HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G held up at US customs

The launch of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G is temporarily delayed – the byproduct of a patent snafu settled earlier this year by the International Trade Commission.

Back in December, the International Trade Commission found HTC guilty of infringing an Apple patent on so-called "data tapping" – the kind of technology, for example, that allows you to click on a phone number in the text of an email, and immediately place a call. The punishment: a ban on US sales of any handset that uses the aforementioned functionality. 

This week comes news that two HTC handsets, the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE, have been held up by US customs officials. "US availability of [the phones] has been delayed due to a standard US Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC exclusion order," an HTC official said in a statement. "We believe we are in compliance with the ruling and HTC is working closely with customs to secure approval."

So how long will the phones remain in purgatory? Well, it's unclear, Bonnie Chang, an analyst at Yuanta Securities, told Reuters this week. But in the meantime, HTC is taking a sizable hit: shares are down 6 percent today and according to Reuters, Goldman Sachs has issued a note to clients expressing concern at the customs review process. 

AT&T technically began selling the HTC One X this month, although as PC World notes, the AT&T website currently lists the device as out of stock. The One X received winning marks from critics, who praised its 4.7-inch screen and LTE connectivity. "This advanced Android has style, speed, blazing 4G, and power galore," a reviewer at CNET wrote. 

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