Isn't the HTC 8X the best WP8 device afterall?

[Tahiti Bob]

For some reason Windows Phone fans are more fans of Nokia than the OS itself (believe me I've read posts of people wishing failure on HTC and Samsung). When the first 8X reviews came out they were very positive but most reactions were of the "that's nice but the 920 will blow it out of the water" type.
Now some 920 reviews are out and they're also fairly positive but the general feeling I get from tech bloggers is that the 8X is overall the better phone.
Obviously from a WP ****** this is seen as a will to see Nokia/MS/WP fail but really, this is the genuine feeling I get from these people who are more in the know than us (how many of us have used these phones?).
Recently I've seen even MS evangelists expressing that feeling too: Tom Warren, Matt Miller, MJ Foley, Paul Thurrott, even our own Jay Benett called the 920 "kind of a brick" so there is definitely some truth to that.
Sure, the wireless charging and screen are nice to have but not so much that you couldn't live with the 8X. Pureview only blows away the competition in low light but is on par in other conditions so there again you could live with the 8X.
I'm curious to read Daniel's reviews because camera seems so important to him I wonder how important a factor this will be in his conclusions.
So what are your thoughts? Do you feel the 8X is really the better phone regardless of what you're actually buying (I'll probably go with the 920 for storage alone)?

PS: The postman brought me Halo 4 while I was writing this post so apologies if some bits don't make sense

 

[Coreldan]

It's not about what is better, it's about one's preferences.

None of those people mentioned above can convince me that 8X is a better device cos "920 is sort of a brick". I like my phoens heavier and apart from that physicall there isnt much difference except the 920 actually has a bigger screen. The 8X is actually taller, but little thinner and little less wide, but over margins like that I rather take the extra real estate on the screen.

That said, I cheer for 8X too. I think it's important that people have choices. My choice is a 920 and I can't help but to think that at least for my needs it's easily the best WP8 device out there, but for someone with different needs I have no doubts the 8X can be a better choice.

And in all honesty, I still can't see what the 8X actually has over the 920 except for the physical dimensions and weight. If that is what makes a phone good, then I've lost faith in mankind

Disclaimer for above paragraph: I'm aware of certain things, like maybe the Beats audio (just a custom equalizer setting really, which 920 has customizable..) and perhaps the wide FFC if you use one (I've never used FFC yet in any of my phones) and someone might appreciate the quick consecutive photos taken by the 8X camera (Rarely a need for that for me, I value the features of the 920 camera more). But yeah, it depends on what you want and need but even as an unbiased-as-I-can statement, I can't see how anyone could broadly claim that the 8X would be a better product apart from it suiting their own needs better.

 

[Tahiti Bob]

Sort of related but more for a good laugh (spamming my own thread)

are these turds complaining about the nokia lumia 920 weight in reviews even REAL men??? - YouTube

 

[Reflexx]

I see the L920 as the better phone if you're looking for bells and whistles. It has plenty.

For many, the 8X is just more practical. Not everyone likes hefty or solidly built phones. And they're willing to trade some bells and whistles for weight reduction.

 

[AngryNil]

I see the L920 as the better phone if you're looking for bells and whistles.

Great line. If you love Windows Phone already and just want a well-rounded device, the 8X is a good choice. The 920 is / will be controversial in certain aspects, but does bring some exclusive "bells and whistles" that could be of interest and advantage.

 

[maverick786us]

For some reason Windows Phone fans are more fans of Nokia than the OS itself (believe me I've read posts of people wishing failure on HTC and Samsung). When the first 8X reviews came out they were very positive but most reactions were of the "that's nice but the 920 will blow it out of the water" type.
Now some 920 reviews are out and they're also fairly positive but the general feeling I get from tech bloggers is that the 8X is overall the better phone.
Obviously from a WP ****** this is seen as a will to see Nokia/MS/WP fail but really, this is the genuine feeling I get from these people who are more in the know than us (how many of us have used these phones?).
Recently I've seen even MS evangelists expressing that feeling too: Tom Warren, Matt Miller, MJ Foley, Paul Thurrott, even our own Jay Benett called the 920 "kind of a brick" so there is definitely some truth to that.
Sure, the wireless charging and screen are nice to have but not so much that you couldn't live with the 8X. Pureview only blows away the competition in low light but is on par in other conditions so there again you could live with the 8X.
I'm curious to read Daniel's reviews because camera seems so important to him I wonder how important a factor this will be in his conclusions.
So what are your thoughts? Do you feel the 8X is really the better phone regardless of what you're actually buying (I'll probably go with the 920 for storage alone)?

PS: The postman brought me Halo 4 while I was writing this post so apologies if some bits don't make sense

Not even close to best. With comparasion to Lumia 920, except for size and weight, there isn't a single thing that 8X!! offers compared to L 920

 

[zolgi]

What is better in 8x than 920 if you forget weight and design... I think nothing.

 

[Smg-Uk]

There are a lot of things better about the 8X over the 920 and vice versa.

Just choose whatever suits you best.

 

[blehblehbleh]

The 8X has its strong points. A dedicated amp is a nice thing to have, though I wonder how much that affects the battery life. Same goes for the wide angle FFC.

To me the 920 has more strong points. Of course all of this is dependent on what one values, and "best" will fit accordingly. Though I can't help but think the 920 tries to offer a more complete package despite its shortcomings on some practical aspects (i.e. external mem card slot, removable battery, battery capacity)

Btw as a side question, why the **** is there no gyroscope sensor on the 8X?

 

[Jay Bennett]

Recently I've seen even MS evangelists expressing that feeling too: Tom Warren, Matt Miller, MJ Foley, Paul Thurrott, even our own Jay Benett called the 920 "kind of a brick" so there is definitely some truth to that.

Yes and it's a quote I still stand by, it was the first thing I thought when I picked up the device, going from a Lumia 800 to the 920 feels like a backwards step in terms of ergonomics, and yet every time I go to buy the 8X something stops me (even if lately it's the lack of stock of the blue version).

I honestly don't know which phone I will land on, it changes every day. The wireless charging gimmick is something I do want in my life, the 32GB of storage would be a huge sign of relief over the 8X, and the power button is MUCH better positioned on the 920 than the 8X (seeing as we're talking ergonomics).

Ultimately it comes down to how important the heft of a device is to you. The 920 is a large device, it feels almost too big by today's standards and will be bulging out of all but the deepest pocket. The 8X is slender, the screen on it is comparable to the 920 less the PureMotion promise (those extra pixels on the 920 only mean that WP7 apps will scale to full screen, rather than having a small black bar) otherwise it's not a huge deal.

It's preference, some will actually prefer the 8X's camera for the post-processing which means photos will look vivid and exciting, even if they're not as true to life.
What bothers me is people who say that no one should say a bulky device is a problem, because it simply is. The Lumia is large enough to be slightly awkward to use day to day for some people. It's also going to be far more noticeable carrying it around daily, if that doesn't bother you then terrific, the 920 is certainly for you, but many people will see the 8X as a better design, even if the 16GB limit is maddening

 

[futurix]

I chose 8X over 920 for multitude of reasons:
- I'm wary of Nokia's hardware after witnessing multitude of glitches and bugs in earlier Lumias, some of which were never fixed
- in UK Lumia 920 is locked to the most expensive mobile network (EE) and I don't want to switch or overpay for import phone from elsewhere
- in my experience HTC devices are the first to receive Windows Phone OS updates
- weight matters to me (yes, I am limp wristed, duh!)
- I don't believe Nokia's claims about the superiority of their cameras: both Lumias I've worked with had cameras clearly inferior to HTC's Titan
- I'm afraid of Nokia going under before the end of 18 months of update period of the phone, thus depriving me of WP8.5

And I'm really happy with my choice: 8X is really light but unlike older HTC devices it is also solid; the camera is great, so is the screen and the colour. The buttons are unusual but I like them - they are much better than pitiful Titan's power button.

 

[Tahiti Bob]

I get that, I would definitely pick the 8X if it had 32GB as I can't really afford to rely on 16 anymore and I don't want to constantly depend on the cloud.

Jay, how much heavier in hand is the 920 to the 900?

 

[runam0k]

Great post by the OP - I have to agree, a lot of people here look a lot like Nokia fanboys (and anti- any other WP8 device). The funny thing is the 920 reviews are all very positive. They just happen to agree on one thing: for a phone with a 4.5" screen, it's oversized and heavy, which is enough to dock a point or two.

I'm getting the 8X but only because my hand has been forced (no unlocked 920s in the UK, thanks Nokia). I'll be moving from a Lumia 800. I'll see how the 8X goes and maybe pick up a 920 later. Love the 800 btw.

Reasons I'm excited about the 8X:

- Size, look, feel. I know, I know, but put a 920 in your shirt pocket and you won't want to leave it there. You might as well put a Galaxy Note in there. Phones with average screen sizes just aren't supposed to be that big and heavy. The 920 stands alone in that category. It's far from fatal for me, but it's enough to dock a point.

- Notification LED! I never see this mentioned, but if it works as it should, it's a big plus. **EDIT: no sooner do I type this than I learn the LED notification light maybe doesn't work as it should (missed calls, messages). **

- Built in amp is pretty cool. My speakers usually have to compensate for my 800's low volume. It'll be interesting to see what difference the amp makes.

So yes, I'm pretty excited to get the 8X, even though I'll miss: Nokia Drive, the touch-with-gloves screen, wireless charging and better low light shots from the camera (the top plus points for me with the 920).

 

[nano321]

Sounds funny actually!! Lumia 920 doesn't beat other in features alone. It is about user experience where it smokes everything else out there.

Hardware front : Awesome Display, PureView Camera with OIS (Has been proven to be better than both OneX and 8X in all conditions), Rich-recoring setup, Supersensitive touchscreen. great built and premium feel, Wireless charging

Software front: Cool lenses, Great Nokia Drive apps, City Lens, Nokia Reading and many more exclusive Nokia Apps, Great customer support (software updates and more)

 

[cgk]

They would both do what I need so the only two questions for me are:

1) Which is cheapest

2) Who can I get the highest amount of cashback from when purchasing this phone?

 

[AlexanderPD]

great thread, OP.
This same question was bothering me from a while too.. i'd like to use pureview, supersentive touch and all the nokia exclusive apps.. but i really don't want a 180g phone in my pocket, it's kinda awkward :\

HTC 8x weights 50g less and it's smaller because of the curved backside, but still too big for me.

I think the best solution now.. is get something cheap and cool like the HTC 8S and wait for a smaller Nokia device, so i can experience the windows phone 8 OS now and always have a phone that doesn't feel like a giant brick.
.. hoping nokia will release a normal sided phone with lumia 920 exclusive features! I'd really like having that camera on my phone

edit:
Htc 8X and Lumia 920 compared.. still 2 giant bricks :\

But 8X is really more slim thanks to that curved backside

 

[pmhgeneral]

I would like to say yes! The HTC x is better but really we all have got to wait till we get them in hand and give it a good run don't we? After all it like buying a new car the test drive is really what sells us. The make, model, accessories, colors, handling, and other options are just as important but in the end we will have to wait for the test drive.

 

[Jay Bennett]

Jay, how much heavier in hand is the 920 to the 900?

difficult to quantify as I haven't used the 900 for any extended period of time, but I'd say going from the 900 to 920 should feel much more natural than the 800. The difference is that the shell design being more rounded makes the device feel a little more hefty (although more ergonomic for swipes etc) than the 900

 

[DJRedLine]

I got the 8x due to the limitations of getting the 920 in the UK (i was not prepared to jump ship from vodafone)
I used the headphones for the 1st time this morning on my walk into work and as soon as insert headphones a little message appears on screen saying 'beats audio enabled'

The sound quality is so much better than my HTC Trophy.

 

[jabtano]

I have to go with the 8x being on US T-MO though I think the ATIVs is better than both the 8x and the L920