Could the new HTC One X be the best Android around?
The phone launched with a boom at Mobile World Congress, and features a massive 4.7 inch screen a slim, touchable body, a camera that outshines that of the iPhone 4S and the lastest Android operating system, Icecream Sandwich.
Like the Nokia 808 Pureview, the HTC One is a camera-focused phone, ideal for those who shoot often. And these days, who doesn't?
The camera is ready to shoot in 0.7 seconds, which feels like a significant improvement on the BlackBerry 9790 and older iPhone models (iPhone 4s has recently updated its camera, which now works from the lock screen.)
It has autofocus in 0.2 seconds, which HTC say is faster than the blink of an eye. Either way, it's fast, which is great, because speed and efficiency are the main reasons you use a camera phone and not a film SLR.
Fast burst shooting is excellent, as is the F 2.0 lens, which visibly allows in more light than our iPhone 4S camera. Images are brighter and better.
The camera also works superbly well in low or no light, and the flash illuminates images gently, not harshly.
A front facing camera, which should be a must in all smartphones, makes the HTC One X more sociable, allowing for face-to-face video calls.
We hardly ever touch on how well phones make calls and send texts in reviews anymore, but this does both well. No need to hold the phone in a special way, or hope your message has gone through. In comparison, sending messages between two iPhones on the same network in London does not always work, thanks to the free iMessage system.
Video-viewing is a dream thanks to the massive screen and fast processor and 1.5 GHz, quad-core working hand in hand. The fast speed means no glitches in quality, and the screen size makes for less squinting and lush viewing - perfect if you've shelled out for Sky, or plan to catch up on iPlayer on the go.
All these features are great, but what lets Android phones down is the interface. It can be obfuscating and confusing. But what makes HTC one of the best users of this OS is their unique overlay, which is visually appealing, easy to use and relatively minimal.
Finally, the HTC One X feels really nice to hold, and since you'll be fiddling with your phone almost all day, that's a feature that's surprisingly overlooked by many phone designers.
T3 agree that the HTC One X has the nicest handle of any smartphone since the Apple iPhone 4. Its curved edges and light weight polycarbonate material combine to create a phone that's a pleasure to look at, fondle and call your own.