Often a time of year when smartphone companies release their new devices, this is also the perfect time of year for bargain shoppers in the mobile handset marketplace. Because of those new releases, many wireless retailers discount current bestsellers. One example is the AT&T HTC Windows Phone 8X, which has been drastically reduced at select online retail outlets. On contract the handset can be had for a price tag usually reserved for entry-level phones, but still delivers 4G connectivity, Beats Audio sound enhancement, a large high-resolution screen and the Windows Phone operating system.
Offered in unique color options, the handset arrived on the AT&T wireless network in November of last year. 4G LTE and HSPA+ capable, the HTC Windows Phone 8X offers the AT&T Mobile Hotspot service and NFC wireless support out-of-the-box. Beats Audio delivers a unique audio amplifier through both the 3.5 mm audio jack and the speaker, and the sound enhancement package works through all applications, such as listening to music, watching a video or playing games.
The Windows Phone 8X is the first Windows powered handset to deliver Beats Audio, and the handset offers a large 4.30 inch display. Pixel density runs high at 342 pixels per inch on the Super LCD 2 display, with an overall resolution of 720 x 1,280 pixels delivering more than 16 million individual colors. Corning has given the handset a layer of scratch resistant Gorilla Glass 2, and built-in light and proximity sensors help deliver up to 1.3 hours of talk time from a full battery charge. The Windows Phone 8X delivers an extra-wide 88 degree front and back camera package, whereas most smartphones only allow for extra-wide capture on their rear camera
This gives the front facing 2.0 megapixel camera the ability to capture up to three times the width of the normal smartphone chat cam. The rear facing 8.0 megapixel camera comes with a dedicated shutter key, and runs the exclusive HTC ImageSense technology. This is basically a proprietary ISP that delivers extra options like super fast capture times and a continuous shot mode. Video is recorded at 1,080P HD resolution on the HTC WP8X handset, with the front facing chat cam also offering video call support.
A Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 system chip powers the Windows Phone 8X, built around a dual core 1.5 GHz CPU. The phone also offers 16 GB of built-in storage and 1.0 GB of RAM, and graphics are handled by an Adreno 225 GPU. The Internet Explorer 10 web browser is present out-of-the-box, while popular online destinations Facebook, YouTube, Picasa and Twitter have been pre-installed.
