I currently have the 8S, but on a different Canadian carrier. Honestly for the price bought outright, even though only an 8GB model, I'm still on the fence. I really like the 8S, and what with the upcoming software releases in the spring, it would serve me well. The 8X is sized right to fit into a pocket also. As i mentioned, i'm on a different carrier, so i would incur an unlocking fee for it to work for me.
I believe this model was selling for $499 when introduced, so it is a significant savings. If a person is on Rogers, it would be great backup cell to have.
Cheers.