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2012-10-24-1081 by realjazzcoke, on Flickr


2012-10-24-1084 by realjazzcoke, on Flickr


2012-10-24-1163 by realjazzcoke, on Flickr


2012-10-26-1197 by realjazzcoke, on Flickr


2012-10-26-1205 by realjazzcoke, on Flickr


2012-10-26-1218 by realjazzcoke, on Flickr


2012-10-26-1229 by realjazzcoke, on Flickr


2012-10-26-1230 by realjazzcoke, on Flickr


2012-10-26-1292 by realjazzcoke, on Flickr

BGR has a review of HTC's Windows Phone 8X. The review is not a must read but the concluding comments hit the mark. To quote some passages:

It’s the same old story… apps.

High-quality Windows Phone apps are still incredibly scarce compared to the leading mobile platforms and momentum is not in Microsoft’s favor. It has been more than two and a half years since “Windows Phone Series 7″ was first announced and more than two years since the first round of devices launched. And still, apps are a huge issue.

For one thing, the platform is missing hundreds of popular apps that have been available on other platforms for quite some time. For another, many popular developers that do decide to bring their apps over to Windows Phone have done a very poor job, either due to inexperience with the platform and available tools, limitations and performance issues in Windows Phone itself, or a combination of both.

Users can’t switch from Android or iOS to Windows Phone if they don’t have access to their favorite apps. And users won’t switch if the apps they do have access to don’t perform well.
At the end of the day Windows Phone 8 is a tough sell just like Windows Phone 7.5, which was a tough sell just like Windows Phone 7. It’s not for lack of trying, and it certainly doesn’t speak to the quality of the software or the devices that carry it. HTC’s Windows Phone 8X is a gorgeous, elegant smartphone with a unique design and solid performance.

The sad truth is that there is still no compelling argument for Windows Phone over one of the market leaders.

The optimist in me wants to tell you that can change. The app situation will improve now that Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 share code, the third-party app performance situation will improve now that Windows Phone has a new core and new options for developers, and the visibility situation will improve now that Microsoft and Nokia are both dumping serious dollars into marketing. But the pessimist in me isn’t quite convinced. There are still too many ifs.

Compounding matters is the fact that as it stands today, there is no real differentiation that presents clear and important advantages over the competition. Nothing jumps out as a significant benefit over Android and the iPhone. Sure there are things Windows Phone has that its rivals do not, but they are not a big enough draw to really sway buyers.

If you’re willing to make do with Windows Phone in its current state and play the waiting game, I wholeheartedly recommend the Windows Phone 8X. This phone is awesome. The hardware is outstanding and the operating system is unique and smooth. But there are unavoidable compromises you’ll have to make in jumping over to the Windows Phone camp and now, more than two years since the platform first launched, people still seem unwilling to make those compromises.