Would it be unfair to begin by saying that the charismatic Peter Chou, former CEO and co-founder of HTC, has just left the company? I would say not, as it's only fair that HTC phone fans know that this once strong company is not in good shape right now. But fortunes turn and until such time, the Taiwanese phone maker is continuing with its new releases, one of which is the mid-range HTC One X9. With the number of Android phones that are flooding the market now, one can't say if it stands a chance at a price of Rs 25,990.
Turning the HTC One X9 over and over in my hands, I had to think hard to figure out what really recommends this device. It's very solidly built, yes. It's 5.5 inches, but a little broad so that it seems bigger than it is. It's got a smooth metal back with an ugly plastic strip on top. It's not a phone you'd flaunt. But rather, one that you'd think of as a good utility device. Swipe it open and you'll find a standard looking 1080x1920 display, not remarkable for anything in particular. It's a little dull, in fact. But it is comfortable, like a book with big big print, easy to read. The phone runs smoothly on Android 6.0 and HTC's Sense UI 7.0. The MediaTek Helio X10 octa-core processor runs lag free with its 3GB of RAM. You have 32GB of storage, expandable with a card. All is smooth. But from benchmark scores, you can see this is a budget processor and there is some heating up even with watching a bit of video. The cameras, both the 13MP primary and the 5MP front are passable. They wouldn't be the reason you'd buy the phone nor the reason to give it a miss. This device has Dual-SIM slots (nano) and supports all the 4G bands. The battery is a 3,000mAh which behaves moderately well.
The biggest drawback of this device is really its price. It's a regular budget phone but being sold at a price that's no longer considered budget.
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.