HTC Windows Phone 8X

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AnonD-113611
sw%
16 Feb 2013

The Windows Phone by 8X has to be one of the most distinctive smartphone designs I've had the pleasure to experience first hand. From the rubberized polycarbonate body to the curved gorilla glass the phone is top of the range and never have I been asked so much, "What phone is that?" by friends and casual onlookers alike. California blue was my weapon of choice but the other colour options are sure to ellicit similar head turning reactions. The 4.3 inch display hits the sweet spot for me personally in terms of size and allows you to effortlessly view media content without feeling like you're transporting a tablet in your pocket. The volume rocker, power and dedicated camera buttons all feel solid in operation and allow the phone to be used single handedly while on the move in an effortless fashion without excessive hand acrobatic skills being required. I am delighted with this smartphone and wouldn't hesitate in suggesting it to anyone!

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AnonD-113596
Nvg
16 Feb 2013

I have been using a California Blue HTC 8X for nearly a month now and I must admit that while I was ecstatic by the design, I also had a lot of apprehension due to its fineness. The 8X is my first device from HTC that’s so beautifully crafted, so light that I find myself very often weirdly caressing the smooth polycarbonate material. My other HTC devices that I’ve owned look incredibly bulky and rude next to the 8X. This is most obvious with the grey Titan II sitting next to the lively California Blue device. HTC, through the design of the 8X, clearly wanted to re-invent itself and they have succeeded.

However, the HTC 8X is not perfect despite its eye-catching, flashy design. For a device that has a 4.3” screen, it is unusually tall. This is particularly noticeable when compared to the 4.7” Titan II. That’s kind of weird when I have to reach the soft buttons at the bottom of the screen or the power button at the top. It requires much finger twist and a bit of Fantastic 4 Reed Richards elastic superpowers to use the soft buttons with just one hand. HTC should have gone with at least a 4.5” screen to make the device more usable. That’s the price to pay to give the HTC 8X a gorgeous 1280x720 screen with pixel density of 342ppi. The Titan II is no match at this level. Photos are crisp; browsing the web is a pleasure.

The front camera is amazing with its ability to capture more in one photo than any other phones can handle. It’s just great to fit in my daughters and myself when doing video calls with Skype, but not so in terms of photo quality. But the pictures are still better than any other phones I’ve used though. The 8MP back camera offers good quality photos during day use and requires a little fiddling with the settings in low light conditions. That’s not a real problem for me as I don’t usually take photos after dark. Strangely, I find the picture quality on the 8X to be better than on the 16MP camera of the Titan II.

The HTC 8X is definitely the most fashionable device I’ve used so far. Every time I take it out, it manages to catch the attention of all those around me with an incessant emission of WOWs.

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Amit
2@X
16 Feb 2013

According to me 8X is the best phone ever made by HTC in terms of hardware. 8X has perfect size. Inspite of having 4.3 inch screen, the phone is very sleek. Infact the bezel is compact to accommodate easy one hand operation i.e one can access full screen from top to bottom easily. The phone comes in amazing colours, be it red, yellow, blue, pink and black. The best part is matching front ear piece grill in the same colour. I’m in love with the design of 8X. The phone has lovely curves on the back. 8X sports a beautiful polycarbonate unibody design with round corners. The back is matte rubber coating that makes the phone slip resistant and comfortable to hold.

8X comes with long lasting 1800 mah battery. It has wonderful battery life as the phone lasts for full day with continuous internet and sync on and moderate usage. Still, 8X is a light weight phone.
The display of 8X is very crisp and sharp.
8X comes with 8 mp back camera and 2.1 mp wide angled front camera. The camera quality is awesome. You can capture wide angled photos with front camera. The best part is dedicated camera button on the side, which according to me is must have in all handsets.
The 8X runs is very fast as it comes with 1.5 GHz dualcore Qualcomm S4 process and 1 GB RAM. Also 8X comes with inbuilt 16GB internal memory and Gorilla Glass display.

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AnonD-113411
3GJ
16 Feb 2013

HTC 8X is amazing! The design of this phone is great. The curved back feels natural in your hand. It feels more grippable than my One X and slightly thicker, which aids in the comfort. The bright colours make it stand out and intrigue people which makes a good talking point!

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Anonymous
vG$
16 Feb 2013

New WP8x....fell on floor from a height of 2 feet..GROLlLIA Glass Screen broken.....

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Keke
Nmp
15 Feb 2013

It's so wonderful to hear how many folks find their holistic satisfaction from HTC. As HTC is in my blood (Hox & Hox+ & butterfly) God bless HTC. HTC for life no matter what...

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AnonD-113317
vGr
15 Feb 2013

Being a power user concerned with portability, productivity and functionality combined in a smallest piece, I was looking for a phone which would fill the place of several devices and be a power phone rather than just smartphone. I was pretty inspired by the simple look of the Windows Phone 8 OS, and was looking for a perfect device to blend with this OS, and I came across the 8X, beautifully crafted, premium feel in hand, gorgeous display and awesome feeling when you hold it in your hand. My videos look amazing on its HD display and the touch is super responsive! One of the best things I like about this phone is the camera, the video recording of 1080p quality with 45fps is simply superb, came in handy during family functions! The speaker is quite impressive, is loud and clear. And I like the speaker grills at the back, it adds to the overall look of the phone.The phone is real thin and whenever I look at it, I always wonder how beautifully the unibody design is flushing with the display.
Now coming to some cons about this device, being a power user, I really felt 16gb to be very less, that limits my productivity and stuff I could do. There should've been a SD card slot to tackle this issue. It's really bad it offers only 16GB. Second thing is the battery life. It hardly lasts a single full day, and drain in screen off is considerable. I don't know if this is an OS issue, but definitely HTC should have done something to improve the battery life as they have done on the Androids.
Overall its a fun device to capture beautiful pictures (even in low lights I found them to be of good quality), to watch high definition videos, to type on the ultra responsive screen, and with beats, you also have a music system with you with good quality sound and sound effects.
So this is definitely a complete package for both work and play!

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AnonD-113285
vb$
15 Feb 2013

Looks & Feel :
The styling of the phone is truly inspired by the Windows ecosystem depicting various colours. But unlike most Windows phones available in the market, HTC has seriously made attempts to make it stand out in the crowd.Be it the tapered edges which makes it feel extremely thin and comfortable to hold or the extremely light weight chassis which makes it one of the most lightest phones available.

Similar to its Android counterpart, the use of polycarbonate makes up to a delightful feel in the hand.

Software & UI :

The fact that this phone has been made by HTC together with the Windows team has ensured the most smoothest experience of Windows 8 as compared to others. Be it the opening of apps or the updating of tiles, everything is picture perfect.

For someone like me who has been not the Android ecosystem since the beginning was a smooth transition and find it much better here.

Though one thing that might bother some of us is the lack of apps but most major apps are available or have a replacement.

Camera :

The camera on the 8X was the first thing to catch my attention on this mighty beast. The amazing front facing camera is one of the best in the class and thanks to its ultra wide angle which assures you that no one will be missed out in the frame.

The rear camera is almost identical to the one on the One X+ with an incredible shutter speed. But I did miss out a few features I have on my One X+. For now it can be overcome by use of apps like Camera Pro which seamlessly integrates into the native camera app. But I would like HTC top port these features in the upcoming updates.

Battery Life :

For me with 3G on and with normal call time gives me a day and a half of juice. This includes about 2 - 3 hours of playing one of the most addictive games like Wordament. For heavy users the phone would easily last a day.

Video Playback & Music :

The 8X can play full HD content and thanks to the amazing integration of Beats Audio, listening to sound is a breath taking experience. To make the most out of your phone use a pair of Beats headphones.

Overall :

The phone is a great option for existing Windows Phone users who wish to upgrade and also for those who want to make a transition from iOS or Android.

The phone seamlessly syncs with your Windows 8 PC. Mac users can also enjoy these goodies by downloading their desktop software.

Thumbs up for HTC for creating a masterpiece.

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AnonD-113073
43V
15 Feb 2013

This is one of the best phones i have used. I ABSOLUTELY love it. HTC 8X is so light. My friends had compared it to their current phones and I tell you HTC 8X is the lightest of them all.Seems like it is made just right for the Windows phone8. If you are a girl like me who doesnt like bulky and oversize phones,I recommend u to buy this beauty My favorite thing about it is the wide angle Front facing camera..I always make my friends jealous showing off my front facing camera..The pics come out crystal clear... It has an amazing battery life. And I tell you this has an amazing audio.. nothing can beat the beats audio..And also the volume level is very high, u will be amazed. I love my HTC WINDOWS PHONE 8X...it is blue and it is very SEXY...i have gotten so many compliments for my sleek, stunning and sexy phone...!!!

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AnonD-88442
PFE
15 Feb 2013

I am reviewing only the hardware, and not the OS, as the OS is almost totally regulated by Microsoft, and WP8 OS review here would basically give the same info as any other websites.

Design, Build Quality and Ergonomics:
The device is beautifully designed and there is no single day goes by without me staring at the device. It really is designed to blend with the Live Tiles and HTC has done a very good job doing so. Built quality is superb, there is no light leaks and the screen is perfectly flushed into the chassis, making it very sleek and seamless. The only complain I have is that the volume button can rattle. Ergonomic wise, I can handle the phone well with one hand. The device is cleverly designed with tapered sides, which makes it feel really thin. The lightweight of the phone helps in single handed operations, too. Nothing to complain in terms of shape and weight. The screen size is perfect for me. My only gripe is that the positioning and the flushed power button make it a little hard to operate it. Nothing serious. Camera hardware button is great and has nothing to complain about. Responds very well. Capacitive buttons give a good tactile respond, not vibrating too hard nor too soft.

Display:
It is gorgeous! Blacks are sufficiently dark. Sunlight legibility is good, if not great. It is sufficiently visible under bright tropical sunlight with medium brightness. Viewing angles, however, suffers if viewed from extreme angles, especially from the corner view. Have to be noted is that, these are really extreme angles, so daily usage will not be affected at all.

Audio:
I am a music lover, and my biggest concern about this phone was the audio quality. I am very accustomed to customisable graphical EQ, which I couldn't find in the WP Store. But, turns out that the standard audio output is great. Beats audio mostly amps up the volume, bass and treble, but does make a difference in audio experience. Speaker is amazing. It reproduces lows and highs quite nicely without distortions. I have never had a better audio speaker experience from a phone before. It drives most headphones without hiccups. Bottom line is I am not disappointed with the audio at all. It is the OS (WP8) which is kinda a let down for me as there is no custom EQ app at the moment.

Camera:
The wide angle and wide aperture main camera is inspiring for me. It takes great shots and although may not have the same performance like the PureView, is nothing to be looked down upon. In fact, it produces a very creamy bokeh and focuses faster than my nephew's Galaxy S3. It takes great macro shots as well. The front camera is out of this world! My expectations were surpassed! 1080p front videos is the world's first among smartphones (i think). Video calls were amazing. The only let down is the slight distortions around the edges, which is expected from a wide angle lens like this (remember, the focal length of the lens would be very small for the sensor size). My only complain is the sometimes slow focus in video. Oh, and maybe the absence of image stabilizer (software or hardware). All in all, the camera is a great performer, coupled with the responsive camera hardware button, which launches camera anytime. Very satisfied!

Battery life:
While the 1800mAh battery will get you through from clock in to clock out with moderate usage, the battery life is just slightly above good. There is really an issue with standby power drain. I have another HTC device running android, and the standby drain is about 1% for every 3-4 hours, with 3G turned on. But in this device, I am losing 1-2% in just an hour with 3G on. I am not sure why, but I suspect it is more like a software problem than hardware, because HTC's android phones with the same hardware have much better standby performance. That being said, I think that the battery performance is okay without being disappointing.

In conclusion, the device is a work of art that turns head. All my colleagues are asking about it. People on the streets are staring at it. I have never had a more proud feeling in holding to a phone before. It may not have the hardware-extras like the Lumia, but unlike the Lumia, the HTC Windows Phone 8X is not a hardware pusher, but rather a workhorse, something that the Redmond people wants WP8 to be. It is more comfortable and more ergonomic. I am truly satisfied with what HTC has to offer with the 8X.

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AnonD-113028
YHs
14 Feb 2013

The Most Beautiful Windows Phone Yet

The HTC Windows Phone 8X is a sleek and catchy device. Has the perfect size for one handed use and a perfect soft touch unibody design to hold the phone with a firm grip. The phone feels really good in hand and the display is really crisp and high resolution one. Texting, Watching videos and playing games on the screen looks really good. The audio quality on the phone is really good as it has a built in separate dedicated chip for audio amplifying and has beats audio built in. The camera on the back takes really good photos and the front camera has a wide angle lens for fitting more people on the screen and can take HD videos as well. Perfect for video calling.
Pros: Great for texting, Great web browsing, Long battery life, Great camera, 4G, Large screen, Touch screen, Music, Volume level
Cons: none

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AnonD-112993
6tN
14 Feb 2013

I own this phone for more than 2 months. Loved the design of the phone, not boring, unlike most of the devices on other platforms. Windows Phone 8 is very pleased with the fast work in all aspects. In the system itself is very well designed aspects of working with contacts, social. networks and work Exchange.
The battery keeps the normally operate for more than a day of moderate work. Bit unusual when the battery is non-removable, but I hope that will live long and need a hard reset will not.
It should be noted that when changing to this phone may not be easy, unless you come from ordinary phone, because not all programs from other OS`s are available on other operating systems.
HTC did a great job making this phone - you'll probably love it!(hide full review)

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AnonD-112957
E9Q
14 Feb 2013

What can I say? The 8X is light, pretty, fast and tough. It feels good in the hand - grippy without being sticky and a perfect shape. The lines aren't spoilt anywhere and the colour is a bold statement. Let me walk you around the phone.
The power button is at the top right; and while it's sometimes difficult to hit perfectly it doesn't irritate much. The SIM card slot, volume controls and camera shutter button are down the right hand side; made flush with the edge but easy to find and use. (Sometimes the camera button can be a little TOO easy to hit, but there are options in the settings to help). Charging is at the centre of the base (BIG plus point for me) and the left side of the phone is unadorned. The headset socket sits at the top left.
The display is simply stunning; the clarity and sharpness of just about everything it shows is delightful; and it's bright and strong too - even in sunlight it's easily visible. Accompanying the display on the front of the phone are the front-facing camera lens (top right), the earpiece (centre) and at the bottom the three Windows Phone keys back, start and search.
The main camera and flash LED are near the top of the back surface, and the loudspeaker is near the bottom in the centre. Mentioning the speaker brings me to playing music: this phone's built-in speaker is LOUD - and some of the best quality reproduction I've heard from a phone's internal speaker. That doesn't mean it'll rival even a small docking station - duh - but for a phone speaker it's excellent. Plug in some headphones and it is INCREDIBLY loud - you will very rarely need full volume on this beast.
Using the phone, I'm struck by the speed. Transitions are completely free of lag, stutter or slowness - everything feels extremely slick and responsive. Lots of pretty little animations are built into Windows Phone to provide feedback on what you do on the display, and even these don't faze the processing speed at all. Response of the network is adequate on Edge, excellent on 3/3.5G and WiFi.
Battery life is great; with moderate use I'm getting about a day and a half - light usage keeps it going for two days easily.
The cameras are brilliant - I'm really impressed with both (for different reasons). The main camera is FAST. Press the button and the pic is done; no lag (or at least, not more than 1/10th of a second). All the normal "Effects" and camera settings are present, and the flash is good and bright. Photos are great quality with good colour reproduction and pin-sharp focus. The front facer isn't quite as fast, but the difference compared to other phones is immediately obvious when you look at the display... it's INSANELY wide angle, with a viewable area of almost 90°. This means that you can fit in an awful lot of stuff, even when the subjects are only at arm's length. Snaps are by default at 1920x1080 on the front cam which is very reasonable. Videoing with both cameras is great, too!
Downsides? Well, there are some minor irritations but the phone is seriously good - they really are acceptable. Firstly, the power button, as mentioned above, could be tilted back a tiny bit away from the display to make it easier to find. With the front camera, it's very easy to get camera shake in anything less than daylight. It is impossible to charge the phone with the power off; as soon as you plug in power, it switches itself on and won't switch off (it restarts instead).
That's it - I hope you find it useful!

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AnonD-112946
HC0
14 Feb 2013

A wonderful piece of design
I've had my HTC 8X for around a month now. As a bit of background, I came from a HTC Wildfire S, so I have HTC in my blood. I also thought I had Android in my blood, even if it was an old version, but the opportunity arose to get an 8X and so I thought I'd give it a try.

First Impressions
When the phone arrived I first noticed that it was very nicely packaged in a compact white box. Whilst this doesn't have an impact on the future use of the phone, it gives a good first impression of a sleek and well-designed piece of kit. The phone was snugly packaged up inside the box with a screen protector expounding some of the phone's best features. There was also a very neat looking key to open the SIM tray. All in all it's a very smart package that makes you want to get the phone on charge as soon as possible.
I loved the look of the phone too. the sharp corners and the cushioned back make the phone look super-slim. The black slab of glass on the front oozes class and the way the blue polycarbonate sticks through the screen to form the front speaker is a thing of beauty.
Once I had the phone charged and some apps loaded I was immediately impressed at the speed and fluidity of the device. You might expect that coming from a Wildfire previously, but this was very, very good. In fact, on testing against a friend's Samsung S3, we found the 8X loads apps quicker and looks smoother when working.

Longer Term Impressions
One of the first thing I notice about using the phone in public is that I keep getting asked what phone it is. People really love the blue colour, the thin look of it and the general design.
I love the sound quality with Beats Audio on. The quality does depend a bit on what headphones you are using. I tried some cheap ones and it was awful, but when I plug in my Bose IE2 buds the sound really comes alive.
A lot of people criticise the availability of apps in the store, but I have found a decent offering for almost everything I need, and plenty that I don't but have still installed.
I love the fact that I can completely customise my home screen with the tiles. I can get all the things I need at the top of the screen for quick fire access, as well as easy visual cues (such as the wife's birthday is next week!) to keep me out of trouble.

Disappointments
I have heard from other 8X users that the soft touch coating on the corners of the device tends to start to flake quite quickly. I have therefore purchased a case for the phone (HTC Doubleshot if you're interested), but that does make the phone very slightly chunkier looking which is a real shame.
I am not completely satisfied with Windows Phone 8, but that's not HTC's fault at all and so doesn't belong in this review.
It's a little disappointing that the Global GSM version of this phone doesn't have LTE capabilities. I gather that some devices in the states do (depending on carrier), so it's a shame it's not built in as standard on all devices.
Sadly there is no MicroSD slot on this phone meaning 16GB is 16GB and that’s that. It’s not a massive issue of course, but it is disappointing.

Final Thoughts
This is a cracking piece of kit. A lot of people will shy away from it because it's not Android, but I reckon those people are really missing out. WP8 is quite simplistic, yes, but there's time for Microsoft to deal with that, and in the meantime you are getting a top notch phone that looks nice, does the job, sounds great, and will make you the envy of anyone with a grain of design consciousness in their DNA!

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AnonD-112945
mqy
14 Feb 2013

The only way you can start a review of this phone, is to talk about how well designed it is. It looks are sleek, its curves are beautiful and I can honestly see every new smartphone on the market in the next 24 months taking some inspiration from it. I’ve had the phone nearly two months now and it always draws admiring glances.

Apart from the phones glamorous looks, it also packs a hefty punch underneath. The first thing you will notice is the display is very clear and I enjoy looking at the Internet more on the 8X than I do on my HTC One X despite the screen being smaller, the touchscreen also responds to every touch well.

Although the WP8 music system is not the best I have seen on a phone, the sound quality on the phone is very high quality, especially through the loudspeaker which I use a lot to entertain my daughter!

HTC have also looked hard at the front camera on the phone, something which almost seems like an afterthought on many smartphones, in an age where we seem to be taking more pictures of ourselves with friends (admit it, we’ve all done it, or at least seen them on Facebook!) it is good to see phone designers thinking of how we use a phone. The clarity you get from the front facing camera is like nothing I have seen, this is also true of what you can fit into the pictures I guess due to the wide angle lens. (My current record was taking a group picture of 10 of us in a pub!)

The tradition reverse camera is adequate, although I do have a few concerns over indoor pictures.

If you have made the decision to migrate to Windows Phone 8, or you are looking at your first smartphone I couldn’t recommend this innovate phone enough. Its ease of use is a big plus point, you could hand it to your dear old Mum and she would be able to customise it to her tastes without any problems.

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AnonD-112930
B{e
14 Feb 2013

The HTC 8X is my first step into the world of Windows after years of being an Android user. I have to start my review by talking about the actual hardware. The 8X is one of the most beautiful handsets I've ever seen. My California Blue model is absolutely gorgeous and is contoured to fit in the hand perfectly. I was surprised at how light the phone is and the quality of the workmanship and finish. With the exception of the sim insert tray the phone is a complete unibody design with drilled in speaker grills on the front and back of the handset.

The screen is stunning, the display is better than the Iphone 5, colours are rich and the darker colours particularly black stand out.

The wide angle front facing camera is definitely a winner, not only is the quality of shots exceptional for a front camera particularly in natural light but the camera captures twice as much as a standard front facing camera making family portraits a breeze. The rear camera is also of a good standard if there is to be a criticism it would be that the camera functionality lacks some of the basic settings available on the HTC One Series handsets. As soon as these are added it will compliment perfectly the high quality rear lense.

The Beats Experience is what you expect but where the 8X really excels is the quality of sound from the phone speakers when you're not using Beats Enabled Headphones. The quality is the best I have heard on a mobile phone.

The phone performs really well in terms of speed, switching between applications and general scrolling. The built in web experience is excellent with the Internet Explorer browser and pages load faster than on my Android devices.

I do miss the lack of a FM radio but I hope this can be rectified in a future software upgrade. The app marketplace is beginning to expand and there are some good apps available but still lacking the choice available on Android or iOS. The Windows People Hub and Live Tiles are a great feature and the operating platform is a lot more user friendly and interesting than alternatives on the market. If you're an Xbox user than the 8X creates some great compelling options to connect up your devices. Microsoft Office functionality is also much welcomed and a feature you will definitely use.

Skydrive integration is brilliant and for the first time ever I am really using cloud storage, its simple, works in the background and requires very little set up.

Battery life has been surprisingly good, the phone gets me through a full day without a need for recharging and I am a fairly heavy user of data and am constantly switching the screen on to use apps. The battery life is definitely better than that on my Android device.

Overall I would definitely recommend the HTC 8X to anyone looking to upgrade. You get a stunning handset which feels great in the hand and is powerful and nippy when you use it. Be prepared for all and sundry to want to handle and play with the device it is definitely a crowd pleaser and easy on the eye!The build quality is better than anything on the market and you get an amazing camera experience especially if you're a heavy user of Skype or Video Calling.

The minor gripes I do have are more software and platform related and easily fixed as more apps come online in the marketplace. The 16gb storage is adequate for my current needs but I do think it would be useful to have the handset available in 32gb and 64gb formats especially as memory is not expandable.

A big thumbs up for the HTC 8X which marks a definite return to form for HTC.

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Anonymous
xfy
14 Feb 2013

AnonD-108786, 03 Feb 2013After 2 months of use and coming over from Android platform... moreNice feedback. just what i was after.

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winP8 user
v3A
14 Feb 2013

Elkordy, 13 Feb 2013Did viber, whatsapp, and other voice calling free programs ... moreYes whatsapp, wechat and skype works well.

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Elkordy
SYK
13 Feb 2013

Did viber, whatsapp, and other voice calling free programs working as on Android phones or not?
I am willing to buy the phone this week

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AnonD-78939
2T7
11 Feb 2013

Like other one said , you can change settings for background processes
Go to settings and swipe ur finger left , there u find it.

Or

If u want to close all apps , press back button until you see home screen.Press it constantly till back button returns u to home screen and it no longer works beyond home screen (i.e u quit all apps , so there are no previous screens to go back) and back button again works when u launch an app.

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