The HTC One X that Amóvil was able to review thanks to the loan by Orange, is a powerful and fast high-end smartphone that runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system. The phone is housed in a single piece case made from polycarbonate and features an elegant yet simple design with dimensions of 134.4x69.9x8.9 mm. It also includes a 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD 2 multitouch capacitive screen covered by a single pane of Corning Gorilla Glass.

Most of the basic features found in commercial smartphones are available in this device including GPS/aGPS, NFC, WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities, among others. The phone includes a rear 8 megapixels camera and front-facing VGA camera which facilitates deaf users who prefer sign language to communicate through video calls. The HTC One X also has a hearing aid compatibility rating of M3/T3, supports instant messaging services and allows users to download web-based chat applications available for Android.

Furthermore, the icons displayed on the device’s screen are standardized, thus suitable for users with certain limited comprehension skills or learning disabilities. The phone also allows customizing the home screen as well as the phone book and adding a widget that provides a quick access to frequent contacts.

Accessibility barriers

Although the device allows users to customize the font size and to set the screen brightness according to their needs, some partially sighted individuals may have a hard time perceiving content correctly because it does not include screen zooming features nor provides an option to reverse the colors on the display. Also, the HTC Sense platform added by developers is not compatible with the improved TalkBack version provided by Jelly Bean, which makes the phone inaccessible to the blind.

Another accessibility barrier worth mentioning is that the three buttons located below the screen cannot be distinguished by touch. In fact, a blind person has no way of knowing there are actually three important buttons there.

People with dexterity limitations may also have a hard time using this phone. Although this device is lightweight, easy to grip and includes a voice recognition feature, the turn on/off button requires a level of strength people with some dexterity disabilities may not possess. Furthermore, to eject the SIM card tray, the user is required to insert a special tool into a small hole, which can be difficult for individuals with tremors or shaking in the upper limbs.

For a detailed description of accessibility features available in HTC One X, please see the complete report available at Amóvil.