TechRadar Verdict
The XTouch X is a decent budget phone that offers a plush design and 18:9 display for a low price point, but its internals and very limited storage let it down.
Pros
- +
Slick design for a low price point
- +
Fingerprint sensor
- +
Built-in wireless charging
Cons
- -
Weak hardware
- -
Phone overheats quickly
- -
Battery life is just okay
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The XTouch X is the latest flagship from the Dubai-based brand focused on developing value phones for the budget Android market. With their latest effort, the company hopes to bring a top-end design and all the comforts of wireless tech in an affordable package.
The phone features a 5.8-inch HD+ display, MediaTek MT6737H chipset, 2GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage, 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, fingerprint scanner, wireless charging support and a 2,800mAh battery - all of which seem decent enough on paper.
However, Xtouch isn’t the only one pushing the affordable smartphone envelope these days and competition is plenty. The Moto G5S, Honor 9 Lite and Nokia 6 to name a few, give more specs and many of the same features in the same price range.
There are areas where the XTouch X falls short of its budget rivals. But are those shortcomings significant enough to look elsewhere?
Price and availability
- Available at Carrefour and online
- Pricing starts at AED 699
The XTOUCH X is available in two bundles. There is the standard bundle priced at AED 699 (including VAT) that comes with the phone and a pair of wireless bluetooth headphones. The gift bundle, priced at AED 819 (including VAT), includes the phone, wireless bluetooth headphones and a handy 8,000mAh capacity wireless portable power bank.
The phone is available at Carrefour outlets and online from xtouchdevice.com where students and those earning less than AED 5,000 can either avail a 10% discount or pay 50% upfront and the rest in three month installments.
Design
- Metal frame and curved glass edges give a premium feel for a low price point
- Plastic back panel feels cheap
The XTouch X is a good looking phone with a slim profile and a spacious 5.8-inch 18:9 display that is on trend with top-end flagships. It has some heft to it, weighing about 195g, but curved edges and tall stature make the phone comfortable to hold and operate.
The front of the phone is covered in glass that curves smoothly around the edges and a shiny metal frame runs along the sides. The effect is rather pleasing at first but cheapened by the glossy plastic panel at the back - a design choice necessary for wireless charging to be possible. The phone overall has a sold in-hand feel and feels rather plush for the price.
On the back, you’ll find a camera with a standard LED flash and a fingerprint scanner that works well most of the time. We found that the phone recognised our fingerprints about 80% of the time followed by a speedy unlock.
The bottom of the phone houses the mono speaker and microUSB port while on the opposite end you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack for all your wired headphone needs, although the XTouch X does come with a very good pair of wireless sports headphones.
The volume rocker and power buttons are neatly placed on the left-hand side which is different than most phones that choose to place it on the right. It is an odd design choice but it doesn’t take away from the overall experience in anyway.
The XTouch X is rather well-built considering the low price point, it’s pleasant to handle and is very pocketable.
Display
- 18:9 IPS display but only 720p
- Bright but not the sharpest
- Display settings customisable through MiraVision
The XTouch X has a big and vivid 5.8-inch IPS display with a 18:9 aspect ratio and an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 that results in an acceptable pixel density of 280ppi. There’s no visible pixelation but text looks much softer.
720p screens are fairly standard for budget phones these days but the Xtouch X loses out somewhat to Moto and Honor here, who have raised the stakes by offering sharp 1080p screens on their latest budget flagships Moto G5S, Honor 7x and Honor 9 Lite.
That niggle aside, the display on the XTouch X is bold and sharp with great viewing angles. Brightness levels are excellent too resulting in remarkable visibility outdoors.
Colors are a little on the cooler side and the saturation feels off at first. But all these elements can be tweaked under the Display settings through MiraVision. With the right color temperature and contrasts, the XTouch X’s screen can look quite nice.
