HTC 8XT REVIEW
The name of HTC's 8XT leaves you guessing how this Windows Phone 8 model should represent an advance over last year's HTC 8XT. Introduced very late in Windows Phone 8's product cycle, this decent, midrange phone is pretty, but it doesn't stand out enough to draw Sprint customers over to a new OS. If the HTC 8XT looks familiar that’s because it’s practically a splitting image of the HTC Windows Phone 8X which debuted on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon last year. While it’s a bit of a design redux, in some respects that’s a good thing. The 8XT shares the sleek lines, slim profile, and rounded edges of the 8X which helped that device really stand out from the crowd. The phone comes in a similar blue hue as well, though the 8XT sports a two-tone light and dark blue paint job as opposed to the 8X’s uniform color scheme. Measuring 5.2 inches tall by 2.6 inches wide and just 0.39 inch thick, the 8XT has roughly the same physical footprint too. That said, the 8XT weighs a heavier 4.9 ounces compared with the 8X’s 4 ounce heft. Even so, the gadget is compact enough to slide into tight pockets and other cramped locations easily. I also found the phone’s gently curved back comfortable to grip. On front of the 8XT is a 4.3-inch LCD with a WXGA resolution (800x480 pixels). That’s far below the sharpness of more expensive phones with full HD resolutions (1,920x720). Still, while it won’t exactly blow your socks off, the screen is bright enough and colors are sufficiently vivid so as not to detract from video, text, and other mobile content. HTC also claims that the 8XT features its BoomSound audio technology which first appeared on its HTC One flagship. In a nutshell, there are two front-firing stereo speakers each equipped with their own amp. The goal is to boost the volume of music, video, and other audio. Above the display is the 8XT’s 1.6MP front camera for self portraits and video chat. Running along the bottom of the screen are typical Windows Phone controls for Back, Start, and Search. There are no physical keys on the 8XT’s left edge but you’ll find a thin volume rocker and dedicated camera button on the right side. As with the 8X, these keys lie extremely flush with the phone’s surface almost to a fault. I found them very tricky to locate and push blindly especially when holding the device sideways in landscape orientation. Up top sits a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a trim power key. Around back is the 8MP main camera and LED flash. They’re both housed in a metallic circle too, which is one difference from the Windows Phone 8X which has no such design element. Running Windows Phone 8, the HTC 8XT uses Microsofts much-touted “Live Tile” UI where square and rectangular application tiles actively twinkle with alerts and other data in real time. Living on the vertically scrolling homescreen, you can also move tiles around, resize them, or delete them to suit your tastes. The 8XT is powered by an 1800 mAh battery and is driven by a 1.4GHz dual core Snapdragon processor that moves things along rather nicely. The HTC 8XT is trim and attractive, runs long, and takes quality pictures. It also connects to Sprint’s growing 4G LTE network and has powerful features.
SPECIFICATION & FEATURES
HTC 8XT PRICE
Price in USA $414
Price in UK £250
Price in EURO €300
Price in PAK Rs.45,000
Price in INDIA Rs.21,000
