Verizon begins pushing Update 3 (GDR3) for HTC 8X Windows Phone

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By Daniel Rubino
last updated

Good news for those on Verizon and yearning for the official version of Update 3 aka GDR3. Verizon is now pushing out that update (3 for the OS, 1 for firmware) to all HTC 8X Windows Phones now, though of course you could manually force-check the update. We hear nearly 1 GB of spare storage may be needed to install the update, which should be done over Wi-Fi.

Update 3 brings a cluster of new features to Windows Phone, including Driving Mode, Bluetooth fixes, enabled Wi-Fi during device setup and of course, screen orientation lock. You can read the full changes in our Update 3 article to learn more.

What if you are enrolled in the “preview” version of Update 3? We hear that you’re A-okay. Instead of getting the OS update, you’ll just pull in the matching HTC firmware. That firmware will enable things like charging while the device is off, a huge feature is for many, and other unlisted bug fixes.

For those who have not tried out the preview Update 3, here is what will happen:

  • MS update 8.0.10492.116
  • MS update 8.0.10328.78
  • MS update 8.0.10501.127
  • HTC update (no info; firmware)

Basically you will download and install three OS updates, ending up on 10501 and then installing the crucial firmware.

To force check for the update, head into Settings > Phone Update > Check for updates.

Verizon users seem to be excited about the update, and we can’t blame them. HTC was one of the first OEMs to start pushing Update 3 to devices, although Verizon was a tad behind AT&T (end of October) and Sprint (a week earlier than AT&T). Luckily, your day is here.

Head into the 8X Window Phone forums for assistance with your update or if you have any questions.

Thanks, kavu2, Donald B., and others for the tips

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.