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HTC Windows Phone 8S hits the FCC with North American 3G, gives the US a horrible tease
Unlike Nokia, all of HTC's Windows Phone effort in the US this fall has been centered on the high-end, through the Windows Phone 8X. That makes the FCC appearance of its budget cousin, the 8S, borderline cruel for American fans of HTC's hyper-colorized design. The phone getting clearance has support for both AT&T and T-Mobile HSPA bands without the LTE that either American carrier would want. Given that the 8S is officially destined for Canada (and not the US) without a named carrier, we're most likely looking at an example for a budget Canuck provider such as Mobilicity or Wind. At least the frequencies will be a comfort to gray market US importers who want HTC's Windows Phone aesthetic on the cheap.
HTC's Windows Phone 8 press event now available to watch online (video)
Love you some Windows Phone? Big fan of HTC? Well, then, we imagine this has been a good week for you! If you missed our coverage from New York as it happened, first of all, shame on you. But, we'll forgive you, and as a special treat even point you to a video of the whole event online. Simply head past the break for the goods, and if you don't want to know what happens, don't click on any of the earlier links in this post. Too late for spoilers? Okay, they announce new phones!
Windows Phone 8S by HTC hands-on: a bright Windows phone that holds promise (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.
Windows Phone 8X coming to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile 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!
