HTC 8X Windows Phone 8 Image and Specs Leak Discussion

[Grant Hatchimonji]

An image and rumored specs for the HTC 8X, the company's first Windows Phone 8 device, have leaked via Twitter prior to the phone's expected reveal on September 19.

Read the full content of this Article: HTC 8X Windows Phone 8 Image and Specs Leak

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• First Windows Phone 8 Device Officially Announced: The Samsung ATIV S

[Mitlov]

4.3" sounds more like a midrange device than a flagship. I would have assumed that the 8X would have the same 4.7" screen as the One X, and an 8S would have a 4.3" screen like the One S.

Anyway, I like using the live tile for the HTC Hub to give a big HTC-signature clock at the top. Ties it into their Android products without deviating from WP8 style. (In WP7, the HTC Hub's tile was a weather widget).

[Varjak]

Based on the relatively low memory capacity and 1.2 Ghz cores, I'd say it is a mid-range device. Maybe HTC doesn't really want to venture strongly into W8 yet.

[Mitlov]

Based on the relatively low memory capacity and 1.2 Ghz cores, I'd say it is a mid-range device. Maybe HTC doesn't really want to venture strongly into W8 yet.

But at least in the US, HTC has been arguably the most visible WP7 hardware manufacturer (Nokia advertised more, but HTC actually got their goods out there to every carrier). For many carriers, an HTC phone was the only WP7 option (including the Trophy on Verizon, the Arrive on Sprint, and the 7 Pro on US Cellular). And the HTC Titan II was the highest-spec, highest-quality device ever sold for Windows Phone 7 (with a 16-megapixel camera and a 4.7" screen). The Lumia 900 outsold it due to stylish looks, but the Titan II is by most accounts the nicest phone ever sold with WP7. So I doubt HTC is shy about getting involved with WP8. Instead, I suspect this is just the mid-range device in a multiple-device lineup.

[LandSurveyor]

8mp is plenty and would be better than 16 if they increased the size of the imager and, more importantly, improved the lenses. But that won't happen because it's easier to just advertise a big megapixel count. I can remember not so many years ago we had a family portrait done and the professional photographer used an SLR with 6 megapixels. The results were great even on really big enlargements.

Even a mid-level HTC should be a well-made device. I got an HTC Imagio for use as a prepaid when Verizon couldn't give them away (WM up to 6.2 wasn't bad. 6.5 sucked). The quality of the hardware, however, was great. Good camera, good battery life, quite decent FM radio. I still use it as an alarm clock and music player/radio.

I wonder if there will be any real advantages in having both a W8 laptop or hybrid and a WM8 phone.

[Mitlov]

8mp is plenty and would be better than 16 if they increased the size of the imager and, more importantly, improved the lenses. But that won't happen because it's easier to just advertise a big megapixel count. I can remember not so many years ago we had a family portrait done and the professional photographer used an SLR with 6 megapixels. The results were great even on really big enlargements.

Even a mid-level HTC should be a well-made device. I got an HTC Imagio for use as a prepaid when Verizon couldn't give them away (WM up to 6.2 wasn't bad. 6.5 sucked). The quality of the hardware, however, was great. Good camera, good battery life, quite decent FM radio. I still use it as an alarm clock and music player/radio.

I've been less than impressed with my HTC 7 Pro. I'll likely go Samsung or Nokia for my next phone. The camera quality is godawful (not because it's a 5 megapixel camera, but because the colors are way off and because the autofocus can only be descibed as "drunk"), the action of volume rocker can only be described as "sloppy," and because the keyboard drivers are crazy (sliding out the keyboard stops audio playback for some unexplained reason).

I wonder if there will be any real advantages in having both a W8 laptop or hybrid and a WM8 phone.

Since Microsoft has been very secretive about WP8's feature list (not something I agree with), we really don't know. Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 will launch at about the same time, and we know everything there is to know about Windows 8 and almost nothing about Windows Phone 8. Somewhat perplexing.

[LandSurveyor]

That IS strange, especially they haven't yet released any W8 devices and WM8 phones have been out for some time.

I've been pretty satisfied with the camera capabilities of my mid-level Samsung. I guess it shouldn't be too surprising since Samsung also makes standalone cameras. Still, they are more known for their competitive prices on those and seldom for having the absolute best image quality.

[Mitlov]

That IS strange, especially they haven't yet released any W8 devices and WM8 phones have been out for some time.

That's not quite accurate. Samsung's WP8 unveil was two weeks ago; Nokia's was last week; the iPhone 5 is this week; HTC's WP8 phone unveil is scheduled for next week. So nothing to worry about there. WP8 phones aren't actually available for sale yet; most reports suggest that they'll go on sale the first week of November. HTC is keeping up with the rest of the WP8 OEMs and should have a complete lineup unveiled well before WP8 phones go on sale.

I've been pretty satisfied with the camera capabilities of my mid-level Samsung. I guess it shouldn't be too surprising since Samsung also makes standalone cameras. Still, they are more known for their competitive prices on those and seldom for having the absolute best image quality.

Neither HTC nor Samsung are known for good cameras in anything but their flagship smartphones. The difference is, Samsung seems to believe in making their flagship smartphones available on every carrier (just look at the Galaxy S3; I'm hoping for similar availability for the Ativ S) whereas HTC has made the One X an AT&T exclusive (and I don't want AT&T). I suspect the flagship HTC WP8 phone will have a better camera than the flagship Samsung WP8 phone, but I also suspect that the latter phone will be available on US Cellular and the former will not.

[Drillbit]

I've been less than impressed with my HTC 7 Pro. I'll likely go Samsung or Nokia for my next phone. The camera quality is godawful (not because it's a 5 megapixel camera, but because the colors are way off and because the autofocus can only be descibed as "drunk"), the action of volume rocker can only be described as "sloppy," and because the keyboard drivers are crazy (sliding out the keyboard stops audio playback for some unexplained reason).

If its a pinkish cast, the problem isn't with HTC, its with Microsoft.

[Mitlov]

If its a pinkish cast, the problem isn't with HTC, its with Microsoft.

That's not the problem. The problem is that colors are massively oversaturated--both greens and reds. I could live with the color oversaturation if the autofocus wasn't so awful (for both photos and video). Can't fix that afterward.