HTC unveiled its flagship Windows Phone 8 handset today, the Windows Phone 8X. “HTC and Microsoft have joined forces on a marketing campaign that will make HTC the face of Windows Phone 8″ claims HTC. Nokia should feel jealous perhaps.

The 8X will be available in four colors when launched in early November: California Blue, Graphite Black, Flame Red and Limelight Yellow. HTC claims the colors in the Windows Phone 8 interface will match the hardware color. The 8X’s specs include a 4.3-inch 720p HD super LCD 2 display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and NFC support. Also included is Beats Audio support, which is making its debut on Windows Phone. HTC is shipping Beats Audio support on both of its Windows Phone 8 handsets, with an extra amplifier for audio out on the 8X to power larger headphones. The Beats Audio integration can be turned on or off with an app pre-installed in HTC Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Connectivity options include LTE / 3G, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 & 5GHz), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, aGPS and NFC. The phone is powered by a 1,800mAh battery.

The camera included is 8MP with LED flash on the rear and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera. The front-facing camera should be great for Skype video calls or forward facing shots. The front-facing camera has an 88 degrees wide angle lens and supposedly works well for forward facing group shots and 1080p video recording. Other usual HTC camera features are also included in the phone.

It remains to be seen how the Windows Phone 8X stacks up against the Nokia Lumia 920 in real life, but we do have a competitor here for sure. Nokia’s device upstages HTC with its PureView camera and wireless charging, but HTC has a smaller 4.3-inch display, only weighs 130 grams against the 185 grams for the Lumia 920 and also has a curved back, which should be comfortable to hold and perfect for those who want a smaller and lighter phone.

Windows Phone 8 will be launched completely only in late October by Microsoft and HTC plan to have devices on shelves in early November, around the same time as the Lumia 920 by Nokia. In the US the Windows Phone 8X by HTC will be available on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. European carriers include Orange, O2 Telefonica, MTS, Three UK, T-Mobile, and Vodafone. No confirmation on price and release date in India as of now.

Salman Ravoof

Salman Ravoof is a mechanical engineer, a freelance writer and an avid science and technology enthusiast. He likes creativity, fantasy and sci-fi genre; revels in experimenting and spends most of his time pondering about the existence of reality.

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