One of the hottest Windows Phones coming out soon has got to be HTC’s effort, the Windows Phone 8X. Microsoft and HTC go way back, and for the launch of Windows Phone 8 the two companies worked together to produce a ‘signature’ phone for the OS.
The Windows Phone 8X is definitely a great indicator of how far Windows Phone has advanced in terms of hardware support. The phone includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core CPU clocked at 1.5 GHz, 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory. The 8X also supports NFC, Wi-Fi N and Bluetooth 4 to round out the connectivity envelope.
For audio, the phone includes Beats Audio support, which should boost the volume of the phone’s loudspeaker and also provide optional software equalisation. Sadly though, there are no Beats-branded Windows Phone 8X accessories like speakers or headphones in the box, although there is wireless charging for the Verizon variant of the phone.
But for all of the hardware on display, I’m most excited by the 4.3″ 1280 x 720p display – that’s good for 332 pixels-per-inch, a good way ahead of even Apple and Samsung’s display efforts. A similar panel was judged in the HTC One X to be the best of the current crop of smartphone displays, and I expect to see the same quality here.
The Windows Phone 8X has a hardware design all its own, as distinctive at first glance as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus – although for much different reasons. While the Nexus tablet is defined by its gentle curved display, the 8X is a striking combination of Nokia’s Lumia series and HTC’s own One X, with a commanding presence in a good variety of attention-grabbing colours.
The Windows Phone 8X will be facing stiff competition from Samsung’s Ativ S and Nokia’s Lumia 920, but I feel the HTC device is their best since the One X and stands a good chance of taking the fight against the bigger manufacturers.
November 1st, 2012 → 3:43 pm @ William Judd
0