Technical characteristics of htc windows phone 8x. Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between different devices

Modern smartphones can use not only regular SIM cards, but also their more compact versions micro SIM and nano SIM. An eSIM is a SIM card integrated into the phone. It takes up virtually no space and does not require a separate tray for installation. eSIM is not yet supported in Russia. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones

Almost all modern smartphones have Wi-Fi and USB interfaces. Bluetooth and IRDA are a little less common. Wi-Fi is used to connect to the Internet. USB is used to connect your phone to a computer. Bluetooth is also found in many phones. It is used to connect wireless headphones, to connect your phone to wireless speakers, and also to transfer files. A smartphone equipped with an IRDA interface can be used as a universal remote control. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones

Built-in GPS and GLONASS modules allow you to determine the phone's coordinates using signals from satellites. In the absence of GPS, a modern smartphone can determine its own location using signals from cellular operator base stations. However, finding coordinates using satellite signals is usually much more accurate. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones

NTS has always stood out for its hi-end solutions. Each of the company's flagships is always on the list of candidates for purchase when you need an uncompromising smartphone that can outshine its competitors. Today we will look at the HTC flagship in the Windows phone camp - HTC Windows Phone 8X, and see if it can maintain the tradition.

It’s difficult to talk about the appearance of the NTS 8X without mentioning its similarity with its direct competitor from the Windows phone camp, the Nokia Lumia 920. It starts with the body materials and colors, and ends with the shape itself. Of course, there is no copying here, and fans of soap courts have nothing to do here. Rather, one can see Microsoft's desire to spruce up its line of WP8 smartphones and make them stand out from the general background. And, to be honest, they succeed. The monolithic plastic body of a flashy indigo color catches the eye and makes passers-by spend a couple of seconds guessing what they saw. At first glance, the phone looks like a flat piece of polycarbonate, but upon closer inspection, you can see that this is not the case. The glass covering the display is slightly curved towards the very thin edges of the case, the thickness of which gradually increases towards the center, forming a curve that is supposed to be convenient for gripping with one hand. In reality, everything is different. The narrow and long 8X does not want to be held in the hand, forcing it to literally cling to the smartphone during intensive use. It’s a paradox, but only men had these comments; women, on the contrary, said that everything was as it should be.

The controls are clearly stated in the requirements for each Windows Phone device from Microsoft itself. Below the screen there are three capacitive buttons: step back, return to the main screen and call up search. On the right side there are volume and camera activation buttons, and on top there is a power key and unlock the smartphone. I’ll tell you straight: I’ve never seen such inconvenient buttons. Let's start with the main thing, namely the power key. Not only is it located on top (which by default makes it inconvenient in a smartphone of this size), it is also made in the form of a thin strip of plastic, which only a psychic can feel with a finger blindly. If she leaned more towards the back, the process would become much easier. The same can be said about the volume keys - they are very thin and too recessed into the body. Above them is a tray for micro SIM cards of a standard design. You will need something like a pin to remove it.

The main part of the front panel is occupied by the pride of this smartphone, the display. The Taiwanese have included HD resolution into the average size by today's standards of 4.3 inches, and due to this the picture looks really impressive! According to the ppi criterion, 8X puts even an exemplary iPhone to shame. In NTS, the number of pixels per inch is 341, and competing devices with such a screen do not yet have anything similar. The 8X has an SLCD 2 matrix, which I personally really liked. And I'll explain why. In my opinion, the use of AMOLED-type matrices in smartphones running Windows Phone is not very appropriate, since the system interface plays on contrasts and offers the user bright, acidic colors for design. And if this acidity is hypertrophied by AMOLED, there is a risk of your eyes being carried away from the scene in a jar. Here the colors, on the contrary, are calm and do not injure the state of mind, and the viewing angles are sufficient to work with the device in any position. The only thing I can complain about is the depth of the black color, it looks faded. Operating the smartphone is very pleasant; the screen instantly recognizes touches.

Further inspection will lead to the discovery of a pair of speakers - conversational (on the front panel of the device, above the screen) and external (at the bottom of the back of the case). The speakers are quite loud, conversational even excessively, and in a quiet room the volume needs to be reduced. Like all the company's latest flagships, the 8X features the beats audio logo. Only now it’s not just a software preset, it’s finally a real amplifier that makes the sound more interesting, louder and of higher quality compared to other smartphones. With the supplied earplugs, of course, you won’t hear much of a difference, unless you can test your eardrums for resistance to the Apocalypse, but with your favorite headphones you will immediately feel the difference.

The camera has not undergone any significant changes with either the former or the current flagship on Android, HTC One X. The same 8-megapixel sensor with back illumination for taking easy-to-read pictures in low light, backed by the HTC Image Chip, which is responsible for focusing speed, and LED flash. Both the camera and the flash are recessed into the body and do not force the owner to think about which side is safer to place the smartphone on the table. The quality of the camera is at a good level, but you shouldn’t expect pictures from it that will make you open your mouth. She's just not bad. But the front camera is more interesting than its peers. Not only has the resolution been increased to two megapixels, but the lenses are also wide-angle, which allows you to capture a larger area compared to competing cameras. Both cameras shoot video using the flagship Full HD standard.

Inside the HTC Windows Phone 8X there is a today's standard platform for smartphones running Microsoft's OS - Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz and 1 gigabyte of RAM. Why standard? Let me remind you that all smartphones bearing the banner of the company from Redmond must run on hardware, which Microsoft, like workers on plantations, selects from the heap of husks that are on the market. This ensures guaranteed performance of any Windows Phone device. On the one hand, geeks lose the opportunity to compare graphs from benchmarks, but on the other hand, the average user will not spit on the brakes when scrolling through lists on a new smartphone. As for me, the choice is obvious.

The set of communications is the most complete. There is a Wi-Fi module, Bluetooth (albeit an old version 2.1), GPS, and NFC. Data transmission in cellular networks is available in 2G/3G standards. NTS decided not to support LTE networks, which are slowly sweeping the world, but we won’t be particularly offended. We don’t have them anyway and won’t have them for quite some time.

The only chip I have complaints about is the memory. When did everyone come to the conclusion that 16 GB of memory in a 2012 smartphone would be enough? I don’t argue, there are people for whom even four gigabytes of memory on a mobile device seems like an abyss, but we are a positive GIC community! But for geeks, memory is always short, and these 16 GB without expandability seem like a joke. Especially when, along with the 8X, HTC also introduced the junior model in the line, the 8S. It contains precisely the notorious slot for memory cards. The logic of this decision is extremely incomprehensible to me, also considering that this is the “first music Windows Phone.”

HTC 8X Specifications:

• Dimensions: 132.35 x 66.2 x 10.12 mm.
• Weight: 130 g.
• Screen: 4.3 inches, resolution 1280x720, SLCD2.
• Processor: dual-core, Qualcomm S4, 1.5 GHz.
• RAM: 1 GB.
• Memory: 16 GB.
• Communication standards: HSPA/WCDM (850/900/1900/2100 MHz); GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz).
• Communications: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, NFC, GPS/GLONASS.
• Camera: Main – 8 MP, f 2.0, LED flash. Front – 2.1 MP, f 2.0. Video – 1080p
• Battery: 1800 mAh.

But the most tasty morsel in the HTC 8X is precisely this unusual part of the name – Windows Phone. Let me remind you that this is a major update that is not available on all previous smartphones running OS from Microsoft. The company decided to unify the kernel with desktop Windows 8, and as a result had to rewrite the OS code. In the future, this promises ease of creating applications specifically for the Windows ecosystem, which Ballmer’s team is trying to create. But now we have users with “outdated” devices who will be offered an update to version 7.8. What's new in the system compared to the previous release, and how is it used? Let's start with the appearance.

The start screen, consisting of so-called “live tiles,” has become more spacious. Now you can choose one of three tile sizes: wide, square and quarter. The appearance of the third size made the table more flexible, and it became more convenient to sort applications by category or frequency of use. In addition, the hated black bar on the right side of the display, occupied only by an arrow leading to a list of all applications, has been removed. The system has become more informative and symmetrical. I somehow don’t want to look at the WP7 screen after this.

The liveliness of the tiles, which everyone is buzzing about, seemed like a really interesting feature to me. Since the normal and familiar notification center in Windows Phone is simply absent, and the status bar displays only the time (well, signal strength, wireless network activity and battery status), all its functions are taken over by these same tiles. It turns out that almost every active element on the home screen is not only a shortcut to entering the application, but also a part-time widget. In general, I did not notice any particular inconveniences compared to other platforms, at least in my version of the tile arrangement. Well, when this whole mosaic begins to play with information, the system looks really unusual and beautiful.

Beauty and smoothness, in my opinion, are generally the hallmark of Windows Phone. The entire system is thoroughly imbued with animation. Any user action entails not just a darkening of the screen with further display of the picture, but a truly pleasing process to the eye. And all this does not slow down one bit. Scrolling lists, opening applications, navigating menus... It doesn't matter. The system does not make the user blush while trying to load a phone book or open a photo, it simply works as a mobile OS should work! It’s quite difficult to convey this in words; it’s easier to take the device yourself and, opening your mouth, work with it.

The social part is also on the level. The phone immediately offers to connect Twitter and Facebook, after which it can display in the People application all the updates that occur with your friends. You can immediately install Skype, which will become part of the system in the future.

A so-called “Children’s room” has been added. Essentially, this is an analogue of a guest profile, that is, you can make a second lockscreen, accessible by swiping to the left while unlocking your smartphone, and select applications that can be launched without entering the main screen. I don’t have children, so I organized myself a “Social Room” in which I collected all the applications for accessing networks.

Since device manufacturers do not have the power to change anything in the OS itself, and, accordingly, Sense cannot be installed here, NTS limited itself to its hub, which has a clock, weather, news and promotions. The weather can be displayed on the lock screen; some other applications have this feature, but I have not tested them in my use case. In addition, a flashlight, a primitive “Instagrammer” of photos and a wizard for setting up connections to cellular networks are installed. In the settings, options for how the phone behaves when there is an incoming call have been added. You can turn the phone face down and the melody will fade out, lower the volume when calling when the phone is in your hand, or vice versa – increase it if it is in your pocket.

What I really liked was the keyboard. I was able to type text so clearly and quickly on a touchscreen smartphone only on iOS devices. Although the keys are visually crowded on the screen, the press is clearly recognized, and the likelihood of an error due to the phone is very low.

As with all Windows devices, Microsoft Office is installed on the 8X. Conveniently, it can sync with both Skydrive and Office 365. Editing capabilities are minimal, but sufficient for the phone option.

The browser here is hated by many on the desktop system Internet Explorer. I can say that it works quite quickly, the settings are kept to a minimum. The only inconvenient thing is that to open a window with all open tabs to view them or create a new one, you need to go to the context menu.

Briefly about the disadvantages. First of all, this is the quantity and quality of software available for the platform. As for me, Windows Phone has already been given a lot of advances; it has long ceased to be a developing and young lamb and is slowly becoming an adult ram. I have two mandatory requirements for a smartphone: it must be convenient for me to read and listen to different content. Windows Phone did not fulfill any of them. I didn’t specifically look for recommendations for software on forums, etc. places, but decided to find everything myself in the store, as I once did when switching to Android. As a result, the only sane analogue of Pocket (a client for post-reading) worked in a resolution of 800 by 480, and the podcasts had to be rewritten from a PC, because everything found made my hair stand on end. Thank God that Microsoft was allowed to connect to a PC without special software, otherwise I would have been left without music and podcasts altogether. However, when I opened the standard player, I was shocked. It looks like it was made by the inept eight-year-old son of one of the UI designers as punishment. The control buttons are at the top, most of the screen is empty, a scanty progress bar and rewind - only when you hold down the button!!! Horror, in a word. Returning to the applications in the store, it is worth saying that their number is growing, but the quality is still lagging behind. And it’s time for Microsoft to finally interest the developers whom their CEO loves so much, otherwise they themselves won’t catch up, and the platform will remain forever young.

The second point is multitasking. Firstly, you won’t immediately understand where she is. It turned out that by pressing the “Back” button. The window looks like miniatures of open programs, between which you can move with horizontal swipes. To close programs, you need to shut up this same “Back” until death; there are no gestures for this. Secondly, not all programs can run in the background; some simply restart. You don’t expect this from anyone, but from a Windows system.

One of the questions I was wondering is how will WP7 users react to the new OS? I gave 8X to my employee, who has had a Nokia 710 for six months now, and asked him to find 10 differences. Only what I mentioned to you today was found - the nursery, the size of the tiles, the stripe. That's all. From this and from my personal observations, I concluded that we have yet to see “that same” Windows Phone, and now we are just looking at a reassembled seven with minor improvements, but not a revolution.

The 1800 mAh battery withstood always-on Wi-Fi and EDGE for Twitter, VKontakte and mail, about an hour of calls, a couple of SMS and an hour of podcasts for just over a day. Even the energy saving mode, activated an hour before discharge, did not help. But the result is still good, because many smartphones do not survive in this mode until the evening.

As a result, we have a top-of-the-line Windows Phone smartphone in the NTS line, which is not top-end compared to its direct competitors. If NTS wants to stand out, then appearance alone will not be enough, and you cannot use a magic wand in the form of its shell. Essentially, this is an average smartphone with a cool screen and an interesting body. Whether it's worth your attention is always up to you in the end.

Video review of HTC 8X

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Introduction

For HTC, the release of a new line of Windows Phone smartphones, consisting of two devices, is, in a sense, a forced measure, this is how it all looks from the outside. There is Android and many manufacturers, including HTC, all of which create and support huge product lines based on this OS, competing with each other in the fight for customers. And there is Microsoft with Windows Phone, a system on which not all manufacturers want to make products and whose popularity is still in question. And from this point of view, for HTC, creating devices for WP does not look profitable, because sales of smartphones on WP are small, and such products also do not create a special increase in the popularity of the brand. On the other hand, the long-standing cooperation between HTC and Microsoft plays a role here, thanks to which the Taiwanese can receive some preferences, perhaps even financial ones. At the same time, unlike Nokia, which is now bound by obligations with Microsoft, HTC can freely continue to make smartphones on other OSes, which is what the company is doing. But let's get back to where we started.

The release of two new smartphones on Windows Phone is necessary for HTC to support this small lineup and follow its competitors, and also so as not to offend one of its key partners - Microsoft. And recently, Windows Phone devices have become interesting for HTC for another reason - as a kind of life preserver. If things are not going well for the company in the Android segment, HTC may, following Nokia, try to wrest even more convenient conditions from Microsoft in order to completely switch to working with the Windows Phone segment. I don’t want to think that this will ever happen, so I will consider the release of HTC Windows Phone 8X and 8S from the position that the company is simply keeping up with the times and is not lagging behind Nokia and Samsung in the WP market.

Contents of delivery:

• Smartphone
• “Pimple” for opening the microSIM slot
• Non-removable battery (1800 mAh)
• Charging block
• USB-microUSB cable
• Wired stereo headset

Positioning

The Windows Phone 8X smartphone is the company's top device based on this operating system, with all the features characteristic of a flagship: excellent technical characteristics, large display, good functionality and high cost. How interesting is the HTC 8X smartphone (hereinafter I will call it that, removing the prefix “Windows Phone”), how does it differ from the Nokia Lumia 920 and Samsung Ativ S and is it worth paying attention to it at all if you are looking towards devices based on Windows Phone 8? I will talk about all this in the review.

Design

At the HTC presentation, in the promotional video for new smartphones and in conversations with different people in the company, I always heard the same thing - the design of the HTC 8X was developed completely from scratch. On the one hand, it’s hard to believe, especially when comparing photos of the HTC 8X and Nokia Lumia 920. Anyone who sees these two devices in the picture side by side will immediately exclaim: “Damn it, they look exactly alike!” and he will be right. In the pictures, the devices are really very similar; the HTC 8X looks like just a clone of a Nokia smartphone. On the other hand, HTC, if my memory serves me correctly, has not yet been noticed in viciously copying its competitors. In reality, as it turns out, everything is a little more complicated than choosing one of two positions.

The fact is that with almost identical dimensions of the 8X and 920, the HTC 8X is more comfortable in the hand than the Nokia Lumia 920, and it feels like a thinner and more compact device. And this is not my speculation, this is really true. How is this effect achieved? Firstly, due to the width of the case. The HTC 8X smartphone is 4 millimeters narrower than the Lumia 920 (66.2 mm versus 70.8 mm), this difference of almost half a centimeter is clearly noticeable. Secondly, in the HTC 8X the body is thin at the edges and thickens in the central area, while in the Lumia 920 the thickness of the body at different points is almost the same and differs by literally one or two millimeters. Due to this solution with narrow edges, the HTC 8X seems thin, and the Lumia 920 appears thick, although the maximum body thickness of the devices is comparable, 10.1 mm in the HTC 8X and 10.7 mm in the Nokia Lumia 920. Thirdly, the HTC 8X weighs 130 grams, and Nokia Lumia 920 – 185 grams. Subjectively, the weight of the HTC 8X is comfortable for long-term work, but the weight of the Nokia Lumia 920 is a little excessive; I cannot give an objective assessment of this parameter, as you understand.

All together, these characteristics and features lead to the fact that the HTC 8X seems compact and neat, if such a characteristic is applicable here, and the Nokia Lumia 920 is perceived as a tough, brutal device due to its weight and dimensions. That is, like a shovel.

But all this does not negate the fact that externally the HTC 8X largely copies the ideas implemented by Nokia back in the N9 smartphone: a perfectly smooth unibody body, a protective screen coating located flush with the body, the absence of any “iron” keys on the front side, maximum simplicity of design. Yes, the HTC 8X has a different design for the speaker grille, a different location for the camera eye, and some elements in a different place, but the very essence of the design - all this was already in the Nokia N9 and its sequels. Therefore, you can believe that HTC themselves developed the design for the 8X, or not believe it, but the result will be the same: externally, this smartphone is very similar to Nokia’s latest work and it would be correct to call it a copy of Nokia’s design, a very successful one, but still a copy.

To conclude the conversation about design, I just want to note that I really liked the appearance of the Nokia N9, but I didn’t like the system and especially the logic of working with the interface by touching the screen left and right to call up screens. In HTC 8X, the operating system for me personally, of course, is also not Android, but still more familiar to use, and the design in the spirit of Nokia N9 in my eyes makes the HTC 8X smartphone even more interesting.

And a little about colors. In total, the HTC 8X has four colors: ultramarine, black, red and light green. Here's what they look like in official photos:

In Russia, at the start of sales, the smartphone will be available in two colors: black and ultramarine; there is no information about the appearance of red and light green devices yet.

Housing materials

The smartphone is made in a unibody case, using matte plastic with a soft-touch effect or polycarbonate, whichever is more familiar to you. The screen, the area with the camera module above it, and the area with the touch keypad below are covered with scratch-resistant tempered glass Gorilla Glass 2. The glass is located flush with the body, so you will barely notice the seam between the body and the surface of the glass if you move your finger along the screen to edge of the smartphone. The surface will not be scratched if you take scissors or a knife and drag it across the screen with a little effort, but you need to understand that this coating wears out, and if you use it carelessly, Gorilla Glass can be covered with a layer of scratches, if desired.

Traces and prints on the case are almost invisible. Of course, there are stains on the screen and scuffs on the back of the device, but they can be easily erased. In general, the case turned out to be practical, especially in the black version of the smartphone.

Assembly

After a quick acquaintance with the HTC One X, I thought that this device had simply excellent build quality, all the parts in it were so well-matched to each other and it looked so monolithic. However, when I already took a sample for review, and then the second and third (because the first ones were defective), I realized how wrong I was. Despite the unibody body, the One X turned out to be not so high-quality in terms of assembly; some devices had problems with the screen, its tightness to the body, and some others. The HTC 8X smartphone makes the same first impression - the device is solid and built to last. I would like to believe that there will be no problems here, like with the HTC One X, and the surface of the screen in the 8X does not have such a curved shape, which means it should not peel off from the body. During my short use of the HTC 8X, I never encountered any problems with the assembly or the quality of the smartphone.

The volume and power control keys are attached very tightly, they do not wobble or dangle, and both buttons are comfortable to press, they are not too tight. The device does not creak at all, and there is nothing loose in it. I have only positive impressions of the build quality of the HTC 8X.

Dimensions

I already told you almost everything about the dimensions of the smartphone at the beginning of the review, so here I will simply compare the dimensions of the HTC 8X with several popular devices.

• Apple iPhone 4S– 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm, 140 g
• Apple iPhone 5– 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm, 112 g
• HTC One X– 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9 mm, 130 g
• HTC Windows Phone 8X– 132.4 x 66.2 x 10.1 mm, 130 g
• Nokia Lumia 920– 130.3 x 70.8 x 10.7 mm, 185 g
• Samsung Galaxy Note II– 151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4 mm, 183 g
• Samsung Galaxy S III– 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm, 133 g

The smartphone is convenient to carry in any pocket; it fits perfectly in the hand due to the fact that the “back” is narrow at the edges and thickens towards the center. You can control HTC 8X with one hand, while holding the device in it.

Controls

As in smartphones based on Windows Phone 7 and 7.5, the new devices have a standard set of controls and keys; this is a Microsoft requirement, and manufacturers can neglect it only in exceptional cases (there were several examples, but nothing more). The main control element is the screen and a panel of three touch keys below it. The block of buttons under the screen has a white backlight; it turns on only if you are working in low light. On the left is the “Back” key to go back one screen; when you hold this button, the ribbon of running applications is called up for convenient switching between them. In the center is the Windows flag for returning to the main screen and calling up voice control (holding the button). On the right is the global search key; when you press or hold it, one action occurs - launching the Yandex search window.

The touch keys are comfortable, large, you can’t miss them or accidentally press an adjacent button, the backlighting of the buttons is high-quality and bright. Each time you touch any of the touch keys, the device vibrates slightly.

The screen off button is located on the top end, on the right. It is located flush with the body; pressing it blindly is not very convenient, because it is difficult to find the key. After smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S III and Nokia Lumia 920, in which the power key is located on the right edge at the top, using this button on the top end in the HTC 8X was unusual and inconvenient for me. It is clear that this is a matter of taste and for me, apparently, the optimal location of this key is on the right edge, and not on the upper end of the device. When you hold down the key, a screen appears; by pulling it, you can turn off the smartphone. In addition to the power button, at the top end there is a 3.5 mm jack for connecting a headset or headphones. At the bottom there is a microUSB connector for charging and connecting the smartphone to a computer, as well as a microphone hole.

The volume key is located on the top right edge, flush with the body. Pressing it by touch is not entirely comfortable, but you can get used to it. At the bottom of the right edge there is a camera button, a short press of it launches the camera, a light touch – focusing, pressing all the way – shooting.

On the front side, in the upper part, there is a speaker covered with a mesh. Under the speaker there is a light indicator, a light sensor and a proximity sensor, and to the left and above is the peephole of the front 2.1 MP wide-angle camera, which we will talk about later.

The indicator light turns red when connected to a computer and charging, flashes red when the battery level is low. But there is no indication of missed events; I don’t know if this is a feature of my sample or if there really won’t be an indication.

There is no slot for a memory card in the smartphone, and the internal memory for storing data is only 16 GB, of which a little more than 14 GB is accessible. This is a huge drawback of the smartphone, firstly, because in WP8, as in WP7.5, Microsoft lifted the ban on the use of memory cards and nothing prevented HTC from installing it in its 8X connector. Secondly, its closest competitors have more memory: the Nokia Lumia 920 has 32 GB, and the Samsung Ativ S has 16 or 32 GB plus a memory card slot. For what reasons did HTC decide that 14 GB of free memory is enough for a top-end Windows Phone smartphone, positioned as a multimedia device, is completely unclear to me. Of course, on the HTC website there is already an asterisk stating that “the available capacity may change,” but I don’t yet know whether this will happen or not.

The microSIM card compartment is located on the top right edge of the device, above the volume key. The SIM card is installed in a special sled; to remove it, you need to insert a needle or other sharp object into the hole near this block and press lightly. Mounting scheme, like in Apple iPhone and HTC One X, for example.

Screen

The HTC 8X has an S-LCD2 touch display with a diagonal of 4.3” and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels (HD). The screen displays up to 16 million colors, ppi value 342 (dots per inch density). The protective coating of the display is Gorilla Glass 2. Color rendition, in my opinion, is excellent, the colors are calm, moderately bright and contrasting, the viewing angles are maximum, there is a very good reserve of brightness. I used automatic brightness level adjustment, and during the use of the smartphone I had no complaints about this system; most often the system sets about half the brightness from the maximum, and this is more than enough for comfortable work. The display's response to finger touches is excellent.

In a direct comparison of the displays of HTC 8X and Nokia Lumia 920, the latter wins in black depth at maximum brightness, but if you enable automatic adjustment of the backlight level, the screens are approximately the same in this parameter. I liked the HTC 8X screen, I don’t see any shortcomings in it, except for the mentioned black depth, but not everyone will notice this point, it seems to me that the situation here is similar to PenTile in some displays, some see it, others don’t.

In relation to Windows Phone 8 and the new high-resolution screens (the previous generation of WP smartphones had 800x480 pixel screens), one more feature should be noted. The fact is that many programs that support displaying their tiles on the main screen have not yet been rewritten for the new resolution, and as a result, using them on the start screen is inconvenient due to the fact that the quality of the images inside the tiles is low. This applies, for example, to all programs for displaying weather; in the standard tile size they look blurry, you have to reduce them to the minimum size, and in this case it is no longer possible to see the information inside the tile.

Screen comparison

I will not comment on this block, because each of us has our own requirements for the display, its color rendering, brightness level, and so on. Below are comparative photos of the screens of four smartphones, the backlight brightness in each device is set to maximum.

From left to right: HTC 8X, Nokia Lumia 920, Samsung Galaxy S III, HTC One X

Camera

The smartphone is equipped with two cameras, a front one with a resolution of 2.1 MP and a main one with a resolution of 8 megapixels. It uses a module with back-illuminated matrix, BSI, aperture value and focal length F2.0 / 28 mm. The company also emphasizes that HTC ImageChip’s own algorithm is used to process images.

The main camera eye is framed by a metal ring; the camera itself is slightly recessed into the body, so if you place the device with its back down, the camera eye will not be scratched. The flash is located to the right of the camera module and can be used during photo and video shooting, and also as a flashlight. For shooting there is a separate hardware key on the right edge of the smartphone.

Photo. The camera interface is as simple as possible, all the space is given over to the viewfinder, on the right there is a small menu with a choice of mode (photo or video), a choice of the main or front camera, a flash mode and a button to go to additional programs related to the camera (an innovation in Windows Phone 8). In the resolution settings, you can select one of seven resolutions (from VGA to 8 MP), set white balance, exposure level, image contrast and saturation, sharpness, ISO value (from 100 to 800) and enable or disable the face detection function.

At the end of November, I hope, Seryozha Kuzmin and I will prepare a large comparison of the cameras of current smartphones, including the HTC 8X and HTC One X+. In the meantime, I suggest you compare pictures taken on the HTC 8X with photographs taken on the Nokia Lumia 920. I’ll say right away that, in my opinion, the difference in the quality of the modules is visible to the naked eye, the camera in the Nokia Lumia 920 is simply several levels higher than when shooting on a cloudy day, and especially when shooting in the evening or at night.

Comparison with Lumia 920. Day:

HTC Windows Phone 8X	Nokia Lumia 920

Comparison with Lumia 920. Night:

HTC Windows Phone 8X	Nokia Lumia 920

Shooting during the day:

Shooting text:

Shooting indoors:

Macro photography:

Front-camera. This is the first time I’m writing about the front camera in my reviews, not because I want to support HTC’s advertising impulse (advertising for the smartphone will most likely focus on the front camera, among other things), but because the front camera in the 8X is really more interesting than most other models. There is a wide-angle camera with a resolution of 2.1 MP, the maximum image resolution is 1920x1080 pixels, the maximum video resolution is the same - 1920x1080 pixels, that is, FullHD. The camera has a fixed focus, it has a self-timer setting, you can select values ​​of 1, 2 or 5 seconds before the moment of shooting. The frame of the front camera of the HTC 8X actually fits more space than the frame of the front camera of the Nokia Lumia 920 or almost any other, and in terms of the quality of pictures from these cameras, the HTC 8X, although not much, wins.

Of course, I can’t say that HTC came up with something original with an improved front camera, but I think this company’s decision is a good step. Maybe now other manufacturers will think that it’s time to equip their smartphones with normal front cameras (preferably with autofocus). When traveling or just out of joy, users often want to take pictures of themselves and loved ones using the front camera of the phone, because it is more convenient than unfolding the smartphone, trying to remember the location of the shooting key on the huge screen, and at the same time guessing whether all the friends near you fit into frame.

Examples of pictures taken with the front cameras of HTC 8X and Nokia Lumia 920:

HTC Windows Phone 8X	Nokia Lumia 920

Video. Video is recorded in mp4 format (h.264 codec) with variable recording speed, from 24-30 frames per second. In FullHD resolution, video is recorded at a variable bitrate (on average 20,000 kbps. Audio is recorded using the aac codec, in mono mode.

All three resolutions are available for video:

• 1080p – 1920x1080
• 720p – 1280x720
• VGA – 640x480
• QVGA – 320x240

The settings in video mode are the same as those in photo mode. In video mode, tracking autofocus works; refocusing takes up to 5-6 seconds. You can evaluate the quality of the video using the examples below.

Autonomous operation

The smartphone uses a non-removable Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 1800 mAh. On the one hand, such a capacity for a top-end smartphone may seem insufficient, especially knowing the gluttony of devices from HTC; on the other hand, this is a smartphone based on Windows Phone, and they consume battery power much more economically than Android devices.

My HTC Windows Phone 8X worked on average for a day and a half with the following load: music 2-3 hours per day, push-mail for the main mailbox (Gmail), Internet via Wi-Fi and EDGE/HSDPA (about an hour), 40- 60 minutes of calls, as well as sending and receiving about 10-20 text messages. Screen brightness is set to automatic. The performance is not amazing, but still not bad, especially compared to the operating time of similar Android smartphones.

The phone has a battery saving function, when turned on, a heart appears over the battery charge icon, and the smartphone goes into severe saving mode, multitasking mode is turned off, and automatic account synchronization is disabled.

Performance

The smartphone is built on the Qualcomm MSM8960 platform with a dual-core processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. The device has 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory for data storage (approximately 14 GB is available to the user. The device easily plays videos in FullHD resolution with a quality of 5,000-10,000 kbps using a standard player, among the supported formats and codecs: AVI /MP4/WMV/H.264/H.263.

There are no complaints about the speed of the device, the device literally flies, there is not even the slightest slowdown or delay in the operation and animation of the system. Excellent operating speed and smooth interface are still one of the serious advantages of Windows Phone 8 and any device based on this OS

Interfaces

The smartphone operates in GSM (850/900/1800/1900) and UMTS (850/900/1900/2100) networks; both high-speed data transfer standards are supported - EDGE and HSDPA. Enabling and disabling different communication modules occurs through the settings menu; you can also download one of the programs from the Marketplace to quickly enable and disable these modules.

Built-in module Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. Most common profiles are supported, including A2DP.

Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n). The smartphone has a dual-band Wi-Fi module (2.6 GHz and 5 GHz). There are no additional Wi-Fi settings.

Wi-Fi router. The device has a function for “sharing” 2G/3G Internet connection via Wi-Fi. In the wireless interfaces menu, the “Internet Sharing” option is enabled and its settings are opened, where the user is asked to select a network name and password.

NFC. The smartphone has an NFC chip; you can use it in Windows Phone 8 as follows. A number of applications support the “touch and send” function, this can be a contact, an open page in the browser, a document, an image, in general, all applications where, when you call the context menu, there is a “Send” line and then a “Touch and send” field. I can click “Send > Touch and Send” in the IE browser on the HTC 8X, then lean it back against the back of the Nokia Lumia 920, and a notification will appear on the Nokia, if I accept it, the same page opened on my smartphone will load HTC 8X. The same goes for pictures and other content.

You cannot view the number of remaining trips on your metro pass using the Yandex Metro program. Perhaps this functionality has simply not been added to the application yet, I don’t know for sure.

Navigation

Previously, smartphones on Windows Phone used the Maps program based on Bing Maps for cartography; it was a sad time, because the data from those maps could be accurate for the USA, but not for Russia. Then the gMaps application based on Google maps appeared under WP, and then Yandex Maps, so the problem with the lack of normal maps was resolved, and only the problem with the lack of navigation software remained. With the arrival of Nokia on the smartphone market with WP, this problem disappeared, however, only in devices of the Finnish manufacturer, but others were also somewhat lucky.

HTC 8X uses the Nokia Maps program with support for offline navigation, that is, maps of any region of the world or city can be easily downloaded to the device’s memory and then used without the need to connect to the Internet. Moreover, you don’t have to pay to download maps; the cost of the Nokia Maps program is already included in the price of the smartphone. I liked the application, it is accurate, it has the outlines of houses, displays building numbers, buildings and structures, courtyard passages, you can enable a hybrid mode with traffic jams shown. There is a database of POIs (points of interest). The HTC version of Nokia Maps is a little simpler than the version for Nokia smartphones, it lacks a few layers and settings, but otherwise the applications are the same. Another thing is that of the entire set of Nokia navigation programs, HTC only has Nokia Maps, while Nokia's own smartphones have an application for route guidance with voice prompts, a program for finding public transport that can get you from point A to point B, and an augmented reality application, when on the smartphone screen through the viewfinder you see objects around you, and the application shows what kind of buildings they are (cafes, shops, etc.).

Text and voice input of text

The standard keyboard in Windows Phone 8 hasn't changed much compared to previous versions of the system. For those who found it convenient (and there are many such people), it will still be convenient, but for others who did not like it, there is no positive change. The keyboard is very simple, there is no vibration when you touch the keys, only sound, when you turn it into landscape mode, the keyboard area almost does not change, empty stripes remain on the right and left. However, the keyboard is comfortable and easy to type on. The instantaneous response of the keys to presses and the high speed of the interface in Windows Phone have an impact, so even at a very high typing speed you will not be able to “overtake the keyboard”, which often happens on Android, for example. There are no such input delays here.

New Windows Phone 8 smartphones, including the HTC 8X, feature voice dialing and voice control. You can say, for example, “open alarm clock” or “open twitter”, and the system will launch the required application. The same thing with calls, you can start a call with the phrase “call Vasya Pupkin mobile” or “call Vasya Pupkin mobile hands-free”. Unfortunately, there are not too many commands yet, or rather, only two, “call” and “open,” at least that’s what the instructions for the application say. On the other hand, the system already works well and recognizes voice commands well, so Microsoft just needs to add more commands.

Software

The smartphone runs Windows Phone 8, which is one of the first devices based on the updated operating system, which is a reboot for WP, as Microsoft says. I will tell you about all the functions, as well as changes in WP8 compared to previous versions of the OS, in a separate review, this will definitely happen before the New Year (smile), but now let’s briefly go through the main features of WP8.

The most important innovation that can be noticed by eye (I’m not talking about the core and other features that the user cannot see when turning on the smartphone) is the improved main screen. Firstly, the empty strip on the right has been removed, and the arrow from the upper right corner has been moved to the very bottom area.

Thirdly, the lock screen has been (slightly) redesigned. Now you can add more notification icons to it, display information from applications that support this format, for example, Facebook “can” show pictures from your photo albums or from a selected album on the lock screen. The lock screen also displays the track being played and music control buttons (this was the case before).

A children's corner has appeared - a special area of ​​the system into which you can add a limited set of programs, set a password and turn it on before you let your favorite child play with the device.

The color of the tiles deserves special mention. Previously, there were 10 thermonuclear colors to choose from, or 11 in the case of HTC (plus corporate green), now there are 21 colors. Moreover, most of them are already more or less acceptable, not too bright and contrasting, so they can be safely used as a color tiles, without fear that your eyes will leak from the brightness and contrast onto the floor, which constantly happened to me, for example, when using smartphones with WP7 and WP7.5.

The multitasking settings have changed; if previously programs remained running in the background formally, that is, the system closed them and restarted them when you called up the supposedly running application again from the menu for selecting running programs, now everything is different. There is a background task setting where you can specify which applications will remain running in the background constantly and which should be blocked. Not all programs support this setting, but this is just the beginning.

There is a function to backup data to the “cloud”, when enabled, the smartphone begins saving IE browser bookmarks, a list of installed programs and settings, text messages and photos to cloud storage.

Characteristic features of HTC smartphones

This point will be in all reviews of new Windows Phone smartphones, because, as you probably know, the set of rules and requirements for WP manufacturers is the same and they can only stand out with minor features and features. Thus, Nokia smartphones will have a number of exclusive applications that are not available in the Marketplace and, accordingly, devices from other manufacturers, these are full-fledged navigation, an augmented reality program and several other utilities. HTC also has a couple of tricks.

The first is a set of “politeness sensors” settings; in Android smartphones they were called “etiquette”. This includes three functions: automatically lowering the ringer volume when you take the smartphone in your hand, automatically raising the ringer volume if you put the smartphone in your pocket or bag (backpack), and turning off the ringer when you turn the smartphone screen down.

The second is a proprietary lock screen with weather display.

The third is several of its own applications, including the HTC hub with weather, stock prices and news, as well as the Flashlight program, a utility for converting units and applying effects to photos. The hub can be pulled out onto the desktop and stretched to the full width of the screen; it displays the time, temperature, weather conditions (rain, wind, etc.) and the city.

The fourth is Beats Audio. A specific player settings mode for better sound when paired with Beats headphones.

PC connection

One of the significant limitations of Windows Phone smartphones was the inability to connect them to a computer to directly transfer data between the PC and the device. It required installing the Zune program and working with the smartphone through it, that is, initially Microsoft made a system for its smartphones similar to the one Apple uses - the iPhone + iTunes combination. In Windows Phone 8, this feature has been removed; any smartphone running WP8, including the HTC 8X, when connected to a computer running the Windows operating system, is defined as a removable drive, and you can directly transfer files to it. If you upload files to the appropriate folders, for example, music to the Music folder, and pictures to the Pictures folder, they are instantly detected by the system and become available from the smartphone for listening (music) or setting as pictures on the lock screen or contacts (pictures). The same goes for videos and documents. Of course, this is still not a completely open file system, like in Android, where the user is free to throw at least a hundred unsupported formats into the smartphone, and then simply search for programs that support them in Google Play, but Microsoft has already taken the first step.

There is also a simple application for working with smartphone content on WP8, which replaced the Zune program. By the way, it does not work with WP8 smartphones; in my case, neither the HTC 8X nor the Nokia Lumia 920 were detected by the application. The new program allows you to synchronize music libraries from Windows Media Player and iTunes with your smartphone, as well as pictures from a specific folder, videos and ringtones. I don’t really understand the purpose of this application, besides synchronizing libraries, everything else can be done by simply transferring files from the smartphone and back through Explorer. The only plus of the program is that it shows the amount of free and filled memory in the smartphone by type, indicating how much space is occupied by music, pictures, and so on.

Comparison with Nokia Lumia 920

Objectively, Nokia Lumia 920 looks more attractive than HTC Windows Phone 8X. And the point here is not even the strength of the Nokia brand, but simply the characteristics. Nokia has a slightly better and larger display (deeper black, responds to touches with gloved fingers), a better main camera, twice as much memory for storing user data, the smartphone lasts longer on a single battery charge, it has support for fourth generation networks, LTE . Here is a comparison of the main characteristics of these two models:

What's attractive about the HTC 8X? Compact with similar dimensions to the Lumia, lighter weight and greater convenience for everyday use of the device, the 8X simply fits more comfortably in the hand than the Lumia. HTC also has a slightly more practical case on its side - it is not as easily soiled as the glossy polycarbonate in the Nokia Lumia 920, as well as a wide-angle front camera, with its help you can really take pictures of yourself and friends against something in the background. But the last advantage is a rather flimsy argument in favor of the HTC 8X, you will agree.

At the same time, the cost of HTC 8X will be 24,000 rubles, and Nokia Lumia 920 – 25,000 rubles. The overpayment of a thousand rubles in this case is more than offset by the above-mentioned advantages of the Nokia Lumia 920 over the HTC 8X. And HTC has one trump card left, which is incredibly subjective, but valid. You may like this smartphone, but you may not like the Nokia Lumia 920. And that's it.

The fact is that the combination of dimensions, angular shape and weight of 185 grams makes the Nokia Lumia 920 a very specific smartphone, a shovel that not everyone can use. I can only give myself as an example for now, but I’m sure I won’t be the only one. Until the moment I picked up the Nokia Lumia 920, I was sure that once I got the smartphone, I would like it even more because the device looked amazing in the pictures. So I got it, took it out of the box and immediately wilted. In front of me was a huge size and weight of a shovel that barely fits in my hand, comparable to pocket computers. But the PDA could be controlled using a stylus while holding the device in the other hand, and the Nokia Lumia 920 was sort of like a smartphone. At the same time, it is, of course, possible to use Lumiya with one hand, but at first it’s unusual; it requires skill, which is not needed with the HTC 8X.

It turned out a little chaotic and confusing, but I hope I was able to convey my main idea: technically the Nokia Lumia is unconditionally better than the HTC 8X, but I personally enjoy using the 8X and not the Lumia. If my explanation gives you a burning desire to debate, welcome to the comments.

Conclusion

The call quality in my HTC Windows Phone 8X sample was, to be honest, not amazing, about the same as the HTC One X or even a little worse. It seems that this is a quite good level, today even flagships from other companies do not have outstanding quality, but for me, a person accustomed to the Samsung E1200 and Fly DS105C, this is unusually low quality. The interlocutor can be heard, in general, not bad, but with noise, but I was heard with interference, sometimes fragments of words or phrases disappeared, all of these, I repeat, are characteristic features of almost any smartphone.

But I have no complaints about the volume of the HTC 8X speakers; both the conversational and ringing speakers have an excellent volume reserve. Usually I spoke on the phone with a volume of 7 out of 10, and for the ringing speaker I set the volume to 25 out of 30, otherwise the device literally screams, which is unusual for HTC. Vibration is not so good. The fact is that the implementation of vibration alert in Windows Phone is very atypical. During an incoming call, the smartphone vibrates for just a couple of seconds and stops, and then there is only one melody. That is, the vibration in the case of the HTC 8X is not the most noticeable, it lasts literally two or three seconds, and that’s all. We can say that it is not here at all, and there is no other way to configure this parameter, unless you can turn off the vibration triggering completely.

Now about the price and timing of the start of sales. The smartphone is about to “arrive” in retail chains, that is, literally any day now. The official cost of HTC 8X in Russia will be 23,990 rubles, well, or 24,000 for good measure. If we leave aside the comparison of smartphones, including operating systems, the HTC 8X is (technically) approximately at the level of the HTC One S, but is equipped with a higher-quality screen with a higher resolution and a slightly more capacious battery. In terms of price, the HTC 8X is much more expensive than its “classmate”, 24,000 rubles versus 18,500 for the One S. The difference in price in this case consists of the novelty of the device, the novelty of the design (for HTC) and the novelty of the operating system, otherwise it is impossible to explain the difference .

The result will be as follows. If I were forced to choose a smartphone from the Windows Phone 8 line alone, I would choose the HTC 8X due to its size, ease of use, grip and design. But if I were asked to recommend a technologically advanced and functional WP8 smartphone to someone, I wouldn’t even name HTC 8X on the list, because both Nokia Lumia 920 and Samsung Ativ S are technically seriously ahead of HTC’s smartphone. It turns out that three initially approximately identical smartphones do not exist. There are the top Nokia Lumia 920 and Samsung Ativ S with their pros and cons, and there is a simpler, but damn beautiful, stylish and neat HTC Windows Phone 8X, which you can choose first of all for the design and shape of the case, and only then for some then other “merits”.

P.S. Zhenya Vildyaev and I already have smartphones with Windows Phone 8 in our hands, so in the near future we will start talking about applications for this version of the system in our special section about Windows Phone. Zhenya will also describe some interesting features that were not mentioned at the WP8 presentations.

Description:

• Class: smartphone
• Form factor: monoblock
• Case materials: polycarbonate (matte plastic with soft-touch coating)
• Operating system: Windows Phone 8
• Network: GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS/HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100
• Processor: dual-core 1.5 GHz (Qualcomm MSM8960)
• RAM: 1 GB
• Storage memory: 16 GB (~14 GB available)
• Screen: capacitive, S-LCD2, 4.3”, 1280x720 pixels (HD), automatic backlight level adjustment
• Camera: 8 MP with autofocus, video recorded in 1080p, LED flash (works as a flashlight), 2.1 MP wide-angle front camera (video in 1080p)
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n/, dual-band), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (A2DP), microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset, NFC
• Navigation: GPS + Glonass (Nokia Maps with offline support)
• Additionally: accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor
• Battery: non-removable Li-Ion with a capacity of 1800 mAh
• Dimensions: 132.4 x 66.2 x 10.1 mm
• Weight: 130 g.

So, it’s happened - the first phones running the Windows Phone 8 operating system have reached the Ukrainian market. Unexpectedly for everyone, they were not Nokia devices, but HTC ones. Moreover, it was HTC that received from Microsoft the right to produce smartphones belonging to the so-called “signature series” - that is, essentially, reference devices that all others should be equal to. That is why our test subject today is correctly called HTC Windows Phone 8X, and not just HTC 8X.

By the way, in the American advertising of Windows Phone 8 it is also Windows Phone 8X that appears, and not the Lumia 920. If I were Nokia, I would be quite offended at Microsoft for the fact that the company from Redmond very quickly found itself a new “beloved wife”.

However, the relationship between Microsoft, Nokia and HTC is of little interest to us. Let's figure out together how good the HTC Windows Phone 8X is.

HTC Windows Phone 8X specifications

Appearance and design

HTC 8X has a very nice appearance, designed in the style of the Windows Phone operating system. If you look for similarities with other phones on the market, you can’t help but notice that the device is similar to new Nokia smartphones. The HTC 8X, like the Nokia Lumia 920, is made of polycarbonate and should withstand life's adversities well (at least in theory). I received a blue device for review; black and green-yellow options are also available in Ukraine. Blue, in my opinion, is the prettiest of them all.

But what I didn’t like was the size and shape of the phone. In terms of length and width, it is almost identical to the Galaxy Nexus (and this is with a significantly smaller display!); Moreover, the thin body becomes even thinner closer to the edges, making the HTC 8X simply uncomfortable to hold: it tends to slip out of your hand.

The implementation of the buttons also left an unpleasant impression: the camera button is pressed too easily, and the unlock button, on the contrary, is too hard. In my mind, it should be the other way around.

The smartphone uses micro-SIM cards, the tray is located next to the volume keys. To remove it, as usual, you will have to use a paper clip.

Screen

Like all top HTC devices, the 8X is equipped with an IPS screen made by Sharp. With a diagonal of 4.3 inches, the matrix has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, which gives us a pixel density of 341 ppi - more than that of the iPhone 5! The screen is really excellent: clear, contrasty, with wide viewing angles.

Sound

Like all the latest HTC devices, the 8X was released “in collaboration” with Beats Audio. The phone has a separate headphone amplifier chip installed, plus a profile has been added at the software level that adds “lows” and “highs” to the sound. For my aesthetic taste, this profile should be turned off immediately, after which the phone starts to sound quite good. At least it sang perfectly with the Etymotic hf5 reinforcement plugs.

The speaker in the HTC 8X is also quite decent - call tones sound loud and are practically not muffled in your pocket.

Camera

The HTC 8X has exactly the same camera as the HTC One X. It is quite good, although it is inferior to the 8-megapixel cameras in smartphones from other manufacturers. Our comparison of the cameras in the HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S III and iPhone 4S is fully valid for Windows Phone 8X.

Software

The phone, called Windows Phone 8X, of course, runs the Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system.

At first glance, there are few differences from Windows Phone 7. Live tiles now take up almost the entire desktop space, and their size can be changed (there are three options available: small, medium and large tiles). As in WP7, the phone status (signal strength and battery charge) for some reason is not displayed by default; you need to swipe the screen from top to bottom to see this information. There is still no notification center in WP8, but applications can display the necessary information on their tiles (it’s not for nothing that they are called “live”). There is also space for notifications (five slots) on the lock screen, so you can turn on the screen, quickly look at missed events without unlocking the device, and turn it off again.

The remaining external differences essentially boil down to improved multitasking (programs can now run in the background), the ability to save phone settings in the “cloud” (Android users should sigh with envy at this point), a significantly redesigned browser for the better, and file transfer via Bluetooth. .. and, perhaps, that’s all. Although no, I’m lying, the “Children’s Corner” function appeared in WP8, which allows you to set a list of applications available to a child (or any other user) without unlocking the phone - the result is something like a guest account.

As usual, I would like to point out a very successful on-screen keyboard: functionally it is very simple and does not support data entry by “drawing” a la Swype, but due to some special magic you can type on it quickly and without errors. In this parameter, it can be compared with the iPhone keyboard.

There are, of course, much more changes inside. Windows Phone 8 is not based on the Windows CE kernel, like Windows Phone 7, but on the Windows NT kernel, like desktop Windows. This promises easier porting of the application between two systems (especially taking into account the emergence of such an entity as Windows RT) and other “goodies” in the future, but... exactly that in the future.

On the other hand, I've been using Windows Phone 8 for a week and during that time I haven't experienced any lack of functionality (with the possible exception of Instagram).

You can take a closer look at the operating system interface in the screenshots:

Performance and autonomy

HTC 8X is built on the same platform as other devices based on Windows Phone 8 - it is a dual-core system on a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chip combined with 1 GB of RAM. Since the system itself is quite “light”, the phone simply flies. At least I never had to deal with slowdowns. The only drawback is the long application launch time compared to iOS and Android.

The HTC 8X uses a non-removable battery with a capacity of 1800 mAh, which is quite capable of powering the phone for a day or two. In general, the typical autonomy of a modern smartphone.

Bottom line

Overall, the HTC Windows Phone 8X is a very interesting smartphone that combines excellent performance with an excellent screen, a good (but nothing more) camera and an attractive polycarbonate body. If we talk about its shortcomings, first of all we can note the dimensions that are too large for a 4.3-inch screen and the lack of a slot for memory cards: since the Windows Phone 8 OS itself takes up a lot of space, only about 11.7 GB is available to the user, which is not suitable today not at any gate. HTC 8X doesn't have FM radio either.

Ultimately, the popularity of the device will depend on the perception of the Windows Phone 8 operating system. Personally, I like it - as I mentioned above, the only thing I missed while using the device was Instagram. However, its predecessor, WP7, did not become popular in two years, and it is not yet entirely clear whether WP8 will suffer the same fate.

In my opinion, the HTC 8X (and other WP8-based devices) is unlikely to be an interesting option for those who are already stuck in the Apple or Google ecosystems, but if you are just about to buy your first smartphone (or are switching from Symbian to something something more modern), take a closer look at it. Moreover, the cost of the HTC 8X is approximately the same as the Nokia Lumia 820, while being a higher-class device.

4 reasons to buy HTC Windows Phone 8X:

• durable and beautiful polycarbonate body;
• excellent screen with high pixel density;
• good sound quality.

2 reasons not to buy HTC Windows Phone 8X:

• Windows Phone 8 operating system;
• lack of a memory card slot, small amount of built-in memory.

Sample photos

The new Lumia also outperforms the HTC Windows Phone 8X in terms of image quality, but the high-quality Carl Zeiss optics and optical image stabilizer in the older model still have an impact. In terms of video shooting, everything is excellent here: resolution up to 1920x1080 pixels is supported, and the flash can act as a backlight when shooting it. The front camera, which is equipped with a 2.1 megapixel sensor, is also interesting. With its help you can also shoot video in 1080p, so video communication will no longer be so low-quality and dull. However, the data transfer speed of Russian operators still won’t allow you to enjoy Full HD video chat on Skype.

Platform, performance, autonomy

The smartphone received a powerful Qualcomm S4 Krait hardware platform, two 1.5 GHz cores and Adreno 225 graphics. This platform, of course, is significantly inferior in speed to the quad-core Tegra 3 from NVIDIA installed in the One X+. However, the smartphone simply flies; not a single delay in operation was detected during use. Of course, this is greatly facilitated by the 1 GB of RAM. In addition, S4 is much more economical, and the OS allows you to save battery much better than Android.

With an average load on the smartphone, the battery charge lasts for a day and a half, which can already be considered a victory. By average load I mean about an hour of calls, music on the way to and from work, as well as an hour of Internet via Wi-Fi or 3G. Of course, if you play, it’s unlikely that the smartphone will even survive until the evening. Yet the battery still remains the weakest link of any mobile device.

It is noteworthy that the Lumia 820, which weighs more, is equipped with an even smaller battery (1650 mAh versus 1800). Why this happened, it’s worth asking Nokia representatives, this is a stone in their garden.

HTC Windows Phone 8X is equipped with a Wi-Fi module that can operate at two frequencies, 2400 and 5000 MHz. There are also other wireless communication modules on board: Bluetooth 3.1 with support for A2DP and EDR and NFC. Unfortunately, tags are not included in the package, as with, say, some Sony smartphones. And, of course, the smartphone can be used as a Wi-Fi router.

Interface, software

The device became one of the pioneers of the Windows Phone 8 OS, along with the aforementioned Lumia 920 and its younger brother, the HTC Windows Phone 8S. It is obvious that this operating system is much more successful than its predecessor. There are all the ingredients for success: a user-friendly interface, fast operation, successful optimization to save battery power, and most importantly, the ability to quickly create and port programs thanks to the use of an API similar to desktop technologies.

A distinctive feature of HTC Windows Phone 8X in terms of software is its proprietary lock screen. In addition, it is now very easy to take screenshots without a computer.

But for some reason, optimizing applications for the new operating system is very slow. Most of the old flaws remained in place; there was no global work on the errors. In general, it is extremely difficult to believe in the success of Windows Phone 8 at this stage. However, we really like the way this OS looks. I like many of the features. I like that HTC, Samsung and Nokia are trying to further emphasize the uniqueness of their Windows phones. But we cannot get rid of skepticism.