HTC One XL review

The camera remains identical, with great controls and a super-fast burst mode, see our original HTC One X review for more details and some sample shots. The 1,280×720 LCD display also remains here and remains impressive.

Still one of the best cameras around

The device feels brilliant, all smooth curves with no flex or pop-off panels, and we really like this grey version of the handset. One bugbear is the small power button, which sits just forward of the top edge, making it hard to press with your finger when holding the handset.

As before, the battery is sealed away inside. It’s the same 1,800mAh model as the original, though the new chipset has helped somewhat, battery life is only up by around 40 minutes to just over seven hours. Compared to the ten hours we saw from the S3 in the same constant video playback test.

The awkward positioning of the power button is the only sticking point in the design

What’s disappointing about this handset, is that it’s already been surpassed in many ways by the HTC One X’s true successor, the HTC One X+. That handset has a fast processor than the original, comes with 64GB of memory, has an update to Android 4.1 installed and packs in a larger 2,100mAh battery. All of that makes the HTC One XL seem a little dated.

Despite its 9-month old design, the HTC One XL still looks and feels like a flagship phone, but the battery is still a sticking point. We prefer the Samsung Galaxy S3 for its longer battery life and AMOLED display – an updated review of the 4G version, the Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE will be online shortly. For EE subscribers, who we presume will be heavy smartphone users, battery life will be a big issue and so places the HTC One XL in a clear second place.