HTC Windows Phone 8X NFC

There’s 1080p video playback support for MP4 files. There’s only 16GB of onboard storage, which is quite low considering this a flagship device. It wouldn’t have been this bad if we could expand the storage but sadly, HTC has left out that option.

The HTC 8X has several things going for it, namely a very thin and light design, and a wide availability among US carriers. Those are two very strong points that may ultimately be at the root of its eventual success.

Sleek sexy and colorful design; Bright vivid display; Beats Audio; Fairly fast and sharp camera; Wide-angle front camera

Relatively short battery life; No microSD card slot

Click to EnlargeThe HTC Windows Phone 8X is sturdy, sexy and svelte, and, like Microsoft's OS itself, clearly differentiated from Android and iOS devices. We especially like the 8X's fast back camera and wide-angle front camera. This handset's biggest...

Exquisite design ; Compact package ; Gorgeous display

Weak app ecosystem ; AT&T's model offers LTE for the same price

HTC's 8X is the better WP8 buy on T-Mobile. But at a relatively high $199 on-contract price, it can't outcompete AT&T's Lumia 920.

Exquisite, compact design ; Excellent performance and display ; LTE support

Weak app ecosystem ; 100 only offers 8GB of storage

The HTC 8X is a fantastic ambassador to WP8 but needs a stronger app ecosystem. AT&T's model offers less storage for the money than the competition.

Excellent balance of size and power. Great design. Sharp screen. Killer Beats Audio

Photos are a bit washed out. Lacks high-quality free navigation apps

The HTC 8X is a powerful Windows Phone in a slim, pocket-friendly form factor.

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support ; Quad-band 3G with 42 Mbps HSDPA and 5.7 Mbps HSUPA support ; 4.3" 16M-color S-LCD2 capacitive touchscreen of 720 x 1280 pixel resolution ; Scratch resistant Gorilla Glass 2 display ; 8 megapixel autofocus camera with...

Too much bezel offsets smaller screen ; No microSD card slot, just one storage option ; Non user-replaceable battery ; App catalog falls short of Android and iOS ; Competition has quad-core Krait CPUs already ; No FM radio ; No system-wide file manager...

HTC has seen better days in the smartphone market - we know this doesn't sound too good but somehow it has little to do with the quality of its devices. The company had solid offerings in the One X and the One S but it seems Samsung is better at making...

Comfortable stylish design ; Great hardware specs ; Great screen quality ; Fantastic camera ; Available on most carriers ; Windows Phone 8 Start screen rocks ; Good audio quality

No micro SD ; Camera not as good as iPhone 5 ; Xbox Music app needs update ; App store still a bit weaker than Android and iOS

It’s rare that we have nothing bad to say about a phone. The HTC Windows Phone 8X sets a new bar for Windows Phone. It is the first WP8 device we can recommend to those hunting for a top-notch super phone over the holidays.

Standout industrial design ; Pixel-dense, beautiful display ; New homescreen adds versatility ; Upgraded audio hardware

App ecosystem remains deficient ; Not the best ergonomics for a 4.3-inch phone ; Beats Audio and new front-facing camera are superfluous gimmicks

Aggressively priced and specced, the 8X is limited by its operating system's chronic lack of an app ecosystem