HTC One X+

“The One X+ might just be a stopgap device, one that merely aims to put HTC in a good position for the Holiday shopping spree and buy time, instead of trying to revolutionize the smartphone world. But there's plenty to love about it and very little to frown at, which is what really counts here. Let's just hope HTC does a better job of the marketing this time, as we'd hate to see it fail the way its predecessor did.”

“There's no question that with the One X+, HTC is offering more to Android power users outside of the US. What's less clear is whether it brings more in the areas that actually matter to you. The answer is yes -- but only if you meet some rather narrow criteria. If you loved the physical design and excellent display on the original global One X but were put off by its 32GB storage cap and second-best performance, then this new flagship is definitely worthy of consideration. It's extremely snappy, beating rivals phones on certain computation-heavy tests, and its graphics engine delivers a perfectly smooth experience even on the most visually-demanding tasks and games. What's more, the phone achieves all of this without making battery life any worse than it was before.On the other hand, if you weren't particularly drawn to the global One X in the first place, and if you make more mainstream demands on your phone, then you should be more circumspect about this proposition. At the top of the top end, the Padfone 2 and Nexus 4 (along with its cousin, the Optimus G) have dented a lot of egos with their shockingly powerful and well-rounded S4 Pro chip -- and this new souped-up One X+ just can't keep up. Meanwhile, the Samsung GS III and Note II come with better cameras and longer battery life. And if you peer over the platform divide you'll see that the iPhone 5 does so too. Compared to these phones, the HTC One X+ is a missed opportunity. It could have been an S4 Pro-powered phone. It could have been tweaked to deliver superior stills and video recording, and it could have come in more colors. But instead HTC has decided to play it safe -- at least for now.In fact, one of the biggest impressions left over by the One X+ is that it highlights all the continuing strengths of the regular One X. This device has benefited from extremely positive updates since we first reviewed it, with great improvements to all-round performance and battery life, and it's due to get Sense 4+ within the next couple of months too. If you don't mind taking out a contract on a phone that is already seven months into its cycle, and if you can find the One X at a bargain price as a result of the One X+ weighing down at the top of the HTC stack, then it's perhaps a more savvy purchase than its newer, flashier big brother.”

“Is it substantially better than the HTC One X? While many of the key elements of the phone are the same, it's the battery that makes the biggest difference to us. It was the weakest element of the previous device and it's now a better performer. If you're a One X owner, this is the thing you should be envious of.How does it compare to something like the Samsung Galaxy S III? We'd happily take either phone and the One X+ narrows the gap with the SGS3 that was there previously from the original model.Much will come down to preference in software: Samsung has a great range of innovative software features that HTC doesn't, as well as the flexibility of a changeable battery and microSD card. But what the One X+ might lack is the je ne sais quoi that has people talking about it in the street, which Samsung does.And that's not quite fair, because the HTC One X+ is an excellent handset. There's little to complain about, save a minor gripe with HTC Locations, and nothing is insurmountable. The hardware, the power, the build and the design of the HTC One X+ make this a phone we'd highly recommend.”

“The HTC One X+ really is a top class high-end Android phone. It looks great, has bags of power and is rammed full of useful tweaks and features. If you're looking for a strong alternative to the Galaxy S3, then the One X+ is the phone to go for.”