The new HTC One X is definitely one of the best smartphones currently on the market, and many argue it is in fact the best Android smartphone money can buy. It's stylish, fast, lightweight, with a great battery life and an outstanding camera, and is the main challenge to Samsung's Galaxy S3.
The HTC One X runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on top of HTC's own Sense user interface (UI), which makes it really fast and easy to use. On the other hand, one drawback might be the current exclusivity to AT&T, the only carrier selling this handset in the U.S. Wider availability on T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon would surely make it even more popular.
While Apple has a lot more leverage in dealing with telecommunications companies, Android handset makers come up with slightly different versions of a handset, making each model exclusive to a different carrier. HTC made more than 50 phones last year alone. The HTC One X follows the same approach, hence the exclusivity to AT&T.
Display, Specs
The One X sports a 4.7-inch, 1280 x 720 IPS LCD touchscreen with tough, crystal-clear Gorilla Glass protection. It offers some of the best viewing angles among current smartphones, with bright and accurate colors and true-to-life images across apps and Web sites. Moreover, the display's 316 pixels-per-inch (ppi) density makes pixel edges virtually indistinguishable. While the One X's camera does not really compare to the iPhone 4S' camera, the display is on the same level as the iPhone's Retina display. With such vivid colors and great pixel density, the screen is far better than the PenTile displays found on the HTC One S (exclusive to T-Mobile) and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
When it comes to hardware, the HTC One X is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and sports 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage - same as its One S sibling. AT&T does not offer the Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor found in the global version of the One X, but performance is amazingly fast nonetheless, and the U.S. version is no less capable or impressive than what HTC is offering overseas. Unlike its global counterpart, the U.S. model of the One X runs on AT&T's 4G LTE network, which is only available in a few cities for now.
Design
The One X's 0.36-inch chassis is made of a single piece of polycarbonate, adding a tough of style and sophistication to the device. The phone weighs in at 4.6 ounces, which is surprisingly light considering its size. It is available in white or a near-black shade of grey, with a matte finish and rounded edges, which makes the phone feel less massive than it actually is.
The handset also features a charging microUSB port on the left side, a volume button on the right, and a headphone jack and power button at the top. On the front of the phone, there are two lines of pinholes for the phone's earpiece, located right above the touchscreen. Also above the display there is a 1.3-pixel front-facing camera for self-shots or video chats. The phone also features a silver HTC logo near the top, as well as a Beats Audio logo near the bottom, but no AT&T or 4G LTE logos on the back, which makes it look clean and stylish.
The rear camera is surrounded by a beautiful aluminum bezel, but this may be both a strong point and a drawback. The disadvantage would be scratching the protruding lens and bezels over time, as the phone is laid down on tables, desks or other surfaces.
Camera
Just as the T-Mobile exclusive HTC One S and the upcoming Sprint-exclusive HTC Evo 4G LTE, the One X boasts an 8-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.0 lens and single LED flash, capable of capturing beautiful, detailed photos with a high resolution.
The camera experience is further enhanced with HTC's ImageSense photo-taking software that adds an HDR mode, a great panorama feature, well as a close-up setting for macro shots. Several Instagram-like filters can adjust color saturation and depth of field. The camera captures photos blazingly-fast, maybe too fast for some, but Android touts this rapid camera performance as a feature.
User Interface
The One X's software skin, HTC's Sense 4, is one of the best manufacturer-made user interfaces (UIs) for Android. It works great with Android and offers a clutter-free experience, but if you prefer the clean Android 4.0 ICS as Google designed it, Samsung's Galaxy Nexus may be a better choice. The One X does, however, outperform the Galaxy Nexus in virtually every aspect (processor, design, display, camera, battery performance) except the operating system.
Top Android Smartphone
Just how long the HTC One X can remain the top Android smartphone remains to be seen, as its main challenger, the Samsung Galaxy S3, has already become available. Moreover, five new Nexus phones are expected to launch this fall, heating up competition even further.
All in all, the HTC One X is a beautiful and powerful smartphone, sporting one of the best displays on the market and offering a great experience overall. Call quality is good and Beats Audio makes music sound louder, though not necessarily better. The one drawback would be AT&T exclusivity, but if you want one of the best smartphones currently on the market, the One X is definitely worth all the attention.
