HTC 8X: A Year on

[Jonadam23]

Now that most people have had their 8X's for around a year, how do you owners feel about the device?

In my personal experience it has been the best phone I have ever owned. The big plus for me is the design. I love the way the phone feels and looks with the matte soft touch finish and slightly curved glass screen. The curved glass on the edges seems like such a simple design choice but I feel as though it is what makes the 8X such a great phone to use. I still get people stopping to ask me what kind of phone I have! The phone isn't without it's faults though. While the screen is a fantastic resolution the colors could "pop" a bit more and in typical HTC fashion the black levels are pretty terrible. Another thing that really troubled me was the fading my first 8X suffered on it's corners. I think it may have been a manufacturing mistake because the phone's outer plastic layer eventually started to peel off and underneath it was the wonderful blue. My second 8X hasn't had the same issue. I really hope HTC makes a second generation 8X. An increase in screen size to perhaps 4.7-5.0 inches would be great and if they reduced the bezels they could probably keep the phone's footprint about the same size. I don't really care about the resolution (720p looks plenty sharp for me) but I would like to see improved saturation and immensely better black levels! Finally, a slight bump up in megapixels and OIS would be a great add on!

 

[Lumia 8x]

Had a phone for 10 months now. I recently noticed the drastic battery life drop. Love the phone, hate the way it designed that it isn't comfortable when holding. My top left corner has stopped peeling, back where the speaker holes are at cracked unfortunately. These phones got alot of design faults. I really hate the way I look when I use the FFC. It has fish eye kind of effect to it, making my face looks weird up close.

 

[Bryan Sayas]

Love the phone, hate the software.

 

[Pete]

I've had mine for about a year as well, bought it as soon as it came out (Nokia 920 being a bit too big for my liking). I have the black one, and not suffered any fading or marking of the back at all (I've never used a case or screen protector).

The screen has also remained scratch free. The only problem I've had is a couple of days ago, the screen cracked. Just a small crack above the FFC, so it doesn't interfere with anything - I keep my phone in my back pocket and constantly sitting on it, so I guess I sat a bit hard one day.

Apart from the random reboots early on (got fixed with the firmware update), I've only had to factory reset the device once (not because of a fault, just because I forgot my wallet PIN).

I've been very happy with it and still don't see any good reason to move to another handset.

 

[Trevor Jones]

Had my 8x since day one with O2 uk. Loved the phone then, still love the phone now. Here's my thoughts on the phone itself (and not the software).
Pros:
Lightweight, compare to Iphone 4's and above and the Lumia this is like a feather. Still amazing friends with how light it is.
Screen, I love it. The HD quality really shows through when watching videos. although yes the black level is not the greatest and the colour doesn't seem as vibrant as some other HTC models, the screen and resolution is really good for all uses from video to reading.
Design, it looks sexy. I look at the lumias iphones and they look square and blocky. The 8x has nice curves and turns heads. I've had strangers ask what phone I'm using when they see me with it.

Cons:
Camera software could be better, not expecting Lumia 925 quality but it is lacking in quality compared to other 8mp phone cameras. A minor issue
Battery. While good for a smartphone I'm wondering why they put the 1800mah in rather than a 2000mah, would make all the difference in a working day. Again, a minor issue.
Screen fragility - I'm on my 2nd 8X as I dropped my first from a height of just under 2 foot which alarmingly shattered over 1/2 the screen (even had a rubber case on the phone).

 

[MilkyTee]

The best phone I've ever had. Absolutely gorgeous design.
But I'll be buying a Lumia next time; the support from HTC just isn't there, and won't be there in the future.

 

[Lumia 8x]

The best phone I've ever had. Absolutely gorgeous design.
But I'll be buying a Lumia next time; the support from HTC just isn't there, and won't be there in the future.

I like your pic!

 

[Kavu2]

A year in...
Design
- unbelievably comfortable...just feels great to hold (no case)
- light weight..first thing people comment on...the next is how good it feels to hold(see above)
- just a great looking phone period. It *looks* thin, even tho it is similiar to others in thickness
- pyramid stacking of components leading to curved back is genius and instrumental in how the 8x feels in the hand

Durability
- no real case...ever. Dropped 3 times....first 2 times(corner/side impact) in cloth sack on concrete from pocket miss..no damage. 3rd drop on tile floor from 4ft FACE down and it bounced...no damage.
- gorilla glass is great....no scratches (even micro) and I wipe it with anything handy.

Utility
- size is perfect. fits in the pocket...easy to hold and operate
- very responsive
- battery could last longer...definitely a consideration but not a deal breaker considering evrything else.
- a couple of hard resets over the year but pretty even-keel and reliable
- storage is ok....16gb is the lower end of what is minimal these days. But I'm making it work (too much music never listened to taking up space...lol)

Pros
- wireless charging...incredibly convenient
- decent camera ...enough for non-professional usage...which is also 99% of people. tho the camera apps(or lack thereof) show weakness in comparison to competitors(Nokia). (see Cons)
- Beats audio is awesome for the headphones...but why not the speaker as well??????(see Cons)
- well priced for its market position/usage

Cons
- HTC support has evaporated...if it was ever there
- lack of manf apps like Nokia provides...'glance' would be a really nice feature
- manf camera apps (or lack thereof) are weakness. Nokia is killing it.
- no Beats for speaker use
- really needed a SD storage slot to compliment the 16GB
- lack of replaceable battery (but then all phones are technological throw-aways after 18 mo, let alone 2 years). So the smart choice is to buy the best tech at the cheapest price...'cause you're just going to replace it (yeah I'm talking to you, iphonies)

What I've experienced
- a great phone to hold and use with minimal operating issues.

What I haven't experienced
- no wear on corners (Blue unit)
- no breakage or damage from dropping
- no returns to Carrier or Manf
- no SIM card issues
- no non-functioning of individual hardware or software components (has frozen maybe twice in a year)

Overall
I got much more than I paid for. The HTC8x is reliable and perfect for my current usage. And most importantly it will fulfill its designated 2 year lifespan/purpose-build. The App selection is adequate for my needs(not a gamer or social butterfly), just want to get stuff done. I make a point of owning my phone and not being owned by it.

So there you have it..after one year...good to go for another.

 

[rocking23nf]

my phone feels really cheap after 6 months of ownership, the blue is already starting to weardown on the back, i would be shocked if this phone even survives 1.5 more years.

 

[Captains]

Pretty much the same as you Kavu2 but I have never dropped the phone, sat on it a couple of times though. My 1st one was replaced after the 2 weeks. It just went blank. Never had a problem since. My hands are always covered in grease, oil & other solvents & hasn't effected the phone at all. (Blue) I love the design although the curved screen means that having the protection film on it gets dirt under the edges & has to be replaced every fortnight for me.
Very happy

 

[laith91]

I have had The Phone for 8 months now. I got the yellow one. No color peeling problem. The phone look as good as new with one wipe. Pretty fast and the battery is actually not that bad. No complaints about the camera either. Only problem is lack of exclusive software. The phone doesn't have any exclusive apps that is worth having like Nokia and Samsung. It's as htc forgot that they gave birth to some smartphones that needs its moms attention every now and then. Htc windows phone is the black swan it seems.

 

[jenni122701]

I have only had the 8X for a few months, and it's also my first WP. I can't compare it to other phones, but I have been very happy with my phone. So far no peeling of the skin or scratches of any kind. I like it being so lightweight and to me the screen looks fantastic.

I only have a few slight negatives. I, like others, wish HTC had more exclusive apps and better support of the product. I also think it could be slightly better as far as battery is concerned. Mostly I am not a huge fan of the camera. I can get so-so pics without flash usually, but even when flash is needed it makes pics look bad. Maybe its just mine?

I don't regret getting the phone though and hopefully it keeps going strong for me a couple yrs.

 

[plyboult]

I've had the phone just since July and its easily the best phone I've ever had. Yeah the back can mark up easy and I have a corner where the rubber came off (I hate cases).

The screen does scratch fairly easy (light ones anyway thus far) and I can't see it at all outside.

Battery to me is amazing with saver on and everything else just works perfectly. I've had no issues (not even GDR2 messed with it), and though I may not have it for a year +, for being my first Windows Phone its been terrific.

 

[Beacio_mo]

Currently I swap my sim between a Nexus 4 and the 8X and prefer having LTE on the 8X. I've only owned my 8X for about 2 weeks but it is a great phone. I've purchased and returned many windows phones (2x Focus Flash, Lumia 900, Lumia 920, Lumia 521, and Lumia 520) and this has been my favorite so far. Some of my reasons are below:

1. Every Lumia except for the 900 would have random reboots within the first week. I haven't had a single reboot on the 8X.

2. I do miss some of the Nokia exclusive apps, but I prefer the 4.3" screen size and lite weight of the 8X.

3. Battery life is great! Easily lasts a whole day of calls, 100+ texts, browsing on IE for about 2 hours, and constant checking of my RSS feeds through Feedly. My Nexus 4 only lasts until I'm off work at 7pm; the 8X lasts until midnight.

4. The camera with Nokia ProCam works very well! I love having the ability to adjust exposure, ISO, and shutter length.