HTC 8X review: Windows Phone 8’s compact flagship

HTC 8X Review Windows Phone 8's compact flagship

It feels like forever since Microsoft announced Windows Phone 8 back in June, but the mobile OS is finally here and with it comes the inaugural volley of compatible handsets. The first one to cross our desks is the global, unlocked version of HTC's Windows Phone 8X, a device we first saw in September. Unlike other current flagships, this phone breaks the bigger-is-better trend by providing a full set of high-end specs in a relatively compact package -- combining a 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display, Qualcomm dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and NFC in a sleek and colorful package. Does the 8X have what it takes to carry the Windows Phone 8 torch? Is this a bona fide flagship despite its reduced footprint? Has HTC designed a better handset than its existing Android superphone, the One X? Find out in our review after the break.

Continue reading HTC 8X review: Windows Phone 8's compact flagship

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HTC 8X review: Windows Phone 8's compact flagship originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon’s HTC DLX may be called Droid DNA, Windows Phone 8 devices get tentative prices

Verizon's HTC DLX may be called Droid DNA, Windows Phone 8 devices get tentative prices

Verizon is one of the more common proponents of silly Android device names, in part through its insistence on that "Droid" prefix for some hardware. When its smartphone badges practically demand a pause for breath, you know there's a problem. Android Central's purported copy of a Minimum Advertised Pricing list could show that there's hope for the carrier yet. The chart shows the HTC DLX (6435LVW) skipping the rumored Droid Incredible X name in favor of Droid DNA -- and that's it. No superlatives, no arbitrary "4G LTE" tags to remind us of the network we already know we're using. The 5-inch phone might have even been a reasonable launch, as the MAP shows a $200 contract price that would potentially take effect just before Thanksgiving.

Want more? Other smartphones are on the supposedly leaked MAP list as well, primarily focusing on Windows Phone 8 gear: the as yet unconfirmed Nokia Lumia 822 shows up with a $100 price and a mid-November release window, while Verizon's take on the Windows Phone 8X is present with a $200 price and similar timing. Those who'd rather go for a Samsung phablet than HTC's aren't left out, either. The Verizon edition of the Galaxy Note II is on the list with a $300 price and availability that starts immediately -- rather convenient, that.

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Verizon's HTC DLX may be called Droid DNA, Windows Phone 8 devices get tentative prices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia Lumia 920 pre-orders reappear: $699 off-contract at Negri Electronics

Nokia Lumia 920 preorders reappear $699 offcontract at Negri Electronics

If you missed Best Buy's early pre-order showing of the Lumia 920 (which soon disappeared) then you might be interested in stumping a headier amount for the same handset, off-contract. Negri Electronics is now listing the device at $699, but minus those monthly payments to AT&T. The online retailer has the yellow iteration, while it's also stocking the Lumia 820 free from contract restrictions -- and in red -- for $599. The site is sticking resolutely to that pre-order label on both, however, with no mention of a possible delivery date just yet.

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Nokia Lumia 920 pre-orders reappear: $699 off-contract at Negri Electronics originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy offering pre-orders for Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC 8X for $149.99 and $99.99 under contract (Update: Lumia 920 no longer listed)

Best Buy offering preorders for Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC 8X for $14999 and $9999 under contract

Nokia and HTC's upcoming Windows Phone 8 flagships are still on the standard release path: announcement, federal approval and now, pre-order. Keeping device availability tucked firmly under its hat, Best Buy is now offering Nokia's Lumia 920 and the HTC 8X for pre-sale, priced at $149.99 and $99.99, respectively. Early buyers have options, too: the Lumia 920 is kitted out in red, blue, yellow, black and white shells. Fashionistas with a flair for purple, however, will need to stick to HTC's hardware. Unfortunately, you don't get that much choice -- Best Buy's pre-orders don't balk at the devices' AT&T exclusivity. The retailer doesn't say when devices are going to ship, but we imagine early adopters won't have to wait too long.

Update: The Lumia 920 has disappeared from Best Buy's listings, while the 8X remains. This seems to suggest that pre-order stock for Nokia's new flagship has sold out, but given the short time it was available, let's hope that other issues are to blame and the absence is only temporary.

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Best Buy offering pre-orders for Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC 8X for $149.99 and $99.99 under contract (Update: Lumia 920 no longer listed) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Oct 2012 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink WPCentral, Verge, Phone Arena  |  sourceBest Buy  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft announces Q1 earnings with $5.31 billion in profit, braces for Windows 8 surge

Steve Ballmer at Microsoft Surface event

It's Microsoft's turn at quiet-before-the-storm quarterly results, and that's evident in the fiscal first quarter earnings it just dropped on our laps. The Redmond team is reporting $16.01 billion in revenue, but a more modest than usual $5.31 billion in profit over the summer -- while it's healthier than the Q4 loss stemming from the aQuantive write-off, it's not as impressive as the $7.2 billion profit from a year ago. While a tough PC market is partly to blame, it's equally hard to say that Microsoft couldn't have done better. There's a real chance that some of its customers have been holding back on purchases in anticipation of the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 launches; it's already setting aside $1.36 billion in revenue for Windows and Office upgrades. The company is unquestionably preparing itself for a giant spike in demand once at least Windows 8 rolls around later this month, so we'd say that the real litmus test will be the results we get after the holidays.

Continue reading Microsoft announces Q1 earnings with $5.31 billion in profit, braces for Windows 8 surge

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Microsoft announces Q1 earnings with $5.31 billion in profit, braces for Windows 8 surge originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked training videos peg Lumia 920 as AT&T exclusive for six months, shows off City Lens, wireless charging

Leaked training videos peg Lumia 920 as an AT&T exclusive for six months, shows off City Lens, wireless charging

Itching for Nokia's latest piece of Windows Phone kit, but aren't ready to saddle up with Ma Bell? Get comfortable: according to a leaked AT&T training video, you'll have to wait six months for the Lumia 920's exclusivity contract to expire. The unofficial Windows Phone 8 flagship is due out next month, though mum's still the word on its actual ship date. The trio of videos also give AT&T employees a brief run down of Nokia City Lens, wireless charging and the handset's NFC features. If you simply can't wait until spring, Verizon and T-Mobile are serving up a pair of mid-range alternatives, the Lumia 820 and 822, respectively. Otherwise, head past the break to see the videos for yourself and test your patience.

Continue reading Leaked training videos peg Lumia 920 as AT&T exclusive for six months, shows off City Lens, wireless charging

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Leaked training videos peg Lumia 920 as AT&T exclusive for six months, shows off City Lens, wireless charging originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia Lumia 820, 920 for AT&T swing through the FCC

Nokia Lumia 820, 920 for AT&T swing through the FCC

Hopefully AT&T subscribers weren't spooked when the Nokia Lumia 920 first passed through the FCC in only its non-US guise, and its lower-end 820 cousin only as the (currently unofficial) Verizon-ready Lumia 822. The two Windows Phone 8 flagships have had follow-up approvals in GSM versions that are unmistakably destined for AT&T and Canadian carriers. Never mind the slightly distracting RM-820 model number on the Lumia 920; it reveals the 920's distinctive curved design, 700MHz LTE in AT&T's range and AWS-based LTE for both AT&T as well as its Canadian neighbor. The Lumia 820 is equally identifiable as the RM-824, even if it limits the LTE access to AT&T's network. We haven't seen any shocking revelations from either device, although we weren't expecting any from phones that hew so closely to the original templates. The filings mostly set expectations for Microsoft's October 29th event -- now that the likely stars of the show are cleared to make their appearances, the companies involved should breathe more easily.

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Nokia Lumia 820, 920 for AT&T swing through the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vodafone Germany expects Nokia Lumia 820 and 920 on November 1st

Vodafone Germany expects Nokia Lumia 820 and 920 on November 1st

Everyone knows that Nokia's Lumia 820 and 920 are slated to arrive in November. But how soon into the month? Going by Vodafone Germany's assertions, both of the devices will come just as some of us are nursing our Halloween candy hangovers -- that is, November 1st. While neither Nokia nor Microsoft has confirmed the timing independently, it lines up with a brief mention of a similar date at retailer MediaMarkt and would follow just two days after the big Windows Phone 8 event where Nokia is likely to take center stage. Provided Vodafone isn't just being optimistic, it gives us hope that the North American launches of the advanced Lumias won't be far behind.

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Vodafone Germany expects Nokia Lumia 820 and 920 on November 1st originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink WPArea.de (translated), WMPoweruser  |  sourceVodafone Germany (Facebook)  | Email this | Comments

Nokia Lumia 822 for Verizon possibly caught stopping by the FCC

Nokia Lumia 822 for Verizon makes a probable stop at the FCC

Just in case you thought Nokia's Lumia 822 for Verizon was an illusion, the FCC has given us good (if not quite smoking gun) evidence that it's tangible. A filing at the agency shows a device that's only listed as the RM-845 on the surface, but has Verizon's CDMA and LTE bands, measurements very close to those of the GSM-based Lumia 820 and a microSD slot that you wouldn't find in a Lumia 920 variant -- short of a surprise new model, there's little beyond the 822 that would currently fit the bill. Those disappointed that it's not a higher-end Lumia might take some consolation in seeing both the expected NFC as well as quad-band HSPA 3G for world roaming. Between the FCC and earlier photos, fans are really just left waiting for Verizon to make this new piece of its Windows Phone revival official, whether it's on October 29th or some other date.

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Nokia Lumia 822 for Verizon possibly caught stopping by the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 19:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Likely HTC Windows Phone 8X with AT&T-friendly LTE surfaces at the FCC, just in time

HTC Windows Phone 8X with AT&Tfriendly LTE surfaces at the FCC just in time

Isn't that convenient. With only weeks left to go before the official Windows Phone 8 launch event, what's likely a version of the HTC Windows Phone 8X with North American LTE support has stopped by the FCC for approval. The PM23300 variant we see here (the international 8X is the PM23200) supports both the needed 700MHz LTE band for its eventual appearance at AT&T as well as AWS for wider AT&T coverage and the big three Canadian carriers. All are good signs that HTC is just about ready, although T-Mobile and Verizon subscribers might not want to get overly excited just yet -- there's no AWS 3G, CDMA or Verizon-ready 700MHz LTE to be found on this 8X, which shows that any US launch will still demand multiple editions. The others won't be far behind in the FCC race with that November release window already locked in.

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Likely HTC Windows Phone 8X with AT&T-friendly LTE surfaces at the FCC, just in time originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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