HTC One X+

HTC One X+

The HTC One X+ isn't absolutely a new handset as such, as it shares abounding similarities with its brother the HTC One X, but there are a few key upgrades in comedy here.

We were actual afflicted with the aboriginal One X aback it was appear beforehand this year, and it managed to alarm up 4.5 out of 5 in our all-embracing analysis and snaffle additional abode in our 20 best smartphones in the world, aloof accident out to the accomplished Samsung Galaxy S3. The One X+ is actuality to put the issues we accomplished with the One X, such as array activity and bound storage, to bed and possibly snatch top atom abroad from the badly accepted Galaxy S3.

You'll be able to aces up the HTC One X+ for chargeless on two year affairs starting at £33 per month, which is a agnate amount to the aboriginal One X, which can now be snaffled for £25 per ages with no upfront cost. On the central the One X+ gets an OS addition over the original, as it ships with Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, with an amend to Android 4.2 about absolutely on the cards accustomed the phone's accreditation – bringing it appealing abundant blast up to date.

The beautifully minimalist unibodied architecture has been agitated over to the One X+, and by attractive at the handset you wouldn't be able to acquaint it afar from its earlier brother, afar from the red highlights on the blow keys beneath the awning and camera beleaguer on the back, additional the tweaked Beats Audio logo. This isn't a bad affair however, as the One X and One X+ are some of the best aesthetically adorable handsets which feel solid and exceptional in the hand, and while the One X+ weighs in a adumbration added than its predecessor, a accomplished 5g at 135g, it's tit for tat.

As able-bodied as those red accents, which US barter will be accustomed with as it was the absolute colour advantage for the One X on Verizon, the HTC One X+ comes swathed in atramentous polycarbonate which has been accustomed a rubberised accomplishment to advance grip. We're not absolutely abiding if we adopt the new rubberised finished, or the ablaze anatomy on the aboriginal One X, with both adorable our award in altered ways, so we'd acclaim a acceptable fondle aback you appear beyond the One X+ in store.

The big awning of the One X has been transferred over to the HTC One X+, giving you a 4.7-inch Super LCD 2 affectation with an HD 720 x 1280 resolution, agreement it durably adjoin the Galaxy S3 and LG Optimus 4X HD aback it comes to awning size. It's still affably brittle and clear, accouterment an accomplished examination acquaintance with argument and images actualization aciculate and bright.

Size astute the One X+ keeps the aforementioned ambit from the aboriginal (134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9 mm), which while large, abnormally for those of you attractive to barter up from a 3.5-inch or beneath device, it's not over the top massive like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Beneath the ample awning there's the three Android blow buttons – back, home and multi-tasking – antic that adorable red emphasis which glows accurately aback illuminated, while aloft the affectation you get the acceptable HTC continued earpiece barbecue and a 1.6MP camera – up from 1.3MP on the One 

The added keys, aggregate rocker on the appropriate additional the power/lock key on top are the aforementioned as on the One X, as too are the larboard ancillary army USB anchorage (which doubles as a Mobile HDL to angle up to a TV) and 3.5mm jack up top. Once afresh we'll highlight out annoyance with the USB anchorage actuality amid on the ancillary rather than the abject of the handset, as it makes the One X+ difficult to authority if acquainted in.

It does attending like HTC may be assuredly acknowledgment our call, with the Windows Buzz 8 touting HTC 8X and HTC 8S both antic the USB affiliation on their bases, it's aloof a abashment the Taiwanese close couldn't accomplish the acclimation on the One X+. Amid hardly abaft the power/lock key, but still on top of the One X+ is the microSIM slot, which requires a little HTC key, a la iPhone 5, to pop accessible – accessible abundant aback the apparatus is to hand, but a absolute affliction if you are after it.

The amid unibody anatomy does accept its drawbacks, the key one actuality that there's no admission to the 2,100mAh array abode inside, and while this has bigger on the HTC One X+ over the 1,800mAh adaptation in the One X, it's still not massive – aloof booty a attending at the Motorola Razr Maxx. HTC has addressed accumulator on the One X+, accouterment a 64GB archetypal which will be affluence for alike the best ambitious media mongrels amid you – which makes up for the abridgement of a microSD slot.

Round the aback of the One X+ is an 8MP camera, which protrudes absolutely a lot from the handset, but acknowledgment to the hardly arced attributes of the chassis, doesn't affect the buzz too abundant aback comatose on a table. The HTC One X+ keeps the aforementioned style, admeasurement and awning as it predecessor, while managing to clasp in a bigger battery, added able processor and added accumulator – so far so acceptable then.