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 global version of the One X that we got in Australia used a 1.5GHz quad-core chip. We can’t wait to crunch the numbers. The One X+ boosts the battery from 1800mAh to 2100mAh, yet one carrier claims that it will get 50 per cent more battery life on average. Those gains are probably largely due to the Tegra 3’s power-saving fifth core.
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 for a quicker experience. HTC also revamped the already good camera app to make it even more intuitive.
We only had a few minutes with the One X+, but it left us extremely eager to give it a full test. When we do, you’ll be the first to know. Australian release details are yet to be confirmed.