Thinking of buying a HTC One X

[TarekElsakka]

Hello there

I know this may be a stupid or odd question to some of you, but I am brand new to the whole Android scene. I've always been an iPhone user until recently when I started using BlackBerries. Now jumping from iPhones to BB was probably the biggest mistake I have done because BB is utter crap and not worth the money; I don't mind buying the cheapest BB possible and using it for just BBM (since that's the only thing that's good about it anyway). *end of rant*

I have recently helped out a friend of mine with his HTC Touch Pro (not sure if that was the model) by installing a new Windows Mobile ROM for him and it was fairly easy once I started reading on how it is done and watching some tutorial videos; am I to assume that rooting the HTC One X in order to be able to install customized ROMs would be a similar process?

I also found in the guide that there are a lot of ROMs to choose from, and some of them end with the words "Jelly Bean", is that like the latest official ROM from Google?

And ugh.. one last thing, where's the best place to get Android applications? Is there a store like the App Store, for instance? Please forgive me if this coming question may be against the rules, you can remove it, but is there anything like Installous, for instance? I didn't like having to dish out a lot of money for basic applications on the App Store, especially Maps ones which cost well over 60 bucks, CRAZY.

I still have the Bold 9900 as of the moment but I am considering buying a HTC One X tonight; I found one used (production date 5 - 2012) for only one month and still has 11 months left in its warranty and is in mint condition and for a very good price, so I think I'll go for that rather than dishing out a lot of money for a brand new one and then losing a heck of a lot of money if I decide to sell it.

Any information, tips, or advice would be very appreciated.

Thank you guys!

 

[MangoPowah]

Hey!

Yes, Android 4.1, also known as Jelly Bean, is the latest Android version from Google. There are ways to root the One X, and install custom roms. These can be found under the HTC One X section of the forums.

And Android has its own version of the App Store, known as Google Play. There are quite a few games on there that are free that you have to pay for on the App Store, such as Bad Piggies, and many others I am unaware of.

And since you mentioned Installous, I'm guessing you're hinting at app piracy. Although I am aware of a way, I can't tell you, since it's against forum rules, sorry! But the legal way to get apps is through Google Play.

Hope I helped!

Sent from my HTC One X

 

[TarekElsakka]

I just watched a video of comparison between the Samsung Galaxy SIII and the HTC One X, and the only thing the SIII has over the One X, in my opinion, is the Touch Wiz, which seems much more responsive, quicker, and overall more efficient than the Sense. How's your experience with the Sense? And are there custom ROMs that come without the Sense thing?

 

[MangoPowah]

I had both the S3 and the HOX. However, my S3 was filled with problems, so I ended up tradingit in for the HOX. Touchwiz has a couple of bells and whistles that Sense doesn't have, such as Smart Stay, and multitasking that makes the HOX look like iOS multutasking. Not to mention the S3 has a removable battery and SD card slot, good for travelers and those who like to store media on their phone. Sense has been ok for me, but I have since swapped it out for Nova because of all the redraws. I'm not sure about any Sense-free ROMS (since I have no experience with rooting whatsoever), but I do know that CyanogenMod is a popular ROM.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[svenEDGE]

I just watched a video of comparison between the Samsung Galaxy SIII and the HTC One X, and the only thing the SIII has over the One X, in my opinion, is the Touch Wiz, which seems much more responsive, quicker, and overall more efficient than the Sense. How's your experience with the Sense? And are there custom ROMs that come without the Sense thing?

Welcome to the Android Community! I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in about the GS3 vs one X thing. I think there is one other crucial area you need to think about which is battery life. Just like Mango mentioned, the GS3 has a removable battery and the one X doesn't. But more than that, you'll last longer on a single charge with the GS3 than the one X (or so I've been told). And without the option to just pop a spare battery in with the One X, you might find yourself a little frustrated. And yes there are Sense free ROMs available.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[TarekElsakka]

Thank you guys for your replies. I guess I am going to try ROMs both with and without Sense and see which I prefer more.

@svenEDGE how long does the One X battery usually last? There are no official figures on GSMArena.com as far as I am aware, and I am sure there are battery cases available for it, correct?

 

[MangoPowah]

For my usage, I usually get 15 hours a day with 5 hours of screen on time. If I'm on 4G though, that slips to 3 hours and 12 hours of on screen time. I've actually used my HOX more than I used my S3, and I'm getting battery life on here.

EDIT: And yes, there are battery cases. Mugen sells 3200 and 6000 mAh variants. Not sure on the prices, though, as I have not checked yet.

Sent from my HTC One X

 

[svenEDGE]

@svenEDGE how long does the One X battery usually last? There are no official figures on GSMArena.com as far as I am aware, and I am sure there are battery cases available for it, correct?

Yes you can find battery cases to use. My only issue is just how damn ugly they are and how much bulk they add to the phone. But if you're cool with it then battery life might not be such an issue as far as exact figures go, just Google reviews of both phone and see what the majority of reviews say. There are TONS of reviews for both phones.

At the end of the day its just about which phone works better for you.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[TarekElsakka]

I agree with you, battery cases are bulky and ugly; I know that because I had to use them with my iPhone 4. I just hope the phone can last for about 8 hours of very minimal usage since that's about how long I spend in university every Monday and Thursday, while the rest of the week I'll have a lot of chances to constantly charge the phone so that won't be a problem.

I am still deciding between the S3 and the One X. I was supposed to pick up the One X now (or in a few) but the seller is not answering my phone calls, for some reason. I'm going to check the website to see other sellers and perhaps pick the best price and condition, in case the seller doesn't answer shortly.

 

[adamtalife]

I agree with you, battery cases are bulky and ugly; I know that because I had to use them with my iPhone 4. I just hope the phone can last for about 8 hours of very minimal usage since that's about how long I spend in university every Monday and Thursday, while the rest of the week I'll have a lot of chances to constantly charge the phone so that won't be a problem.

I am still deciding between the S3 and the One X. I was supposed to pick up the One X now (or in a few) but the seller is not answering my phone calls, for some reason. I'm going to check the website to see other sellers and perhaps pick the best price and condition, in case the seller doesn't answer shortly.

The One X will EASILY last 8 hours of light usage. As far as getting 15 hours off charger with 4 hours screen time, don't buy the phone thinking you'll get that. It's all about your usage. I guess I average 14 hours off charger with 3-3.5 hours screen time. IMO, that's a little more than moderate usage.

I can't see the sd card and removable battery being an issue, as you're coming from an iphone like me. My gf uses the S3, and I know it's all about preference but after using her S3, I'd stick with the One X. The difference in battery life is minimal, I have unlimited data and use Dropbox with their free 25 GB of data to store my pictures. Needless to say my next device, if not a nexus will Definitely be an HTC.

Sent from my HTC One XL using Android Central Forums

 

[ToxicWaste]

Long time iPhone user here. Quite simply, this phone if properly ser up, can last over a day easily and with usage. Screen dimming is the key. If you just turn that down it really saves a ton of power. Also, if I'm in a super low signal area, I out it Airplane mode to save even more juice. Google Drive, SkyDrive and Dropbox easily solves storage issues. The fact the GS3 has a removable battery ended up being one the reasons I didn't get it. I like a unibody case and it feels better in my hands too.

I had ky heart set on the GS3 but after playing around with my brother's, I know I made the choice. It really is what you prefer for options though. I actually like Sense but I did try Nova Launcher and it just really boosts the phones potential without rooting.

Just know these aren't iPhones. Nothing similar about them. Took me a while to figure it all out to perfection but at the end of the day, HTC makes a hell of a phone.

Good luck with your decision.

Jon

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

 

[TarekElsakka]

I took the plunge and bought the One X this morning.

I am really happy with it so far. The screen quality and touch responsiveness are amazing. Typing on it is pretty difficult for me since I have been using BlackBerry devices for a long time now but I am sure I'll get used to it just like I did when I first got the iPhone.

The device came with 4.1 Jelly Bean and the guy told me that he rooted it before but then decided to unroot it after playing with custom ROMs a little bit. I might attempt to do that but later. I am about to install Juice Defender since I've heard it really improves battery life, and I have the "Battery Saving Mode" switched to ON and brightness to automatic but will probably manually adjust it to the lowest at night.

The camera is excellent, at least compared to my previous BlackBerry. The "continuous capturing", or w.e it is called, feature is probably one of the best things I've seen in a while; I know it may be old and has already been there on older devices but this is the first time I actually see and try it so it's pretty cool.

I am still downloading some applications, playing the settings, etc. and tweaking the phone the way I want it to be.

There are some tricky things about it, I can definitely say Android is not as easy as iOS is (but then again iOS is very limited and Apple just ties you, unless you JB it) but that's not a bad thing, I love it!

All in all I am very happy with my decision and I do not regret it one bit, at least not yet. Hopefully I won't, though. When I get into the whole rooting and custom ROMs world I am sure I'll like it even more.

Thanks a lot for all your help, guys!

By the way, HTC Sync is the default managing and syncing application I should be using between the HTC and my computer right?

 

[TarekElsakka]

Something is really frustrating me - HTC Sync isn't able to detect my device. I played in the Settings and I cannot find how to change USB connectivity mode; isn't it supposed to show a pop up where I am supposed to choose between "Charge only, media sync" or something like that? I cannot for the life of me find it. I also tried dragging down the drawer thing and it says USB Connectivity but when I click it it's just all about hotspot and tethering. Any ideas?

 

[adamtalife]

Try settings-all the way at the bottom tap connect to pc. See what your default connection is and also check the box that says ask me. Unplug your phone then plug it back in.

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

 

[TarekElsakka]

@adamtalife I am sorry but I cannot find the option you're referring to under Settings. As I have mentioned in my earlier post, I have tried almost every tab and option inside Settings but I just cannot seem to find it.

I did try connecting my device to my Macbook Pro on Mac using Sync Manager and the Mac actually detected it; I am guessing I should download HTC Sync Manager instead of HTC Sync on my Windows computer?

 

[TarekElsakka]

I have decided that I would install this custom ROM:

[ROM] 21-10-2012 | IceColdJelly - 3.1 - AOKP build5+ unofficial - JellyBean 4.1.2_r1

In the instructions, it says:

"flash these gapps (Google applications - 20121011) -they NEED to be flashed after every ROM flash"

I downloaded those "gapps" but how do I flash them? They are a bunch of folders inside a .rar file.

And um.. what's the easiest way to wipe the device?

Thank you!

 

[adamtalife]

Sorry I can't help with the HTC sync manager.

First I'm assuming you're rooted, bootloader unlocked, and have a custom Recovery installed. Not sure if you're familiar with flashing so ill assume you're not. First things first reboot into recovery and make and nandroid backup of you current ROM.

Find a ROM that's compatible with your device, download it and download gapps. When they're finished reboot into recovery, wipe cache, wipe dalvik cache, and do a factory reset. Then find the ROM you downloaded in probably your download folder. Tap it and hit flash. Once that's finished wipe cache and dalvik again. Then flash gapps. Reboot your system and you're good to go.

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

 

[TarekElsakka]

Thank you so much for your reply. I am fairly new to the whole flashing thing and I can assure you that I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, lol.

How do I boot into recovery and make an android backup of my current ROM?

After that you said "When they're finished reboot into recovery, wipe cache, wipe dalvik cache, etc." how do I perform these steps exactly? I mean I'll assume rebooting into recovery won't be hard, but how do I do the latter?

This is a photo of the folder where I extracted the custom ROM's files to:

I don't get what to do with it.

 

[adamtalife]

Is your device rooted? If unsure, download the app "root checker". From the play store.

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

 

[TarekElsakka]

Yes, sir. Sorry I forgot to mention this earlier, but I did root it shortly after I got it. Downloaded the necessary files, ran the "root" batch file and followed the steps. The device restarted a couple of times and then settled.

Right now I will attempt to unlock the bootloader using this: How To Unlock HTC One X Bootloader | The Android Soul