Smartphones

HTC's brought its top-notch camera hardware to the Windows Phone 8X, including an 8MP rear shooter with f/2.0 aperture and BSI (backside illuminated) image sensor. In addition, there's a specially designed HTC ImageChip on-board for faster photo capture. What that means is some pretty impressive stills. Check 'em out after the break.

Nokia (and Verizon) this morning announced the Lumia 822 for the largest carrier in the United States.

The 822, in addition to having 4G LTE data, also sports an 8MP rear camera and 1.2MP shooter up front. Plus, there's wireless charging.

Odd is that Nokia hasn't yet moved an official picture of the 822, and Verizon's completely mum on its in. There's also no word on pricing or availability. But we've got the full presser after the break, and we'll update with the rest when we get it. Nokia has revealed a price tag of just $99 when taken on contract.

More: Nokia Lumia 822

We don't yet have a street date for the Nokia Lumia 810 on T-Mobile, but that's of no concern to us here at the CTIA MobileCON event in San Diego. We caught up with said "exclusive to T-Mobile" device tonight at the the Mobilefocus event for a little face time. That's the good news. The bad news is that Microsoft still very much has Windows Phone 8 under wraps, and this kid wasn't even powered up. 

But we still managed some heavy petting with the 810. This isn't quite in the league of the thinnest of the thin Windows Phone 8 devices. But it's Nokia, so that's not really that surprising, no? What we did get to play with is a pretty solid build, with buttons in the expected places, the 8MP Carl Zeiss lens out back -- it's, well, it's the Lumia 810.

We'll have to hold out final judgment until Microsoft unwraps Windows Phone 8 and actually lets us see it on all these phones that have been announced over the past couple of weeks.

If you're a glutton for punishment, we've got some more pics and hands-on video after the break.

HTC have finally put their cards on the table and released details of the HTC 8X, their new flagship Windows Phone 8 device. Gone are the HTC ultra-utilitarian design aesthetics and in its place we see a smooth curvy body design that comes in some cheeky colours.

HTC have been with Windows Phone from the beginning and many have eagerly awaited the pronouncement of their new devices. With a strong design heritage and deep understanding of the platform, HTC have produced some of the finest devices. The 8X is their flagship phone, but how does it compare to the Lumia 920, the hero device from Nokia?

Getting updates on Windows Phone 7 so far has been a mixed bag for consumers. On the one end, they’re basically simple, universal OS patches in the form of CAB files, allowing even early prototype phones to keep upgrading, years after release.

On the other end, they’ve been just awful due to the lack of carrier support in actually rolling them out to end-users. The process is still much better than whatever Android has to offer but it still pales compared to the iPhone in many ways.

Samsung is back in...white...with the Focus 2 on AT&T. What do I think of it after a few hours? Let's find out.

For many of us, the original Samsung Focus (review) was our first foray into the Windows Phone world. And truth be told, it was an excellent experience. With it's 4" Super AMOLED screen, slick design, light body and decent (for the time) camera, the Samsung Focus set the precedent. Recent numbers also reflect that status with upwards of 90% of AT&Ts first generation Windows Phone being the Focus.

Today, AT&T and Samsung have released the Focus 2, a moderate update to the original design (check out today's unboxing video). Eschewing glossy black for the new hip white, dropping in a faster 1.4GHz CPU and adding 4G LTE are the most notable changes. Adding a more rounded design with some updated sensors and cameras are the more under-the-hood type differences.

So how does it stack up in the first few hours I've been toying with it? For $50 on contract or $399 off, the Focus 2 is a nimble little guy that has certainly caught my attention.

The feel of the device is really good in the hands albeit a touch slippery. The roundness of the device, while slick, makes it a joy to hold and at 4" for the screen size, it's a more natural fit. The chrome accent adds a touch of class and while the device is very plastic, it doesn't feel cheap. The buttons have an interesting layout with the volume keys to the left, power and camera to the right. While odd, it does make it less confusing than the Lumia 900's where they are all lumped together on the same side. Travel of the keys is good and they're tactile with no rattle.

The Super AMOLED screen is really brilliant but obviously not as good as the Lumia 900's. Still, it holds its own and it's great to look at while not getting to grimy.

Audio quality is moderate with very little distortion when maxed out. It's a touch tinny but not by much.

The camera is surprisingly good even at 5MP, in fact forgetting the loss of resolution, it's as good if not better than the Nokia Lumia 900's. While it doesn't really contain any advanced settings e.g. no anti-shake or panorama, photos are well detailed and pleasing to the eye. We do however recommend turning up sharpness and contrast a smidge more to make the most of it.

Any extras worth reporting on? No, not really. There are the advanced GPS settings (GLONASS) and Samsung's "extra settings" present but other than that it has the same wallpapers as other Samsung Windows Phones and their regular cheesy ringtones.

Overall though, we're impressed and like the Focus 2 a ton. It feels great in the hand, is fun to use and makes a solid addition to AT&T's lineup. I'm going to have little problem adding it to my repertoire of Windows Phones.

Check after the break for a few more pics of the device and a couple camera samples (compared to the Lumia 900)...

First out of the gate from CTIA 2012 in New Orleans is the Samsung Focus 2. The follow-up to the (wait for it ...) Samsung Focus brings a 4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, 8GB of internal storage and it's rocking a 1.4 GHz processor. And as was confirmed by the official specs earlier today, it's got a 1750 mAh battery. 

The Focus 2 actually is a tad heavier than its predecessor, but it's in a slightly smaller form factor. It feels decent enough in the hand. It's definitely got a plastic feel to it, which you'd expect from a Samsung phone. But, indeed, for an entry-level device, you're not going to be ashamed to pull this one out of your pocket. And it's always nice to see a dedicated camera button on the side of a phone.

Other items of note: It'll be available May 20 for $49.99 on contract ($19.99 on upgrade). We've got more pics and hands-on video after the break.

Though it technically goes on sale tomorrow, we reported yesterday evening that some stores were selling the super limited and highly coveted Glossy-White Nokia Lumia 900. A device which has already earned the nickname 'The Stormtrooper.' We likey.