Which Verizon Windows Phone 8 is Best?

Do you own a smartphone? If not, and you're a Verizon subscriber, I wholeheartedly recommend a Windows Phone 8 (WP8) smartphone. IMHO, WP8 is the easiest smartphone operating system for the techphobic and smartphone newbie to grasp – yes, easier than iPhone and far easier than Android – especially if you already own a Windows PC.

And if you own an Android phone but barely use it beyond its basic functions, I urge you to switch to Windows Phone 8. You'll find yourself getting far more use out of your smart features since WP8 is so much easier to use.

I suggest you iPhone users stay where you are. WP8 is nice, but you don't gain that much functionality by switching, despite what WP8 commercials insist.

So, if you're a Verizon subscriber, you have a choice of three WP8 models: the Nokia Lumia 822, the Verizon version of AT&T's Lumia 820; the HTC 8X; and, the Samsung ATIV Odyssey. (The HTC Trophy is a Windows 7.5 device and Verizon shouldn't even be offering it next to these other three – it cannot be upgraded to WP8 and carries a ridiculously high price.)

Here's a numerical comparison of the three:

On the surface, this would appear to be no contest. The HTC 8X is clearly the specs leader – higher-quality, higher-density screen, high-resolution front camera, thinner, light-weight compared to its size. And it looks more high-tech than its competitors.

But you don't use specs when you use a phone. I've been playing with all three phones for the last week or so, and I think you have seven factors to consider: ergonomics, screen/readability, sound, camera/photo, battery life, miscellaneous/intangible and price.

So, let's get down to my seven factors.

Ergonomics

How do you hold a smartphone? This may sound like an odd question, but how you hold your phone may determine which of the three may be the best for you.

The HTC 8X is the thinnest handset of the bunch, and lighter than the Lumia 822, which also sports a 4.3-inch screen. The 8X feels even thinner than its statistical advantage – it's tapered so it's thinner at its edges. And therein lies its problem.

First, the 8X is taller than the other two phones. In smaller hands, it might feel top-heavy, as if it's going to tip over if you don't grip it extra tight.

Second, its USB jack is on the bottom. If you balance the phone in your palm and use your pinky to support it, the edge of the 8X and the USB jack are rough, soon resulting in a sore little finger.

8X's perimeter buttons also are too flush with its surface. They're hard to find by feel, especially the top-mounted on/off key, which has no give – it's hard to tell by feel if you've pushed it. The side-mounted on/off buttons on the Lumia and ATIV are far easier to locate by feel and push with one hand.

While the 8X has a matte finish to enhance its grip, the plastic cases on the Lumia and ATIV are not slippery.

All-in-all, I found the smaller Samsung – which bears a strong look-and-feel resemblance to the first iPhone (uh oh) – easier to hold for lengthy periods, followed by the Lumia.

Advantage: Samsung ATIV Odyssey

Screen/Readability

HTC hypes the 8X's high-definition display, and small type is definitely sharper on all Web pages and in email.

But type isn't necessarily easier to read on the 8X.

Text on the lower resolution Lumia and ATIV tends to be much thicker and darker and, therefore, easier to read than the sharper but thinner, more dainty text on the 8X.

In addition, both the Lumia and Samsung do better in direct sunlight and especially off-angle; tilt the 8X screen just slightly and the view becomes bleached.

You get slightly more image on the 8X, but you don't lose as much as you'd think on the smaller 4-inch ATIV screen – but that's because everything's just a bit smaller on the ATIV.

Advantage: Nokia Lumia 822

Sound

It's really hard to find a modern smartphone that gives bad conversation. All three sound just fine, with the HTC and its Beats producing sound slightly louder and clearer.

But you can really hear the Beats better sound on the 8X speakerphone – volume is higher, clearer, fuller and more natural than the Lumia or ATIV. Of the other two phones, the Lumia offers slightly better speakerphone volume and clarity.

Advantage: HTC 8X

Camera/Photo

Because of their tall/wide screen shape, both the 8X and the 822 take wide photos and fit a lot more into their wide frame.

But the ATIV takes the best photos – natural since Samsung is the only camera maker of the three manufacturers – even if they are lower resolution (5 MP vs. 8 MP on the 8X and 822), proving once again that higher resolution has nothing to do with photo quality.

Lumia's photos tend to be darker and tend toward the cooler, bluer-end of the color spectrum, while photos from the 8X tend to lean toward the warmer/redder-end of the spectrum.

ATIV's photos, both inside and outdoors, however, display truer, neutral colors, deeper blacks and more natural contrasts.

Advantage: Samsung ATIV Odyssey

Battery Life

Battery life on both the Lumia 822 and especially the HTC 8X suffers because of power necessary to fuel their larger screens.

How much more shocked me.

When the 8X's battery faded after several hours of Web surfing, video playing, emailing and chatting, the Lumia 822 retained 15 percent of its power under identical usage. But the ATIV still retained a whopping 60 percent of its battery life.

Advantage: Samsung ATIV Odyssey

Miscellaneous/Intangible

Both HTC and Lumia offer several feature benefits, including NFC (near field communication) – an advantage once if/when the rest of the world decides to implement some wide-ranging NFC solutions.

Samsung offered an easier upgrade when switching, with an initial set-up that includes transfer of settings/data/contacts from your old Verizon device and automatic downloads of all the WP8 apps you might have acquired along the way. But for some reason, my previously procured  WP8 apps refused to download – I have 11 apps listed as "downloading" but won't.

I have no tangible reasons behind this next statement, but of the three I most enjoyed using the Nokia Lumia 822.

Price

This is where things get weird. The HTC 8X is priced at $99.99 with a two-year deal, and the Samsung ATIV costs $49.99.

But oddly, the Lumia 822 is free with a two-year deal.

Recommendations

I don't dislike the HTC 8X. But a hundred bucks is a hundred bucks, and it's hard to beat free. So, I recommend the Lumia 822 for its screen size, intangibles and puzzling lack of price.

But women with smaller hands may find the Lumia 822 too ungainly. The Samsung ATIV Odyssey, however, is a perfect size, and takes great photos.