I'm in Canada with an 8X and I got the GDR3 over wifi from MS so I would assume the 8.1 update can be gotten the same way regardless of carrier.
Um, no. That's very inaccurate.
That only works of you are factory unlocked. Because MSFT went through OTA via carriers, if your carrier didn't sell enough of that model, they're not obligated to keep the updates coming. That is what happened with t-mo's 8X and their 810. As much as HTC, Nokia and MSFT want to update both phones, t-mo isn't interested.
That is some kind of BS. I'm glad John Chen told T-Mo to shove it. BB is in no position to dictate terms but at least they're keeping their pride. MS needs to show T-Mo that there will be no wag-the-dog going on.
Actually, MSFT is still not in a position to dictate to ANY carrier. If you look on the MSFT website on the "6 reasons to switch to Windows phone", it is clear as day - in the fine print at the bottom of the page.
"All WP8 models support the WP8.1 update; availability varies by carrier."
That reeks of CYA. Don't blame us, blame your carrier.