If you own an HTC Desire or Wildfire, which is much loved but getting towards the end of its useful life, HTC has lined up an affordable mid-range replacement for your beloved 'droid with a bit more oomph.
The Desire X has a dual-core 1GHz chip, a 4-inch screen and it runs the Ice Cream Sandwich-flavoured version of Google's Android OS, skinned with the latest iteration of HTC's Sense user interface.
Pricing hasn't yet been announced, but HTC describes the Desire X as sitting lower down its pecking order than its One series range of devices but above the budget Desire C -- so expect it to cost somewhere in the region of £180 SIM-free.
Design, screen and build quality
If you've clapped eyes on the HTC One X, the Desire X will look distinctly familiar. Looks-wise it is basically a miniaturised version of HTC's quad-core flagship -- with a few other key differences. Firstly, unlike the One X, the Desire X's back is removable so you can get at the battery. You also get a microSD card slot to expand storage space.
HTC has unboxed a mid-range dual-core 'droid, slathered with Android Ice Cream Sandwich.
Secondly, the two exposed sides of the screen have been toughened so even though the screen appears to stretch all the way to the edge, it is buttressed with a rigid bit of plastic. This is a decent change in my view as it means you shouldn't have to worry about causing phantom selections or screen flex, no matter how hard you grip the phone -- problems I encountered on the One X.
The overall look of the Desire X is attractive. It has some stylish aluminium trim around its face, switching to curved plastic round the back. There's a choice of either black or white models -- the latter has blue plastic and silver metal detailing around the camera lens, while the black version is all black (and slightly rubberised).
If white doesn't take your fancy, HTC has made this all-black creation, which looks seriously noir.
On the front of the Desire X there's a 4-inch Super LCD display with a 480x800-pixel resolution. During my hands-on, this looked bright, clear and colourful. I also found the touchscreen -- and the three touch keys -- nice and responsive to taps and swipes.
On the top edge you get a 3.5mm headphone jack and a power key -- the latter sited smack bang in the middle.
The 4-inch screen means this phone isn't a tiddler but nor does it feel too big in the hand. It's also relatively slender and felt fairly lightweight.
Build quality looks like it could be a slight concern, though, as the backplate doesn't always fit snugly to the sides and around the camera lens -- with distinct cracks showing. Fitting it back on properly also requires a little care as it needs one edge to be hooked on first before the other.
The design of the volume rocker -- incorporated into the edge of the backplate -- also seems like a weak point as it could easily be ripped off in the process of removing the back. We'll be sure to test how durable these components are when we get the phone in for a full review.
The volume rocker placement looks a little vulnerable to damage -- we'll be sure to test its mettle in the full review.
Hardware
Powering the Desire X is a dual-core 1GHz S4 chip, which -- providing the price is right -- is a respectable amount of power for a mid-range 'droid.
RAM is 768MB, and there's 4GB of memory -- 1GB of which is user accessible. This storage space can, of course, be expanded via the microSD card slot lodged under the backplate.
During my hands-on with the device, I didn't notice any lag when swiping around the menus, while web browsing seemed responsive and fast -- even when panning around full desktop versions of websites. So early signs look promising.
The phone certainly seems like it could easily handle the mobile basics of web browsing and lightweight apps. More processor-intensive apps such as high-octane 3D games will probably tax it though, so expect a bit of stutter if you plan on really leaning on the Desire X's engine.
The battery is 1,600mAh -- which is slightly more capacious than the cell Samsung has slapped in the mid-range Galaxy Ace 2.
The phone also includes the Beats Audio music enhancing technology -- but won't include Beats Audio headphones in the box, HTC says.
The Desire X is a fairly slender creature so you shouldn't worry about getting hand ache.
Software
Like all devices in HTC's current portfolio, the Desire X runs Android 4.0 -- aka Ice Cream Sandwich. HTC said it is reviewing whether the device will get an update to Jelly Bean (Android 4.1), but I wouldn't hold your breath.
The Desire X also comes fully loaded with the latest Sense UI skin -- the demo device I was testing was running Sense 4.1. HTC's Sense interface adds a really friendly feel to Google's OS, giving you the standard Android experience of multiple home screens to swipe around and fill with apps and widgets.
This version of Sense has had a few tweaks to tailor it this device -- so you don't get all the bells and whistles of Sense running on a flagship device like the One X. For instance, the Recent Apps Menu brings up the standard Android stack of thumbnails. There also doesn't seem to be a home screen overview mode -- although HTC said this is not the final software build so that may change when the phone launches.
The phone comes pre-loaded with HTC's usual range of apps and widgets including its weather app and the Teeter game. You also get 25GB of Dropbox cloud storage included in the price.
The Desire X is pre-loaded with the usual HTC app suspects and you can add more from Google's Play store.
And scores more apps -- from Spotify to Angry Birds -- can of course be loaded onto the phone via Google's Play store, which also comes pre-loaded.
Camera
HTC has stuck a 5-megapixel camera on the Desire X's rump, which is pretty much the standard amount of megapixels at this price range. However, the company says it has imported some of the camera smarts it added to its higher-end One series range into the Desire X. For instance, you get a back-side illuminated sensor so it can capture more light, and an f2.0 aperture.
There's a 5-megapixel lens on its rump, encased in a large metal collar.
The camera interface is also the same as the software found on One series devices and includes features such as burst mode, so you can shoot up to 30 photos in a sequence by holding your finger down on the shutter. It also has the ability to snap stills when shooting a video.
HTC's Graham Wheeler said its aim is for the Desire X to offer a "best in class camera".
I had a chance to take a few snaps and my early impressions are good. Stay tuned for a full review when I'll be putting the lens through its paces.
Outlook
With the right price slapped on it, the Desire X has the potential to be a really tasty mid-range 'droid. It won't compete with top-of-the-range Android powerhouses but it should have enough oomph for most people's mobile needs. The only concern I have is that build quality may be its Achilles heel.
HTC said the Desire X will start shipping in early September, so it's expecting it to land in shops and be offered by operators by mid-September. Save this page in your bookmarks and return for the full review.
