The worst kept secret in HTC's recent history, the One X+, was finally officially announced this morning by the Taiwanese manufacturer. Let's take a closer look at what has changed.

Hardware

The updated One X variant features:

  • A beefier Cortex-A9 NVIDIA Tegra 3 AP37 processor running at 1.7GHz (up from 1.5GHz)
  • ULP GeForce NVIDIA GPU, running at 520MHz (up from 416MHz)
  • 64GB of internal storage (up from 32GB)
  • 2100mAh battery (up from 1800mAh), which HTC says may give you up to 6 hours of extra talk time
  • 1.6MP front-facing camera (up from 1.3MP)
  • Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
  • Sense 4+
  • 135g - slightly heavier but only by 5 grams (up from 130g)

The rest of the specs remain the same, including a 4.7" 1280x720 display, 1GB of RAM (a real bummer considering Samsung's and LG's latest offerings contain and really benefit from double that), Beats Audio, and an 8MP rear-facing camera.

If 64GB is not enough for you, I'd love to tell you that HTC sneaked in a microSD card slot into the One X+ just like it did into the EVO LTE, but, alas, that's not the case. Still, 64GB is hell of a lot better than 16.

Considering HTC's promise to severely clamp down on the number of hero devices released in 2012, an upgraded One X makes more sense than a whole new device family (I'm looking at you, Xperia T/Xperia TL).

LTE

What's especially interesting is that according to Anandtech, the LTE variant of the One X+ will actually be running on the same Tegra 3 quad-core chip, thanks to the Qualcomm MDM9215 baseband modem. This is, of course, a stark difference compared to the LTE-enabled One X which HTC was forced to move to a dual-core Snapdragon S4 due to compatibility issues. Samsung figured out its LTE compatibility problems with the arrival of the Note II as well, so I'm really glad this LTE baseband mess is finally behind us.

Software

On the software side of things, the One X+ will be HTC's first Jelly Bean device out of the box. In addition to the new operating system, the company is upgrading its Sense custom overlay to version 4+ with such new features as:

  • Self Portrait mode for the front-facing camera that detects faces and "applies subtle enhancements to skin and eyes"
  • Sightseeing mode that enables a one-touch access to the camera that bypasses the lockscreen
  • Two new Gallery views that group media by location and date
  • Tap and Go for connecting (presumably NFC-enabled) the One X+ to selected Beats speakers
  • HTC Watch 2.0 and Video Hub

The One X+ also comes with a new feature called HTC Get Started - a web companion to help set the phone up through your desktop's web browser.

Availability

HTC will launch the One X+ in North Asia and Europe in October, South Asia in November, and North America in... well, we'll hear more on that from HTC's North American branch and partners soon (so is AT&T's version going to be called One XL+ or what?).

Press Release

HTC introduces the HTC One™ X+. more speed, more storage and more battery life make HTC’s best rated android phone, even better

HTC also announces Sense™ 4+ with Android Jelly Bean upgrades for HTC One X and HTC One S coming soon

TAIPEI — 2ND OCTOBER, 2012 — HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today unveiled the HTC One™ X+, a refreshed version of its award winning HTC One™ X smartphone, running the HTC Sense™ 4+ experience on Android™ Jelly Bean. The HTC One™ X+ combines the iconic design, amazing camera and authentic audio experience of the HTC One series, with increased performance, longer battery life and expanded internal storage.

“We are taking the HTC One™ X to a new level with the introduction of the new HTC One™ X+,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “Our customers will have super-fast browsing, an even better camera and more immersive entertainment with Beats Audio™.”

Performance, Endurance and Storage

Featuring a 1.7 GHz quad-core NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 AP37 processor and 64GB of internal storage, the HTC One™ X+ LTE version is up to 67% faster than the HTC One™ X LTE, making the HTC One™ X+ the best rated Android phone on the market. Developed to be lightning fast, the HTC One™ X+ enables quicker web browsing, fluid gaming and graphic rendering, and speedy downloads, providing effortless usage on the go.

In addition to its increased performance speeds, the HTC One™ X+ introduces extended performance with the inclusion of a 2100 mAh battery, giving you up to 50% (6 hours) more talk time, and longer to browse the web and enjoy your favorite music and videosii .

Imaging, Music and Movies

Combining the amazing camera capabilities of its predecessoriii with a series of intelligent features, powered by Sense™ 4+, the HTC One™ X+ has been designed to deliver the most premium mobile experience. The newly launched Self Portrait mode on the front camera helps you capture high quality photos by intuitively detecting the human face at various angles and applying subtle enhancements to skin and eyes. Sightseeing mode makes sure you’ll always be ready to capture the moment - one touch of the power button bypasses the lock screen and launches directly into the camera. Two new views in Gallery display images and videos and group them according to where and when they were taken.

Exclusively available on HTC smartphones, Beats Audio™ provides authentic, studio-quality sound that delivers the most immersive sound experience with an enhanced audio profile, crisper vocals and detailed high notes for your music, games, movies and videos. Making it easier to listen to music out loud, and through Sense™ 4+, the HTC One™ X+ introduces a new Tap and Go function, which allows you to connect the phone and your music to Beats speakers’ when you tap them. To disconnect, it is just another quick tap.

Spectacular Sound with Beats Audio™

Exclusively available on HTC smartphones, Beats Audio™ provides authentic, studio-quality sound that delivers the spirit of the original recording. The Windows Phone 8X by HTC featuring Beats Audio™ also offers a unique audio amplifier powering the 3.5mm audio jack and the speaker, boosting the audio signal for even better sound no matter if you're listening to music, playing a game or watching a video.

Providing exclusive access to thousands of movies through HTC Watch 2.0, the HTC One™ X+ will appeal to both the avid film fan and the casual movie-goer. Combined with the introduction of video hub, another benefit of Sense™ 4+, for the first time you will be able to put all your video entertainment in a single place.

Easy Set Up

A new feature in the HTC One™ X+ is HTC Get Started, a new web service that guides the user painlessly through the set-up and personalisation process from a desktop web browser. Designed to enhance the experience of setting up a phone for the first time, this feature ensures that users will get the most out of their new phone from the beginning. With the touch of a button, users' phone will reflect the settings and apps that were chosen on the Web. Visit start.htc.com for more details.

Availability

The HTC One™ X+ will be available in Europe and North Asia from October and in South Asia from November 2012. North America will make a separate announcement regarding availability of the HTC One™ X+. The Android Jelly Bean with HTC Sense™ 4+ update is scheduled to begin rolling out for the HTC One™ S and HTC One™ X from October.

You can find more info about the One X+ and some nice 360 degree panorama over at HTC.com.

As exciting as the upgraded One X may sound (does it?), we should be seeing what Google has been up to in the next month or two, so I'm staying put until then and suggest you do the same.