Following in the wake of Nokia and Samsung’s Windows Phone 8 product announcements, comes HTC’s unveiling of its first couple (not three as expected) of smartphones that operate on Microsoft’s latest mobile platform.

The Taiwanese smartphone and tablet maker has announced its new Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S smartphones, which will both be available in South Africa in early November.

HTC’s Windows Phone 8X (132.35 x 66 x 10.12 mm; 130 g) boasts a 4.3" HD-Ready (720 x 1280 resolution) Super LCD 2 display that is protected by Gorilla Glass and also features optical lamination to reduce reflections and glare.

Since this display’s resolution is on par with that of the Nokia Lumia 920’s 4.5" PureMotion HD+ (1280 x 768; 332 ppi) IPS LCD Super Sensitive touchscreen and Samsung ATIV S’s 4.8" HD Super AMOLED (720 x 1280 pixels; 306 ppi) but is a bit more compact, it has a higher pixels per inch tally of 342 ppi.

The 8X is powered by a dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm S4 processor and offers 16 GB internal storage, 1 GB RAM, NFC (near field communication) support, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Wi-Fi 802.11 n, as well as a large 1800 mAh Li-ion Polymer battery.   

In terms of optics, the 8X sports an 8 MP CMOS sensor with backside-illumination (BSI) for improved low-light performance, along with an f/2.0 aperture, 28 mm lens and a dedicated imaging chip. We love the fact that HTC included a physical shutter button that will make it a lot quicker and easier to take photos, even if the smartphone is locked.

Midrange offering - the Windows Phone 8S

The company’s Windows Phone 8S (120.5 x 63 x 10.28 mm; 113 g) is smaller in size, sporting a 4" Super LCD touchscreen with a WVGA (480 x 800; 233 ppi) resolution. It is powered by a slightly slower (1 GHz) Qualcomm S4 dual-core CPU and features half (512 MB) the RAM of the 8X, as well as a 1700 mAh battery.

Users only have access to 4 GB of built-in storage, but are able to expand upon this via the 8S’ microSD card slot that supports cards up to 32 GB in size. This smartphone packs a 5 megapixel camera autofocus snapper with LED flash, as well as f2.8 aperture and 35 mm lens.

Distinguishing itself from the WP8 herd

As with its latest Android powered smartphones, this Windows Phone OS running smartphone duo feature integrated Beats Audio, which the firm says will provide a much more enhanced, studio-quality sound. The Windows Phone 8X also sports a unique audio amplifier powering the 3.5 mm audio jack as well as the speaker, which HTC says will boost the audio signal for an even better sound experience.

Besides its exclusive Beats Audio, the Windows Phone 8X also boast HTC’s new 2.1 megapixel, f/2.0 aperture, 88° ultra-wide angle front-facing camera, enabling users to snap photos with up to four people in a single shot. In addition, this camera will also, like the 8 MP rear-facing shooter at the back of the 8X, enable full HD (1080p) video recording.