HTC Debuts Stunning Windows Phone 8 Devices

By Alexandra Chang

Windows Phone is gaining momentum — at least when it comes to product announcements. HTC revealed its first Windows Phone 8 lineup with the new 8X Accord and 8S Rio, two colorful devices that will compete against Samsung and Nokia’s recently announced handsets in the Windows Phone space. The company officially introduced the 4.3-inch 8X and the 4-inch 8S at a New York City event on Wednesday, sharing the stage with Microsoft to detail its smartphones.

Though Nokia’s Lumia 920 has been hailed as one of the most exciting phones on the market, judging by my hands-on time with several different builds of HTC’s newest handsets, the 8X and 8S are the true Windows Phones to beat.

“You won’t see any phone out there over the last couple weeks or over the next few weeks that looks anything like this or feels anything like this,” said Scott Croyle, HTC’s vice president of design.

The 8X, also known as Accord, is the high-end device of the two. Powered by Qualcomm’s 1.5 GHz dual-core S4 processor, it features a 4.3-inch laminated super LCD 2 screen with HD 720p resolution (1280×720 pixels) and 16GB of storage. Like Nokia’s Lumia 920 and 820 and Samsung’s ATIV S, the Accord boasts NFC technology, too.

The 8X Accord also aims to compete in the photography space. It has the same 8MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture that HTC introduced in its Android One series phones, along with HTC’s ImageChip technology, which helps with color accuracy, image focusing and noise reduction. (Wired’s reviews of the One X and One S both highlighted the camera’s impressive capabilities.) And HTC says the front-facing camera on the 8X — built around a 2.1MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture and an ultra wide-angle lens — will capture 300 percent more than typical front cameras and support 1080p video capture.

“It’s a powerful feature that we believe people will really make use of,” Croyle said.

The 8X and 8S both feature Beats Audio technology, which the 8X enhances with built-in amplifiers for better sound through the phone’s speakers.

The smaller 8S Rio is more of a mid-range device. It lacks the audio amplifiers of the 8X, and also packs a slightly less powerful 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm S4 processor and a 4-inch WVGA (800×480 pixels) super LCD display. The on-board 5MP camera shoots 720p video and doesn’t include any ImageChip tech. There’s also no NFC support here and only 4GB of storage, with the possibility for microSD expansion.

Beyond specs, though, what really sets the 8X and 8S apart is HTC’s exciting design. The 8X comes in blue, black, red, and yellow, and the 8S Rio, which features main and accent colors, comes in black/white, red, blue and gray/yellow. The company is joining Nokia to bring a pop of color to the typically monochromatic world of smartphones.

Regardless of the color, both devices are stunning. The handsets’ polycarbonate unibodies feature a soft, matte finish that looks and feels more substantial than most plastic phone bodies. And the curved backs fit very nicely in the contours of a palm.

“When you put this phone out there in the marketplace it will compete with any phone that’s out there when you look at it holistically, not just against Windows Phones,” Croyle said. “It stands out within the entire marketplace as being something that’s really different.”

Like other Windows Phone handset makers, HTC hasn’t announced pricing details. But the company has confirmed that both phones will go on sale in November and U.S. carriers will include on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.