HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE on the way to stores

The US Customs and Border Protection department has released the month-long hold on HTC's One X and the Evo 4G LTE. The customs review went into effect on April 19, preventing the Evo 4G LTE from a full retail release through Sprint as expected on May 18. Limited One X phones reached AT&T during the same period. Last week, Customs released a portion of the embargoed phones to the carriers for sale in anticipation of the release.

An e-mail to Wired from HTC said "HTC has completed the review process with US Customs and HTC devices have been released, as they are in compliance with the ITC’s ruling. Future shipments should continue to enter the U.S. and we are confident that we will soon be able to meet the demand for our products.”

Customs officials enacted the embargo due to a US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling following a ruling that some Android HTC phones violated an Apple patent on a a method to convert phone numbers and URLs in e-mail and text messages into active links to open in other apps or initiate actions, such as dialing the phone.

HTC said before the phones arrived that they had fixed the link patent issue to sidestep the ban. Customs officials had to inspect the modified phones to ensure compliance with the ITC's ruling.

No timetable has been given on full retail availability. HTC spokesman Tom Harlin said the company wasn't sure how long it would take to get phones to the carriers, but HTC was working on delivery as rapidly as possible.

By Electronista Staff

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industry, htc, ITC, mobile phones