HTC One X+ review
The original HTC One X from last year was one of the first smartphones to get busy with a quad-core processor. Since then we've had a clutch of quad-core powerhouses including theSamsung Galaxy S3, the Google Nexus 4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 -- so has the enhanced X+ done enough to compete with the expanding competition.
It's on sale now for around £450.
Design
At first glance, the X+ looks much the same as the original X, with its sealed casing made of sturdy and tactile rubberised plastic. You can't open it, but you can get to the micro SIM via a slot on the top, which sits next to the 3.5mm headphone jack. On the sides are a volume rocker and microUSB power/sync slot. Add a line of charging pins for certain docks on the back and that's about it for extraneous detail -- a nicely minimalist, no-fuss package. It's still fairly slim, at 9mm, if a trifle wide for smaller hands at 70mm. It's a smidgeon heavier though at 135g, probably due to its increased battery size.
At first glance, the X+ looks much the same as the original X, with its sealed casing made of sturdy and tactile rubberised plastic. You can't open it, but you can get to the micro SIM via a slot on the top, which sits next to the 3.5mm headphone jack. On the sides are a volume rocker and microUSB power/sync slot. Add a line of charging pins for certain docks on the back and that's about it for extraneous detail -- a nicely minimalist, no-fuss package. It's still fairly slim, at 9mm, if a trifle wide for smaller hands at 70mm. It's a smidgeon heavier though at 135g, probably due to its increased battery size.
The usual three Android controls appear in touch-sensitive form beneath the 4.7-inch Super LCD2 display, nestling just below a sheet of protective Gorilla Glass that covers almost the entire front of the device. The screen offers a resolution of 1,280x720 pixels with a pixel density of 312ppi. It looks beautifully sharp and clear, even if on paper it lags a little behind the iPhone (326ppi) and the Nexus 4 (320ppi).
Performance
The original One X had a quad-core 1.5GHz processor at its heart, but the One X+ has upped that to a quad-core 1.7GHz Nvidia Tegra 3. The first version was no slouch, but it's heartening to see that HTC hasn't rested on its laurels. Browsing is as swift as thought, hi-res gaming is a joy (though it can occasionally run a little hot during an extended session) and once you get used to apps opening more or less instantaneously it's very hard to go back to the dawdling performance of lesser processors. Our AnTuTu performance benchmarking test delivered a stonking result of 16,157 -- which has only been beaten so far by the Nexus 4's 17,903 -- and is way ahead of quad-core devices like the Nexus 7 (13,210) and the Samsung Galaxy S3 (9,317), and even ahead of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (13,619). In short, it's fast.
The original One X had a quad-core 1.5GHz processor at its heart, but the One X+ has upped that to a quad-core 1.7GHz Nvidia Tegra 3. The first version was no slouch, but it's heartening to see that HTC hasn't rested on its laurels. Browsing is as swift as thought, hi-res gaming is a joy (though it can occasionally run a little hot during an extended session) and once you get used to apps opening more or less instantaneously it's very hard to go back to the dawdling performance of lesser processors. Our AnTuTu performance benchmarking test delivered a stonking result of 16,157 -- which has only been beaten so far by the Nexus 4's 17,903 -- and is way ahead of quad-core devices like the Nexus 7 (13,210) and the Samsung Galaxy S3 (9,317), and even ahead of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (13,619). In short, it's fast.
It's running the 4.1 Jelly Bean version of Android, so a step up from 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on the original, and just a whisker behind the 4.2 update we saw on the Nexus 4. If you absolutely need the latest version this will be a disappointment, but you won't actually be missing out on very much save the latest version's improved frame rates -- and that's an alleged improvement that's difficult to spot. You still get Google Now, the intuitive service that offers news and info updates based on where you are and which also incorporates Siri-like voice search. Don't hold your breath for the 4.2 version though -- the complexities of Sense mean that HTC phones are often towards the back of the queue for Android updates.
Apps and software
It also has the latest 4+ version of Sense, HTC's justly praised user interface. Many of the differences are purely aesthetic, such as the animated cards that pop when you press the multi-tasking button, rather than Google's usual thumbnails. They do look good though. There's also a selection of HTC-only apps and widgets, including a wide range of clocks, HTC Watch which offers movie rentals and Friend Stream, HTC's social networking aggregator.
It also has the latest 4+ version of Sense, HTC's justly praised user interface. Many of the differences are purely aesthetic, such as the animated cards that pop when you press the multi-tasking button, rather than Google's usual thumbnails. They do look good though. There's also a selection of HTC-only apps and widgets, including a wide range of clocks, HTC Watch which offers movie rentals and Friend Stream, HTC's social networking aggregator.
HTC Watch and a preloaded EA Games portal do their bit to offer an alternative to Google Play, which nowadays offers a lot more than just apps, and there's also HTC's deal with Dropbox, which automatically bags you 25GB of free online storage for two years.
Web browsing comes via the default Android browser, which includes Flash should you need it, and also Google's Chrome, so you get a choice of which you prefer. Like HTC's other One phones, Beats Audio sound processing is on board, which gives your bass a serious boost if you enable it.
Camera quality
HTC cameras have gradually been improving and they've come a long way since their frustratingly underperforming early days. The 8-megapixel model here includes autofocus, LED flash and a BSI sensor to improve picture quality in low light conditions. It also has a larger than average f2.0 aperture and a 28mm lens, which protrudes slightly from the back. This is a slight worry since it doesn't seem to have any protection around it, which could leave it prone to scratching every time it gets slapped on a table top.
HTC cameras have gradually been improving and they've come a long way since their frustratingly underperforming early days. The 8-megapixel model here includes autofocus, LED flash and a BSI sensor to improve picture quality in low light conditions. It also has a larger than average f2.0 aperture and a 28mm lens, which protrudes slightly from the back. This is a slight worry since it doesn't seem to have any protection around it, which could leave it prone to scratching every time it gets slapped on a table top.
Picture quality is generally very good, with sharp edges, believable colour balance and strong contrast. Like its predecessor it can shoot video in 1080p full HD but now it does it at 30fps rather than 24. The front-facing phone has had a tickle with the upgrade feather and been boosted from 1.3 megapixels to 1.6 -- both offer 720p video recording though.
There's a frankly huge amount of memory on board -- 64GB should be more than enough for even the most fervent of HD video fanatics. In any case, you're stuck with it, since there's no option to add any more via microSD card.
The original One X came in for some justified stick on account of its underpowered battery, which seemed barely able to support its high-powered performance for a single day. Now beefed up to 2,100mAh from the previous 1,800mAh it should at least get you through the day, but not much more (the beefed-up processor is likely to blame), and you may find yourself compromising its performance by turning down the screen brightness and switching off Wi-Fi and location services.
ConclusionOverall, this is probably the best HTC phone so far. The powerful processor shows no sign of weakness no matter how many apps its running, the large screen is well nigh excellent and it's sporting HTC's best camera. But the competition is gathering, and with Google's Nexus 4 offering a clutch of similar features for roughly half the price, it starts to seem quite the world-beater it otherwise might have
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