTC Desire had the same problems, the LG E900 was significantly better when speakers, several Motorola had a better microphone.
Battery / Run Time
The HTC 8X has a permanently installed rechargeable battery, which I however did not care. I've never bought a new battery for a cell phone; mostly the phones were at the same time so far worn the battery or even defective, that I both bought new in one. The battery with a capacity of 1,800 mAh holds with constant use with me one day by (about 7:00 to about 24:00 clock, strictly speaking). I telephone every day usually between 2 and 4 hours, receive e-mails on the phone, maybe play 10-20 minutes a day and reading the morning news on the phone. UMTS is always enabled, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi also. This power I find very good, if not outstanding. In comparison, the same usage profile kept the HTC Desire about 6 hours, the LG E900 about 9 h, the HP Veer about 8 h. Lonely King is the Motorola Pro +, I had to recharge after 30 h loose again. Technically, it's not for me to understand, but true.
Camera
The camera takes great photos even in low light. The photos are very sharp, very little image noise and are very color intensive. The camera fires with 8 megapixels on minimally worse than the Lumia (with the exception of 1520). For my needs, the camera is definitely satisfying. If you need more features or settings that may Apps for install (of Windows Phone called "lenses"), which then run along with the default photo app.
The front camera is also very good, is characterized in HD and has a wide-angle lens, so that video calls in good quality possible.
And otherwise ...
The HTC 8X has no (micro) SD card slot. This is a considerable disadvantage, since almost 11 GB of free space after the initial start up quickly. It depends on whether you need more memory: Who makes the music and images in the cloud and can be limited to 5-10 games, does not require more memory. Who wants to take his personal MP3 collection or all images of the past 10 years should choose another device.
"Beats Audio" is pre-installed and delivers great sound to car stereo or headphones. I have no headphones from Beats, but on simple Sennheiser in-ear earphones a very good sound perception. For classical music the bass is overridden, for the Beat Audio preamplifier can but turn off.
Conclusion
The HTC 8X is a very good Windows Phone, chic, powerful, ergonomic and reliable. About certain weaknesses I see away, the HTC 8X is for nearly 240 EUR gross a bargain. For Android devices, brand quality is not going to get with HD screen for that price, not to mention IPhones, because compared a Iphone 4 appears at the same price hopelessly outdated.
Why the HTC 8X?
In direct comparison, I wanted no Android phone, because I do not want to mess with my phone. Android is in my view a system for hobbyists: You can change everything, if you will. What bothers me is the lack of unity. In addition, my icons are simply too small and cluttered. Apple devices are too expensive, and I do not want to pay four times for the same service, especially since I do not like voice input and not be used.
In the Windows phones four manufacturers were available: The Samsung Ativ S seemed outwardly cheap and looked too much like plastic, I also did not like the AMOLED display, it looked pale and low-contrast. The HTC 8S has too little memory for apps, the Huawei Ascend W also looked cheap. That leaves Nokia: The 625 is my too great, the 720 has a blurred display. The 820 has a glossy plastic back cover, which was already in the media market full of grease fingerprints. The 920 weighs more than 160 grams and bulge your pocket from too much. Lumia 925 and 1520 running out of competition because of their price: Compared would be an iPhone 5 an interesting alternative, but as much as I did not want to spend.
Thus, the HTC 8X remained, and I am very satisfied so far.
A little tip on the edge: I regularly read several journals and realized that the magazines Android push massively. This has probably partly ideological reasons, maybe the system also like the technicians there. I tested Windows Phone randomly once and had shortly thereafter bought a Windows Phone, because I found convincing concept. I can only recommend all three systems - or even additional BlackBerry OS 10 - to test themselves again, on similar phones.
