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+Martin James Sep. 20, 2012 at 19:30 More articles by Martin James

HTC 8X and 8S Windows Phone prices revealed Just yesterday I was saying that the jury will by and large be out on the HTC 8X and HTC 8S Windows Phones until we hear something concrete on prices.

Well, it's not quite official, but we do have our first indication of the HTC pair's SIM-free price tags thanks to online retailer Unlocked Mobiles.

According to them, the high-specced HTC 8X will set you back 2p shy of £400, while the smaller and tamer HTC 8S can be yours for £224.98. In both cases, November is the listed on-sale date, which tallies with what we already know.

So where do those prices sit on our Mobot bargain-o-meter?

Rather predictably, we have to say, it's neither here nor there. We're not quite spitting expletives into our tea, but we're certainly not reaching for our credit cards right now either.

But what do you think? What kind of figure would you have to see to really get excited about HTC's Windows Phone 8 duo? Is that even a possibility? To the Comments…

Read more about: Windows Phone

18 comments

I think they need to be rather lower especially the 8x, though I guess much will depend on pricing of slightly better spec toting Nokias and of course the much better ATIV.

Thinking MS definitely need at least one phone much cheaper than they all look like they are going to be so far.

Still these will definitely be very interesting if they get to half these prices in 6 months.

Certainly have to really want wp8 to pay that for the rather One S similar 8x.

Last edited by Pondlife, Sep. 20, 2012 at 19:52

I really don't care until WP8 itself is actually unveiled. I don't understand the rage, really. No offence, both the new Lumias and these HTCs and the Ativ seem to have nice features and hardware yada yada
But would you pre-order a car without knowing anything about the engine? Would you
compare 2 different cars to death before you know anything about the engines?

With hindsight these early launches were a clever ploy. Apple's cr*ppy maps are great for some Nokia and Google hype - though, the most verbal crowd seems to sit at their PCs 24/7 which makes me wonder what they need maps for? But anyway...
Apparently some networks take pre-orders for these new WP handsets BEFORE the WP8 launch... ludicrous. IMHO

Rage?

Rage? As in "it's all the rage"... hype...blah blah...

Ah, thought I'd somehow posted aggressive dislike of it.

To look at the engine analogy yeah foolish to compare them to other vehicles with different engines but still curious to compare them amongst themselves as they are getting the same one.

Are the maps that crappy then? Not followed the ios6 roll out.
Am getting more and more curious about the engine behind wp8 now so maybe they have done something right.

Example of iOS6 vs Google maps in iOS 5 => http://d2eii7mnmr40od.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/bJibu.jpg
N.B: there are many cries of foulplay - some users say their iOS 6 maps show areas quite proper while sites publish barren screenshots... Hard to say.
Charles Arthur said in his iPhone 5 review (after ACTUALLY using it) that the new maps work well - at least in London etc. He also told me that Siri is much improved and nicely does things that the new maps app doesn't. E.g. critics say search for businesses is crap in the maps app. But Arthur says, well, for that you use Siri which now works better in the UK...

I'm not taking his word as gospel, but then again: many of the "ooh, iOS6 got me lost on the way home" cries were tweeted from Android apps

Looks almost like they haven't finished loading in those shots, almost prettier without all those roads. Let's face it though not fussed what Melbourne looks like on a map.

How they work here sounds more relevant. Doesn't sound like it's as well integrated as I would have expected then, searching for businesses has always seemed bit poor in any maps though. I'd still feel a bit dilly asking siri anything

Was likely to be the way.

Looks almost like they haven't finished loading in those shots, almost prettier without all those roads. Let's face it though not fussed what Melbourne looks like on a map.

How they work here sounds more relevant. Doesn't sound like it's as well integrated as I would have expected then, searching for businesses has always seemed bit poor in any maps though. I'd still feel a bit dilly asking siri anything

Was likely to be the way.

I assume some of the screenshots are indeed unfinished loads or shopped. And the fuss will die down - there's Google maps via Safari, Nokia maps also, and I'm sure Google will work on something to get some of the iOS market back. And of course, Apple's maps will improve also! And hey, I'm in the West of Ireland. Nobody here needs a map And if you do, you can draw one on a potato with crayola

Apple's iOS maps are still crap compared to Nokia's maps and GMaps for Android. Also, even the new, improved Siri is still slower and less accurate than Google Now, in the UK. I tested an iPad 3 vs a Galaxy S2 and GNow on the S2 was consistently faster (even though it's the less powerful device) and made less mistakes (though on a BoD basis, I'll put that down to accent etc, could be different for others).

Looks almost like they haven't finished loading in those shots, almost prettier without all those roads. Let's face it though not fussed what Melbourne looks like on a map.

How they work here sounds more relevant. Doesn't sound like it's as well integrated as I would have expected then, searching for businesses has always seemed bit poor in any maps though. I'd still feel a bit dilly asking siri anything

Was likely to be the way.

I assume some of the screenshots are indeed unfinished loads or shopped. And the fuss will die down - there's Google maps via Safari, Nokia maps also, and I'm sure Google will work on something to get some of the iOS market back. And of course, Apple's maps will improve also! And hey, I'm in the West of Ireland. Nobody here needs a map And if you do, you can draw one on a potato with crayola

Seem to be going out of your way to defend Apple a lot recently... Odd seeing as this is a post about HTC phones too.

I didn't start the maps thing here, though. I think...
Anyhow... I'm bored with people who wouldn't buy phone xzy under ANY circumstances pretending they would "IF ONLY"! That's why I bring up Apple or others also more than would be normal.
I can clarify: I won't buy the iPhone 5. The adapter, and the reliance on Cydia for smartphone basics, the killing of physical TV-out... I couldnt care less about the maps, although (as mentioned elsewhere) I would welcome a Google-free OS for choice and variety.

Seem to be going out of your way to defend Apple a lot recently... Odd seeing as this is a post about HTC phones too.

Pfft htc just not interesting enough I guess. Tbh on their own htc prices don't mean much. Once we get a clue of others pricing it might tell us more. The huge heat these have on hukd is baffling. Am sure many must be comparing to prices of One S and One X which is rather flawed.

I didn't start the maps thing here, though. I think...
Anyhow... I'm bored with people who wouldn't buy phone xzy under ANY circumstances pretending they would "IF ONLY"! That's why I bring up Apple or others also more than would be normal.
I can clarify: I won't buy the iPhone 5. The adapter, and the reliance on Cydia for smartphone basics, the killing of physical TV-out... I couldnt care less about the maps, although (as mentioned elsewhere) I would welcome a Google-free OS for choice and variety.

Yeah you did by calling them crappy but no matter.
I think that tv out is merely wounded not killed they say it will be back though not through that adaptor by sounds of it.

Should be interesting to see how the new Lumias line up with these prices.

Seem to be going out of your way to defend Apple a lot recently... Odd seeing as this is a post about HTC phones too.

Pfft htc just not interesting enough I guess. Tbh on their own htc prices don't mean much. Once we get a clue of others pricing it might tell us more. The huge heat these have on hukd is baffling. Am sure many must be comparing to prices of One S and One X which is rather flawed.

I didn't start the maps thing here, though. I think...
Anyhow... I'm bored with people who wouldn't buy phone xzy under ANY circumstances pretending they would "IF ONLY"! That's why I bring up Apple or others also more than would be normal.
I can clarify: I won't buy the iPhone 5. The adapter, and the reliance on Cydia for smartphone basics, the killing of physical TV-out... I couldnt care less about the maps, although (as mentioned elsewhere) I would welcome a Google-free OS for choice and variety.

Yeah you did by calling them crappy but no matter.
I think that tv out is merely wounded not killed they say it will be back though not through that adaptor by sounds of it.

Yes, but that "crappy" was a reference to other people calling them "crappy". I didn't make that clear, I guess. I haven't used the maps, nor iOS6, nor iPhone 5. Until 2 years ago, the town where I work was absent from Google maps. Entirely... I didn't care then, either.

The TV-out would bug me a bit. Since Videos from iTunes are DRM protected...

It's also useful for some mobile games and apps, and I'm not one for streaming this that and the other. Of course, that is just my viewpoint. I suffer no loss whatsoever because some company made software and a phone that I do not like. Where's the issue?
Failure becomes an issue when 10s of thousands lose their jobs because head honchos are incompetent (hello to Finland)... Apple will get over the maps issue. There are alternatives.

Should be interesting to see how the new Lumias line up with these prices.

Agree. Nokia just cannot afford to try and pull an Apple, so to speak.

Should be interesting to see how the new Lumias line up with these prices.

Agree. Nokia just cannot afford to try and pull an Apple, so to speak.

If they learn anything from the massive price drop southwards of their first generation Lumia's is: Don't price yourself out of the market. Because that's Apple's raison d'etre.

Do it too blatanty and they could sue.

Last edited by SpeedyG, Sep. 23, 2012 at 00:25

Yes, but that "crappy" was a reference to other people calling them "crappy". I didn't make that clear, I guess. I haven't used the maps, nor iOS6, nor iPhone 5. Until 2 years ago, the town where I work was absent from Google maps. Entirely... I didn't care then, either.

The TV-out would bug me a bit. Since Videos from iTunes are DRM protected...

It's also useful for some mobile games and apps, and I'm not one for streaming this that and the other. Of course, that is just my viewpoint. I suffer no loss whatsoever because some company made software and a phone that I do not like. Where's the issue?
Failure becomes an issue when 10s of thousands lose their jobs because head honchos are incompetent (hello to Finland)... Apple will get over the maps issue. There are alternatives.

Wasn't saying that the crappy was that relevant but the mention of it did lead to the line of apple maps convo here, not that it matters, random is good I think

Well there's always airplay (is it airplay, might have that wrong)

Isn't really an issue, but we can't always talk about politics
They will get over it and many won't give a **** anyway, but is noteworthy and could give wp more of a chance to sell a few more units... Well it could.... It's not completely beyond the realms of possibility.... Well they'll be hoping for it...

If they learn anything from the massive price drop southwards of their first generation Lumia's is: Don't price yourself out of the market. Because that's Apple's raison d'etre.

Well this time the spec is more reasonable to support a price, but persuading MS not to say wp9 will be out soon would help too