Windows Phone 8S by HTC hands-on: a bright Windows phone that holds promise (video)

HTC Windows Phone 8S handson video

HTC is making a two-pronged attack on Windows Phone 8, and while it may not match up to the specs on its new flagship, the Windows Phone 8S by HTC (yes, that’s the official moniker) has some charm all of its own. The screen is a pretty underwhelming Gorilla Glass-coated 4-inch WVGA LCD, with a similarly middleweight 5-megapixel camera peering out from the other side. Given that it’s looking to be priced closer to the One V than the One S, we’re not all that surprised. The phone itself is a good-looking slab, thanks to the breezy color schemes and while the build is certainly solid enough, we’d be hard-pressed to put it in league with the 8X, which felt at home in our hand from the start. The 8S is cocooned in a matte plastic finish, arriving in four different color options — depending on carrier and territory.

The two-tone color scheme, aside from a few color licks around the lens and ear piece, keeps the second color limited to the bottom edge and the detachable cap. This offers access to the microSD slot (upgrading the built-in 4GB of storage up to 32GB), but like the 8X, no access to the battery. Yep, these new Windows Phones look nothing like HTC’s One series, and while the same design studio is responsible, this time, it took its inspiration from Microsoft’s tile interface. There’s a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon S4 processor inside, but the phone wasn’t quite ready to be put completely through its paces. While the software was still locked down, you can take a video tour — and read more of our hardware impressions — after the break.

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Windows Phone 8S by HTC hands-on: a bright Windows phone that holds promise (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Phone 8X coming to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile in November

Windows Phone 8X coming to AT&T, Verizon and TMobile in November

We just had a chance to see and handle the colorful Windows Phone 8X by HTC, but where will we find it in the US? On stage, the company told us that the new device will be heading to three major carriers: AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. All three operators should be pushing the device out sometime in November, though we’re still waiting to hear specifics on pricing — and we also haven’t been told details on the availability of the lower-end Windows Phone 8S.

Note: We’re hearing whispers that the 8X will be $199 on AT&T and T-Mobile, but both carriers have responded to our request for more information, stating that no pricing has been released yet. The press releases can be found below.

Check out our liveblog coverage of HTC’s Windows Phone 8 launch event!

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Windows Phone 8X coming to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile in November originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Phone 8X by HTC hands-on: Microsoft’s modern mobile OS personified in polycarbonate

Windows Phone 8X by HTC handson Microsoft's modern mobile OS personified in polycarbonate

One thing’s for sure: HTC’s not playing it safe with the Windows Phone 8X. The flagship line, officially announced at its event in New York today, arrives emboldened not only by an array of lively hues, but also with the mark of the mighty Microsoft, itself. Yes, you need only glance at the handset’s name to know this tapered, polycarbonate affair bears an intrinsic connection to the UI it aims to bolster; a symbiotic bond made all too apparent by the hard-edged, modern hull housing the equally modern, live-tiled WP8 OS. But a focus on fresh, eye-catching industrial design isn’t the only tale being told by the OEM. There are specs to talk about — compelling ones.

Departing drastically from the Mango forbears that attempted to blaze a path, the 8X boasts internals that position it competitively with other contemporary smartphones, ushering WP 8 into the tech industry’s here and now. In keeping with its high-end ilk, the device sports a 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display (341ppi) powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core S4 and complemented by 1GB RAM, NFC, 16GB of storage, as well as an integrated 1,800mAh battery. It should be clear from that rundown alone that this is not your Windows Phone device of yore. So, follow along as we wrap our fingers ’round its California Blue body and report back with some first impressions.

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Windows Phone 8X by HTC hands-on: Microsoft’s modern mobile OS personified in polycarbonate originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC announces Windows Phone 8S: a mid-range Microsoft handset for the fashion conscious

HTC announces Windows Phone 8S a midrange Microsoft handset for the fashion conscious

The Windows Phone 8 era is swinging into full effect. Nokia’s big launch event was only a few short weeks ago, now HTC is enjoying its time in the spotlight with two handsets of its own. The Windows Phone 8S makes no mystery of its platform choice and, like the One S, indicates its midrange status with a simple alphabetic suffix. This four-inch phone will be shipping with HSPA on board. Unfortunately there’s no word on an LTE edition of this rather handsome device. Spec-wise, the WVGA screen leaves us a little wanting, but we appreciate the combination of Super LCD and Gorilla Glass, which should make for a contrasty and scratch resistant panel. Under the hood is a dual-core S4 clocked at 1GHz, which is hardly a speed demon by todays standards, but should be enough to keep Microsoft’s streamlined OS humming along nicely. The CPU is augmented by 512MB of RAM, which isn’t any beefier than most Mango phones prepping for retirement.

A paltry 4GB of storage is baked in, but thankfully HTC saw fit to include a microSD slot for expansion. Those rather modest internals should help the handset make the most of the 1,700 mAh battery at least. Sadly, the Taiwanese manufacturer decided to skip a front-facing cam on its entry level device and the sensor around back is only 5MP and limited to 720p video capture. At 10.28mm thick the 8S isn’t the sleekest handset, but the tapered edges make look quite a bit thinner than that measurement would indicate. There’s no denying the appeal of the two-tone polycarbonate bodies, regardless of comparative girth, which feature soft touch finishes in veritable rainbow of options. Pricing has yet to be announced, but you can expect the 8S to hit shelves in early November on a number of carriers. Full PR awaits after the break.

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HTC announces Windows Phone 8S: a mid-range Microsoft handset for the fashion conscious originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Windows Phone 8X and 8S family portraits

HTC Windows Phone 8X and 8S family portraits

HTC introduced us to not one, but two Windows Phone 8 devices today. Sure, we’ve poked and prodded them but, before you get your chance to grope the 8S and 8X, we figured a proper introduction is order. So, meet the whole family in all their brightly colored glory!

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HTC Windows Phone 8X and 8S family portraits originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Phone 8X by HTC: 4.3-inch 720p display, LTE, dual-core S4, available this November

Windows Phone 8X by HTC unveiled 43inch 720p Super LCD 2 display, dualcore 15GHz S4, LTE, Beats Audio, available for $199 this November

Consider this Microsoft’s ultimate blessing, or merely a way to guarantee household name recognition. Whatever the case, the company’s next-gen Apollo OS is not only powering HTC’s newest mobile movement, it’s also the headliner. That’s right, as clunky as it may initially seem, Windows Phone 8X is the official moniker of the OEM’s brightly hued flagship series, an alphabetical denomination that puts it on premium standing with the One X line. And thanks to the loosened spec restraints made possible by WP8, this modern-minded, unibodied beaut reps a 4.3-inch 1280 x 720 Super LCD 2 display with Gorilla Glass 2 coating, dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor buffered by 1GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage, WiFi a/b/g/n, NFC and an integrated 1,800mAh Li-ion battery. There’s also quadband radio support for GSM/GPRS/EDGE, HSPA/WCDMA (850, 900, 1900, 2100MHz) and, of course, LTE for stateside carriers.

Though the 8X may share the same boldly colored, polycarbonate construction of its live-tiled Lumia frenemies, it also stands apart with the inclusion of two HTC-specific features: Beats Audio, replete with a built-in amplifier, and ImageChip for continuous shooting. And speaking of optics, this device’s dual camera setup packs the combined punch of a 2.1-megapixel front-facer with 88-degree ultra-wide-angle lens and an 8-megapixel rear module with an f/2.0 lens accompanied by a single LED flash — both capable of 1080p video capture.

While the veil of mystery surrounding this latest tech industry collaboration may have just lifted, you’ll still have to wait a bit before it heads to retail. After all, Microsoft’s planning its own WP8 coming out party for late October — a reveal that should finally give us a full look at the smartphone UI formerly known as Metro. With a ship date set for sometime this November, the 8X will be available in four distinct colors – California Blue, Graphite Black, Flame Red and Limelight Yellow — on over 150 carriers worldwide. No word on final pricing as of yet. So, until then, sate yourself with this first taste. Official PR after the break.

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Windows Phone 8X by HTC: 4.3-inch 720p display, LTE, dual-core S4, available this November originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Live from HTC’s NYC press event!

Live from HTC's NYC press event!

It’s a fine autumn day in NYC. The air is cool, it’s a little breezy and a certain Taiwanese manufacturer has invited us over to check out some cool new gadgets. What exactly does HTC have in store? Well, that’s anyone’s guess, but suspicions are focused on Windows Phone 8 and a certain leaked handset with the codename Accord. Check back in at the time below to get all the news as it happens live.

September 19, 2012 11:00 AM EDT

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Live from HTC’s NYC press event! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia Lumia 920 makes PureView appearance at Photokina with anti-shake video demo (video)

Nokia Lumia 920 makes PureView appearance at Photokina with antishake video demo video

Sure, Nokia’s recently announced Lumia 920 runs Windows Phone 8, but its banner feature is actually the PureView camera, which in some ways seems more capable than that of its 808 sibling. Company reps were on hand at the Carl Zeiss booth at Photokina demonstrating this latest handset’s low-light abilities — which are quite striking. Just as impressive, however, is the device’s heralded stabilization feature, which captures an impressively smooth clip even with exaggerated hand shake. Considering the degree to which the Nokia rep was shaking, users with steadier hands shouldn’t have any issue capturing excellent quality video. We were unable to view the clip on a computer, so our impressions are only based on what we saw on the LCD, but the feature was impressive nonetheless. We’ll of course need to reserve formal judgement until we can conduct our own tests, but this PureView preview was certainly convincing, and quite encouraging — especially the side-by-side clip comparing the 920 to a “US-based manufacturer’s” smartphone. Catch it in full in the hands-on video after the break.

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Nokia Lumia 920 makes PureView appearance at Photokina with anti-shake video demo (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re liveblogging HTC’s big reveal tomorrow at 11am ET! (update: teaser)

We're liveblogging HTC's big reveal tomorrow at 11am ET! update teaser

HTC isn’t betraying too much with its event invite, but we’ve got our suspicions about what the Taiwanese company has up its sleeve. Maybe there will even be a few surprises in store for us, who knows? That’s why we had to accept HTC’s invite and will be there live, in person to experience the reveal ourselves. Since you can’t be there (and we wouldn’t want you to be square), join us tomorrow morning at 11am ET and follow along in the liveblog right here — we’ll know you’re with us in spirit.

Update: How about that: the company just whittled down the possibilities through an official teaser on its Facebook page. All we see is the corner of a Windows Phone, the event date and a promise that it’s a day “when beautiful hardware meets stunning software.” It doesn’t take much sleuthing to deduce that this is HTC’s turn at a Windows Phone 8 device launch, and that we may well see devices like the 8X when the New York City gathering gets started.

Jon Fingas contributed to this post.

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We’re liveblogging HTC’s big reveal tomorrow at 11am ET! (update: teaser) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZTE marketing guy goes crazy with unknown WP8 handset and Gaussian blur

ZTE marketing guy goes crazy with unknown WP8 handset and Gaussian blur

Who needs a marketing department when you have a personal Sina Weibo account? So reasoned ZTE’s marketing strategy manager, Dennis Lui, as he posted the above photo of three ZTE Windows Phones to the internet. The right-hand device is just a regular ZTE Tania and, although it looks like it’s running Windows Phone 8, the screen is actually a dead ringer for a certain “WP8 simulator” app available for WP7 phones. The remaining two devices are obscured by a generous helping of blur, but the handset on the left could well be running legit WP8, as evidenced by the shrunken live tiles, hinting that ZTE may be among the first wave of manufacturers diving into the new OS. To further whet our budget hardware appetites, Lui also posted a photo of a Windows 8 or Windows RT tablet (shown after the break), which suggests that ZTE is getting into that game too.

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ZTE marketing guy goes crazy with unknown WP8 handset and Gaussian blur originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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