HTC has taken a lead from Nokia and Samsung, by becoming the first company in the world to launch two Windows 8 smartphones simultaneously – HTC 8X and HTC 8S. After Taiwan, these two Windows 8 phones have been launched now officially in India. We were expecting that Nokia, who has closer association with Microsoft, would launch first their Windows 8 smartphones – Lumia 920 & Lumia 820. But HTC is very keen to jump to Windows 8 phone race and let us see who is the ultimate winner in the long run.
HTC 8X
The HTC 8X features 4.3″ inch 720p Super LCD 2 display coated with Gorilla Glass. The optical lamination reduces reflections and glare.The device sports an 8 MP CMOS sensor with backside-illumination for improved low-light performance, along with an f/2.0 aperture, 28mm lens and a dedicated HTC imaging chip. The front camera is a 2.1 MP with f/2.0 aperture and 88 degree ultra-wide angle lens, which also allows for high-definition video capture. HTC claims that a physical shutter button makes it quick and easy to capture images even if the phone is locked.
The HTC 8X is the first Windows Phone with Beats Audio technology and an audio amplifier powering the 3.5mm audio jack and the speaker.There is no expandable storage on 8X but you will get 16 GB of on-board storage, part of which will be used by the operating system itself.
The handset is available in colors such as California Blue and Graphite Black in a matte finish. This model will be available this month in India at a market operating price (MOP) of Rs 35,023.
HTC 8S
This is mid-level Windows 8 smartphone launched by HTC. This phone boasts of 4″ inch (800×480 pixels) super LCD display with Gorilla Glass, 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor with 512 MB RAM, 5 MP auto focus camera with LED flash and 720p HD video recording, 4 GB internal memory expandable memory with microSD and a 1,700 mAh battery.
The HTC 8S will be available in Fiesta Red and Atlantic Blue. This smartphone will also be available starting from November in India for a market operating price of Rs 19,260.
Both the phones come pre-loaded with the Windows Phone Store and Xbox Live, from where it is possible to access the latest video, music, and gaming content.
The HTC 8X and 8S are colourful devices with a premium-looking matte finish. HTC has designed these Windows 8 Phones to blend the virtual and the physical utilizing a three dimensional, pure uni-body design based on the Windows Phone Live Tiles. The devices have a sculpted, tapering body, which makes it feel quite thin in your hand.
Speaking at the launch event of the HTC 8X and 8S, Faisal Siddiqui, Country Head, HTC India, said, “Windows Phone has clearly emerged as one of the top mobile ecosystems and is competitive against any other smartphone platform in the world. We are confident that the iconic design and incredible innovation of the Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S by HTC will help consumers fully realize the potential and lifestyle benefits offered by these smartphones.”
