HTC Windows Phone 8S
The Windows Phone 8S by HTC was announced by HTC Corporation on September 19, 2012 and released on December 7, 2012 in Canada.[2][3] It is a cheaper, lower-end version of the Windows Phone 8X by HTC. Despite its availability in Canada, HTC announced that the 8S will not be sold in the United States because the company plans to focus instead on the 8X, which is considered its signature phone on the Windows operating system.[4][5]
 | |
| Manufacturer | HTC Corporation |
|---|---|
| Compatible networks | GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 HSPA 900/2100 |
| First released | December 7, 2012 (Canada) |
| Related | Windows Phone 8X by HTC |
| Type | Smartphone |
| Form factor | Slate |
| Dimensions | 120.5 x 63 x 10.28 mm |
| Mass | 113 g |
| Operating system | Windows Phone 8 |
| System-on-chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8627 |
| CPU | 1.0 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Krait |
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 305 |
| Memory | 4 GB internal flash (1.1 GB available)[1] 512 MB RAM |
| Removable storage | MicroSD (up to 32GB) |
| Battery | 1700 mAh Li-ion battery |
| Display | 4" S-LCD 800 x 480 px (WVGA) |
| Rear camera | 5 Megapixels, 720p video recording |
| Front camera | None |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 3.1+EDR |
| Data inputs | Multi-touch capacitive touchscreen, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor |
Because of the limited memory available on this phone, certain applications and features will not be able to run.[6]
Availability
In Canada, the HTC 8S was first available released for Virgin Mobile Canada on December 7, 2012.[3] HTC plans to make the 8S available at Koodo Mobile, Mobilicity and Wind Mobile in 2013.[7]
Reception
One week after launching the device, Virgin Mobile Canada reported that the phone has been "flying off the shelves". At that time, the Mobile Syrup blog stated that the 8S was "the best deal on a no-contract phone at the moment" [8] The blog also praised the device's size and design, and claimed that the phone "makes a number of compromises […] but it’s still able to perform […] well".
Ewan Spence from All About Windows Phone wrote: "While there are clear use cases for the 8S (and I can think of a few people in my family that would get by easily with the 8S) it feels like a missed opportunity. It's going to fall seriously short with anyone who is looking to really push the Windows Phone 8 platform."[9]
OS updates
The HTC Windows Phone 8S has received the Windows Phone 8.1 update, but has not been updated officially further to Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 (however, the latest 8.1 updates can be obtained via Microsoft's "Preview for Developers" app), despite its relatively better counterpart, the Windows Phone 8X, having received this latest update.[10][11] As such, it has become highly unlikely that there will an update to Windows 10 Mobile for the 8S.
See also
References
- Spence, Ewan. "Why Did HTC Cripple The HTC 8S Budget Windows Phone?". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
- "Windows Phone 8S by HTC hands-on: a bright Windows phone that holds promise (video)". Archived from the original on 2019-01-13. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
- Hardy, Ian (December 7, 2012). "Virgin launches the HTC Windows Phone 8S". Mobile Syrup. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
- "HTC confirms the Windows Phone 8S will not be coming to the US". Archived from the original on 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
- "HTC 8S sold out at Virgin Mobile, "has been flying off the shelves" - MobileSyrup". 14 December 2012. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
- "Here are the Windows Phone 8 hardware requirements". Archived from the original on 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
- "Smartphones". HTC. January 22, 2013. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
- Hardy, Ian (December 7, 2012). "Virgin launches the HTC Windows Phone 8S". Mobile Syrup. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
- "HTC Windows Phone 8S". 9 February 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
- Devine, Richard (6 August 2014). "HTC 8S apparently won't be seeing Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1". Windows Central. Mobile Nations. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
- Taylor, April (August 6, 2014). "HTC 8S will never get Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 (GDR 1)". Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2014.