Paul Thurrott biased?

[lordofthereef]

added numbers for easy of response

1. "The HTC 8X, as I?ll call it, is the only smart phone on the market that edges past the iPhone 5 in terms of sheer beauty."

2. "Long-time readers know I?ve become somewhat obsessed about smart phone camera quality. I?ve been taking photos with this thing since Monday and the picture quality is superb, easily the best of any smart phone I?ve ever owned."

3. "The HTC 8X runs the world?s best smart phone software."

4. "The HTC Windows Phone 8X is the obvious choice. The only choice. And you?ll want one too."

5. "This is the best-sounding smart phone I?ve ever used."

Are you kidding me? This dude sounds like he's being paid by HTC for this review. There are so much inconsistency in his reviews. Sweeping statements such as BEST is most often avoided by reviewers. But this dude is using it everywhere. Kudos.

1. It is a sexy looking phone. And it is thin. I wouldn't say it is strictly better than the L920 in terms of looks, but I would say it is on par. It is one of the prettiest phones HTC has released, IMO. Oh, it also makes the 920 seem like a mammoth in terms of weight.

2. 8x takes better daytime pictures. 920 takes FAR FAR FAAAARRRRR better nighttime pictures. If you average them out, I'd say the 920 wins because night shots are THAT much better. But for those who are taking pics in well lit areas 90% of the time, the added benefit of night shots may not matter enough. We will have to see if Nokia does anything to daytime photography. The 920 also blows the 8x out of the water in terms of video, in pretty much every way. Again, if you are taking photos and not video, this matters very little. I guess I would have to know what the reviewer's priorities are before I can judge if he is biased.

3. If the 8x does, so does the 920. But the way this sentence is constructed, it doesn't seem he is saying it is better than another windows phone device for this reason. Rather, it is better than an iOS/Android/[insert mobile OS here] device.

4. Ok, well, this is where it goes overboard for me. He definitely has some 8x lust.

5. The hardware does shine here. I think this is a clear point at which the 8x outperforms most any other phone on the market. Again, it depends on how much that matters to you. Is it ENOUGH better than other devices to sway me? If I listened to a lot of music on the go through the audio out, maybe. But I don't. I listen in the car over BT 75% of the time.

Just looking at the review, and not looking into the guy's background (because I have already spent more on the topic than I initially intended, LOL), I can't conclude that he is biased. I would say he probably weighs certain merits of the 8x more heavily than I would and he discredits certain merits of other phones, like the Lumia 920, that I would not.

Here is why I say the Lumia is the better choice (but does that make me biased? I don't know...):

• Wireless charging with a free wireless charging pad! (yes, VZW version of the 8x gets this, but AFAIK AT&T and the rest of the world do not)
• 32GB storage
• Usable in a gloved hand (this matters a lot to me in cold@$$ New England)
• Deeper blacks and high refresh rate (although this probably isn't enough to sway me much one way or the other)

 

[fradchad]

I have been listening to Thurrot since they started the Windows Weekly podcast. He is indeed biased but who isn't. He does however apply logic to his picks. The HTC 8x is just a design he loves. I am more practical and could not pass up the same exact phone, slightly heavier, and twice the storage = win. Its a no brainer. Oh and the free charging plate. If I just had cash to blow then I would definately get the HTC 8x because I could buy both

 

[bilzkh]

The 8X is a fantastic phone, but the 920 will fetch you a better bang for the buck.

At Rogers the Lumia 920 and 16GB 8X are coming in at the same price, and you won't go wrong with either one. However, and this is my personal opinion, you'll get more out of your money from the Lumia 920. For starters, the screen on the 920 is (IMO) a better package with the PureMotion HD+ and is loaded with Dolby-branded enhancements, I think that bridges exceptionally close to the benefits 8X offers with Beats. The camera hardware on the 920 is better than what's offered on the 8X, and while the 8X takes better day shots, I think Nokia will rectify the 920's issues (people are reporting) through a firmware update. Granted, people buy a product for what it is, not what it will be, but that is the strength of going Nokia - i.e. that company's eco-system support to Windows Phone. With HTC I feel as if you just can't be sure, but with Nokia you can be assured of getting exclusive apps, updates and good tech support.

That said, I prefer the 8X's slim and sleek design, I wish there was a Lumia with it (even if it lacked PureView and wireless charging).

 

[GSOgymrat]

I considered the HTC 8x but 16 GB of storage with no expansion is just a deal breaker. With 32 GB I am going to have to be choosy about what I keep on my phone.