HTC this morning unveiled two new Windows Phones, the HTC 8S and 8X, that look as if they were actually made for the Microsoft operating system, not simply adapted from the mobile phone company’s existing Android lineup.
This is what HTC president Jason Mackenzie was hinting at in an interview with GeekWire two weeks ago, saying that the longtime Microsoft partner was aiming to differentiate itself from Samsung by starting from scratch and making devices unique to Windows Phone. On stage in New York this morning, Mackenzie took things a step further with a thinly veiled jab at Microsoft’s major phone partner, Nokia.
“The 8X and 8S are THE signature phones of Windows Phone 8,” he said, according to a live blog from The Verge.
The approach is notable in part because HTC was Microsoft’s original mobile hardware partner, dating back to the days of Windows Mobile, but HTC has been making a big bet on Android in recent years.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer also appeared at the event. The phones will be available in November on T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T in the U.S. No pricing was announced this morning.
The HTC 8X (pictured above) is the higher-end device. Via HTC, here are the basic specs …
- Three-dimensional, uni-body style based on the Windows Phone Live Tiles
- Colors: California Blue, Graphite Black, Flame Red and Limelight Yellow
- 4.3″ touch screen with HD 720p (1280 x 720) resolution
- Beats Audio with 3.5mm jack and speaker
- 2.1MP front-facing camera with an 88-degree wide angle lens and 8MP rear camera with BSI sensor and f/2.0 lens
And here are the specs for the 8S …
- Three-dimensional, uni-body style based on the Windows Phone Live Tiles
- Colors: Domino, Fiesta Red, Atlantic Blue and High-Rise Gray
- 4″ WVGA touch screen (800 x 480)
- Beats Audio Integration
- 5MP camera with f/2.8 aperture, 35mm lens, autofocus, LED flash, HTC ImageChip and 720pHD video recording
