HTC One XL Brief Review

The HTC One XL follows on from the HTC One X which shares many of the same features with some major improvements such as a dual core processor and 4G (LTE).

With a poly carbonate unibody design with micro USB port and distinctive camera mount, is an attractive and well-designed phone.

You get 32 GB of internal memory but no memory card slot.

With a 4.7 inch screen, the phone is big although weighing 129 grams with a curved back. It’s easy to use with one hand. The Super LCD 2 screen produces bright colors but it’s a little bit washed out on maximum brightness. The viewing angle is great though.

The HTC One XL runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with an update to Jelly Bean coming soon. Overlay on top, there’s HTC Sense UI (4.1) with features like FriendStream which shows your Twitter and Facebook feed. You get multiple home screens and access to the Google Play store.

4G connectivity helps ensure the HTC One XL is a fast phone for browsing. It’s exceptionally fast, the webpages load quickly with quite responsive pinch-to-zoom ability on the screen.

On board there’s an 8-megapixel camera with bright f/2 lens which delivers the same performance as the original HTC One X. Speed of shot is fantastic, detail is decent, and exposure is almost always on point. There’s also a good selection of features including an HDR mode. HD movies’ details look great.

One of the most significance since the HTC One X is the inclusion of dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor instead of the quart-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. It handles gaming well and using the phone never feels slow. Another improvement is the battery (1850mAh) with despite 4G being on board, will last a full day.

Overall, the HTC One XL hits the marks of performance, multimedia and interface. However, it is expensive. If you need 4G, go for it, but if you’re happy with 3G, go for the newer HTC One X+ instead.