Just a few days ago, Microsoft unveiled some of the bigger features it was working on in its upcoming Windows Phone 8 platform, which is set to launch in the fall. Windows Phone has failed to really take off in the United States, partly due to few carriers supporting the platform, but also due to several manufacturers holding off on the platform until it was more fully baked.
We learned on Wednesday that carrier partners were lining up in droves to get behind the Windows Phone 8 platform, and yesterday The Verge learned of HTC’s plans for the fall. According to a tipster familiar with the matter, HTC is preparing three Windows Phone 8 devices, a high-end device named “Zenith,” a mid-ranged phone named “Accord,” and an entry-level “Rio” handset. Sound familiar? This is the same strategy HTC applied with the Android-based One X, S, and V handsets, and it makes sense that they would follow a similar strategy for Windows Phone.
Of course, what leak would be complete without some specs? Sources for The Verge also tipped some specifications for the three devices, which we’ve outlined for you below.
Zenith
The Zenith is the phone to watch, and it packs some pretty powerful specs that propel Windows Phone in line with current competitor offerings, most notably HTC’s own One X.
- 4.7-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display
- 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p capture
- 42 mbps HSPA+ support (no word on LTE, though we suspect it’ll support LTE)
- NFC
- An unnamed quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor
Accord
The Accord is no slouch itself, offering solid specs on par with the HTC One S device.
- 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display
- 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p capture
- 1GB RAM
- 42 mbps HSPA+ support (probably will support LTE, though no official word)
- Dual-Core Snapdragon S4+ processor (likely the MSM8260A)
Rio
The Rio will be the entry-level HTC Windows Phone device, still featuring solid specs for what we expect will be extremely reasonable price points. This is the device to compete with the likes of the Lumia 710 and 610 from Nokia.
- 4-inch WVGA display
- 14.4 mbps HSPA
- 5-megapixel camera with 720p video capture
- 512 MB RAM
- Dual-Core Snapdragon S4+ processor (likely the MSM8227)
HTC has made quite the name for itself in the Android arena for building high-quality devices, and it’s good to see this trend continuing on the Windows Phone 8 platform. With three powerful devices at various price points, HTC is placing itself as a strong competitor for your Windows Phone business, a market most expect Nokia to dominate due to their close-knit partnership with Microsoft.
Will you be picking up one of the HTC devices named above, or are you holding out to hear about the next generation of Lumia?
[via The Verge]