HTC announced its vibrant new pair of Windows Phone 8 devices, the 8S and 8X at an event on Wednesday. In a partnership marketing campaign with Microsoft, HTC and its the pair of phones will be the face of Windows Phone 8.
“We’re opening the next chapter in our relationship with HTC,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “We’ve taken a very different and quite unique approach with Windows Phone 8. It is the most personal experience ever created for a mobile phone.”
Made to emulate a Windows 8 start tile, says Graham Wheeler, the director of product commercialization at HTC, the 16 GB Windows Phone 8 X is the larger option, sporting a 4.3-inch display. For a phone of this size, the 130-gram 8X is lighter than its competition the 185-gram Nokia Lumia 920 and 140-gram iPhone 5. The 8X boasts curved Gorilla Glass that transitions into the seamless surface. The device features an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and a front-facing 2.1-megapixel camera that is capable of shooting 1080p video. The 8X will be available in California Blue, Graphite Black, Flame Red and Limelight Yellow and come with coordinating interface colours.
“Windows Phone 8X is truly an iconic product. Beautiful design, incredible cameras, killer, killer, sound,” said Ballmer.
Both the 8X and 8S are equipped with Beats Audio support, but only the 8X has an extra audio out amplifier for added headphone power.
The smaller, 113-gram Windows Phone 8S will be HTC’s mid-range device. Unlike the 8X, the 8S does not feature a front-facing camera, but does come with a 5-megapixel rear camera that is capable of recording video at 720p. The internal storage of 4GB can be enhanced through the built-in microSD slot. The 8S will be available in four colours: Domino, Fiesta Red, Atlantic Blue, and High-Rise Gray.
The two flagship Windows Phone 8 devices will be fully launched in late Octover and on shelves by early November, “on 150 operators in over 50 countries,” says HTC president Jason Mackenzie.
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Mollie Paige is an intern working at the Toronto Standard. You can follow her on twitter @MolliePB
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