Snapchat is the Instagram of "sexting" thanks to its ability to make embarrassing photos disappear in seconds. Unfortunately for users, the controversial mobile app's privacy policy seems to remain shrouded in a bit of secrecy.

What are you really agreeing to when you click that fateful “agree” button? Terms & Conditions cuts out the legal lingo to spell it out in plain English.

The most controversial mobile app on the market right now is, without a doubt, Snapchat. And for good reason: The app allows you to “snap” photos (and now video) that are automatically deleted a set number of seconds after you send them to someone. As you can imagine, this self-destruct feature has instilled a false sense for users that it’s possible to send embarrassing (read: naked) pictures without having to worry about those photos making their way into the digital wilds of the Web.

Of course, that’s just not true, since it’s quite easy to take a screenshot of these fleeting photos with pretty much any smartphone. A classy blog called “Snapchat Sluts” quickly popped up (then disappeared), featuring – you guessed it – naked photos of women taken with Snapchat.

Given the contentious and inherently naughty nature of Snapchat, a look at what the apps terms of service and privacy policy are in order.

Note: Snapchat does not make it possible to link directly to either its terms or privacy policy; you just have to go to the website, and click the appropriate tab to access them.

Terms of service

Ordinarily, we’d have a whole bunch of knotty provisions to sort through. But such is not the case for Snapchat; it’s all very short and straight forward, which I like to see. However, it’s also not particularly encouraging.

A few rules

Unlike a lot of sites we’ve seen, Snapchat doesn’t lay out a bunch of rules for users to follow. But there are a few. Namely, don’t mess with the app in any technical way; don’t share copyrighted content; don’t use it to spam or harass anyone; and get permission to use it if you’re under the age of 13 (a stipulation that is explained in the privacy policy, not the terms of service, where it usually appears).

Hold the lawsuit

Not surprisingly, Snapchat has decided to make all its users agree that they will never, under any circumstances, hold the company accountable for any negative thing the might arise out of using Snapchat. This means that, if someone screengrabs a naked Snapchat picture of you and posts it to the Web, you can’t sue Snapchat. It also says that, if you do find a way to sue Snapchat, your damages may not exceed $1 – yes, just one.

This is called a “limitation of liability” clause, and is included in practically every website, online service, or piece of software on the market; so it’s not just Snapchat trying to pull one over on your (any more than any other company is). Also, some states do not allow for limitations on liability, so this may not apply to you, depending on where you live.

Privacy policy

Snapchat’s privacy policy is arguably the more important of its two site governance documents, given that the app is essentially built on the premise that there’s some stuff you would rather keep private. So, what does it say?

What Snapchat collects about you

Snapchat collects your username, password, email, phone number, and Facebook ID “for the purpose of finding friends on the service.” It also collects “usage information,” which the company says is anonymous. This information could be shared with third parties – which isn’t great, but is something you should basically assume is happening at this point.

Can Snapchat see my pics?

Of course, we probably all assume that much. But what about that photo of your freshly showered bum? Can some Snapchat lackey see that? The answer is, I don’t know. The privacy policy states that Snapchat will “temporarily process and store your images in order to provide our services.” But does this mean that some guy at the Snapchat offices can peek in on your pics? Perhaps not – but it’s possible.

The company goes on to say that, “Although we attempt to delete image data as soon as possible after the message is transmitted, we cannot guarantee that the message contents will be deleted in every case.” It then gives an example of someone taking a screengrab of a photo, over which Snapchat has no control.

I have reached out to Snapchat for clarification on 1) whether someone at Snapchat could ever have access to your actual photos; and 2) whether there are any instances in which Snapchat would store images on its servers for extended periods of time. I will update this space with any response I receive on this matter.

Location, location, location?

Another potentially troubling bit is Snapchat’s policy on location data. The privacy policy unequivocally states: “We do not ask for, track, or access any location-specific information from your device at any time while you are using the Snapchat application.”

Great! Right? Well, not so fast. A quick look at the “permissions” required of Snapchat for Android shows shows that the app requests to access you “approximate location,” which is based on “network location sources such as cell towers and Wi-Fi.” This is different than GPS location data, but is still location data.

I have also asked Snapchat to clarify its policy on location data collection. At the moment, it is not against the law for apps to collect location information on users without their knowledge or consent – a pitfall that Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) is trying to fill in with a new bill that just passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday. But until then, we are at the app makers’ mercy. Let’s hope Snapchat has some.

With the holiday season threatening to destroy pocketbooks around the world, we have a few solutions to appease the gamer in your life without breaking the bank.

Strange thing about video games: Everyone tends to go for the latest and greatest. When the fall comes around, all that matters is: “What’s the latest Call of Duty?” “What new console does everyone else want so I can bludgeon them in the face for it when it comes in stock?” “What just hit the App Store in the last ten minutes so I can download it to my girlfriend’s iPhone before she checks Twitter and hears how cool it is?”

But newer doesn’t always equal better. When you go to the bookstore to buy a gift at Christmas, you don’t look at the new releases rack. You go for the classics, the standard bearers that you know will be a guaranteed hit with loves ones. This approach proves not just fruitful when it comes to video games, it’s the most economical as well. There are plenty of shopping guides out there telling you where to hunt for deals on the newest video games this month, but Digital Trends would like to offer you a map to some of gaming’s hidden treasures, games and consoles that are easy to find and wildly affordable in comparison to the latest but not necessarily greatest.

Nintendo DS Lite

A year and a half after its release, the Nintendo 3DS is starting to build up a respectable library. Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Adventure Time, New Super Mario Bros. 2; the thing’s got game. Forget the 3DS. The 2006 model Nintendo handheld, the Nintendo DS Lite, still represents the single best portable gaming device around. Most models will run you just $110, and even though you can’t download games directly to it, a huge number of substantial, lengthy games can be had for just a few dollars. Not only that, but the DS Lite can play Game Boy Advance games, a number of which can also be purchased cheap. When you pick up the following games, you still won’t have spent as much as you would on just the Nintendo 3DS.

* Chrono Trigger—Graphically identical, but with far better controls than the iOS version of the game, this RPG is one of the best games ever made with a time travel story full of expertly wrought characters. Square-Enix is selling it for just $10 until 2013.

* Drill Dozer—Game Freak, the company behind Pokémon, has made a handful of games that don’t involve Pikachu, and the awesome platformer Drill Dozer is one of them. Funny and challenging, Drill Dozer is also one of the few Game Boy Advance games with a rumble feature built into the cartridge for a sweet physicality most portable games lack. Amazon sells new copies for just $20, but the Amazon Marketplace has copies for even less.

* Rhythm Heaven—It’s easy to forget that Nintendo doesn’t just do cute (Kirby), action (The Legend of Zelda), and Mario. It also trades in super weird and super funny. Rhythm Heaven is an addictive and hilarious music game that will run you just $10.

Call of Duty

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is going to cost you $60 before tax and shipping. That’s the nature of the annual beast. Here’s the thing, though: Just because a new Call of Duty comes out every year, that doesn’t mean people stop playing the old ones. For less than the price of Black Ops 2, you can pick up Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for Xbox 360 brand new. Want to splurge? Throw on a copy of Call of Duty 2 for $27 or the original Call of Duty: Black Ops for $36. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will be crowded with teenagers screaming at each other for the next few months. Spend less and play other games with adults at the same time.

PlayStation 3 HD Collections

A number of retailers are pushing Sony’s PlayStation 3 out the door for $200, but the console is still fairly expensive standard at $269. There are many brand new games that will cost you $60 a pop, but the best PlayStation 3 has to offer can actually be had in its classic game collections. Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection, God of War Collection, Sly Collection, and the Jak & Daxter Collection can all be had for $20 a piece on Amazon and at GameStop. Spend $80 and play ten of the best games ever made for Sony’s consoles.

Halo

Halo 4, like Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, will run you $60. 343 Industries’ game is very good, it’s true, but there is plenty of Halo to go around for a fraction of the cost. The wildly underrated Halo ODST and Halo Reach can be paired with a brand new copy of Halo 3 for just $10 more. The best of Bungie’s science fiction series, or just one new game? Simple math!

PS Vita with a loaded memory card

If there’s a video game obsessive in your life that already has all these games all, this gear and absolutely must have something new and sexy, the PS Vita is a good option, but not necessarily for brand new games. At $40 or more for Vita games, a purchase can get pricey after getting the console at $250 and a substantial memory card. The 32GB card, a must for active gamers, runs an additional $80 or more. There’s just no money left for games. So don’t buy new games! Go classic with downloadable games on the PlayStation Network. Open that console you’re giving and pack it with these games for the same price as one new Vita game.

*Sound Shapes—One of the most inventive platformers of the year is just $15. It’s a musical instrument, a game design platform, an interactive album, and a new Beck EP all in one.

*Final Fantasy IX—Square’s famous role-playing series has faded over the years, culminating in 2012’s noisome sequel Final Fantasy XIII-2. For $10 you can play this final entry from the series’ golden age. It may look rough around the edges, but it plays like a dream.

*Killzone: Liberation—Something about the Killzone series on PlayStation 2 and 3 has never clicked with people. It is a third tier shooter series, following behind the likes of Call of Duty and Halo in the broad gaming popularity contest. This PSP entry is different, though, a brilliant and brutally difficult tactical shooter that’s just $15.

Good Old Games

It’s all right there in the name. PC gaming in general is a more affordable hobby than console gaming and distribution services like Steam make it even more palatable around the holidays with sales that can see $60 retail games reduced to just $15 within weeks of release. PC gaming has a stories history, though, and Good Old Games is one of the few legitimate digital distribution services to access classics. RPG fan jonsing for a taste of Obsidian’s Project Eternity? Planescape: Torment is $5 on GOG. Mac owner with a thirst for strategy? Syndicate is $3. Even if your game gift budget is $10, Good Old Games can drown you in goodness.

PlayStation 2

Console sales are dwindling. Even with 1.26 million Xbox 360s sold in November, Microsoft’s console sales were down 26 percent from 2011. Some say this is the end of gaming consoles, and the beginning of living room PCs. Maybe that’s true. If that’s the case, celebrate Christmas with the best home console ever made: The PlayStation 2. A brand new console from Amazon will run you $130, but shopping around at retailers like Walmart and Target can often net you a better price. Brand new games are also easy to purchase online. Take these plum picks.

*SSX 3—The best snowboarding game ever made, with an expanding open world. The 2012 PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 SSX pales in comparison. Brand new for just $25.

*Disgae: Hour of Darkness—Strategy fan. Disgae: Hour of Darkness’ weird humor and deep combat can entertain for years. Just $17 for a game that can be played practically forever and never get old.

*Metal Gear Solid 2—Hideo Kojima’s surrealist stealth game celebrated its eleventh birthday this fall, and the game has aged like a fine wine. What was cloying and sweet when first finished has revealed itself to be complex and rich years later. Brand new copies can be had for $16.

What is a solid-state drive (SSD) and why does it put your hard drive disk to shame? Amazing performance and speed are just two of the reasons.

You’ve probably been wondering what all the hype is when it comes to solid-state drives – not to mention what the heck they are exactly. These magnificent devices could make you love your computer more than you ever thought possible, especially if you’re the impatient type. Solid-state drives not only significantly reduce boot times and make your system feel much quicker, they also make app launching and file copying lightning fast. 

If the thought of having a snappier machine sounds appealing, read on to learn more about one of the coolest developments in computing.

Solid-state drives vs. hard disk drives

Installing a solid-state drive (SSD), also known as a solid-state disk, into your machine can radically ramp up its speed and reliability. What makes an SSD superior to a regular hard disk drive (HDD) is its memory. In an HDD, there are constantly spinning discs that read and write data magnetically. In an SSD, however, the memory doesn’t move. SSDs, instead, use a motionless technology called NAND flash memory to read and write. Notably, a computer takes a lot less time to hunt and gather data from an SSD because it’s able to find data just as quickly, no matter where it is in the memory. Meanwhile, a machine must search everywhere in an HDD to find a specific block of information, as the data block’s fragments may be spread across different locations. In fact, an SSD purposefully stores data in different spots to cleverly avoid wear and tear – but this never affects efficiency.

Another way to use an SSD is as an external hard drive, merely to store your data. Of course, this option would not optimize your computer’s performance in any way.

Price trend

Let’s get this out of the way: SSDs are expensive. The good news is that although they have always been and continue to be costlier than HDDs, prices have been consistently dropping for more than a year on the most common drives that have data capacities of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. That being said, SSDs touting as much as 1TB of storage and costing thousands of dollars also exist. Specifically, while an HDD might cost 24 cents per gigabyte of space, an SSD could cost $2 more per gigabyte – a hefty difference. Still, a small-capacity drive (think 128GB) working together with a spacious HDD would give the average user a fantastic performance upgrade, and the amount of space in the SSD won’t matter if you have enough storage capacity already installed.

Pros and cons of SSDs

As we’ve already discussed, SSDs take a fraction of the time to find data compared to an HDD. This means that when you boot up, search for a file, install and open a program – when you carry out just about any task with an SSD-equipped computer – you won’t be left twiddling your thumbs and wondering what’s taking so long. Brilliantly, the SSD’s immobility makes it shock-proof, lighter (both especially convenient benefits for consumers who lug around their laptops), and more durable than an HDD. The lack of moving parts also lengthens the life of your computer and requires less energy to run – which means it will generate less heat, causing your fan to spin less, remain quiet, and ultimately prevent overheating. If you pride yourself on being efficient, upgrading your computer with an SSD may be the logical next step for you.

Another plus is if you choose to use an SSD as an internal, rather than external, drive (the one method that imparts your machine with all the aforementioned perks), you can easily install the device inside your machine yourself with a simple upgrade kit and avoid extra labor expenses. Of course, we only recommend this for people who feel comfortable unscrewing the screws of their desktop or laptop and getting into the gritty side of things. 

On the downside, an SSD can become slower as time progresses, but this flaw should be negligible for most consumers, as a recently manufactured SSD should last as long as (if not longer than) an HDD. Several performance assessments have determined that a current-generation consumer SSD should function perfectly for at least five years before it starts to slow down. 

How to choose an SSD

Before you go out and snag one, you’ll want to examine the following points:

First, why do you want an SSD? Are you mainly interested in boosting your computer’s performance, or do you primarily want to increase your storage space? The answer will help you decide how big the device’s storage capacity should be, and what kind of drive to buy. Remember that the more space you want, the more you’ll have to pay, so if you’re looking for extra storage, you may want to explore external hard drives instead. If your goal is to accelerate performance, good news: more space does not equal more speed, and even the weakest SSD will knock the socks off an above-average HDD.

Second, there are numerous types of SSDs, so you need to figure out which one is the best for your particular machine. To do this, check out Crucial or Kingston Technology, two websites that will walk you through the painless process.

Third, given the steep price you may pay for this drive, an extended warranty could provide peace of mind. Peruse your options before you commit to make sure you get what you think you’re paying for.

Lastly, don’t forget to get an upgrade kit so you can install the SSD at home (no experience necessary!). The kit will often be delivered to you along with the drive. Also, a note about defragmenting your drive. If you have a computer with an HDD and an SSD, you may want to defragment everything except the SSD. Defragmentation is negligible for SSDs and often destructive: it can cause excessive wear as it makes added writes. SSDs have a limited lifespan (don’t worry, they’ll most likely last as long as you’ll need them), so any additional writing and reading will shorten the drive’s lifespan. 

We hope you take a solid-state drive into consideration when upgrading or buying a new computer. Though it will definitely cost you a pretty penny, the experience is worth the investment. 

[Image via Simon Wüllhorst/Flickr]

We mediate as the two hero devices of Windows Phone 8 duke it out to become the blossoming platform's reigning champion. It's the hefty Nokia Lumia 920 against the slimmer HTC Windows Phone 8X.

The launch of Windows Phone 8 has ushered in a new mobile age for Microsoft. Not only has the software been rebuilt from the ground up for better performance and simpler app development, but the hardware is considerably more drool-worthy. Nokia continues to pump out attractive Windows Phone devices under its Lumia brand and the 920 is its crowning jewel, at least until next year’s model.

But the Lumia 920 isn’t alone at the top. HTC has stepped up to the plate and released its Windows Phone 8X, the first real competitor to Nokia’s impressive line up. While Nokia chose a larger profile and stuffed the Lumia 920 with extras, HTC went the minimalist route, leaving Windows Phone 8 untouched and wrapping it up in a slender package.

The differences don’t stop there, however, and we are here to point out each and every distinguishing feature. In the process, the true champion of Windows Phone will be revealed and the choice between HTC and Nokia will be that much clearer.

Design and Construction

The Lumia 920 and 8X are entirely different pieces of hardware, only sharing a fondness for brightly colored casings and polycarbonate. Design-wise, these two devices couldn’t be less alike and yet each one is attractive in its own way. However, beauty is relative and so we need to look at the practicality behind their design to pick our winner.

As we said before, both devices are made from a polycarbonate unibody. The Lumia 920 is 10.7mm thin and 185 grams, quite heavy for a smartphone but not excruciating by any means. The weight is justifiable since the body holds a large battery, floating lens, and wireless charging components. Seams only appear where absolutely necessary (around the screen and the SIM card slot). Nokia curved the Gorilla Glass 2 display into the casing here, making the device feel like a cohesive unit. The body’s finish depends on the color you prefer. Black and Cyan are matte and scratch-resistant, but prone to fingerprints. The other colors use a shiny finish that is more susceptible to scratching.

When compared to the beastly Lumia 920, HTC’s Windows Phone 8X is quite slim. 10.1mm thin at its thickest point, the 8X feels much smaller than the Lumia 920 because of its tapered sides. Like the Lumia 920, the screen slopes into the body and is also made from Gorilla Glass 2. HTC chose a soft-touch covering for the polycarbonate shell, much like what it used on the new One X+. Unlike Nokia, every color comes with the same finish. Because of its smaller screen size (4.3-inches as opposed to the Lumia’s 4.5-inches) and tapered edges, the 8X is definitely more pocketable. There is also a small LED embedded in the speaker grill for notifications, a feature we wish was included in every smartphone.

Both phones are made well with top-notch materials and eye-catching designs. With no physical flaws in construction or design, personal preference prevails. Those who like ‘em big will choose the Lumia 920 and the rest will prefer the 8X. No shame either way. 

Winner: Tie

Feel

The Lumia 920’s rounded sides make it comfortable to hold. However, due to its rather large size, it can be difficult to get a secure grip, especially when you’re using a thumb to poke and prod the screen. After a while, the extra weight does seems natural and – depending on the person – can actually feel comforting. Nokia’s button placement here is worth mentioning as well. The Lumia 920 takes the logical route when designing a larger phone by placing the camera and power buttons, as well as the volume rocker along the right side. The sharper corners can also dig into your skin at certain angles, a minor gripe but still bothersome at times. In the end, it just isn’t the most ergonomic handset.

In terms of design, HTC checks every box. The 8X is thin, attractive, and original. The best way to describe holding the 8X is that it feels almost identical to cradling a well-used and dry bar of soap. The edges are rounded and sink easily into your hand. The soft-touch exterior is smooth and begs to be held. Due to its slimmer profile, the HTC 8X is easier to grip and much harder to drop. Our one objection is the button placement, all the physical buttons are too flush with the body and the power button should have been moved to the right side. But when it comes to overall in-hand feeling, the 8X wins without a question.  

Winner: HTC 8X

Display

The Lumia 920 and 8X have very similar displays. Both use an LCD and both sport a very similar resolution that only differs because of their respective screen sizes. The 4.5-inch Lumia 920 is rocking 1280×768 pixels, while the 8X has a 1280×720 panel. Both displays have impressive color reproduction and blacks that are deep enough. The Lumia 920 and 8X both use a technique which reduces the space between the glass and touch sensors for reduced glare. Nokia calls this ClearBlack, saying it uses polarizing layers of glass to minimize reflections. HTC simply calls it optical lamination. Regardless of name, both devices have great viewing angles and are visible under direct sunlight.

There are a few distinctions that make the Lumia 920 pull ahead by a slim margin. PureMotion HD+ is a technology employed to smooth out transitions and reduce lag when using Windows Phone 8. It works well too, animations look the slightest bit smoother on the Lumia 920 when side-by-side with the 8X. There is also the Lumia 920’s extreme touch sensitivity that allows it to be used while wearing gloves, a feature that those in colder climates will appreciate.

In the end, both the Lumia 920 and 8X have stellar displays. Nokia’s PureMotion HD+ and ultra-sensitive touchscreen may provide an edge over the competition, but ultimately the features are more gimmicky than game-changing.

Winner: Tie

Processor and RAM

This one comes down to numbers, pure and simple. Because of Microsoft’s strict hardware requirements, there is no difference in processing speed between the Lumia 920 and 8X. Both run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor combined with 1GB of RAM. It’s worth noting, however, that the Lumia 920 does feel faster because of the PureMotion HD+. But due to quality internals and the newly streamlined Windows Phone 8, both smartphones are snappy and quick to load.

Winner: Tie

Storage

Another one for the numbers and once again, the Lumia 920 is squarely in the lead. Featuring 32GB of internal storage, the Lumia 920 has enough room for a respectable mobile media library. The 8X is no slouch either, but only offers a maximum 16GB of internal storage. Neither device supports additional storage via microSD, though that isn’t surprising since Windows Phone 7 steered clear of expandable storage as well.

Winner: Lumia 920

Cameras                                           

Nokia’s PureView camera technology puts the Lumia 920’s snapper near the top of any smartphone heap. The 920’s 8.7-megapixel camera may not seem impressive on paper, but suspended optics stabilized by springs and superior low-light performance boost its usefulness. The spring-held optics help to reduce blur from shaky hands both when snapping photos and filming video. In practice, they work great and motion blur is a thing of the past. Photos taken in low-light are really clear and details are more pronounced than they look to the naked eye, as if every available speck of light was magnified to illuminate the scene. However, the low-light photos aren’t perfect and can be tainted by a light source, causing the image to adopt an odd hue. Color reproduction on the Lumia 920 in general can be jarring to the average user. Colors tend to be more true-to-life, resulting in a “cold” look that may be more accurate but still seems odd in quick snapshots.

On the other hand, the 8X’s rear-facing camera is much more snapshot-oriented. Color reproduction is solid, offering the familiar warmth that is typical of smartphone shooters. It also performs well in low-light conditions, though it won’t capture the amount of detail the Lumia 920 is capable of. The 8X handles macro photography quite well for a smartphone as well, perhaps a niche interest, but still worth bringing up. Video recording is the 8X’s true forte. Besides capturing 1080p video, the 8X handles motion very well and moving objects can be seen clearly with no blur. The 8X’s front-facing camera also has some tricks. HTC decided to include an ultra-wide angle camera that can fit “up to four faces and additional background into your self-portraits.”

Both cameras will take care of on-the-go snapshots, but the Lumia 920 is more geared towards hardcore shooters. For the average user, the HTC 8X is going to take photos that are more pleasing without editing and ready to be shared with friends, family, and strangers on the internet.

Winner: HTC 8X

Battery

As you may have noticed, the Lumia 920 and 8X are pretty evenly matched across the board. This pattern holds true in the battery category as well. The Lumia 920 has the slight advantage with a higher-capacity 2000mAh battery, compared with the 8X’s 1800mAh juice pack. It’s a bummer for the 8X because that bump in battery size is actually noticeable and alleviates charger anxiety while using the Lumia 920. During moderate usage (web browsing, texting, calling, apps, etc.), both smartphones are able to stay alive from morning to night without a hitch, but the Lumia 920 will still be primed and ready for a late night rendezvous. Under minimal usage, however, the Lumia 920 is fully capable of lasting 2 days on a single charger.

Winner: Lumia 920

Availability

The HTC 8X is available from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. The Lumia 920 is an AT&T exclusive, though once unlocked it can be used on any carrier. The 8X still wins out in this category for offering consumers a much broader choice of carriers.

Winner: HTC 8X

Extras

Keeping with its “more is more” mentality, Nokia stuffed the Lumia 920 with software extras, including some exclusive apps like Mirror’s Edge – a popular side-scrolling game ported over from consoles. The standouts here are Nokia Music, Nokia Transport, Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive Beta+, Nokia City Lens, Panorama, Smart Shoot, and Cinemagraph. Nokia Music is a free music-streaming app that isn’t available in all countries, but is a welcome addition to WP8. Nokia Transport covers public transit in most major cities, Nokia Maps offers a speedy interface for directions, Nokia Drive Beta+ produces turn-by-turn navigation, Nokia City Lens directs you to shopping, restaurants, and more in your area. Panorama, Smart Shoot, and Cinemagraph are add-ons to the stock camera app. Panorama allows for panoramic photos. Smart Shoot employs burst photography and allows the user to choose the best features of each one. You are even able to pick between different faces if someone blinked or made a weird face. Cinemagraph lets users create their own animated GIFs. It can be fun to play around with, but the novelty wears off pretty quickly.

The 8X sticks to the classic Windows Phone 8 experience for the most part. On the app front, the HTC Hub provides easy access to news, weather, and stocks. For Instagram fans, the Photo Enhancer feature supplies photo filters for retro-transformations of modern photography. Finally, Beats Audio is featured just like on HTC’s Android line-up. Opinions of Beats Audio are all over the map, but it is hard to argue with the increased bass levels made possible by the addition.

Winner: Lumia 920

Price

The Nokia Lumia 920 is available exclusively through AT&T, but comes at a more desirable price of $100 on contract and $450 without one. The HTC Windows Phone 8X is available on more carriers (AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile), but the 16GB version is priced at $200 on contract and $550 without. Considering all the extras that come along with the Lumia 920, the 8X seems really expensive. 

Winner: Lumia 920

Overall winner: Lumia 920

After duking it out with the 8X, the Lumia 920 takes the crown as reigning leader of Windows Phone 8. It may have won by a slim margin, but it looks like Nokia’s primary focus on Windows Phone 8 has paid off. Let’s tally it up.

• Design and Construction: Tie
• Feel: HTC 8X
• Display: Tie
• Processor and RAM: Tie
• Storage: Lumia 920
• Cameras: HTC 8X
• Battery: Lumia 920
• Availability: HTC 8X
• Extras: Lumia 920
• Price: Lumia 920

The Lumia 920′s win is a direct result of Nokia’s aggressive desire to bring a flagship device to WP8. The HTC 8X only lost be a slim margin, however, and shouldn’t be considered a sub-par device. A lot of the features included in the Lumia 920 won’t be essential for everyone and the 8X has a much slimmer and pocket-friendly design for those who prefer a lighter device.

Once all is said and done, we’d recommend getting your hands on these devices at a wireless store to see which you prefer. Though we found the Lumia 920’s weight negligible after considerable use, some people are utterly turned off by its tank-like body. But if you are a spec-hungry, mobile photographer extraordinaire, that appreciates exclusive features then the Lumia 920 is the only option.