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The UK is going LTE

UK mobile operators, communications regulator Ofcom, and the government have agreed to start rolling out LTE in early 2013. The goal is for high speed data connectivity to launch by spring, approximately six months earlier than originally planned, providing consumers with quicker speed while using Internet services on smartphones.

EE (Everything Everywhere) has already been given the green light in 'switching on' its LTE network at multiple locations across the country ahead of the competition. To the dismay of the other carriers, EE aims to have 16 cities with LTE speeds by this Christmas, providing 20 million customers with a significant increase in speeds.

Bluetooth accessory for HTC Windows Phone owners?

HTC could be building a portfolio of official accessories for its Windows Phone 8 family of smartphones if a recently published video is anything to go by. Nokia has unveiled a number of extras that future customers can purchase to further enrich the Lumia Windows Phone experience. Through the inclusion of wireless charging and NFC, the company can offer a collection of products that stand out.

It looks as though the Taiwanese manufacturer is deciding to go down a similar route in attempt to increase profit margins on the platform. With the Beats Audio for marketing, HTC can make use of the popular brand to push forward media accessories, including Bluetooth devices and headphones.

We had already created a comparison guide for the higher end Windows 8 devices but many requested a complete guide that included the HTC 8S and Lumia 820.

The specs guide is not designed to be exhaustive but should cover the key differentiators between models. We have the visual guide for comparing the devices by size included below as well should make the decision of what to go for even easier. 

It's time for another From the Froums where we bring you the latest and greatest discussions from the Windows Phone Central community forums. There have been a number of new threads created over the past couple of days, but which ones have peaked the interest of our readers and accumulated a number of replies?

We previously covered UK retailer Unlocked Mobiles who has the HTC 8X listed for just £399. Now we've got Amazon UK who has published the product page for the recently announced Windows Phone, and the price tag is a steep one - £531.43 (SIM-free). 

We're yet to see final pricing which will be available near or after Windows Phone 8 launches and the new Apollo hardware is released to consumers, but at least we can have an idea as to what we'll be looking at in the near future. The product page also states November 8, 2012 as the release date.

Nokia shows off the Lumia 920 at the 2012 Photokina camera trade show

Nokia is busy making the rounds promoting the Lumia 920 Windows Phone and this past week they set up shop at the 2012 Photokina trade show. If you aren't familiar with Photokina it is the largest trade show for the photographic and imaging industries. The equivalent for smartphones would be the annual Consumer Electronics Show or Mobile World Congress.

Nokia jumped on the opportunity to set up shop at the Carl Zeiss booth at Photokina to show off the Pureview Cameras on both the Lumia 920 and Pureview 808. A demo box was set up, like we saw at the New York reception, to demo the low light performance of these cameras.  Nokia reps also demoed the image stabilization and how it improves video quality.

Mr. Ren Weiguang on Windows Phone 7.5 Chinese launch event. Image credit to evolife.cn

Chinese site WPDang managed to interview Mr. Ren Weiguang, the president of HTC China, after the manufacturer's September 19th announcing of the very colorful Windows Phone 8X and 8S range. The interview reveals what's probably mixed news about HTC's products.

In summary, Mr. Ren told the journalist the following:

The 8X features a solid 8MP shooter

Although we’re convinced that the Nokia Lumia 920’s camera sets the bar for “high end” these days, HTC is no slouch either and their Windows Phone 8X has some nifty specs going for it as well.

The 8X’s camera features an impressive F/2.0 aperture at a cozy 28mm and 8MP. It also sports a backside illuminated  (BSI) sensor and a dedicated image-chip for fast processing and some advanced photo processing.

The result? It’s a darn good camera.

The BBC has interviewed CEO of HTC Peter Chou at the company's launch of its new Windows Phones in New York. The chief executive talks about the new HTC 8X and HTC 8S. What's to take from this interview is his comment that he's "super confident" of the new smartphones.

While HTC will continue to support the Android platform, Chou continued to state the new Windows Phones were 'hero products' and that Microsoft are to join the manufacturer in launching an integrated marketing campaign.