AT&T To Surprise With Early Nokia Lumia 920, HTC 8X Pre-Order Dates

**Editor’s note: Please click here for our list of September’s hottest selling smartphones to see how Nokia and HTC stacked up against the competition.**

Late last week we learned that fans of Nokia’s Lumia series of smartphones aimed at both the business user and the general consumer would have to wait until November to get their hands on the new phones based on the latest version of Microsoft’s mobile operating system, Windows 8.

But here comes a new report that says potential customers won’t have to wait that long to at least place their orders for the devices. The two biggest names in the lot the Nokia Lumia 920 and the HTC 8X can be ordered on Oct. 21 from AT&T, according to The Verge. No word yet on a specific delivery date or when they will be available in stores. AT&T has an exclusive on both devices in the U.S.

Nokia got off to a decent start with its first fleet of Lumia phones earlier this year, but quickly faded despite some pretty friendly prices. It’s most expensive the flagship Lumia 900 sold for just $99 on contract at its debut, about half the price of most other high-end smartphones.

Nokia might have a bit of a loyalty battle with Windows 8. Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft acknowledged this past summer that “new applications compiled specifically for Windows Phone 8 will not be made available for Windows Phone 7.x devices.” Time will tell if that frustrates customers who shelled out cash for a Windows 7 device earlier this year.

Nonetheless, those who liked the first go-round of Lumias will probably like the new set. The Lumia 920, for example, includes the latest advances in Nokia PureView imaging innovation. The 8 megapixel rear-facing camera records HD video in 1080p at 30 frames per second, while the front-facing camera records in 720p HD. In addition to built-in wireless charging, the Lumia 920 also comes with Nokia City Lens, the latest addition to the Nokia location suite and the start of what the company calls “a new augmented reality experience” that also enhances Nokia Maps.

Nokia was once the undisputed global leader in mobile phones, but got left behind once the smartphone revolution arrived. The company was slow to respond when Apple unveiled the iPhone in 2007 and is a few years behind Google’s Android explosion. The Finland-based manufacturer teamed up with Microsoft last year in an attempt to deliver a third successful operating system to the market and return to prominence as a significant player in something beyond feature phones.

Meantime, HTC shouldn’t be forgotten. The Taiwan-based company has had a strong showing this year with its Android-based phones and is aiming high with the 8X, a Windows-based phone. It has a 4.3-inch screen; a dual-core, 1.5GHz processor and 16GB of built-in storage. It’s also being touted for having a fabulous front-facing camera.

Both the Lumia 920 and the 8X are compatible with 4G LTE networks.