When HTC unveiled their future lineup of top-tier smartphones at Mobile World Congress, they heavily boasted about the phone’s camera. They claimed it would rival any digital camera and that it would deliver a camera experience in a way never seen on phones before. They made a pretty big deal over their new ImageSense software as well as the custom ImageChip, f/2.0 lens, HDR technology, and super fast capture. The incessant hype led to a wave of praise and anticipation. Users instantly began dreaming of the professional headshot profiles they’d be posting to Facebook. Kidding aside, they did make it sound awesome, and when they posted a set of pictures from the HTC One X to Facebook, it validated our praise.

Who would have thought, one week later, all that hype would come crashing down courtesy of an official HTC blogger and his HTC One X. With good intentions and adventure on his mind, managing editor Larry Meadows decided to snap some photos of his early climb up Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona. He wanted to post them on the HTC blog to show how one could take their HTC One X on a hike and snap some wonderful pictures. The only problem — those pictures didn’t meet the expectations of the masses who last week were fed truck loads of industry specs and hype.

Now I’m going to admit, I don’t know the first thing about photography and myself take terrible photos, so I have absolutely no authority on the subject. However, many people who do know a thing or two have expressed their disappointment and have gone as far as to say these photos have solidified their decision to not purchase the HTC One X. I kind of feel bad for the guy, but at the same time, this probably wouldn’t be an issue had HTC not made it one to begin with.

I, for one, don’t expect any camera in my hands to produce professional looking photos because I simply don’t have a clue about lighting, shadows, etc. Therefore I never expected the HTC One X to turn me into a professional photographer, but it appears some people did, and have now decided not to purchase an otherwise excellent piece of hardware. I find the whole thing tragic, but it is what it is. You can take a look at the pictures for yourself and yes, they do look like your ordinary smartphone camera pictures. A big difference from what we saw last week from someone I’m assuming new his way around a camera.

What do you guys think? Are you disappointed? Do these photos change your opinion of the HTC One X? Were you considering purchasing the HTC One X for the camera and now reconsidering? Share your opinions in the comments below.

via Android and Me

• SourceHTC Blog