By Anu Passary | Dec 02, 2012 12:25 PM EST
The HTC Windows Phone 8S may have played second fiddle with the flagship HTC 8X hogging all the limelight, and now reports indicate that the Windows Phone 8S is not "currently planned for distribution" in the U.S.
Follow us
Microsoft is currently riding high with its Windows Phone 8 (WP8) devices - the Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC 8X - raking in high sales figures, but the Redmond-based company is yet to taste success with two more eagerly awaited WP8 offerings i.e. the Samsung ATIV S and HTC 8S that are anticipated to release soon.
While the HTC 8X is doing well in the consumer market, potential buyers have been left wondering when its sibling the HTC 8S will hit the U.S. shelves. HTC has finally broken its silence and on Friday, Nov. 30, the company issued a statement saying that it does not intend to distribute the Windows Phone 8X in the U.S. as of now.
Per an Engadget report, an HTC spokesperson has let on that the Taiwan-based company does not have any plans for releasing its HTC 8S in the U.S. in the near term. The company is presently directing all its attention to the HTC 8X, its signature WP8 device.
"The Windows Phone 8X by HTC is our signature Windows Phone available at AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless in the U.S. With our focus on the Windows Phone 8X by HTC, the Windows Phone 8S is not currently planned for distribution in the U.S. market," said a HTC spokesperson in a statement to Engadget.
Additionally, according to The Verge, delays caused by carrier testing has pushed back the release of the HTC 8S in the U.S.; however, how the overseas release of the device is affected as a result does not follow logic. Apparently, sources "close to Microsoft's Windows Phone efforts" have also disclosed that the Windows Phone 8S was originally intended to be a budget handset on carrier T-Mobile.
"We understand that Microsoft prioritized testing of the Qualcomm 8960 chipset found in the 8X, Lumia 920, and Lumia 820 handsets, over testing the Qualcomm 8227 chipset available in the 8S. As a result, testing on US carriers has pushed retail availability back," noted The Verge.
Judging by the HTC statement, the Windows Phone 8S may not reach the U.S. market anytime soon, but a possibility exists that the smartphone may make it to the shelves in the not so near future. Till then Microsoft fans will have to make do with the other WP8 devices that are on offer.
© 2013 Mobile & Apps All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
LG to launch always-on, voice-controlled smartphone next year 
Microsoft Surface RT 2 to rock Qualcomm 800 chip, Windows 8.1 
Nintendo 3DS outsold Microsoft Xbox 360 in the U.S. 
PS3 latest software update 4.45 bricking the consoles 
