HTC One X+ Hands-On: Really Good Is Getting Better [Android]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5949152/htc-one-x%252B-hands+on-really-good-is-getting-better

We really liked the HTC One X, and from our brief encounter with the One X+ tonight, we're going to like it even more. On the outside, it looks essentially the same—same gorgeous screen, same solid build—but its insides are nicely ramped up.

This will be the first phone hitting the States with Nvidia's 1.7GHz quad-core Tegra 3 (yes, this new version can now work with LTE). The U.S. version of the One X used a dual-core Snapdragon S4. We can't wait to crunch the numbers and see which really is faster. The X+ boosts the battery from 1800mAh to 2100mAh, yet AT&T claims that it will get 50 percent more battery life on average. We were those gains were largely due to the Tegra 3's power-saving fifth core. That would be huge, as battery life is one of the worst things about the One X.

This was also our first look at what HTC's Sense+ UI looks like when it's on top of Jelly Bean (Android 4.1). Good news: at first glance it's even less offensive than Sense was on top of Ice Cream Sandwich. Everything was as smooth and quick as you would hope—Google Now popped up instantly. Where other manufacturers are adding more and more flourishes, HTC has actually scaled back even further, removing a lot of animations which leaves a quicker-feeling experience. HTC also revamped the already good camera app to make it even more intuitive.

We only had a few minutes with the X+, but it left us extremely eager to give it a full test. When we do, you'll be the first to know. It will be arriving on AT&T in the weeks to come.