Windows Phone 8X by HTC The curiously named Windows Phone 8X by HTC is one of a pair of Windows Phone 8 devices from HTC due to hit the mark...
Windows Phone 8X by HTC
The curiously named Windows Phone 8X by HTC is one of a pair of Windows Phone 8 devices from HTC due to hit the market during November 2012.
A little bit below the rival Nokia Lumia 920 in terms of specification, the 8X is an upper midrange phone with a 4.3" 720 x 1280 pixel "LCD 2" display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm S4 processor with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of flash storage. On the back is an 8 megapixel camera with LED flash and a dedicated image processor, the front camera is a wide-angle 2.1 megapixel unit which is possibly the best front-facing camera around.
One of the key differentiators with HTC devices is audio playback, and the 8X has been enhanced with Beats Audio. One other key factor is design, and the Windows Phone 8X by HTC is more of a looker than the Samsung ATIV S but it has much tougher competition with the very stylish Nokia offerings.
HTC have a very long association with Windows devices, and they made the first ever Windows phone ten years ago with the HTC Wallaby. They also made the first Android smartphone, the T-Mobile G1, four years ago. But these days, HTC are being squeezed by Samsung in the Android area, and Nokia seem to have taken the lead with Windows Phone. So it is really quite important for HTC that the 8X is a success.
Windows Phone 8S by HTC Windows 8 smartphones are pretty much comparable with everything else, so the 8X supports WiFi, 3.5G, Bluetooth and USB connectivity. It supports GPS and GLONASS positioning systems and has a digital compass, G-sensor and proximity sensor. The 8X also includes NFC support in certain regions.
Overall, the 8X is a good looking device with a nice feature set. The 341 ppi display is actually a little sharper than that found on the iPhone 5, and the screen and handset are a little bit bigger than Apple's offering too. With the exception of 4G LTE support, the 8X has pretty much everything the iPhone 5 has. Apart from applications, that is.
HTC say that the Windows Phone 8X by HTC should be available from early November on 126 operators in 50 countries in blue, black, red and yellow colour schemes. The price is not known, but we would expect it come in somewhere between the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 handsets from Nokia.
Windows Phone 8X by HTC | |
Available: | Q4 2012 |
Network: | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 UMTS 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 |
Data: | GPRS + EDGE + WiFi + UMTS (3G) + HSPA |
Screen: | 4.3" 720 x 1280 pixels |
Camera: | 8 megapixels (main) 2.1 megapixel (sub) |
Size: | Medium-large tablet smartphone 132 x 66 x 10.1mm / 130 grams |
Bluetooth: | Yes |
Memory card: | No (16GB internal) |
Infra-red: | No |
Polyphonic: | Yes |
Java: | No |
GPS: | Yes (plus GLONASS) |
OS: | Windows Phone 8 |
Battery life: | Not specified (1800 mAh cell) |
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