HTC Windows Phone 8X for Verizon: what's different?

We've seen HTC's Windows Phone 8X in many colors and also many carrier variants -- it's already made its way to AT&T and T-Mobile in the US, and many other operators worldwide. Even though there's already been a heavy dose of coverage on this device, our work isn't quite done yet: Verizon's version has finally graced our reviews desk, which means it's time for us to explain how it differs from the global model, and how it measures up to the competition. The phone will be available in black, red and blue for $199 with a two-year commitment, a $100 markup over the Nokia Lumia 822. Is it worth the difference in price? Join us after the break as we discuss the merits -- and demerits -- of Verizon's newest Windows Phone flagship.

Carrier branding can often do embarrassing things to even the most dignified phones in the industry, but fortunately HTC was the clear winner in this round of carrier-manufacturer negotiations; aside from the typical checkmark logo and LTE branding on the back, we were hard-pressed to find any cosmetic differences between Verizon's model and its global HSPA+ counterpart.

That doesn't mean it's emerged completely unscathed, but most of Verizon's tweaks are actually beneficial additions that make an already attractive phone even more tempting. For instance, this flavor of the 8X comes with Qi wireless charging built in, so you won't have any problem placing it onto a compatible pad, rather than fumbling around for a micro-USB cord.

As you'd expect, the Verizon 8X runs on the network's LTE service, as well as EVDO / 1x. Pleasantly, though, the 8X offers quad-band (850/900/1900/2100) HSPA+ and quad-band (850/900/1800/1900) GSM / EDGE radios, which Verizon has thankfully left wide open for global roamers and even customers on GSM networks in the US (namely, AT&T and T-Mobile). While the theoretical max is only 14.4 Mbps, this is still perfectly workable as an alternative for anyone who might want to swap SIM cards.

Verizon's 8X also includes access to Data Sense, a feature that's exclusive to Big Red until early next year. We've already discussed the app at length in our review of the Nokia Lumia 822, but in short, it's a clever feature that offers several ways to manage and monitor your data usage, in addition to compressing web pages in much the same way that Opera works on mobile devices.

Aside from those key differentiators, there aren't many carrier-specific initiatives to get frustrated over. You'll find a few small items of Verizon bloatware attached, such as My Verizon Mobile, VZW Navigator and NFL Mobile. Fortunately, they can all be easily uninstalled from the app menu, and as a bonus you won't find the same suite of Amazon apps that come preloaded on new Android devices. Fans of Google search, however, will be disappointed to discover that Bing is not only the default search engine on IE 10 -- it's the only search engine. If you want to go Google, your best bet is to download the search app or simply put Google's home page in your bookmarks for easy access.