titan II

Windows Phone Camera Faceoff: Nokia Lumia 920 vs HTC Titan II

Submitted by George Ponder on Tue, 11/20/2012 - 08:33

The past two generations of Windows Phones have produced two innovative cameras. The 16mp camera on the HTC Titan II and the 8.7MP camera on the Nokia Lumia 920.

Both cameras are similar in that they use a back lighted sensor (BSI) that gives both cameras an edge with low light photography. The Titan II has the greater resolution and digital stabilization. The Lumia 920 has a faster lens (f2.0 vs the Titan's f2.6) and optical stabilization.

But does one of these Windows Phone camera giants have an edge as far as image quality is concerned?

HTC Titan II vs. Nokia Lumia 900, it really goes beyond hardware

Submitted by George Ponder on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 09:21

I feel obligated to offer this from the onset: The HTC Titan II and Nokia Lumia 900 are both excellent Windows Phones. There's really not a bad choice between the two. One may suit your tastes better than the other but that doesn't make the one not chosen a bad Windows Phone. Having gotten that out of the way, when the two phones hit the market I found the Titan II more appealing. The larger screen and better camera gave the phone an edge over the Lumia 900. Both screens are high quality but for me, the Titan II appeared more natural and it was easier to view outdoors.

But that initial preference was based on hardware alone. After a few months on the market, a feature beyond the nuts and bolts of these two Windows Phones began to take shape making things a little more difficult to choose between the two. That feature is manufacture support.

Shortly after the Lumia 900 release Nokia set an example of product-support that should be the model for others to follow. There was a bug that dropped data connectivity on a few devices and instead of white washing things, Nokia recognized the problem and distributed a fix within a week of the Lumia 900's release. On top of quickly responding to the problem, Nokia compensated customers for their trouble with a $100 credit.

From there, Nokia has offered exclusive apps for the Lumia line and undertook a massive media campaign that includes the Smartphone Beta Test commercials and product placement in a bazillion television shows. These efforts don't necessarily make the Lumia 900 a better phone but it does make the Lumia series a bit more appealing and may create a balance for the Lumia 900's shortcomings. Consumers may tolerate a marginal camera if they have a handful of exclusive apps to enjoy.

Some people complain about all the attention and coverage the Nokia Lumia line receives. It's not that anyone is playing favorites but rather it's Nokia promoting their Windows Phone lineup to the front of the pack. Our site will gladly report on promotional events from HTC, Samsung or any other Windows Phone manufacturer but other companies aren't putting out the same effort as Nokia. These efforts have placed the Lumia 900 as the unofficial flag bearer for Windows Phone. A position that any other Windows Phone manufacturer could have easily attained or shared had they put forth a similar effort.

I can not think of a single HTC Titan II commercial, product placement or exclusive content from third party developers. HTC Locations had potential but then HTC started charging for the navigation service which took the winds out of its sails. HTC's focus is clearly with Android and that's fine but we can't help but feel HTC has missed a great opportunity with Windows Phones.

How much more appealing would the Titan II have been if it had Beats Audio or an exclusive version of Angry Birds Space (or any other popular game)? How much better would sales be if the Titan II was featured in a commercial or used in a television episode or music video? The Titan II is a quality Windows Phone but in this competitive industry, it can't sell itself.

So which is the better Windows Phone? On hardware alone I still have to give the nod to the HTC Titan II. The camera is better and I like the larger screen. However, taking product support into consideration and the Lumia 900 gets the endorsement. There is plenty of room for improvement on the Lumia 900 (better camera, annoying rattle with the vibrate alert, etc.) but the amount of exposure, exclusive apps, and support Nokia brings to the table makes the Lumia 900 a more attractive option.

HTC may end up surprising us with a fantastic, ground breaking, jaw dropping Windows Phone 8 device that is supported and marketed at the level Nokia has set with the Lumia line. Then again, Samsung may step up and do the same. I still have my reservations on the Lumia 900 hardware but knowing the Microsoft's OS is backed by a company that has taken an "all in" approach to Windows Phone seems to make up for things.

Telstra officially announce HTC TITAN 4G Windows Phone

Submitted by Rich Edmonds on Wed, 05/23/2012 - 11:53

It's official, Telstra has announced the HTC TITAN 4G, which will be the first Windows Phone to make use of the faster network speeds. After weeks (if not months) of speculation and anticipation from Australian Windows Phone fans, the carrier has finally released details surrounding the HTC monster device. It's actually the HTC TITAN II that launched in the U.S., but will be branded as the HTC TITAN 4G.

This is great news for those who are awaiting for a 4G Windows Phone as this beast of a smartphone not only packs 4G speeds, but a 16MP camera, which we positively reviewed. Will Irving, Group Managing Director, Telstra Business comments:

"Windows Phone fans will soon be able to surf the mobile web, respond to email and access work documents faster than before on the HTC Titan4G – Australia’s first 4G Windows Phone which launches next Tuesday on the Telstra Mobile Network.” In a clear pitch to business users and enterprise customers. Australian small businesses have embraced smartphones to help them work where they want and to stay responsive to customers and new business opportunities.

The launch of the nation’s first 4G Windows Phone means small businesses can perform even more advanced tasks from the palms of their hands – like handling larger emails on the go, capturing and sending high-resolution images and video and accessing emerging cloud-hosted services direct from their smartphone screen. Best of all, Windows Phone is incredibly easy to navigate and immediately familiar to anyone who uses Microsoft’s popular Office software."

So we know it's the bees-knees, what about pricing? You can get your own for free on the $79 Freedom Connect plan (after using an included MRO bonus), which includes $800 worth of voice calls and MMS, unlimited SMS and 2GB data. The phone will be available outright for $888, should plans not be up your street.

Business customers can pick up the TITAN 4G for just $8/mo after using their MRO bonus on the $70 Business Mobile Advantage plan (24 months). This includes unlimited SMS, free voice calls to eligible mobiles, and 1GB data.

Source: WPDownUnder

AT&T Titan and Titan II out of stock online

Submitted by Daniel Rubino on Wed, 05/23/2012 - 04:56

We're not too sure what to make out of AT&T running out of the HTC Titan I and Titan II online but if you head to their site, you can see for yourself.

Now we could explain away the original Titan becoming unavailable -- after all, AT&T would probably be happy to put away any stock on that device for it's bigger and better sequel. But even the Titan II is not available, which makes us wonder if HTC is having some component or production issues (or maybe they just forgot to make more, instantrimshot).

Could the Titan II be selling so well that they can't keep up? Obviously, we doubt that though we do have reports of general increases in Windows Phone sales due to the Lumia 900 (insert the whole "rising tide lifts all boats" idiom here) and maybe, just maybe the Titan II is seeing an uptick in purchases too.

Heck, it should. It's a great Windows Phone and a great smartphone, rocking the largest camera available on the market. Which reminds us, why have we not seen a single commercial boasting that fact? Seems like an easy sell to us but what do we know...

For those interested, Amazon Wireless still has the Titan II in stock, which is a reversal from a few weeks ago. It's also listed at the $149.99 price point. Natch. No word on supplies at local stores either, so your mileage may vary.

Source: AT&T; Thanks, kylengai, for the heads up

AT&T Titan II gets a price drop to $150 on contract

Submitted by Daniel Rubino on Sun, 05/20/2012 - 13:16

We just got back from our local AT&T store and we noticed that the HTC Titan II (see review) has gone from it's $199 pricing point ($550 off contract) to $149.99 ($500 off-contract).

The pricing coincides with today's release of the Samsung Focus 2 (of which we'll have an un-boxing video coming up soon). With the price drop of the Titan II, AT&T has given a little more consistency to their Windows Phone 4G LTE lineup:

Focus 2 - $49.99
Lumia 900 - $99.99
Titan II - $149.99

We also noticed an HTC Android phone received a similar price drop, so this looks like just a normal re-calibration of the market. The HTC Titan II, featuring a fantastic 16MP camera and a massive 4.7" screen is still "king" of specs on Windows Phone, though it's clearly being over-shadowed by the more "sexy" Nokia Lumia 900.

Still, at just $50 more than the Lumia 900, the Titan II is now much more competitively priced and for some, this will make more sense for those looking for a new Windows Phone 7.5 device.

AT&T HTC Titan II on backorder from Amazon Wireless

Submitted by Daniel Rubino on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 08:08

Despite being the phone of choice for a few of us here at WPCentral, the HTC Titan II on AT&T with 4G LTE, a 4.7" screen and 16MP camera has not been the hottest selling phone. Due in part HTC all but ignoring it (from a marketing standpoint) and it largely being overshadowed by the "hero" Nokia Lumia 900, the Titan II may go down in history as the least appreciated Windows Phone.

So it's a bit surprising to see it backordered on Amazon Wireless with a 8 to 9 day wait on the phone where it is selling for $150 on a two year contract, $50 less tha direct from AT&T.

Perhaps sales are better than expected? Probably not. The phone is sitting at #76 for top selling across all carriers and #23 on AT&T indicating that the device is not exactly pushing massive inventory.

Our cynical speculation on the matter is that HTC may be redirecting production capacity towards their Android phones, especially their One X and One S series which are gaining a lot of positive feedback and seeing high demand. Of course it could also be Amazon Wireless just not stocking properly although that seems to be along wait for something just out of stock.

For now, if you want the Titan II you'll have to either get it from AT&T direct where it is still in stock or wait for Amazon Wireless to get in a new shipment.

Source: Amazon Wireless

Skype Giveaway could land you a Titan II or Lumia 900

Submitted by George Ponder on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 17:35

Hot on the heals of the Smarter Apps Sweepstakes over on Facebook, another giveaway has surfaced. The Windows Phone Skype Giveaway is also being held over on Facebook and gives you a chance to win either an HTC Titan II or Nokia Lumia 900. Ten Windows Phones will be given away.

Just go to this Facebook page, watch the Skype video and then complete the entry form. You have until June 7, 2012 at 11:59PST to enter. Unfortunately we couldn't find the fine print so we don't know if you can enter daily or if you only get one entry. Our guess, one entry per Facebook account per day but we could be wrong.

Oh...and the contest is only open to residents of the United States and District of Columbia (don't hate the messenger).

Good luck everyone and if you win will you choose the Titan II or Lumia 900?

Thanks, Ruslan, for the tip!

Nokia Lumia 900 trounces dual-core HTC One X in HTML5 Speed Reading

Submitted by Daniel Rubino on Tue, 04/24/2012 - 01:55

Okay, we'll be the first to admit that a simple, single browser test does not make or break a device. We'll also admit that the Android-based HTC One X (review) is an interesting little number with some very impressive hardware (quad-core dual 1.5Ghz CPU, with a dual-core Qualcomm Krait processor plus a 720x1280 screen. Holla!).

Still, all that fancy hardware doesn't do much if your OS is dragging it all down. Even with the latest Android OS, 4.0.3 aka Ice Cream sandwich, the HTC One X still lags behind the single-core 1.4GHz Nokia Lumia 900 when it comes to the HTML5 Speed Reading test: http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/mobile/performance/speedreading/default.html

One of our AT&T ninjas has their hands on a One X and he decided to see how it performed. Results (combined with our Windows Phone ones):

HTC One X - 24 FPS, average draw 41ms
Nokia Lumia 900 - 45 FPS, average draw 22ms
HTC Titan II - 60 FPS, average draw 13ms

And if we throw the 1.5GHz HTC Titan II into the mix you can see it trounces the Lumia 900. Like we said earlier, there's more to device performance than just a single HTML5 browser test, so yeah, call this unfair/biased/silly, it's cool, we can take it. But we think it is an interesting result nonetheless, as you wouldn't expect such a high-end device to be so mediocre with all that firepower on board.

It also raises this interesting thought experiment: What if the One X ran Windows Phone 7 instead? Of course the joke's on us since we can't support dual core, let alone quad, so we'll never know. But we think it's safe to say, it'd be very fast.

HTC Titan II appears to be headed to Australia

Submitted by George Ponder on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 08:28

It would appear that the HTC Titan II has made its way south to become Australia's first 4G Windows Phone. Rumored launch? Early May.

Reports have demo units of the 4.7" Super LCD screened device landing in selected Telstra stores. You are also seeing the Titan II (listed as the HTC Titan 4G) featured in the new Telstra consumer catalog. The catalog listing makes note of the Titan II's ultra-impressive 16 mega pixel camera. A feature we also believe is ultra-impressive.

There are no details available as of yet on pricing or plans for the HTC Titan II. Speculation has the new Windows Phone running on a $79AUD monthly plan and the outright price being in the mid-$800AUD (about $875 US).

Still no word on when or if Australia will be getting the Nokia Lumia 900 but it's nice to see the Titan II working its way into other markets.

Source: wpdownunder; Thanks, Sheeds, for the tip!

Majority of new Lumia 900 converts are coming from Android or the iPhone

Submitted by Daniel Rubino on Tue, 04/17/2012 - 01:33

Nearly 60% of those switching to Windows Phone due to the Nokia Lumia 900 or HTC Titan II were former iOS and Android owners. Apple brand-loyalty? We think not.

We ran a poll the other day asking users if they switched to Windows Phone due to the Lumia 900 or Titan II, what OS were they coming from. And although the poll is still technically open, with 3,462 votes tallied so far we can discern a distinct pattern forming from the results.

The majority of users, nearly 60%, are coming from a combo of former Android and iPhone owners with it neatly divided at a close 30% each. Blackberry users are evidently still holding on with just 10% and a nice healthy 14% of adopters were coming from non-smartphones.

While our pals at Crackberry spun it as hope for Blackberry 10 users, we imagine a lot of folks jumped that ship last quarter to either the iPhone or Android, leaving the diehards (or still contract-bound) behind. Personally, we think RIM is DOA and look forward to a Microsoft acquisition at a rock bottom price (insert maniacal laughter).

The Android/iPhone results are interesting only because we're seeing what looks to be equal amount of folks taking up Windows Phone, leaving in the dust the notion that Apple has stronger brand loyalty than any other company.

One could also interpret the results as the Lumia 900 piquing interest from all segments of the smartphone market, represented in a roughly proportional manner. That's good news for Windows Phone as an OS and better news for Nokia who seem more than capable of garnering media attention on a wide scale. That is something the likes of Samsung and HTC have not been able to do in part because of their divided interest between Android and Windows Phone.

With the Lumia 900 seemingly selling very well (and yes, it's still number #1 and #3 on Amazon Wireless) the question now is will it maintain that momentum over the coming weeks?

We think with the glossy-white 900 set for this Sunday, April 22nd it will certainly create even more interest and those rumors of a magenta version for Mother's Day could also do wonders for the brand. We'll revisit this issue next month.

Update: To clarify, we purposefully left off previous Windows Phone users. The reason is because we were interested in only those who switched their OS due to the allure of the Lumia 900 (or Titan II). While we're sure a chunk of you were Windows Phone/Windows Mobile users, we wanted to look at the ratio of those who converted.

Playing with the HTC Titan II's 16MP camera. Low-light and macro samples.

Submitted by Daniel Rubino on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 19:58

Earlier today, we compared and contrasted the Nokia Lumia 900 and the HTC Titan II on AT&T and each featuring 4G LTE. Both phones have their strengths and weaknesses but if there is one thing we can absolutely agree on is the impressive rear camera on the Titan II (review).

Featuring a back-side illuminated (BSI) sensor for excellent low-light performance, 16MP for high resolution, f/2.6 lens with dual LED flash, the Titan II has arguably one of the best cameras on a phone today (well, definitely on a Windows Phone). In fact, HTC in general has been investing heavily in cameras as of late, including their new flag ship Android phone, the One X (review), which has an 8MP BSI sensor with a jaw-dropping f/2.0 22mm lens.

There's no debate about it: the Titan II's rear camera crushes the Lumia 900's (review) That doesn't make the Lumia 900 a bad phone at all, in fact we find that the camera performs quite well in well-lit conditions and we're throwing down $450 on April 22nd for a glossy-white one to back up our opinion. But if photos matter to you, then the Titan II deserves a serious look. And if you have 4G LTE in your area to send those massive pics, it will certainly helps for those uploads.

Besides the exceptional camera hardware, HTC have done some really great work with the Titan II's camera software too. For instance, it's the first Windows Phone that we know of that has smile detection in addition to face detection. There's also an impressive red-eye reduction built in, burst mode for rapid shots and the familiar anti-shake option (ramps up ISO for non-blurred shots).

Those are very impressive and useful features but there's more. There's also 18 "scenes" including more obscure things like "Backlight portrait", "Night portrait", "Text", "Beach", "Foliage' and even a special setting for "Food". Yup, there's a pre-set mode for taking pictures of your latest meal. If you don't want to bother choosing your scene, just use the "Intelligent Auto" mode to automatically choose one for you (and yes, it's smart too). You even have some built in effects like "Vintage warm", "Vignette" and "Blue Tint" which can also be used for video. That's on top of what's built into the optional Photo Enhancer app by HTC.

But enough talk, lets see some photos. We walked around the streets of Manhattan snapping a couple of pics as well as some macro and regular shots for you to peruse and yes, we're linking to the full resolution pics for your pixel peepers out there. These photos have not been altered in any way except to remove some EXIF info like GPS from our home pictures. The dual LED flash was not used for any pictures.

Jump past the break to take a look...

Nokia Lumia 900 or HTC Titan II, is one better than the other?

Submitted by George Ponder on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 08:20

So which Windows Phone is better? The Nokia Lumia 900 or the HTC Titan II?

The Lumia 900 definitely hit the AT&T store shelves with a bang while the Titan II kinda snuck in under the radar. I've used both over the past few days and I will say this without reservation. There's not a bad choice between the two.

Okay... so that may be fence straddling but the differences between these two phones boils down to individual needs and personal preferences. Do you need a "knock your socks off" camera? Go with the Titan II. Do you prefer a screen with richer colors and more contrast? Go with the Lumia 900. Are you looking for a splash of color for your Windows Phone other than plain old gray or black? Choose the Lumia 900. Are you wanting more real estate in your screen? Obviously the Titan II would be your choice.

These two new Windows Phone are so closely matched the difference may come down to which fits the best in your hand (and that's no easy measure either). We'll try to break things down a little better after the break to give you a fighting chance at deciding which is best.

HTC Titan II Review

Submitted by George Ponder on Mon, 04/09/2012 - 17:19

WPCentral's Review of the AT&T HTC Titan II

While all the attention has been focused on the Nokia Lumia 900, another Windows Phone has slipped on to the AT&T store shelves. The HTC Titan II joined AT&T's Windows Phone lineup on April 8, 2012 and it is bound to turn some heads now that it's out of the shadows.

The HTC Titan II sports a 4.7" Super LCD screen, 16gb of storage, a 1.5GHz processor and a sleek uni-body design. While the large screen could easily be the center piece feature of the Titan II, the 16mp rear camera will likely stand out more on the Titan II spec sheet.

While the Nokia Lumia 900 is a fantastic addition to the AT&T Windows Phone lineup, the HTC Titan II is no slouch. Once customers have the opportunity to handle the Titan II in AT&T stores, the choice of which new Windows Phone will get a little harder to make.

AT&T HTC Titan II available at Wal-Mart for $149.99

Submitted by George Ponder on Sun, 04/08/2012 - 12:30

It was only a matter of time before we began to see the new HTC Titan II show up at third party retailers for a discounted price. Walmart.com is offering the new Windows Phone for $149.99 after contractual discounts.

The 4G LTE Titan II will still run you $549.99 off contract but if you're interested in saving $50, it might be worth checking out Walmart's listing.

Oh and on a side note, AmazonWireless is listing the HTC Titan II but is showing the Windows Phone as "out of stock" and due in soon. I wonder if AmazonWireless will have the Titan II for a penny?

Thanks, Janis, for the tip!

HTC Titan II now available at AT&T

Submitted by George Ponder on Sun, 04/08/2012 - 00:31

While retail stores will likely be closed for the Easter Holiday, you can find the latest HTC Windows Phone at AT&T's website just in case you can't wait until Monday. The HTC Titan II went live just a little while ago.

The Titan II sports an impressive 4.7" Super LCD screen, 16gb of storage, and a really, really, really nice 16mp rear facing camera. The Titan II made a very respectable first impressions and we'll have a full review up on the site shortly (hint: the Titan II ain't shabby). The Titan II joins another new Windows Phone that you might have read about, the Nokia Lumia 900. AT&T has once again built up a very admirable Windows Phone line up and hopefully they will put up the marketing efforts to support it.

AT&T is offering the Titan II for $199.99 after contractual discounts and you can snag it for $549.99 off-contract. You find all the details and ordering information here at AT&T's wireless site.

AT&T HTC Titan II makes a very nice first impression

Submitted by George Ponder on Fri, 04/06/2012 - 16:49

The FedEx truck dropped of AT&T's latest Windows Phone from HTC earlier today. While Nokia's Lumia 900 is getting most of the spotlight, the HTC Titan II is quietly landing on AT&T's store shelves on April 8th and it makes a very impressive first impression.

Okay... here's the tell of the tape. The Titan II measures in at 5.2 x 2.7 x .50 inches and weighs only 5.18 ounces. The original Titan measures in at 5.14 x 2.78 x .39 and weighs 5.6 ounces. And for those curious, the Nokia Lumia 900 measures in at 5.03 x 2.7 x .45 inches and weighs 5.6 ounces. These three phones are extremely comparable in size, weight and feel.

The Titan II's 4.7" Super LCD looks great and is backed by a 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor. You'll find 512mb of RAM and 16GB of storage under the hood. Speaking of the 4.7" screen, it has a unique shape in that as the face of the Titan II reaches the three front buttons, it curves out. Not really sure why it's designed this way but it gives the Titan II just enough contour to make it feel really good in the hand.

Unlike the Titan, the Titan II does not have a removable battery. There is a SIM card cover but no battery access. And where the Titan has a bare metal back, the Titan II has a rubbery finish on the back that gives the Windows Phone a little more gripability.

HTC has done a very good job at improving upon the design of the Titan with this new Windows Phone. The volume, camera and power buttons are textured to give them a better feel, the 3.5mm headphone jack isn't as recessed to give you a better connection, and the unibody design just works.

Oh... did I forget to mention the 16mp rear camera? I'm really curious to see how the Titan II's camera performs. The Titan II uses the same BSI Sensor that is found on the HTC Titan and Radar which helps handle low light situations a lot better. My main curiosity is how well the small sensor handles the larger resolutions.

Titan II or Lumia 900? I've got both and based on fit and feel alone, it's a coin toss. Over the next few days I'll take the Titan II out for a test run and get a full review up on the site shortly. From there, we'll also take a look at both the Lumia 900 and Titan II side by side to give you a better idea how these two Windows Phones compare.

Stay tuned for there is definitely more to come.

Pre-Order the AT&T Nokia Lumia 900 for free!

Submitted by George Ponder on Fri, 03/30/2012 - 17:50

While the AT&T Nokia Lumia 900 already has an attractive price tag, want to make it more attractive? There is a way to take an extra hundred bucks off the price tag.

Just follow this link and choose the "New to AT&T" button at the bottom of the screen. Choose your Nokia Lumia 900 (black or cyan), your voice plan and your data plan. When you're ready to check out, a discount of $100 will be applied to the $99 price tag. With free shipping the total due at check out, notta.

The savings isn't restricted to the Lumia 900 and might still be around when the HTC Titan II becomes available on April 8th. The deal is only available for new accounts and you can't escape the $36 activation fee (it will be applied to your first bill). And while we all will groan at the increased activation fee, it is a small price to pay for a free Lumia 900.

Thanks to everyone who tipped us on this!

AT&T to introduce the Lumia 900 with impressive marketing rivaling the iPhone

Submitted by Rich Edmonds on Wed, 03/28/2012 - 17:53

AT&T has revealed that Lumia 900 marketing plans (combined with Nokia and Microsoft) will best any product they've launched before - including the famous iPhone. In an interview with CNET, AT&T device head Jeff Bradley, said that it'll be a notch up on anything the company has attempted previously. We met with AT&T reps early today and have no doubt that AT&T's efforts to market the new Windows Phones should be a full court press.

But should we be surprised? The Lumia 900 on AT&T is Microsoft's (and Nokia's) best chance of survival in the competitive mobile market. Windows Phone has been performing arguably well with Nokia marketing the 710 and 800 on a global scale, but the Lumia 900 is the big gun for the U.S.

We previously covered how the Lumia 900 will be given "hero status" in the AT&T mobile arsenal. So how will they go about it? How will the stores convince people that Windows Phone is a solid choice against the iPhone and Android? AT&T has told us that we can expect to see banners in windows of AT&T stores and Windows Phone walls featuring the TITAN II and Lumia 900. In a nutshell, we were told AT&T stores are going to look like Nokia stores.

As well as the promotional material, we can confirm that we're likely to see demonstration tables, accessories (including skins, Monster Headsets, third-party cases, screen protectors, and more) and -of course- salestaff training. Nokia will be training employees to compliment the web training they'll receive from AT&T. This will hopefully result in more platform awareness internally as well as increasing the Windows Phone recommendation chance rate to customers.

Let's see what April 8th brings us, I would recommend we strap ourselves in. Then again, it could be a belly flop. Fingers crossed that it wont be and AT&T / Nokia / Microsoft get this right.

WPCentral Poll: HTC TITAN II or Nokia Lumia 900 -- Which is your next phone?

Submitted by Daniel Rubino on Mon, 03/26/2012 - 14:53

Which Windows Phone are you getting on April 8th?

With today's announcement of both the HTC TITAN II ($199 on contract, $549 off) and the Nokia Lumia 900 ($99 on contract, $449 off) being available on April 8th (online) and April 9th (stores), the question naturally arises: Which one are you getting?

We have a feeling that due to the hype, the Nokia will win here (and by a large margin) but the HTC TITAN II is no slouch either what with its 4.7" screen, 16MP camera and 4G LTE--heck, the original TITAN is one of our favorite phones -- ever -- so all of those "new" features look to make it a winner.

Anyways, you know the drill: Vote up above and tell us your reasons below. Go!

Off-Contract pricing for the Lumia 900 and Titan II

Submitted by George Ponder on Mon, 03/26/2012 - 14:04

We have just received word on the off-contract pricing for the new AT&T Windows Phones and it's not too bad.

Just to recap, the Nokia Lumia 900 will launch on April 8, 2012 for $99 after two year contractual discounts. The HTC Titan II will also launch on April 8, 2012 for $199 after contractual discounts.

Should you choose to get either Windows Phone without the contractual discounts, the Lumia 900 will run you $449.99 and the Titan II will be running $549.99.

The off-contract pricing gives you the option to enjoy a new Windows Phone without worrying with a two year commitment or if you're in the middle of a contract and don't qualify for an early discount.

All the while leaves us with one question. Which to get? Titan II or Lumia 900?

titan II

Nearly 60% of those switching to Windows Phone due to the Nokia Lumia 900 or HTC Titan II were former iOS and Android owners. Apple brand-loyalty? We think not.

WPCentral's Review of the AT&T HTC Titan II

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