I'm thinking of buying and 8X

[podsnap]

I'm thinking of retiring my trusty Samsung Omnia 7 for a sim free HTC 8X but I have a couple of questions.

How good/bad is the battery life?
I've read a lot of reviews saying it's poor but it's a bigger battery than is in my Omnia (obviously it has a higher res screen though) so as long as it was similar to that I'd be happy.

I've read differing reports of what version of Bluetooth is on the phone. Reviews quote 2.1 but the HTC site says 3.1 which is it?
And what's the real world difference?

I've heard HTC are poor at supporting their older phones. Will this mean I'm not able to get OS updates in a couple of years time?

Here in the UK, the 8X is now ?100 cheaper than the Lumia 920 so seems like quite a good buy.

Thanks in advance.

 

[X0LARIUM]

Just to tell you (and NOT SCARE you in anyway), HTC WP8 phones hardly have any of the "cooler" app base. Nokia, apparently being the leader, has many cool things when it comes to wooing the customer. If you are ok with that, it is a good investment. HTC phones are very stylish. The 920 is very very very heavy, and the 8X is Xtremely light.

Plus, it has its own set of HTC apps (That I have my eye on )
Hope that helped. And oh, there are some discoloration issues with all HTC WP8 phones. Look around this forum and you will know what I mean.

 

[Ian Too]

Xenphons' assessment seems pretty fair to me, certainly among people I know, the 820 has squeezed the 8X out. However, I almost opted for the 8X myself because of Beats Audio and my previous device being an HD7.

I think the 8X will serve you well.

 

[podsnap]

Thanks Xenophos, I know Nokia have a bunch of cool apps but I thought most of the HERE apps where now available for any WP8 device, perhaps I'm wrong?

Didn't know about the discoloration though, that's interesting. Although I was probably going to get a black one so should be ok I'd guess.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

OP, it boils down to how you plan to use the device. I own both a 8X and a Lumia 810 (the US t-mo version of the 820). Overall, the 8X is a better buy. It reminds me of the Samsung Focus S...lightweight, good audio, very solid camera, arguably the 2nd best camera on a WP8 device behind the 920/925/928 and a bit ahead of the Ativ S. If you want a straightforward, stylish, daily driver and good all around performer, the 8X is a fine get. The only reason I'm not using my 8X as my daily driver is that it's a phone I'm trying to get repaired. On my 8X, Here Maps makes thing easier. I use Mango Transit as a solid substitute to Nokia Transit. There are work around to some of the apps in the Nokia collections, but owning both the disparity in my opinion doesn't trump the fact that hardware wise, the 8X is better than the 820/810, and at ?100 less than the 920, you're still getting great value for cash.

 

[Pete]

I moved from an Omnia 7 too. Battery life for me is on a par with what I had on my old Omnia (a full day when being used throughout the day, a couple of days on light usage).

I have the black version, so I've had no discolouration issues. I don't use a case or screen protector and I can say that it's still looking really good (no scratches or dings, and I use my phone normally (i.e. I'm not obsessive about taking care of it, but I'm not abusive either).

Personally, I haven't felt the need to have the Nokia apps, so I'm happy with my choice of handset (HTC is so much sleeker than the Lumia 920). I only tend to use the Bluetooth for music streaming, so can't say very much about that, I'm afraid.

I expect I'll get another handset when the next major WP version demands different hardware, so longevity isn't a big issue to me.

 

[podsnap]

Thanks for all your responses, they're really helpful.

I thought Nokia Drive etc... were available for all WP8 phones? (I can't seem to find out by web search.)

 

[MSfiend]

We have "Here Drive Beta" which from I heard is lacking in features compared to the Nokia version. I can't speak for the actual app but, "Here Drive Beta" infuriates me at times due to it not giving proper directions from your immediate location. I miss Bing maps.

 

[Pete]

Yes, it is. Search in the store for Here Drive and you'll find it.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Also, Here Transit is available for the 8X as well. If you like to keep the camera apps simple - Proshot, Cam360, then the 8X is the best balanced WP8 out when you factor in weight, design, camera, and audio. The Ativ S is the best content consumer because of the screen + card slot, and the 920/925/928 is the best camera overall. I'd pick the 8X if what you're looking for is the best all around daily experience.

 

[Dasblackman]

I've had an 8x for awhile now and it's honestly the best phone I've used. Great camera quality, but amazing audio quality. This is great because I love listening to music and sharing it with my friends, along with vacation destinations. I have the blue on Verizon and it's extremely stylish. Like things that have been said before, it's great for day-to-day use, which I think a phone should be for. I can't really stress anything that hasn't been said already, but beats audio is a major factor. Music just sounds so good

 

[jchapman01]

I definitely think its a great phone. Some people compare it to the Lumia 820 in feature levels but it's really as good as the Lumia 920. Definitely a top WP device. I have both the 8X and the 920 and find myself switching back and forth. I love the size of the 8x and the Beats audio is great for music with earbuds or headphones. The only time I miss my 920 is when I wanna play some of the larger Xbox for WP games like N.O.V.A. 3 and don't wanna use up all my storage. On the 8x I have 4gb free and don't really have that many apps downloaded. All my photos are in Skydrive so there's really nothing taking up space except for apps. On my 920 with a lot more apps I have about 13gb free.

The look and feel of the 8x is extremely sexy. Every time I set my phone down someone asks me what kind of phone it is and they seem impressed. I have the blue version with no discoloration issues at all and I don't use any case or screen protectors. I don't have any fear about lack of support, tho I do admit that Nokia excels at this with tons of incremental minor updates to fix or add features.

The display looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I personally think it edges the Nokia out on this (I've never compared to the ATIV as I've never seen one in the wild) but I don't know the specific resolution of either phone. That's just pure observation comparison.

The battery is a little disapointing in my opinion. But I used the original TITAN for the year and a half with 2 day battery life. The Nokia has better battery I think, but that could also because I have the wireless charger and it's always near by.

 

[juanitoriv]

I love my 8X. Its the baddest, awesomest hand held tech I've seen in the wild. I include i5, S4, Note, Droid, etc., etc. No real noticeable discoloration either. Maybe a slight fading of color, but it takes a lot of time for that. I find myself elbows deep in engines too, so. Hasn't gotten "dirty"..

 

[absonj]

Having the 8x almost from release, I find it to be the best phone I've ever had. Its performance and quality is so much better than I could have asked for.

I have not encountered this discoloration issue everyone is talking about. And I am using California blue with no case or screen protector.

Battery life has been awesome. Easy full day with several hours bus ride with headphones, Here Drive Beta for at least 2, and occasional internet. Only recently it went pretty quick, but was out of town and nowhere near any towers.

Apps are lacking, but what us available is so much better. I've reduced my dependence on apps since most of the stock OS systems work great.

And of course, the OS is just awesome. The only issue I have is the lack of expandable storage. Otherwise this phone simply works, and works fantastic!
Sent from my wicked sexy HTC 8X windows phone using Board Express

 

[podsnap]

Wow, really struggling to know what to do. Owners of the 8X seem to have polar opposite experiences. Some have no problems, but in other threads there are users who have had no end of problems.

That's the problem of not being on contract, you only have the manufacturers warranty as backup.

 

[beachhoppr]

I have an 8x, a Lumia 521 and a Lumia 810. I LOVE the 810...despite EOL.

 

[mjvw7beta]

I have just bought one - so keeping fingers crossed I have a good experience with it (coming from a Titan 1 owner).

 

[martinmc78]

One thing that no one has mentioned yet.

2.1mp wide angle front facing camera. Hands down the one feature that sold me on the 8x - Skype video chats are amazing with it. It even beats out most webcams on laptops. And if your in to taking pictures with yourself in then its great for a quick snap.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Wow, really struggling to know what to do. Owners of the 8X seem to have polar opposite experiences. Some have no problems, but in other threads there are users who have had no end of problems.

That's the problem of not being on contract, you only have the manufacturers warranty as backup.

OP, just be diligent in your research, but you must first find out what YOUR needs are and if the hardware of the 8X matches those needs. The one thing people fail to mention is WP8 is a form factor driven OS. At this point because the OS itself is the same and the internal guts that power it is the same across devices (high, mid rang and low end are all,uniform in their specs in relation to their classifications). As a result it is a matter of what hardware features and their use that is important.

Do not be deterred by the wide range of experiences you've read. If you think that disparity is striking for the 8X, you haven't read the 920/928 forums yet. There are people there who want to hurl their phones at Elop on one end and others who love their 920/928 to the point they baby it I like a first born child.

Just remember...electronics can actually be defective at times. Most of my phones have worked flawlessly, whether bought new or used. I've also had a few wallet busting money pit creating headaches. Those are just the breaks, man...

 

[eruptflail]

Ignoring the Apps that Nokia has, there are some issues with the 8X. The coating tends to darken with time, and it's very apparent if you use a case. The biggest issue is that updates for the 8X aren't going to be like a Nokia phone. The next update for WP8 is giving Nokia a lot more cool features, because Nokia invested in them. Granted, we don't know that HTC wont bring their own special update to the table, but don't hang your hat just yet. Give the Lumia 925 a look. It's pretty full-featured and it weighs a lot less than the 920.

Overall, I like my 8X, but I'm beginning to fear that I'm missing out software wise. I don't care much about the Nokia exclusive apps, but I do worry about the future. Doesn't really matter though. In two years time I won't be having a WP device anyways, unless Microsoft gets their butts in gear and releases them in Japan...