A Few Questions Before I Buy

[NinjaBlob]

Hey guys! I'm new to Android, and am hoping to make the One X my first Android phone. My only smartphone up until now has been an iPhone 4, and while it has served me well these past two years, I'm looking for a little more freedom in my smartphone (I also just purchased an iPad, so the iPhone's feeling kind of redundant at this point). I've been heavily researching various Android phones the past week or so and I think I've settled on the One X. The Galaxy SIII was a close second for its expandable storage, but I figure I can export most of my music library (a good 10 GB) to Google Music and make do with the One X's 16 GB, and in my hands-on experiences I found the build and screen of the One X to be superior to the SIII's (although there was only a slight difference in the latter).

Anyway, I'm planning on making the switch tomorrow, but I wanted to check a few nagging worries with some people with actual experience with the phone, hence this post. Here are my remaining questions:

(for reference, I will be purchasing the AT&T version of the One X)

1. I have no experience with Android phones, but I'm not afraid to tinker around and mess with things. I'm a sophomore computer science major, so I have average Java and HTML (doubt that's relevant but thought I'd mention it) knowledge and not much else so far. How difficult will it be for me to root, unlock, and install ROMs to my phone, should I choose to? How safe is it? Can I easily reset back to factory settings should I choose to?

2. Can the newest version of the HTC firmware be rooted, unlocked, etc? I can't seem to find a definite answer.

3. If I do root/unlock, will I still be able to (relatively easily) upgrade to Jelly Bean when HTC releases an upgrade?

4. I know unlocking voids the warranty. Does resetting the phone to factory settings "unvoid" it?

5. I've read numerous reports of problems with Wi-Fi reception, battery life, and other defects. Many reports claimed these were software, and not hardware, problems, and some recent ones claimed that HTC's newest firmware release has fixed most, if not all of them. Is there any truth to this?

6. I also read a few reports of people having various hardware problems with the phone. Have these been ironed out now that the phone's been in out in the wild for a few months?

7. I was planning on getting the white version of the phone, and was hoping to rock it without a case, but I've seen a few reports of it easily getting dirty/scratched. How has your experience with this been? If you do recommend a case, which one would you recommend (I'm currently eyeing these two; for once, OtterBox's case seems normal-sized!)?

8. For iPhone users who've made the jump, what features do you miss most from iOS? What features do you like most on Android that aren't on iOS?

I also have a few more questions that I was planning on asking the AT&T sales rep tomorrow, but thought I'd throw in anyway in case you guys have an answer:

9. I see a lot of posts about people exchanging phones within 30 days. Does AT&T support this policy? Are there any restrictions on what I can do with my phone in those thirty days (other than unlocking, which I know voids the warranty)? Do I have to exchange my phone if I choose to return it, or can I receive a full refund?

10. Does LTE cost more than 3G, or is it all under the same data plan?

Sorry for all the questions, but I want to make sure that I'm not in for any nasty surprises after it's too late to do anything about it. I'm also planning on running some sort of journal/blog about my experiences switching from iOS to Android during the 30 days, if the return policy bit is true, so I'll be sure to post that here once I start it. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[icebike]

10 questions....

There are threads about unlocking and rooting already in this forum. I suggest you book mark those and read them in detail rather than asking us to go over this stuff again. You have to expect to do just a tiny bit of research.

Most wifi is fixed, especially on the AT&T version.
You always read about problems with any phone. People don't come here to post "No Problema" posts. Go see the iPhone forums.
White/Gray, cased or naked. Lots of threads cover this as well. READ the forum.

What do I miss about IOS: Absolutely nothing.

AT&T has a free or very cheap replacement policy, virtually no questions asked. Save all boxes etc.

LTE costs the same.

 

[NinjaBlob]

I've been reading the forums?–?both this one and others – quite a lot over the past few days; the questions I asked here are the ones I couldn't find definite answers to anywhere else. Most of the threads on rooting were either how to's or "can this phone be rooted", not "how difficult would it be for a new user to root this particular phone". I found that the Galaxy Nexus is extremely easy to unlock – you can do it with one line of code in the command prompt –?but the stuff I saw on the One X was difficult to understand without already owning the phone. The only skin topic I saw was regarding somebody asking whether or not he should take off some cover a previous owner had installed; it didn't really apply to what I was asking. Thanks for the help with the other stuff, though!

 

[rdxhd]

1) It is rather simple. XDA developers forum explain everything you need to know but I will advise you to read a lot before you do anything since mistake can be made that can brick your phone. The HOX is my first android phone too.

2) Yes firmware 1.85 has a root. There is a 1 click method that is rather simple.

3) If you only root you will be fine but next HTC update you will loose root. If you unlock and install a another ROM you will not get the HTC updates.

4) You can try but HTC can tell you unlocked you phone. It is a gamble. They may say something they may not

5) Most issues are fixed so I wouldn't worry about it. Plus you have 30 days to check for any issues if you buy from AT&T

6) That's mostly with the international version. The AT&T version fine HW wise. By now you will get a later production version.

7) I have the white one without the case and it is fine. It does not get dirty at all but I am a bigger risk taker.

8) I cam from an iPhone 4 and I really miss much. I have been able to find all feature that I needed. The one thing I miss is the ability to go back to the top of a page in the broswer by double tapping the top bar. Other than that I don't miss anything else.

9) You can exchange phone within 30 days up to 2 times. AT&T is actually pretty good at that.

10) Same data plan but your data plan will vary on the ammount of data you want.

 

[NinjaBlob]

Okay, thank you! I'll definitely be picking it up tomorrow, if I'm able. I'm sorry again (particularly to icebike) for asking what are probably very obvious questions; like I said, I couldn't find direct answers to most of them anywhere (and believe me, I read a lot), and I really wanted to make sure I had all my bases covered before I switched over.

 

[katamari201]

If you are coming from an iPhone, I would highly suggest the galaxy s iii over this phone. It is faster and more responsive, and has a lot more helpful tips than the one x. The one x does not have the instant and smooth reaction that your iPhone or iPad has. The s iii is the closest thing in terms of speed. It is more reliable than the one x, has far fewer issues, and has more benefits exclusive to android, like removable battery and expandable memory, so like an iPhone but better. Don't bother with bootloaders and rooting and all that stuff unless you really want to tinker with honestly trifling things like minor speed improvements that might cripple your phone or a few more pretty themes. The s iii is far ahead in these respects anyhow. The one x is not dev friendly.

I honestly can't recommend this phone unless you really must have the screen and body. The browser lag is really annoying me.

 

[NinjaBlob]

If you are coming from an iPhone, I would highly suggest the galaxy s iii over this phone. It is faster and more responsive, and has a lot more helpful tips than the one x. The one x does not have the instant and smooth reaction that your iPhone or iPad has. The s iii is the closest thing in terms of speed. It is more reliable than the one x, has far fewer issues, and has more benefits exclusive to android, like removable battery and expandable memory, so like an iPhone but better. Don't bother with bootloaders and rooting and all that stuff unless you really want to tinker with honestly trifling things like minor speed improvements that might cripple your phone or a few more pretty themes. The s iii is far ahead in these respects anyhow. The one x is not dev friendly.

I honestly can't recommend this phone unless you really must have the screen and body. The browser lag is really annoying me.

That's actually one of the reasons I was leaning towards this phone; I really don't want to mess with bootloading and rooting if I don't have to, and I really prefer HTC Sense to Samsung TouchWiz. The only ROM I was really looking at was this one to make adding settings to the notification bar, getting rid of AT&T bloatware, and remapping the capacitive buttons easy:

[ROM][7/6] - CleanROM 4.1 SE / LE -★| Aroma Installer | Endless Possibilities! |★- - xda-developers

In my hands-on time in the store, I did found the Samsung to be more responsive, but only very slightly so, and I expect that to be worked out with Jelly Bean's Project Butter anyway. I'm also offloading all of my music to Google Play, and as that took up more than half of the space on my iPhone, I think I should be fine with storage. In general, I just find that the One X feels and looks like a much higher quality phone than the Galaxy SIII.

 

[erwaso]

That's actually one of the reasons I was leaning towards this phone; I really don't want to mess with bootloading and rooting if I don't have to, and I really prefer HTC Sense to Samsung TouchWiz. The only ROM I was really looking at was this one to make adding settings to the notification bar, getting rid of AT&T bloatware, and remapping the capacitive buttons easy:

[ROM][7/6] - CleanROM 4.1 SE / LE -★| Aroma Installer | Endless Possibilities! |★- - xda-developers

In my hands-on time in the store, I did found the Samsung to be more responsive, but only very slightly so, and I expect that to be worked out with Jelly Bean's Project Butter anyway. I'm also offloading all of my music to Google Play, and as that took up more than half of the space on my iPhone, I think I should be fine with storage. In general, I just find that the One X feels and looks like a much higher quality phone than the Galaxy SIII.

I'm on that Rom now. Its smoother and has more options than stock. Couldn't be happier.

Many people have felt that Samsung's are just too "cheap" in terms of hardware. They pack a lot inside but not very durable.

List out your pros and cons. For me the screen, cam/vid, ui, hardware and the reliability I had from my beat up htc aria ( same unit since march 2010) won me over. Others see it different and find more cons then pros like the multitasking issue, only 1gb of ram, etc. My hox experience so far has been stellar. Even my iPhone 4s owning brother and co workers think its " dope" lol.

To the OP, you won't regret getting the one x. Ps. I use a clear case for my white one x, my cargo shorts made the corners black.

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

 

[katamari201]

That's actually one of the reasons I was leaning towards this phone; I really don't want to mess with bootloading and rooting if I don't have to, and I really prefer HTC Sense to Samsung TouchWiz. The only ROM I was really looking at was this one to make adding settings to the notification bar, getting rid of AT&T bloatware, and remapping the capacitive buttons easy:

[ROM][7/6] - CleanROM 4.1 SE / LE -★| Aroma Installer | Endless Possibilities! |★- - xda-developers

In my hands-on time in the store, I did found the Samsung to be more responsive, but only very slightly so, and I expect that to be worked out with Jelly Bean's Project Butter anyway. I'm also offloading all of my music to Google Play, and as that took up more than half of the space on my iPhone, I think I should be fine with storage. In general, I just find that the One X feels and looks like a much higher quality phone than the Galaxy SIII.

That's the point of recommending the S III. You don't NEED to root or install another ROM to get basic things like multitasking working. It runs smoother, doesn't lag, browser doesn't lag, and you won't need to do any fun hackery to get it to perform well. IF you want to hack it, however, the S III is still the better bet since it is much easier to root and unlock. That's IF you want to do that, which you shouldn't have to worry about. So in both cases, the S III is recommended.

If you are not concerned about the feel of the phone after trying it out at the store, don't worry about it's durability. Most Samsung phones feel like toys, but once you get past that, they are VERY durable. I have never even scratched the back of any of my previous Samsung phones, and I use them without cases. Even if you happen to get a scratch, and it really bothers you, the back is removable and you can buy a replacement back for cheap on eBay. The One X does not have that luxury.

The screen and build were enough to make me want the One X more, but I have plenty of regrets on all the other fronts. It just depends on your priorities. Right now I'm doing the whole grass is greener on the other side, since I've been owning Samsung phones for so long. I even bought a Motorola Atrix 2, hated it, promptly sold it, and lost $100 on fees and things. My friend has a G2x that had so many problems I'm staying away from LG. Their designs never appeal to me either. So here I am with a One X. Imma go to the store again and play with an S III. Hopefully it will convince me again that I made the right choice, and not make me more remorseful.

 

[baykcd]

I concur, my white EVO 4G LTE (which is essentially a One X, but with improvements) is far superior to any sammy phone, hands down. The gs 3 is plastic, & has an oversaturated color issue with the screen. The super LCD 2 screens on these HTC phones are amazing, & people are constantly complimenting my phone. You won't regret choosing the One X. But like the above poster stated, I wouldn't mess with rooting, unless you can afford to buy a new phone!

Sent from my HTC EVO 4G LTE using Android Central Forums..

 

[thedroidfanatic]

And about the updates, if you relock your bootloader, and install a stock ROM using an RUU, then you will get updates

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

 

[kkapoorr]

And about the updates, if you relock your bootloader, and install a stock ROM using an RUU, then you will get updates

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

What's RUU?

Author of NoobTech:
http://wp.me/2uu9r

 

[varsityhacker]

If you are coming from an iPhone, I would highly suggest the Galaxy S3 over this phone. It is faster and more responsive, and has a lot more helpful tips than the one x. The one x does not have the instant and smooth reaction that your iPhone or iPad has. The s iii is the closest thing in terms of speed. It is more reliable than the one x, has far fewer issues, and has more benefits exclusive to android, like removable battery and expandable memory, so like an iPhone but better. Don't bother with bootloaders and rooting and all that stuff unless you really want to tinker with honestly trifling things like minor speed improvements that might cripple your phone or a few more pretty themes. The s iii is far ahead in these respects anyhow. The one x is not dev friendly.

I honestly can't recommend this phone unless you really must have the screen and body. The browser lag is really annoying me.

The post is the most insane BS I have read in a long time. Please take your biased opinion to the SG3 forums. My HOX running JB would smoke your SG3 and look a lot better doing it. The SG3 is a good phone with some strengths, but it is not superior to the HOX. Sammy is bad at updates good luck on JB anytime soon and the display is outdated compared to many other phones not just the HOX. As far as only getting minor improvements by rooting and flashing a custom ROM, I'm rooted and rocking AOSP JB. What are you running ICS over a TW skin.

 

[steve dave]

I concur, my white EVO 4G LTE (which is essentially a One X, but with improvements) is far superior to any sammy phone, hands down. The gs 3 is plastic, & has an oversaturated color issue with the screen. The super LCD 2 screens on these HTC phones are amazing, & people are constantly complimenting my phone. You won't regret choosing the One X. But like the above poster stated, I wouldn't mess with rooting, unless you can afford to buy a new phone!

Sent from my HTC EVO 4G LTE using Android Central Forums..

Except that an S III is actually usable

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

 

[erwaso]

Except that an S III is actually usable

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

Useless post of the day.

 

[NinjaBlob]

Just to update, I did end up buying the One X around a week ago, and I'm really liking it. My only real complaint so far is that I'm not a huge fan of the keyboard; the spacebar is really small and the autocorrect is rather wonky at times. I know you can replace them, but SwiftKey has a rather confusing number/symbols layout, and the only other keyboard that I like aesthetically, the Jelly Bean default, causes the haptic feedback to go from the default keyboard's gentle vibrate to the entire phone audibly shaking every time I press a key. I'm hoping that some of these problems will be worked out with the Jelly Bean update, though, and it's not really a big enough issue to be more than a slight annoyance considering how amazing the rest of the phone is (especially the screen –?my god that screen).

EDIT: Just discovered that changing the duration of haptic feedback completely resolves the mega-vibrate button, and now I'm sticking with the Jelly Bean default : D