HTC One X+ review

The One X just got better

HTC One X+ review
The definitive HTC One X+ preview

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When it comes to media no one is questioning the HTC One X+, with its 4.7-inch HD display and now huge storage options, backed up by the powerful quad-core processor, this is what the One X+ is made for.

A criticism we had with the original HTC One X was that there was no expandable storage option and even though it was available in a 32GB flavour in today's world of HD movie downloads that can still be filled up.

HTC has now dropped the 16GB option for the One X+, offering up its latest flagship Android handset in 32GB and all new 64GB models – taking the fight to the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3.

Getting media onto the HTC One X+ is easy, simply use the bundled USB cable to connect the handset to your PC, wait for the drivers to automatically install and then drag and drop content to your hearts content.

Alternatively you can install the HTC Sync Manager, which is the Taiwanese firm's own desktop software, similar to the likes of Apple's iTunes and Samsung's Kies.

Sync Manager allows you to sync media from your computer such as movies, photos and music – including tunes from iTunes – to your One X+, plus you can choose to include contacts, calendar events, documents and internet bookmarks.

The free download is relatively simple to use, but we found dragging and dropping our films was a much easier and quicker way to transfer media, although there's the noticeable advantage that Sync Manager makes it easier to transfer you iTunes collection onto the One X+.

Music

HTC One X+ review

The HTC One X+ comes with the stock Android Music app pre-installed, offering up an intuitive player which allows you to make playlists on the fly as well as providing shortcuts to other music related apps such as SoundHound, TuneIn Radio, 7 Digital and Spotify.

You also get treated to Dr Dre's Beats Audio technology, which has been baked into the One X+, enhancing you beats by bringing the bass.

Beats Audio is automatically engaged whenever you start playing a track (or video) – although you don't get the enhancement if you're using the One X+'s internal speaker.

There's no equaliser to play with in the music player, so for those of you who like to fine tune your audio experience you're out of luck on the One X+.

You can download recent album art for your tunes via the music player app, using Gracenote to source the images – which makes viewing your songs are more eye pleasing experience.

HTC One X+ review

Audio quality is pretty good, especially if you invest in a decent set of headphones, with the Beats Audio making a noticeable, if not bassy, improvement on your favourite tracks.

The 7 Digital music store comes pre-installed on the One X+, giving you access to a large library of tunes, with single tracks usually costing 99p and albums ranging from £1.99 to £10.99 – so pretty much on par with other providers.

HTC One X+ review

7 Digital is a well designed app with a similar mechanic to the Google Play store, which means anyone familiar with Android will have no trouble navigating round it.

HTC's simple but perfectly formed FM Radio app also gets a place on the One X+, using the headphone wire as an antenna and allowing you to save your favourite stations for easily listening without the hassle of tuning each time.

HTC One X+ review

If you prefer a wider range of stations then the TuneIn radio app has also been pre-installed, but this uses the internet to stream, so you'll want to keep an eye on your data usage if not on Wi-Fi.

Video

Even though the HTC One X+ is clearly capable of providing a decent video viewing experience, there's no dedicated video player app on the phone.

If you have a hankering for film then you've got a couple of choices, either go to the gallery and sift through your various folders and thumbnails, or scoot over to the Play Movies app which has a tab for personal movies.

HTC One X+ review

The HTC One X+ was able to cope with the majority of video formats we threw at it including MP4, AVI, MKV and WMV.

Playback is excellent with the HD display on the One X+ providing a crisp, vivid movie watching experience and the Beats Audio technology helps to enhance the sound giving you a more cinematic feel, albeit on a smaller screen.

We were easily able to watch a full length movie without grumbling about the quality of the video, a lack of brightness or washed out colours – if you like watching video on the go, the One X+ will be your best friend.

HTC One X+ review

The Play Movies app also gives you access to Google's movie store, which lets you rent a number of titles to enjoy on the handset, or stream to a computer, tablet or TV for a bigger experience.

Some movies are available in HD, while others you can opt to buy instead of just rent. Standard definition movies cost around £3.49 and you'll need to add another pound to the price it you want it in HD.

If you fancy purchasing a film then most will set you back £9.99 SD, or £11.99 in HD, which is quite steep considering you can pick up DVDs of a lot of the films online for a few quid.

HTC One X+ review

Not wanting to be out done HTC also offers its own movie service via the Watch app, which sports a similar pricing structure to Play Movies, but with a slightly different library of titles.

Both apps are easy to use and suffice if you're in need of a quick fix, however you do pay the price for convenience, so you may want to shop around online to see if there's a better deal to be had.

Photos

All your photos, whether they've been taken with the 8MP camera on the back of the HTC One X+, or transferred over from your PC, can be found in the Gallery app which offers up the stock Android experience.

HTC One X+ review

Folders are displayed as thumbnails, which in turn displays your images as smaller previews when selected.

You can make crude adjustments to your images like cropping, rotating and adding some basic effects through the Gallery, but the One X+ doesn't come will a full on photo editing solution, so you may want to make a trip to Google Play.

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.