At an event in New York this afternoon HTC unveiled two Windows Phone 8 handsets; the 8X and the 8S. The two devices, which you might naturally feel are parallels to the HTC One X and HTC One S from the Android universe, are available in a multitude of colours. HTC said the devices will be available in November, shortly after the launch of the Windows Phone 8 OS. While the new range of Nokia Lumia WP8 smartphones have no customers named as yet, HTC says it has agreements with the top 4 US mobile networks and several European and Asian operators.
Two views of the HTC 8X, above
Introducing the Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO said of the new HTC smartphones “Pairing these beautiful new HTC phones with our Windows Phone brand is a big milestone for both of our companies and our partnership. Together we are offering customers a simple choice and a truly unique experience.” HTC Chief Executive Peter Chou retorted that “We’ve been inspired by Windows Phone 8 to create new smartphones that give the platform the iconic design and personality it deserves.”
The new HTC devices have been designed “from the ground up” with tapered edges and an emphasis on great visual and sound quality. The top of the range HTC 8X has a dedicated chip to facilitate speedy camera functionality and both the 8X and 8S have Beats Audio sound systems to offer “deeper bass and crisp vocals”.
Let us compare the key specifications;
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Processor |
Qualcomm® S4 1.5 GHz, Dual-core |
Qualcomm® S4 1 GHz, Dual-core |
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Display |
4.3 inch super LCD 2 touch screen with HD 720p resolution Gorilla® Glass 2 |
4 inch super LCD touch screen with WVGA resolution Gorilla® Glass |
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Memory |
Total storage: 16 GB RAM: 1GB |
Total storage: 16 GB Expansion SD card slot RAM 512 MB |
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Size/Weight |
132.35 x 66.2 x 10.12mm, 130g |
120.5 x 63 x 10.28mm, 113g |
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Colours |
“California Blue”, “Graphite Black”, “Flame Red” or “Limelight Yellow” |
“California Blue”, “Graphite Black”, “Flame Red” or “Limelight Yellow” |
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Camera |
8 megapixel camera with auto focus, LED flash, and BSI sensor F2.0 aperture and 28mm lens 1080p video recording Dedicated HTC ImageChip Front mounted 2.1 megapixel cam |
5 megapixel camera with auto focus LED flash F2.8 aperture and 35mm lens 720p video recording |
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Battery |
1800 mAh |
1700 mAh |
HTC mentioned previously that it intends to “go big on Windows 8”. Also it indicated that a lot of its best designers have been busy working on these new Windows Phone 8 handsets. There’s a video about the new designs embedded below...
Iconic design behind the Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC
I’d really like to see some pricing indications from either HTC, Nokia or Samsung for their Windows Phone 8 devices. It looks like they are all playing their cards close to their chests until launch time in this respect. Will HTC’s offerings undercut the prices of Nokia and Samsung efforts in their respective target market segments? Morgan Stanley analysts think they should...
Two views of the HTC 8S range, above
