Skype has released a new Windows Phone 8 app update today. The new Skype for Windows Phone 8 version 2.4 brings HD video calling support for high end devices. These devices include the likes of Nokia Lumia 920, HTC 8X and the Samsung Ativ S. The HD video calling feature works on hardware acceleration on high end Windows Phone 8 devices, so low and mid range devices will be limited to VGA video. The high definition video relies on an Internet connection, this app will automatically select compatible video quality based on the strength of the internet connection. Microsoft claims that this new update improves video call quality on all devices, HD or not.
Apart from 720p HD video calling, the new Skype Windows Phone 8 app brings a couple of new updates as well. Skype contacts will now be included in the Windows Phone People Hub, thus eliminating the need to launch Skype app, as calls can be initiated straight from the People Hub. Users can now easily switch through multiple accounts as account switching has now been integrated in to the main menu of the app. The new app fixes bugs and reliability issues. The new Skype Windows Phone 8 app is now available as a free download from the Windows Phone Store.
Hmm, it seems that the very first Over The Air (OTA) update for Windows Phone 8 is being pushed out, and guess out of all the Windows Phone 8 smartphones out there in the market, which would be the one to be the proud recipient? It seems that HTC’s 8X (read our comprehensive review) has been the chosen one. This is a departure from previous modus operandi, where one would have to have the smartphone tethered to Zune software on a computer. I guess with Windows Phone 8, things have changed dynamically at the back end as well, where Windows Phone 8 enables untethered and far easier OTA updates right on the device.
The HTC 8X and the new OTA update will see the software bumped up from build 9905 to 10211, delivering with it a feature that enables Wi-Fi to remain connected always (“keep Wi-Fi alive”), in addition to the customary range of bug fixes when it comes to spontaneously rebooting devices. No idea on whether this update will be pushed to carrier-locked devices, as unbranded and unlocked HTC 8X smartphones has had no issues in retrieving and installing this update.
The HTC 8X is probably the most readily available Windows Phone 8 smartphone in the USA, and so far, it did not seem to suffer from any shortage. This smartphone is available on the T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon networks in various colors: Red, Yellow, Blue and Black. These are the Windows Theme colors and so far, the public seems to be excited by the idea of getting a brightly colored handset.
On the market, The HTC 8X main competitor is the Nokia Lumia 920, which is similarly priced at AT&T. If you absolutely want to be on T-Mobile or Verizon, then the fight falls back to the lower-end Nokia 8xx models as the 920 is an AT&T exclusive for the time being.
The HTC 8X’s main advantage over the Nokia Lumia 920 is the slightly smaller size (if you like that) and the much lighter weight, which is for many (but not all) an undeniable advantage that cannot be ignored. However, the Lumia 920 has great advantages of its own, including the low-light camera and exclusive Nokia software. Which one is best for you? (more…)
HTC’s new Windows Phone 8X proves that the manufacturer is capable of building a solid Windows Phone 8 device. We’ve already taken a look at AT&T’s version of the 8X, as well as T-Mobile’s variant, but Verizon has the new device in its repertoire as well, and we’ve got it right here in front of us to see what this version offers. Since we already went over the basics as well as the more advanced stuff with the original full review, as well as dabbled around with T-Mobile’s version, I’ll just be briefly providing an overview of Verizon’s version for those who may be interested in grabbing the device from Big Red.
The HTC Windows Phone 8X sports a 4.3-inch Super LCD2 720p display with a pixel density of 342ppi, and it’s protected with Gorilla Glass 2. We have to say that there’s not much to complain about with the display — viewing angles are adequate, and images and text are really crisp. The back consists of a curved piece of soft-touch plastic that provides a wonderful grip for those with butter fingers. The back is also flat enough that the device is able to rest on a surface without rocking back and forth. Holding the device feels great, and since it has a smaller 4.3-inch screen, the overall size of the 8X doesn’t make it overwhelming to hold.
Below: Our own Cory Gunther walks us through Windows Phone 8 using the HTC Windows Phone 8X, which is the same device featured in this review, save for the carrier.
On the top of the handset, you have the headphone jack (enhanced with Beats Audio technology, of course) and the power button, while the volume rocker and a dedicated camera button are placed on the right side, along with the SIM card slot towards the top. On the back, there’s the 8MP shooter with the speaker placed towards the bottom right underneath the carrier branding. The microUSB port is placed directly on the bottom in the center — right where we like it.
On the inside, there’s the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chip with a dual-core Krait processor clocked at 1.5GHz — the same chip that’s in the Samsung Galaxy S III and Nokia’s Lumia 920. Partnered with the S4 are Adreno 225 graphics, and there’s also 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (sorry, no microSD slot on this one either).
There’s really nothing to scoff at when it comes to performance. The 8X is fast and snappy, and the animations (which are what makes Windows Phone 8 look really good) are incredibly smooth. Apps opened quickly, and the dedicated camera button on the side of the phone makes it easy to snap a photo, which is great to have, honestly, since the camera app takes a bit of scrolling to get to. The 1800mAh battery is adequate, and while you’ll be able to go most of the day without having to keep it near an outlet, you’ll most likely have to charge it up by the evening with average usage.
Verizon’s version of the Windows Phone 8X has a little bit of the carrier’s own offerings squished inside the rest of the WP8 user interface. Thankfully, Verizon doesn’t go too crazy with the carrier-specific apps. There’s VZ Navigator, NFL Mobile, and My Verizon Mobile, which lets you manage your Verizon account and check to see how many minutes you’ve used up, as well as how much data you have left during the billing period. None of Verizon’s bloatware — if you could even call it that — gets in the way at all, and I actually hardly even noticed that the apps were there.
The 8X has an 8MP f/2.0 rear camera with a 2.1MP front-facing shooter. There’s nothing to complain about here, and while it’s not the best camera on a Windows Phone 8 device, it certainly performs. If you can’t get your hands on a Lumia 920 (which arguably has the best camera on a WP8 handset), the 8X is a good second choice. It handles low-light conditions surprisingly well. Although, even with adequate lighting, images sometimes appear darker than what they should. However, autofocus, as well as auto-exposure and white balance work pretty well.
The dedicated camera button on the side of the device is two-stage, which means you can push the button halfway down to lock in the settings and then all the way down to snap the photo. The button takes a little bit of force in order to push it down all the way, but you can also use the touchscreen as the shutter button for an alternative.
Wrap-up
Essentially, the 8X from HTC is a great and solid device to test out Windows Phone 8. Personally, it was my first time playing around with Windows Phone 8, and while it did take a little bit of time to get used to the UI, Microsoft clearly made a clean and and stylish mobile operating system, and it ran great on the 8X. Overall, if you’re wanting to stick with Verizon as a carrier (thus, taking the Lumia 920 out of the running), the 8X is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a Windows Phone 8 handset. Of course, there’s only a few options to choose from on Verizon, so the competition is still light at this point, but for $199, the 8X can certainly compete with other handsets out of the WP8 group.
Some Windows Phone 8 users are reporting problems with random reboots and freezes. The Verge picked up on the issue yesterday. Since then the number of post on various forum threads has risen, with 157 replies on the WPCentral forum and 61 replies to a question about reboots on a Microsoft forum. A Nokia support forum thread on the Lumia 920 freezing now runs to four pages.
It is unclear exactly what is triggering the problems — and whether they are related or down to specific issues with different handsets, although since multiple handsets from different makers are involved a problem relating to the OS seems most likely. Handsets named by forum users include the Nokia Lumia 920 and the HTC 8X. An owner of an WP7 handset, the HTC Trophy, also reports having reboot problems with that older handset.
Several users on the WPCentral forum report having fewer problems after uninstalling the Facebook app — but others say the reboots seem entirely random. Other users various blame the HTC hub, and an NFC tap-to-share feature.
We’ve asked Microsoft, HTC and Nokia if they are aware of any problems and whether they are working on a fix. We’ll update this story with any response.
Update: Nokia acknowledged there have been “reports of a small number of people experiencing this unusual performance on their Nokia Lumia 920″ and pointed to problematic apps as a potential cause — noting in a statement: “We are investigating but suspect some apps may be at the root of the issue when left running in the background. While we learn more, we advise people when finished with an application to navigate away using the back button to ensure it is no longer active.”
Update 2: HTC told TechCrunch it understands that Microsoft is looking into the issue. Microsoft has yet to respond to a request for comment.
Update 3: Microsoft said it is “currently investigating reports of these incidents”.
Welcome to Wednesday evening everyone. Today Samsung rejected rumors that it’s been charging Apple a 20% premium on processors for iDevices, saying that since the prices are determined and agreed upon at the beginning of the year, it would be pretty difficult to change them. Speaking of Apple, the company confirmed today that it will soon open its first store in South America – the store will be located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to be exact.
We learned today that Call of Duty: Black Ops II sold 1 million copies at GameStop alone on launch day – news that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone – and Rockstar delivered the second trailer for Grand Theft Auto V after weeks of new screenshots and news for the highly anticipated game. RIM CEO Thorsten Heins is confident that BlackBerry 10 will be a big hit when it arrives early next year, while the HTC Windows Phone 8X and Nokia Lumia 820 landed at T-Mobile today.
Steve Wozniak expressed his fear that Microsoft is doing more to innovate than Apple is, while we learned that text messaging is showing a decline for the first time ever. The HTC DLX – better known by the name of HTC DROID DNA here in the United States – will be launching in China on December 6, while AT&T launched its 4G LTE network in a number of new markets today. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has been added to the Queen’s royal collection, and sadly, the final issue of Nintendo Power has been finished, which means that the magazine’s offices have gone dark.
We heard the very sad news that Texas Instruments plans to lay off 1,700 workers in an attempt to save some cash, while Google added one-click app installs to Google Plus feeds today. One father went to the trouble of changing the text in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker to show his daughter that it isn’t always boys who get to be the hero, some EA Origin members are having issues with hijacked accounts, and the Facebook Pages feed is ready for some time in the spotlight.
Finally tonight, we have a couple of different reviews coming your way, both from Chris Burns. First up we’ve got a review of Roger Dean’s Dragons Dream for iOS, followed by a review of the HTC Windows Phone 8X from T-Mobile. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, enjoy the rest of your night everyone!
Get your Windows Phone 8 rally caps on for a trip to T-Mobile today as both the HTC Windows Phone 8X and the Nokia Lumia 810 have been made available to the public just this morning. We’ve had a full review of the Lumia 810 earlier this week and have had our hands on the Windows Phone 8X in a full review before it made its way to T-Mobile as well. Now it’s time to check out how the two compare to one another – especially since we’ve just gotten the T-Mobile Windows Phone 8X in the mail!
The Nokia Lumia 810 is a device that’s exclusive to T-Mobile, this being mostly because there are devices so very extremely similar to it on each of the carrier’s competing networks. You’ve got a device that’s made to take on the middle of the market with a slightly toned-down presentation compared to its bigger cousins the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920, but when you’ve got the device in your hand, you’ll feel as though you’ve still got a top-tier machine. Our full review (the first link in this paragraph) to see our full look.
The HTC Windows Phone 8X is a device we’ve, again, also already had a full review of back when it was released internationally and on AT&T. This device has been said to be the biggest competitor for the Nokia Lumia 920, when in fact we’re finding that it’s essentially in a different category altogether because of the Nokia-only apps that appear on the one, but not the other. HTC on the other hand has an HTC app that gives you weather information, but it’s nothing new – they had this same app onboard their older Windows Phone devices before the switch to Windows Phone 8, and it’s certainly not changed significantly since then.
These device are up for sale at T-Mobile right this minute and will be at most T-Mobile stores you’re able to walk to in your area. Have a peek at them in-person! You’ll be able to get the Nokia Lumia 810 for $149 with a 2-year contract after $50 mail-in rebate. The HTC Windows Phone 8X will cost you $199 with a two-year contract after a $50 mail-in rebate as well – bring your pocketbooks!
It’s time to get on board with Windows Phone 8, and what better way to do it than with one of the two first devices on the market with the mobile operating system? We’ve had a look at both the Nokia Lumia 920 and the HTC Windows Phone 8X – now it’s time to pit them against one another in an all-out race to the finish. The finish in this case being your hand – and your pocket, of course.
The Nokia Lumia 920 provides a relatively rich ecosystem considering the relatively newness of Windows Phone in general. The Windows Phone 8 universe is being headed by both Nokia and HTC, so says Microsoft, so it’d probably be a good idea to get one or the other, but Microsoft’s team-up with Nokia has been going on for a bit longer, and much more prevalently. This means things like Microsoft holding up Nokia devices at Windows Phone 8 events and using them for advertisements in general – and developers having more confidence in their ability to last long on the market, which is good for apps.
The Lumia series has a set of Nokia apps that come only with Nokia devices, including several rather neat mapping and augmented reality engagements. Have a peek at the following video to see what Nokia Maps, City View, and the rest will mean for you when you pick this device up. You’ll also see a couple other features courtesy of our friendly Nokia representative from back at the launch of this device.
Then it’s time for the real judgement. Based on our Nokia Lumia 920 full review you’ll be finding that it’s a more than capable device for your everyday high-end smartphone-loving existence. Comparatively you’ve got two devices that are rather similar in the specifications universe:
HTC Windows Phone 8X: 5.21 x 2.61 x 0.40 inchese (132.3 x 66.2 x 10.1 mm) Nokia Lumia 920: 5.13 x 2.79 x 0.42 inches (130.3 x 70.8 x 10.7 mm)
8X: 8 megapixel back-facing camera, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, 1920×1080 (1080p HD) video 920: 8.7 megapixel back-facing camera with PureView technology, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 1280×720 (720p HD) (30 fps) video
Our full HTC Windows Phone 8X review has essentially the same software experience as the Nokia device except for the Nokia-added apps. Here HTC has what you might call a “cleaner” look at Windows Phone 8, though both devices are able to eject apps at will (such is one of the simplest and greatest abilities of Windows Phone in general.) The HTC device also has Beats Audio integrated for superior heavy sound.
The HTC Windows Phone 8X’s benefits are primarily in the hardware department with ever-so-slight differences in lightness and thinness. You’ll also find a different feel, with a sharper feel with the HTC device and a more pillowy feel with the Nokia device. We recommend literally heading in to your local retailer and holding both devices in your hand before making the decision between these two titans, that’s for sure!
A couple days back, AT&T gave us pricing information for the HTC Windows Phone 8X, but sadly didn’t part with any specific release info. The carrier said that the phone would be available “before Thanksgiving,” but today we’re finding out that it’ll be launching quite some time before Turkey Day arrives. AT&T has announced that the Windows Phone 8X will be available to order starting November 9, which just so happens to be tomorrow.
It also happens to be the same day that the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 will be available, so AT&T customers will have a few options when it comes to picking out a Windows Phone 8 device. The 8X will be coming to AT&T is a couple different varieties. First up we have the 16GB California Blue variant, followed by AT&T-exclusive 8GB models in California Blue and eye-searing Limelight (yellow). We’re not sure why you’d want a bright yellow phone, but if you want a device that draws some attention, the Limelight model is probably your best bet.
AT&T says that all three models will be available to purchase in stores and at att.com starting tomorrow, with the 8GB Limelight model and the 16GB California Blue model shipping out next week. We don’t have an exact ship date for those handsets just yet, but whenever that date is, at least we know that there isn’t much longer to wait. The 16GB model will set you back $199.99 with a two-year agreement, while the the 8GB models will only require an initial payment of $99.99.
The HTC Windows Phone 8X features a 4.3-inch screen running at 720p, so you’ll be getting high definition with this handset. Around the back, you’ve got an 8-megapixel camera, while on the inside you’ve got a dual-core Snapdragon processor clocked at 1.5GHz and 1GB of RAM at your disposal. Read our full review of the device to find out what we think!
It’s time for the HTC Windows Phone 8X, Nokia Lumia 822, and Samsung ATIV Odyssey to hit Verizon and start the Windows Phone 8 party on the United States’ largest mobile carrier. Each of these devices will be working with 4G LTE connectivity and will be bringing on what Verizon assures will be an interface that will allow you “new ways to further personalize your smartphone” – as Steve Ballmer has made clear many times. They also assure you that “Windows Phone 8 will debut on a number of new smartphones” as well – can we hope for more Verizon action soon?
We have one Windows Phone 8X review up already – now it’s time to see how the beast works with the high-speed action at Verizon. The Nokia Lumia 822 is quite similar to the original 820 we saw back at the launch by Nokia – and we’ve had Nokia Lumia 822 hands-on time as well much more recently. This device is the little brother of the much larger Nokia Lumia 920.
You should of course have a peek at our Nokia Lumia 920 review to see what Nokia is bringing to the table as far as software goes – the 822 is just a bit smaller and has many of the same benefits busting out around the rim. As for the Samsung ATIV Odyssey – we don’t know one whole heck of a lot about this device yet – even its release date has been kept a secret thus far, with Verizon just saying, “exclusive to Verizon Wireless and available by the end of the year.”
The Nokia Lumia 822 will be exclusive to Verizon as well (as each version of the 820 model has a different number for each carrier, of course), and will be coming in Black, White, and Grey color models for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a new two year contract. The Windows Phone 8X by HTC will be popping up by Thanksgiving in a lovely collection of colors for $199.99 with a new two year contract. This HTC model will come in blue, red, or black – the last two being exclusive colors for Verizon!
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Skype has released a new Windows Phone 8 app update today. The new Skype for Windows Phone 8 version 2.4 brings HD video calling support for high end devices. These devices include the likes of Nokia Lumia 920, HTC 8X and the Samsung Ativ S. The HD video calling feature works on hardware acceleration on high end Windows Phone 8 devices, so low and mid range devices will be limited to VGA video. The high definition video relies on an Internet connection, this app will automatically select compatible video quality based on the strength of the internet connection. Microsoft claims that this new update improves video call quality on all devices, HD or not.
Hmm, it seems that the very first Over The Air (OTA) update for Windows Phone 8 is being pushed out, and guess out of all the Windows Phone 8 smartphones out there in the market, which would be the one to be the proud recipient? It seems that HTC’s 8X (read our 
