UK retailer Unlocked Mobiles reveals pricing for HTC 8X and 8S

By Rich Edmonds
published

How expensive is HTC's new hardware?

Pricing for the HTC 8X and HTC 8S, which were announced yesterday at the manufacturer's Windows Phone event in New York, have been revealed by online UK retailer Unlocked Mobiles. While both handsets aren't entirely matching Nokia's Lumia line of Apollo hardware, the designs and technology powering both the 8S and 8X ensures they're not left behind in a smoke trail.

Unlocked Mobiles has the HTC 8X listed for £399 SIM-free including VAT (approx. $650), which is not pricey by any stretch. Packed inside the casing is a 4.3” Super LCD2 display with Gorilla Glass2 at 720P resolution. In addition, the 8X features a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm S4 CPU, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of non-expandable storage. The 8X sports an extra amplifier and Beats Audio.

The younger sibling -- the HTC 8S -- has been priced at just £225 SIM-free including VAT (approx. $365). The 8S sports a 4” WVGA (800x480) display with slightly curved Gorilla Glass and Super LCD2. It weighs in at just 113 grams, comes with Beats Audio (software, no amplifier) and a 5MP shooter and front facing camera. The phone does lack NFC and some more advanced features found in the 8X, but does have expandable memory on board for those who require more than the 4GB of included storage. We close up with 512MB of RAM.

The 8X and 8S are Windows Phones targeting mainstream consumers. HTC has left out power-users and has decided to release hardware that caters for both the average consumer and those who don't require much in terms of functionality (think "Tango"). While this may upset many who were expecting a TITAN III and more, it's great to see the manufacturer really start to back Windows Phone and rekindle the relationship with Microsoft.

Could this be final pricing? Only time will tell, but we sure hope the pricing is either an incredibly accurate estimation, or the real deal. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, will you be purchasing either at these prices?

Source: Unlocked Mobiles - 8X, 8S; thanks, Henrique, for the tip!

Rich Edmonds
Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds is Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him over on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.

47 Comments
  • Makes phone selection more interesting as the 8x as I was stating in the previous articles that the 920 will most likely be 199 and the 8x at a lower 99.
    Also the VAT is ~20% so those prices are including that tax.
  • I would love to c it @ $99
  • Is that the price with contract??
    Ok, I've asked about why it seems like it's hard to come by an unlocked device without contract in the US before.
    But is it also not possible to choose from different contracts? I mean if you chose a contract with LTE and unlimited messaging etc. won't that make the phone cheaper than combining it with let's say a contract with only 300MB data and 100 text messages?? So how can you guys just state a price like that?
    In Germany those prices can be everywhere between free and full price....+ monthly contract fee.
    Sorry, if the questions seem weird, but I'm just curious :o
  • Sim free means it's without contract... The more expensive the contract the cheaper the outright cost of the phone.
  • With all this talk about the new WP8 devices my question it WHAT IS THE SOLUTION FOR VIDEO OUT??
  • None. It's all about marketshare right now. Extra features can wait.
  • DLNA?
  • This.
  • I thought, when Lumia 920 was announced I read something about MicroUSB being audio/video out  as well - may be I'm wrong, may be it was just audio. Correct me.
  • It works if the port features HSL.
    Have not found any of the WP8 devices having HSL. Thhough HSL can sometimes be something manufacturer doesn't even mention. 
  • Thanks. When I heard from techblogs that MS changed the chassis spec to have microUSB place in the bottom/middle, I assumed this is to facilitate audio out. It won't make much sense otherwise. Video out is different question though. 
  • I believe you mean MHL.
  • And PlayTo from Nokia
  • That's just DLNA.
  • Except that means that you can only stream approved content;  meaning basically jpg, mp3, and mp4 (and maybe a small number of other formats).
     
    With DLNA, you can't mirror your display, or play alternative format video files, or anything.  Apple's AirPlay Mirroring has a huge advantage over Microsoft right now, something that I really wish they would fix in Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and the 360, but it's not happening.
  • SmartGlass?
  • ^^THIS^^
     
    ...if you have an Xbox 360, though. Right?
  • I mean, talk about coming out all guns blazing! Still L920 is the better phone among two, but 8X is making more and more sense with their price point. If it's anywhere in 400$ ballpark unlocked, I'm getting this instead of L920. I already have 900 on contract and not due to upgrade anytime soon.  If 8x is priced less and unless nokia finds a way to give deep discounts to ones who bought 900, I'm getting 8X. hey 8x has almost 80% of everything L920 got. I can settle for that.
  • The $400 will not get you the 8X unlocked but it will certainly get you the 8S, plus some change. LOL!
  • This could be £100 cheaper than the Lumia 920.  While (I think) most people in the UK get their phones "for nowt" (supposedly free on a contract) or lightly subsidised on a Pay-As-You-Go tariff, this does give an indication about how the monthly bill might work out.  I saw earlier the iPhone 5 going "free" on a £47 per month contract (2 bloody years!) - no ta.  At ~£400 retail this should comfortably fit in to that £30-£35 per month area. I'm hoping to break the bastards hold on me by buying the phone outright and getting a sim only deal.  This sweetens it up a bit for me.  But could I get this over the Lumia 920...  I don't know, I really don't.  I might flip a coin on it :)
  • No one knows yet how Nokia is going to price theirs yet. I am betting they may price them aggressively like they did the 900. It wouldnt surprise me if they didnt do some kind of trade in program like HTC is doing. I think right now its all about marketshare and thats what both of them are going for. I would bet their next devices that will be high end will match more what people expect from a high end device.
  • Great pricing if this turns out to be true! 8S is a great proposition for me. It has both style and substance, yet subtle in the way I look at its overall offering.
  • 8S don't have front camera
    http://www.htc.com/uk/smartphones/htc-wp-8s/#specs
  • In that spec page, the internal storage is also mentioned to be 16GB, although it is reported to only have 4GB.
  • WPcentral, you keep telling me the HTC 8S has a front facing camera in addition to the 5 mp rear camera...  I cant find this on any of the spec sheets. Are we sure about this??
  • That's £100 cheaper than the Lumia 900 was at launch. Talk about aggressive pricing.
  • eWeek.com just published an article comparing the iPhone 5 to the competition. Nokia Lumia 920 was represented. Conclusion? Everything beats the iPhone 5. And today Nokia maps clearly beats ios6 mapping solution.
  • Just need to get pricing and availability right and Windows Phone should see a sizable push.
  • I just wish the 8X had expandable memory.  It would have been even more main stream.
  • +1 low storage & no microSD... I was really hoping for a HD7 replacement but the new HTC phones feel like a minor upgrade :( I won't even consider the 820 or 8S as I want the top resolution & performance.
  • We must wait to see a successor for the HD7 & Titan X310e...
  • The 8X is the successor to the HD7
  • if its £100 less than the 920 I will definitely pick it up,I dont need wireless charging that much!
  • i love BEATS AUDIO soooooo i would get the HTC 8X  camera senson awesome too  . whats missing from the l920?  the wireless charger hmmm what else?  i dont wear gloves ver i live in FL  
  • btw  i just hopeeeeeee BEATS activates with any app  not only htc music player  ... 
  • While I like the separate amplifier in the 8x I wonder if it will noticeably drain the battery. Also is it always on? Or does it need to be activated?
  • Some of the videos show it working in the regular music player.
  • It'll be system wide, so not like Android at all in that sense.
  • "HTC has left out power-users and has decided to release hardware that caters for both the average consumer and those who don't require much in terms of functionality"
    How has HTC left out "power users"? The 8X and Lumia 920 are on the same level...
  • Powerusers, more often than not, want large screens - 4.5 is cutting it close, but, 4.3 is just too small.  Micro SD is, while not an issue for most users, is important to the poweruser.  The smaller, non removeable battery will be scoffed at by powerusers, as well.
  • I'd consider myself a poweruser, but find that 4.3" is the perfect size. I do enjoy the 4.65" screen on my GNex for some things, but overall it's just too big. BTW, I have big hands, so that's not the issue.
    The battery in the 8X isn't that muuch smaller. Plus, some of that difference will be made up by only having to power a 4.3" screen instead of a 4.5" one.
  • If the 8S is anything near £18 on contract, I'll bite.
    Hopefully this'll push Nokia towards a lower price point for the 820 - but I doubt it. Still waiting on Huawei though...
     
    And Rich, the 8S doesn't have a front-facing camera.
  • Why no expandable memory for the 8X ? I would like a phone like the Titan X310e, Lumia 920 but WITH an expendable memory ! I love my Titan and I will change it only for something better like the 8X BUT with the microSD slot who's extremely useful !!!!!
  • My primary phone will definitely be the 920 but I'm still looking at a cheaper secondary/back-up phone to replace my present WP7 & Android phones. I'm interested in the 8S but why are there conflicting reports on the presence/absence of a front camera in the 8S?!! I want my two phones to have front cameras!
  • "which is not pricey by any stretch"?  I hope by that you mean that it isn't a stretch to find it pricey 'cause that's pretty damn expensive.
  • That's one heck of a phone for £399. If it's true, I hope Nokia can pitch the 920 in similar territory.
  • Ha ha ....they are copied