HTC gets the first Windows Phone 8 OTA update to fix auto-restart and other bugs

It has been a quite important moment for Microsoft and Windows Phone, as HTC has got the first Windows Phone 8 OTA update to the international version of HTC Windows Phone 8X. Before, all the updates of WP are only available via Zune software on computer. As a new feature, Windows Phone 8 allows users to update smartphones via OTA freely. As for HTC 8X, the OTA update will update it from WP8 v9905 to v10211, keep Wi-Fi alive during update and repair automatic restart problem.

Users must carry on several steps to complete update. Before restarting the phone to upgrade the smartphone, it is required to download the OTA update on the device to complete the update preparation work; and during the system updating and re-loading, there is also a stage for users to transfer data.

Though Windows Phone finally adopts the OTA update, there is only HTC 8X currently applicable to this update method. No information upon Lumia 920 OTA update has been mentioned. If you have got an HTC 8X, just go to "Settings>Phone Update" to get this new update.

T-Mobile Launched Google Nexus 4, HTC 8X, Nokia Lumia 810 and Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 10.1 tablet

For people who want to update their in-hand smartphones or plan to get a brand-new smartphone, T-Mobile seems to be a good choice. The Google Nexus 4, which sold out on the Google Play Store on Tuesday, is now available at 'select' T-Mobile stores. Besides the Nexus 4, this time T-Mobile also pushes out two Windows Phone 8 smartphones and a new tablet, respectively HTC 8X, Nokia Lumia 810 and the latest Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 tablet.

The 16GB model of Google Nexus 4 is available for the Classic plan for $199.99 with a signed two-year contract and a $50 mail-in rebate brings the price down even more. Unsubsidized, the phone is $499.99 or $150 more than the price on the Google Play Store.

If you prefer Windows Phone to Android smartphones, T-Mobile also provides you two new choices. The first is the HTC 8X for $149.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate and 20 equal monthly payments of $20 and a two-year contract on the Value plan. With the Classic plan, the phone is $199.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate and a signed two-year contract. With a 4.3 inch Super LCD 2 display protected by Gorilla Glass 2 and sporting resolution of 720 x 1280, and 342ppi pixel density, it would produce quite amazing experience for you to enjoy HD movies on HTC 8X.

As an exclusive to the carrier, Nokia Lumia 810 is the other Windows Phone 8 model launching from T-Mobile on Wednesday. On the Value plan, the phone is $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and 20 monthly payments of $20 with a signed two-year contract. While on the Classic plan, people can pick up the device for $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a signed two-year pact.

If you want to get a new tablet, T-Mobile will meet your needs with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, which is powered by Android 4.0, a 1280 x 800 resolution and a dual-core 1.5GHz processor. However, for the same price, you can pick up the Google Nexus 10 off-contract at the Google Play Store with a mind-blowing 2560 x 1600 resolution and a 300ppi pixel density.

Windows Phone 8 smartphones duel: HTC Windows Phone 8X vs. Nokia Lumia 920

Due to the Windows 8 release, there’re several smartphone manufacturers that plan to output smartphones based on Windows Phone 8. On September 5^th, Nokia held an event to officially introduce its latest Windows Phone 8 smartphone Nokia Lumia 920 and 820. Right after the Nokia WP8 smartphones released, HTC soon released its brand new wonderful Windows Phone 8 smartphones on HTC WP8 September 19th event, the HTC 8X and HTC 8S. Today, I have collected some materials regarding Lumia 920 and HTC 8X to make a brief comparison between these two Windows Phone 8 smartphones. The below picture would show some detailed specs of HTC 8X and Lumia 920. Check the comparison below:

On the appearance, these two smartphones look very similar to each other. HTC 8X has abandoned its previous design like HTC One X, much fitter to Windows Phone 8 screen display. HTC's phone is significantly smaller, lighter, and thinner than the Lumia 920, which may give it a leg up for those who prefer more pocketable devices.

Displays

The Lumia 920 has the slightly larger display, 4.5 inches as opposed to the HTC Windows Phone 8X's 4.3 inches. Both smartphones own the same HD screens while HTC 8X might be a little advantageous for its higher pixel density, 342 pixels per inch versus the Lumia's 332 ppi, yet still enough to produce excellent video experience for users to watch HD movies on smartphones. Both use similar LCD screen technology with IPS, or in-plane switching.

Camera

The 8X includes HTC's image chip and 8-megapixel camera, which are included in the HTC One X and One S phones. Shutter lag is virtually nonexistent, and photo quality is very high. On the other hand, Nokia's 8.7-megapixel Pureview shooter could be great -- or it might disappoint like the Lumia 900's did, since it doesn’t own a relatively high sensor to let the light stream in just like that of Pureview 808.

Processor and performance

With the same 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, the same Windows Phone 8 OS, and the same 4G LTE speeds, the 8X and the Lumia 920 should run neck and neck for performance.

On the Bluetooth front, HTC made the strange decisions to give the 8X Bluetooth 2.1, whereas the Lumia 920 follows Bluetooth 3.1 standards. The best-case scenario would see both phones with Bluetooth 4.0 for easy tapping and pairing. At least with NFC on both handsets, there's room to pair with third-party accessories using the near field communication standard.

Battery

Nokia's 2,000mAh embedded battery edges the 8X's 1,800mAh equally nonremovable ticker. But the Lumia 920 has a larger screen display, which may eat more power than that of HTC 8X. Meanwhile, depending on the usage and brightness settings, runtime per charge could be shorter, longer, or identical. The PueMotion HD technology might even draw more battery, since it requires a voltage surge to transition from one video frame to the next.

Memory

The Lumia 920 has 32GB of onboard memory, plus 7GB of free Microsoft SkyDrive storage. HTC's 8X comes in a 16GB model, and while SkyDrive is available on every Windows Phone, HTC didn't announce plans to offer it free. Both phones have 1GB RAM, and neither comes with a microSD card slot for additional storage.

Carrier and pricing

HTC has the benefit of enlisting carriers to help rally customers to the 8X. The phone has a price ($199.99) on three carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Though Nokia hasn’t yet announced U.S. carriers, there are plenty of rumors that point to an October or November Lumia 920 launch on AT&T. 

HTC Windows Phone 8 8X Specs: 4.3-inch LCD 2 HD touchscreen, 8MP camera, 720P video playback

After the release of Samsung ATIV S and the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820, HTC soon announced to release other wonderful Windows Phone 8 smartphones on HTC WP8 September 19th event. Now, HTC has officially released its first Windows Phone 8 smartphones – HTC Windows Phone 8X and 8S. Make things short, let’s see what the HTC Windows Phone 8 8X brings to us:

Build and design

Measuring in at 10.12mm thick the 8X is substantially less slender than the One X (8.9mm) but manages to weigh in at the same 130g as HTC’s flagship Android device. Available in California Blue, Graphite Black, Flame Red and Limelight Yellow, the 8X seems to share more design characteristics with the Nokia Lumia 920 than it does with current One Series offerings which HTC claims is more based on the pillow-like design of Windows Live Tiles.

Screen

Brandishing a 4.3-inch LCD 2 HD touchscreen display with 1280 x 720 resolution, the 8X should serve up 720p HD image and video quality. Lightweight but durable Gorilla Glass should protect the screen from being roughed up during the day, and to battle glare and reflection issues, optical lamination has been includes so watching video or browsing in on the web shouldn’t be an issue.

Camera

Following in the footsteps of the Android-powered One X, the 8X features an 8-megapixel camera with auto focus and LED flash and a BSI sensor which along with the f/2.0 aperture and 28mm lens should snap great pictures in low-light conditions. HTC’s dedicated Image Chip will help deliver slick snaps and ramp up the focus speed, while 1080p HD video recording with stereo sound should take care of mobile movies.

For video chatting enthusiasts, the 2.1-Megapixel front-facing camera is capable of full HD video recording and also sports a f/2.0 aperture which combines with the ultra-wide-angle lens and HTC ImageChip comfortable should make it one of the best front-facing snappers around.

Connectivity

On the connectivity front you can expect Wi-Fi dual antenna (2.4 & 5GHz) to keep reception strong, with a Bluetooth 2.1 support and NFC capabilities on board as well. The micro-USB 2.0 port should open the possibility for hooking up additional accessories while it’s worth noting that you’ll need to have a Micro SIM packed in the back to start making calls.

Beats Audio

Reaping the rewards of HTC’s partnership with Beats Audio, built-in amplifiers and speaker should deliver the superior sound while the 3.5mm audio jack should allow you to plug in most headphones that you can get your hands on. If you opt not to use the ones thrown in the box of course.

Battery and processor

Powering the 8X will be a Qualcomm® S4 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, which will also power the 8S and the Nokia Lumia 920. 1GB of RAM will help to deliver in the multitasking department, while a 1,800 mAh battery should hopefully keep your handset juiced up throughout the day.

Windows Phone 8

Of course the 8X will become HTC’s flagship Window Phone 8 handset and amongst some of the features to expect, you will be able to use Live Tiles on the home screen which will display information such as missed calls and text messages, customization of Internet Explorer and the ability to take screen shots.

UK Price and release date

So when can you buy the HTC 8X in the UK? Well, the Windows Phone 8 smartphone will be landing in early November with Three, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2, Virgin Media and Carphone Warehouse amongst the places you can expect to snare one. There’s no news on pricing, but will let you know as soon as it breaks.

The First Windows Phone 8 Smartphone HTC 8X for T-Mobile Leaked Online after Samsung and Nokia

During the IFA show in Berlin at the end of August, Samsung quietly showed a few reporters their new Ativ phone running Windows Phone 8 operating system, which features super-thin phone body, 4.8-inch display, 2,300mAh battery, NFC (near-field communication technology) and Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+). Shortly after the Samsung Ativ phone, Nokia held its September 5^th event to release its first Windows Phone 8 smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 920, which sports quite amazing features including a 4.3-inch touchscreen, a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, expandable memory via microSDCode, Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or Long-Term Evolution (LTE), etc. Now, as one of manufacturers of Windows Phone 8 terminals, HTC is also on the move for preparing for a Windows Phone 8 smartphone. New details on one of HTC's first Windows Phone 8 mobiles have been leaked. The HTC Accord will apparently be known as the Windows Phone 8X by HTC, and will offer a 4.3inch screen.

HTC 8X specs

As reported, the HTC 8X Windows Phone 8 smartphone would be scheduled to be released on September 19^th, only a week after iPhone 5 release event. According to a spec list leaked on Twitter, the phone, once known as the HTC Accord, will feature a 4.3-inch 720P HD screen, an 8-megapixel camera and a dual-core 1.2GHz processor. Other features include an NFC chip, Beats audio branding, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, WiFi, a microUSB port, 3.5mm audio socket, etc. The HTC 8X offers 16GB of internal memory and 1GB of RAM, and uses a microSIM. Obviously, this new Windows Phone 8 smartphone is for mid-class customers.

What we find most interesting about this leak, though, is the detail shed on the 8-megapixel camera. It reportedly uses a 29mm f/2.0 lens, which should let it take in more light than either the f/2.6 Samsung Galaxy S3 or the f/2.4 iPhone 4S. This snapper could be a bit special, especially given it features in a mid-range phone. It's equipped with an LED flash and can capture 1080p video.

Besides the HTC 8X as Windows Phone 8 smartphone flagship, it is also reported that HTC is preparing for two other WP8 smartphones, respectively named HTC 8S and HTC 8V, for the September 19^th mobile phone event. Will HTC be able to pull off something attractive enough against the Nokia Lumia 920 or Samsung ATIV S? We might have to wait a few more days for September 19 to find out. Stay tuned!