I'll be after the successor to the HTC TITAN
It’s a difficult question to answer, “Which Windows Phone would you buy next?” It's especially difficult when we only have three announced Windows Phones for Apollo. We’ve seen what both Samsung and Nokia have to offer in terms of hardware for the next version of Microsoft’s mobile operating system, but there’s one major partner that has still to take the floor. Yes, I’m talking about HTC. I would very much like to purchase the upcoming HTC 8X.
I hear the shouts and screams. "Why?!" Well, the Taiwanese manufacturer has supported Windows Phone since the beginning (as well as Windows Mobile) with a number of devices. I've always liked their first generation Windows Phones. I’ve made my opinions clear in the past how the company could have taken the platform by storm through actively promoting their hardware. HTC then brought us the Radar and my favourite Windows Phone – the massive TITAN. Sporting a thin design, comfortable body and being fairly light-weight made it a no brainer for me.
Now don’t mistake me for a moment. I enjoy using all Windows Phones – I enjoy the OS experience. However, I believe I’m slightly picky when it comes to hardware. The Lumia 800 is a superb device, and the Lumia 820 and 920 are both going to provide great options for consumers. But they’re just not for me. Yes, Nokia has services, support and OEM apps to boot, but there’s something about HTC’s larger handsets that excites me. Plus I find Lumia handsets to be slightly on the bulky and heavier side of the scale.
Of course, I cannot praise a Windows Phone and not state any issues I’ve experienced. The HTC TITAN, while constructed in an effective way, is far too weak for everyday use. I use my smartphone a lot. Whether it’s for maps, transport, email, contacting friends, calling a loved one, or attempting to complete DODONPACHI MAXIMUM, it definitely gets used. I’ve also dropped the TITAN I own a few times, which has left the screen with a couple of dents, scratches across the back of the casing, as well as a sizeable chip in the top corner (which my girlfriend humorously decided to paint over). It’s easily damaged.
So, I enjoy using my HTC TITAN, but why do I want to get the HTC 8X (aka Accord)? It’s considered the successor to the TITAN II, and if it’s to resemble the Android One X in any way (as is rumoured), I’d be a happy chap. I like the huge screen, and prefer HTC LCD displays to Samsung AMOLEDs – though I understand the Lumia 920 uses PureMotion HD+, which is interesting and innovative technology.
We haven’t seen much in terms of photos or leaks that would confirm my decision to purchase the 8X, but the rumoured 4.7” display, dual-core chip, 8MP shooter and NFC is enough to sway me with a similar design to what I’ve grown accustomed to with my TITAN. If HTC score high with weight and thickness (or better yet, make it thinner and lighter than the TITAN) then I’m immediately sold. While I enjoy Nokia’s services and the apps you bring to the Marketplace, I enjoy the Windows Phone experience overall to be able to pick another OEM.
I’ll definitely have a Nokia Windows Phone as a secondary handset though, just so I can take full advantage of options available. We’ll -of course- have to wait until the HTC event this coming Wednesday, but I’m silently excited to see what the manufacturer brings to the table. Give me an Apollo TITAN / One X hybrid and you can have my bank account details, HTC.
You can catch the other Windows Phone Central Staff Members choices here in our My Next Windows Phone series of editorials.
