Smartphones are getting more attractive for the holidays and HTC has pushed out another unit to get you thinking for a serious buy. The HTC One VX is not exactly a fresh issue, its market debut only fraught by delays but on Dec 7 AT&T started offering the handset for only $US49.99.

For that price tag, you'll get an Ice Cream Sandwich handset that packs with enough power on the hood - headlined by a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, which HTC paired with 1GB of RAM for a decent mid-level Android experience that is easy on the pocket.

This 4.5-inch tech toy may not be in the same league of the hottest gadgets out there but tech experts are convinced that HTC's Sense flavouring on top of the Google mobile platform is good enough catch for its price, which comes with a 2-year AT&T lock-in period.

The package is basic: 8GB of internal storage but with expansion option for a microSD memory card of up to 32GB, a camera shooter that slightly veers away from the standard HTC One shooter of 8MP and a qHD 540 x 960 display resolution, which is not jaw-dropping but from being mediocre as well.

But the price is so inviting that you may think supplies would run out soon before you could place an order. Well, AT&T has assured, according to Engadget, that it is "fully stocked in all channels by 12/7."

The One VX is slightly inferior when compared to its HTC siblings, the Droid DNA and the One X+ but its Super LCD2 display, which is identical with the One S, "produces vivid colour, excellent viewing angles, and admirable brightness," which indeed is quite far from being a disappointment, AndroidCentral.com said on its first take.

It is LTE-capable so the snappy features deployed with the device are complemented by fast wireless net access. Even if the ICS is a bit letdown, JellyBean is likely to replace it very soon, according to UberGizmo.

But if the wait seems too long, the alternative is rooting and flashing custom ROMs on the handset for a different environment that remains Android-inspired.

The One VX, however, can stand on its own, according to Anndrew Vacca of Android Central, because it "chugs along with nary a hiccup or stutter, and seems to be able to handle just about anything you throw at it.'

"The VX really hits a sweet spot in terms of screen size and portability. It's absolutely stunning, as we've come to expect from the One series. Slim and light, the VX looks quite similar to the One S with its rounded corners, super-slim profile, metal trim, and matte silver/white finish," Mr Vacca wrote.