Very good start - just little niggles

Preface:

So far, my focus was on smartphones after Symbian always with Android. There was already a Windows Phone trip in 2011 (Samsung Omnia 7). Thereafter, however, had another Android Phone (Samsung Galaxy SII and Sony Xperia S). The Samsung Galaxy SII is unfortunately broke down and I have a Sony Xperia S bought with whom I have always been very satisfied. Through my current contract extension, I took the plunge anyway, and now left to my friend Sony Xperia S.
The step from Android to Windows Phone I've done since has given me then already fallen Windows Phone, but at that time a lot was missing (WhatsApp, etc.) and the system was not yet seemed quite ripe. Furthermore, for me is a strong temptation to have everything under one roof and to have a nice interplay between the devices. Microsoft is doing a lot (eg last SmartGlass).
Since I already have a Xbox and a laptop with Windows 8, now follow a Windows Phone and the Surface RT tablet.

I would like to say that my information on their experiences (compared to previous devices and other devices that could I test) based and comply with my sensual feelings. I do not claim the right to get out, that I had no prejudices or cherish a voreingenomme perception by euphoria me. However, I try to avoid this possible. It's always good to compare different opinions and best then to make yourself a picture when the expectations could be met.

Why not Nokia Lumia 920:
Mir is the Lumia 920 personally too big and heavy. The selling point for me is LTE still none. For one, no service providers in Germany VoLTE, with the result that you have to send twice. This leads to an increased power consumption. Continues to offer my service provider HSPA with up to 42MBit. The HTC 8X will support it (HSDPA Cat24). Both LTE (Cat3 / 4) and HSPA (Cat24) are among the 3.9G standards and provide more than enough bandwidth to even see HD Youtube videos loose just in between can. I'll wait for the coming year and hope that LTE Advanced finds its way and also comes VoLTE. Then LTE is really appealing to me. In addition, the Lumia 920 is later released as the HTC 8X and as impatient buyers to lose as well as customers. Here Nokia has announced the launch slept. Also verwundlich it that Microsoft's HTC 8X looks as a reference model, despite the strong partnership with Nokia. Logically would have been here that Nokia brings the reference model.

The HTC 8X First Hands on:
The packaging is nice and a quality image. She looks like a plastic bag, but is 100% recyclable. Doing so, you realize that behind cardboard / paper hides. When you open a device catches your eye (California Blue with my service provider). They include an AC adapter for charging, a USB cable (charging cable / data cable), headphones and a metal pin HTC hide to open the MicroSIM slots. Despite the dimensions on paper the device looks very slim. This is due to the rounded shape. My friend thought it damned flat, although it actually is not so. It keeps its form and material great in your hand and can be operated with the super screen size yet with one hand. 4.3 "are for me the absolute maximum, which is why I then decided to go for the Xperia S. The unit as a whole is narrow and elongated. Thus, it has the same bar form as then my Xperia S and more recently the iPhone 5. In my view, the device could, however, be shorter. It has given away a lot of space above and below. So far my devices have always been black, but the blue looks very chic.

First start:
Included in the package is a small metal pin HTC. So you push into the small hole next to the MicroSIM slot. This then pop out. After inserting the device is started. The initial setup takes about 3 minutes. The device is then ready for use. The device can be Speedup by "Express settings". However, I have chosen the manual way, because I did not want that Microsoft gets my text inputs to improve the Bing search and match the advertising to me. This can of course also subsequently change.

Telephone / reception:
The phone works perfectly and the quality is very good. This is supported by the fact that my Service Provider fully supports the only provider in Germany HD voice and this is supported by the HTC 8X. The voice quality is therefore very good in my view. To home I can say so far only does this not causing problems and here is very good. But this is different certainly from service providers to service providers.

Software:
The design of the tiles tells me to personally. All information LIVE accessed at a glance and quickly. Many nice touches, such as the weather on the lockscreen with chic, matching background. Overall, the design of the device color is matched exactly. This can be adapted naturally. I like the fact that the tiles can also be much smaller than before. So fit on a screen without scrolling. I would recommend the device to use Android despite years of use at first intuitively and find everything that I look for. Everything seems more mature than before and the offer grows better because now mitlerweile even more developers APIs are made available. Windows Phone 8 is thus already a good bit further than its predecessor. Anders also fared with Android 1.5 / 1.6 and iOS that time. I can now tell you a lot about the software, but here it is: Try it out. I think that everyone has a Windows Phone can operate. The concept is well thought out and well and also something else. The Tiles deliver live information as it is forbidden by default on any other devices. I would hope that there is still a real Notificationbar comes, as with Android and mitlerweile even with iOS. There is one thing, but that is very minimalist, providing some room for improvement. There can be vibration / volume and the music player control.
The wallet has a little functionality in Germany. HTC has included in the rest of a few apps. This can be processed as images. But all in all nothing außergewönhliches here that should be noted.

Addendum of 12/11/2012:
I installed software on mitlerweile lot and surf a lot with it. I've already gotten used to it, that the context menus are opened via the three points and is in contrast to Android at the usual place of the search button. It can be used quickly on the web / on the device / media seek (this also works by blocking screen). In addition, Bing recognizes on the search button and you can search for music, for example, a building "Scan" and information. Overall, everything is going very fast, even if many applications are open. The Internet Explorer is running very fast and flowing with many open tabs and never forgets. With Android, it unfortunately happens sometimes that the garbage collector completed a browser and it's all gone.
The integration of social media is unique. You can use the system completely without social media, but also very good with. Without Facebook app this is almost without restriction. In the contact list, you can find everything about his friends (images / timeline / ...) on the "I" Tile finds notifications, timeline, etc. and in the gallery the picture and the Facebook Chat runs in the SMS application , Everything important as Liken / Comment / Highlight / Status / Where am I / ... can be done so without even need a Facebook app. The same applies to other social networks such as LinkedIn and Twitter.
Helpful for the operation, for example: (hold down) arrow back opens the "Task Manager" where you can switch between open applications. With the Windows key + Power button to make a screenshot in Windows Phone. 8

Addendum: 21.11.2012
Now you realize that much more invested in Nokia Windows Phone. Since HTC is also on Android and the One X is also her Vorzeigerät, the 8X is not paid as much heart blood. Nokia provides against HTC and Samsung, some USPs as Nokia Maps, which probably sometime now mitlerweile be as "Here" in stripped down version for all other Windows Phones as available for iOS. Further interesting titles are initially sold exclusively only for Lumias of Nokia and appear only after a delay for other devices. For here is the game Mirror's Edge. Nokia achieved something exclusivity that serves one or the other as an additional Schmackerle and can be a selling point for Nokia thoroughly. It hits me now not so hard, but I think the important mention.

Addendum: 16/12/2012
The first update (Been available on the HTC 8S) improved a few things. I've noticed that the battery life has improved. Furthermore, I see improvements in the news tool. But interesting for most likely now be that WLAN is permanently activated as soon as it ceases to Advanced Settings. Meanwhile, get more and more apps and games their WP8 updates. Including already the FB app and WhatsApp.

Sound:
Many are "impressed" by Beats Audio. I have the impression that it is a fad. So far, I could listen to me for example sometimes Beats Solo HD headphones that I really did not find good. Now I have a device with a Beats Audio chip and Beats Audio presets. The supplied headphones are not of beats and no in-ears. Overall they sound pretty bad. Fortunately, I have Bose MIE2 headphones that came with my Sony Xperia S (Walkman) have damn well listened to and that too without equalizer. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed. With headphones, the sound is good, but what makes Beats Audio? Switched on, the sound simply is much louder and I find the sound is distorted and unnatural. I'm not an audio expert who can prove this with measured values, but good music edition is already important to me and in my view is the rather standard. With me Beats Audio is disabled. I find it unfortunately absolutely not good. I can not imagine that this will be better with headphones branded Beats.

Addendum 09.11.2012:
I still have some herumprobiert with Beats Audio. In my Sony headphones he seems to use a better preset. Generally, however, I feel no 'noticeable' improvement here too. In principle, it is with activated Beats Audio much louder.

Addendum 20.11.2012:
It announced yesterday an update for Beats Audio. These come not appear on system updates, but via the Windows Phone Store. Unfortunately I could not find a changelog it, but I have the impression that volume 1/30 now has a slightly quieter overall volume (what unfortunately does better to hear the noise) and overall the sound for me listening to now more balanced. Currently, I drag my Sony EX510LP everywhere rumm with me since my cat has unfortunately watered the Bose headphones with a yellow, smelling of ammonia liquid. With only the beats, I can now do I live quite well. The selling point, it is still not. So Beats will continue to be a crucial selling point for me flat.

Display:
Like the HTC One X also this display is terrific. The Sony Xperia S and HTC One X does not provide much in the display quality. Both have in my opinion one of the best displays on the market. The color reproduction is of course, the brightness and superb bargain is still super anti-reflective. Unfortunately latter applies not quite on the HTC 8X to. The antireflection coating is not as good as with the other two mentioned devices. I would still prefer a Galaxy SIII example. Although this also has a very good anti-reflective coating, but the brightness of the screen is very bad and unnatural color reproduction (AMOLED). Generally it is to pursue funny that with each new Samsung device is advertised that Pentile is better and then again RGB matrix. But I do not want to digress here now. The screen size is 4.3 "optimal and it can be operated with my little hands in a single super.

Addendum 09.11.2012:
After I had already found that the glass is not as good glare, I can add that for the anti-grease coating works very well in my case now.

Camera:
HTC has both front and rear of very good cameras. Both have wide-angle lenses with which you get more on the picture. The smartphone cameras shoot good pictures with optimum light I think mitlerweile standard. Funnily enough, the Megapixelwahn was indeed somewhat slowed and many remain at 8MP what is not wrong. MP is very very limited extent a sign of quality and can often have the opposite effect - namely deterioration. Interestingly, this will be done in displays so (Nexus 10 will come up with a hammer resolution). Initial tests show, but the color reproduction is poor, for example, than in others. But let's stick with the camera. I test mitlerweile rather how the camera operates in the dark. Here I can say soothes: Good work. She begins late to rustle - better than the Sony Xperia S. The flash is like the Galaxy SIII I find too bright and can night portraits look "strange".

Addendum of 12/11/2012:
The camera was now at a party over the weekend to use. The other and I were thrilled. No blurry images and both the portraits, and the background were recorded in detail. Through the wide-angle lens can be easy accommodate 5 people next to each other at close range. The noise is really well suppressed. I have to say clearly that the sensor is better than the Exmor sensors in the Xperia devices to noise but start very quickly.

No MicroSD, no Exchangeable battery:
For many of the non-removable battery is a knockout criterion. For me, this is not because I do not know any argument for a replaceable battery. Mir is so far no battery broke down and I do not know anyone who has ever had an exchange.
The MicroSD slot missing however is a blemish. Especially with regard to the 16GB just gross disposable (11GB net). Make your own here make use the navigation software and play some HD games with people. Here you will quickly reach the limits. Music and images run with me through the cloud and therefore consume very little memory in my case. Likewise, I do not use Navisoftware. So I could get problems with HD games (which are now already loose 1-2GB in size).

System on a chip and heat generation:
Here I can announce positive that the unit while gambling is only slightly warm. The chip is very powerful. But he is already known (also on Android devices). Qualcomm is - like Apple - its own way. Do not take the reference design from ARM, but their own. Thus they have proven that other manufacturers such as Nvidia and Samsung have shot too early with their quad cores. The dual cores were and still are to this day still the fastest on the market and under full load and even more economical. Mitlerweile other manufacturers have gone back to dual core back. Samsung has equipped the Exynos 5 in Nexus 10 with a dual core based on the Cortex A15. In the coming year but quad cores are also increasingly coming, which will then bring what was already promised this year.
The Qualcomm MSM8960 (Snapdragon 4 / Krait cores) one is very well equipped for future HD games with Unreal Engine or the like. Better would be only one with Adreno 320 GPU MSM8960T been :-)

Battery:
To evaluate the battery life I think as always very difficult. I'm so out of 1 1/2 days. But this can be different depending on usage / location / movement and especially also network provider. I do it therefore short and comparison with my predecessors: With the Windows Phone I am a little longer on the road than with my previous Android's. I'll be more than 1 day out of it, but not quite 2. My usage profile looks like this:
- In between information in the browser retrieve / search / surf
- Music Stream about 3 hours a day
- Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, e-mail
- Calling Little
- 3G / WLAN / Bluetooth (hands-free kit in your car)
Game time I have a few minutes, sometimes not

Conclusion:
I hold the device for very good overall. The perfect device does not exist. I can give the device still 5 stars. While I would rather tend to 4 1/2, since the matter in person with the sound something bothers me, but unfortunately this is not possible.
If there are updates or conspicuous flaw in the course of time, I will post them. If I have forgotten something or there are other questions, just give off a comment and I'll try to answer open questions u.