Windows Phones 8S and 8X Unveiled Today; HTC & Microsoft Team Up

HTC Corporation, in collaboration with Microsoft, unveiled today two new Windows phones, the Windows Phone 8S and 8X at a press conference. The phones will roll out in November to consumers in over 50 countries through more than 150 carriers.

"We've been inspired by Windows Phone 8 to create new smartphones that give the platform the iconic design and personality it deserves," Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation said in a statement. "Windows Phone has clearly emerged as one of the top mobile ecosystems and is competitive against any other smartphone platform in the world."

Both phones are around 10mm in thickness. The 8S has a 4-inch SuperLCD screen with Gorilla Glass and the 8X has a 4.3-inch HD resolution SuperLCD 2 720p display made with Gorilla Glass 2.

The 8S has a dual-core 1 GHz processor, 5 megapixel rear camera and 4GB internal storage with a microSD slot for the option of extra store space. The 8X has a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, 16GB storage and two cameras. On the back it has a backside-illuminated 8 megapixel camera that shoots 1080p video and on the front, a 2.1 megapixel, 1080p-capable camera with 88 degree viewing angle.

Both phones boast studio-quality sound with Beats Audio capabilities. The 8X model has two amplifiers: one for the headphone jack and one for the speaker.

"Audio is kind of hard to explain in words, so here's what I'd recommend - when the Windows Phone 8X hits the shelves, try listening to the same track on your current phone and headphones and then listen to the same track on the 8X + Beats headphones," Ben Rudolph, director of Windows Phone experiential marketing said in a statement. "The difference is staggering."

While cost has not yet been announced, colors have. The 8X will come in California Blue, Graphite Black, Flame Red and Limelight Yellow. The 8S will be available in Domino, Fiesta Red, Atlantic Blue and High-Rise Gray.

Among the top carriers offering the Windows phones in the United States are AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. In Europe: Orange, O2 Telefonica, MTS, Three UK, T-Mobile and Vodafone. Top carriers in the Asia-Pacific region include Chunghwa Telecom, Optus, Singtel, Smartone, Telstra and Vodafone Australia.