News Reviews

[skillit0]

I am thinking of getting an 8XT just to do a review my self. I was gonna hold out till the Ativ S Neo but I need something soon and honestly I don't know if I will get any better use out of the removable battery part and maybe the larger memory.

 

[Matthew Becker1]

This definitely looks like an under-the-radar release. I'm even more surprised that there's no review on WP Central. We've seen variants of the 920 being reviewed, why not a variant on the 8X?

 

[Palm_forlackofchoice]

Been. Using mine for one week now. I like it alot, a few annoying things though that are not unique to the 8xt but win phone 8 limitations.

1. Even with external SD card. Phone will not work as USB drive in my truck for music.
2. I like dark theme but hard to read contact numbers, un read email headers etc. In sun light.

phone wise very smooth and fast. Everything works. Well. I sure hope it gets marketed.

 

[adamyedlin]

I just picked one up today to replace my Arrive. Loving it so far!

 

[snowmutt]

Mostly curious what kind of response Sprint will get for the "non-Nokia" offerings. HTC and Samsung have not been.... ahem..... aggresively promoting these devices themselves. It is going to take a huge push from WP fans to get these on the radar for Sprint.

I am scared to death Sprint doesn't support, promote, or even display these two devices and then declares WP a dead OS. We truly need the third largest carrier in the US to give this and the Neo a shot.

Please, 8XT owners, take the time to reveiw this device on Sprints site, Amazon, and sites like Phone Arena to help like johnbash612 did on Redditt. It can't hurt.

 

[enthuz]

With all of the recent articles on Sprint and the issues they have been enduring, I can see why their marketing has been subpar. However they must stick to the promise to step it up in the coming months. It doesn't stop HTC or Samsung from advertising it either. At least one TV commercial each.

Sent from my PG86100 using WPCentral Forums mobile app

 

[AiR DEGETA]

The only logical reason I can think of for the lack of reviews is maybe they didn't sent the device to media outlets until after the official release.

 

[Matthew Becker1]

In the short term, you can look up user reviews from the manufacturer's site:
HTC 8XT- HTC Smartphones - U.S.

Generally, all users who have reviewed the device like it a great deal.

 

[Palm_forlackofchoice]

In the short term, you can look up user reviews from the manufacturer's site:
HTC 8XT- HTC Smartphones - U.S.

Generally, all users who have reviewed the device like it a great deal.

I have been using mine since day it came out. Overall I am very pleased. Love the larger screen compared to my arrive, and the the updated features. But I am still struggling with the on screen keyboard compared to the excellent hardware keyboard of the arrive. I find I can type the full words and sentences on the arrive faster than hunting around the onscreen keyboard hitting the suggestions on the 8xt.

I personally would take a thicker 8xt to have a physical keyboard, with the larger screen a portrait slide like my ppc6601 had would work well or the landscape like arrive.

I actually typed this post on my arrive due to length, just easier for me as is taking notes in a meeting. Hopefully I will get faster and more comfortable with the onscreen as the 8xt is a good phone. It has been very stable, has great sound. Loud and clear. Call quality is great.


I like everything about it, just give me a keyboard and I would be completely satisfied.

 

[enthuz]

When I made the change to a touch keyboard, it was a pain at first. However after a while and practice, I don't miss it. Also the predictive text gets better the more you use it. I can do many posts now and only type a few letters.

Sent from my PG86100 using WPCentral Forums mobile app

 

[Matthew Becker1]

I personally would take a thicker 8xt to have a physical keyboard, with the larger screen a portrait slide like my ppc6601 had would work well or the landscape like arrive.

I think very few smartphones actually have a physical keyboard anymore. There is definitely a bit of a learning curve to find out how the touchscreen keypad likes to be used, but once you get used to it, you'll be fine.

 

[Palm_forlackofchoice]

Thanks, just hard to teach 45 year old dogs new tricks. I actually penned this on the 8xt, though with one finger compared to two fast thumbs on my arrive.

 

[mrmdj31675]

The only logical reason I can think of for the lack of reviews is maybe they didn't sent the device to media outlets until after the official release.

Actually, all sites got units ahead of the launch, and many got them at /build/. What Sprint did not have at that point was a display unit of the Ativ S Neo.

 

[Trunks817]

Thanks, just hard to teach 45 year old dogs new tricks. I actually penned this on the 8xt, though with one finger compared to two fast thumbs on my arrive.

You might try holding the phone landscape wise and using your thumbs to type messages. I am most accurate when using this method. In portrait mode I tend to use 1 finger and then use the phones suggestions. The suggestions seem to get better the more you type as I can type full messages pretty quickly using the suggestions.

 

[skillit0]

Actually, all sites got units ahead of the launch, and many got them at /build/. What Sprint did not have at that point was a display unit of the Ativ S Neo.

It seems to me that sprint did not do their due diligence and did not send the media outlets review units. Looking at all of the new video reviews coming out at the same time. They must have sent them out after the phone launched. Even in the phone dog unboxing they say they just got the unit from sprint and this was definitely a couple of days after the phone came out

HTC 8XT Unboxing - YouTube

 

[mrmdj31675]

Actually, they did! However, all sites were restricted on when to put any reviews, and all of them still beat wpcentral (although George Ponder was very fair on his honest review pointing the good and the bad).

Units for review were handled at /build/, and for those who made formal requests for Sprint (and all those shipped units had tracking numbers stating when they were shipped and when they were delivered, as well as who actually signed when they were delivered).

 

[skillit0]

Actually, they did! However, all sites were restricted on when to put any reviews, and all of them still beat wpcentral (although George Ponder was very fair on his honest review pointing the good and the bad).

Units for review were handled at /build/, and for those who made formal requests for Sprint (and all those shipped units had tracking numbers stating when they were shipped and when they were delivered, as well as who actually signed when they were delivered).

is there a source to look at that info because I can understand getting a first look and telling viewers what they think about the phone as an initial impression, which is what I expected from BUILD, but to actually put a phone thru its paces I would imagine that the media would need an actual review unit they can keep.

I'm thinking, as stated in the phonedog video right at the very beginning, they just received their review unit and I would be inclined to believe that the other media outlets got theirs around the same time and that would have been after the phone launched. What I don't understand is how many other phones have their review units sent out to the media well before the phone launches so that as soon as it is they are given the green light to put out reviews. It is very puzzling. Side note I did really enjoy the review here on wpc.

 

[enthuz]

It appears that Sprint has updated their WP8 landing page and have placed the 8XT as a feature show case item on the home page.

Update: When I closed the tab and returned it was gone. Maybe it wasn't officially updated yet.

 

[Jonathan Cable]

It appears that Sprint has updated their WP8 landing page and have placed the 8XT as a feature show case item on the home page.

Update: When I closed the tab and returned it was gone. Maybe it wasn't officially updated yet.

Sometimes it is there, sometimes it is not. Sprint seems to rotate there features.

 

[snowmutt]

Just for reference:

HTC 8XT Review

Phone Arena as a rule is a little harsher to WP then some other sites, but this was done by a writer named Brian K. and was very fair. (Up until the very last stinking line of the review, dang it.)