windows phone

Windows Phone 8 pre-orders said to start October 21

Although Windows Phone 8 handsets aren't expected to launch until October 29, rumor has it that several will be ready for pre-order from AT&T as early as October 21, according to The Verge.

Inside sources have revealed to The Verge that the carrier will begin taking pre-orders on the HTC 8X, Nokia's Lumia 920, Samsung's Ativ Smart PC, and the Asus Vivo Tab RT.

AT&T is slated to sell both Nokia's Lumia 920 and 820 Windows Phone devices, which are the latest in the carrier's lineup of mobile devices. The Lumia … Read more

Is the Xperia TL worthy of James Bond?

Friday's CNET Update is highly classified:

In today's tech news roundup, we're trying to not feel overwhelmed with the number of smartphone choices at AT&T this holiday season. AT&T showcased its upcoming gadgets at a New York event Thursday night, which included Sony's Xperia TL. You'll find the Xperia on the big screen this November in "Skyfall." Other high-end phones to keep an eye on include the HTC One X+, the LG Optimus G, and the Nokia Lumia 920. If you're looking for something with trendy features (like … Read more

Windows Phone 8 officially launches in SF on October 29

Mark your calendars for Microsoft's official launch of the Windows Phone 8 smartphone OS. We have.

CNET will be there, fingers flexed and laptops raring to go, to cover the San Francisco launch of Microsoft's latest and most important chance yet to put Windows Phone on the map.

We'll update with more details as we have them. Until then, get ready.

How Nokia hobbled itself with an AT&T-exclusive Lumia 920

Nokia just shut its coolest phone out of more than half the U.S. market.

The Finnish handset manufacturer's decision to strike an exclusivity agreement with AT&T for its flagship Lumia 920 means much of its hopes of breaking into the U.S. market rides on just the one carrier, which isn't the smartest decision when said carrier has a huge wave of other smartphones coming out this holiday.

While exclusivity deals were in vogue a few years ago, they've grown increasingly passé as heavy hitters such as Apple and Samsung Electronics have opted … Read more

AT&T doubles down on Nokia with exclusive Lumia 920 deal

AT&T said today it will sell Nokia's Lumia 920 and 820 Windows Phone smartphones, just the latest in the carrier's increasingly crowded lineup of mobile devices.

The phone is expected to hit the market in November, although AT&T wasn't more specific. The company also didn't provide any pricing information. The Lumia 920, however, will be exclusive to AT&T.

The two phones are critical to Nokia's continued survival. While the Lumia 900 was a modest success for AT&T, its performance didn't wow anyone. Nokia is hoping for … Read more

AT&T will get Nokia's Lumia 920, report says

AT&T and Nokia will announce a partnership on the upcoming Lumia 920 later today, according to a report.

AT&T will carry the Lumia 920 in the U.S., Bloomberg is reporting today, citing sources. AT&T won't immediately sell the Windows Phone 8-based device, according to Bloomberg's sources, but it's likely the device will be made available to its customers sooner rather than later.

Nokia unveiled the Lumia 920 last month. The device comes with a 4.5-inch display and includes everything from wireless charging support to near field communication. In addition, … Read more

Microsoft smartphone rumor resurfaces

Earlier this summer, rumors swirled that Microsoft was going to make its own Windows Phones and maybe even market them under its Surface brand. This week, that rumor is back, thanks to China Times and now Boy Genius Report.

Why does this rumor keep recurring? It's either because it's true, or because Microsoft's top brass won't, once and for all, quash it if it's not. And that leaves the door wide open for speculation.

When rumors first surfaced (pun intended) that Microsoft might make its own Surface Windows Phone, Microsoft fueled the fires with its … Read more

AT&T nabs One X+, One VX, Windows Phone 8X from HTC

AT&T said today that it would add three more HTC smartphones to its lineup, the HTC One X+, One VX, and Windows Phone 8X.

Windows Phone 8X, which was announced last month, will be available in November, while the One X+ and One VX would be available "in the coming months." No pricing information was provided on the phones.

The announcements are just the latest from AT&T, which has been bulking up its smartphone lineup for the holiday season. In addition to the iPhone 5, which launched last month, the carrier has announced phones … Read more

ZTE joins the U.S. Windows Phone party with ZTE Render

Previously showcased as the ZTE Orbit during this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the ZTE Render is a Windows Phone 7.5 Tango handset available from U.S. Cellular.

The phone sports a 4-inch WVGA display, a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, and 4GB of onboard memory.

It's also powered by a 1,600mAh lithium ion battery and a 1GHz processor.

In addition, as a Windows Phone device, the Render features Xbox Live, Zune music and video portals, Microsoft Office, and 7GB of SkyDrive cloud computing storage.

Interested users can nab the device for $80, after … Read more