Upcoming Windows Phone 8 handsets to look forward to

A few hours ago, Microsoft officially launched Windows Phone 8 (WP8) and come November, we can expect WP8 handsets to flood the market. This is a big leap forward when compared to WP7, as it now ties in more tightly with the Windows 8 OS that Microsoft launched a few days ago. We have quite an interesting spread of phones for the launch of WP8 and mentioned below are some handsets from the first batch, all set to hit stores in the coming months.

HTC Windows Phone 8X
The 8X is the current flagship phone from HTC and is powered by the new Qualcomm S4 SoC. This dual-core handset packs in quite a punch and features a ton of the latest technology like GLONASS GPS system, Corning Gorilla Glass 2, dual-band Wi-Fi and Beats Audio. Below are some of the highlights of the phone.

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HTC’s flagship

• 4.3-inch S-LCD2 touchscreen with a 720 x 1280 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE, dual-band Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• GPS with A-GPS Support and GLONASS
• 8MP AF camera with 1080p video recording and an LED flash
• Secondary 2.1MP Camera
• 16GB internal memory

HTC Windows Phone 8S
The 8S is the younger brother of the 8X, featuring a smaller screen and a reduced 5MP camera. However, it still has a Qualcomm S4 SoC under the hood, so it still packs a mean punch. One area where the 8S fares better than the 8X is in the storage department. The 8S has a microSD card slot so you can easily upgrade the storage up to 32GB.

For those on a budget

• 4.0-inch S-LCD touchscreen with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE, Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth v3.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• GPS with A-GPS Support and GLONASS
• 5MP AF camera with 1080p video recording and an LED flash
• 4GB internal memory, expandable to 32GB via microSD card

Nokia Lumia 920
Nokia is banking heavily on the new Lumia handsets running Windows Phone 8. The 920 is its flagship and packs in a PureView camera along with an HD screen and 32GB of internal storage. It’s also packed to the gills with connectivity features like support for LTE networks as well as wireless charging.

Dressed to play

• 4.5-inch IPS touchscreen with a 720 x 1280 pixel resolution
• LTE, 3G, EDGE, dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC
• Bluetooth 3.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• GPS with A-GPS Support and GLONASS
• 8MP AF camera with 1080p video recording and an LED flash
• Secondary 1.3MP Camera
• 32GB internal memory

Nokia Lumia 820
The Lumia 820 is the smaller sibling of the 920 and although it will retail for a little less, it’s still a powerhouse when it comes to performance. The 820 also features LTE connectivity, GLONASS along with expandable memory, Carl Zeiss optics and interchangeable covers, one of which supports wireless charging.

Packs a punch

• 4.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution
• LTE, 3G, EDGE, Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth v3.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• GPS with A-GPS Support and GLONASS
• 8MP AF camera with 1080p video recording and an LED flash
• Secondary 0.3MP Camera
• 8GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

Samsung Ativ S
Samsung’s Ativ S seems to be the only ‘serious’ handset in the group. Bathed in a metallic grey finish, the Ativ S comes across as smart and sophisticated. But it’s not all work and no play here, the handset packs in a massive 4.8-inch Super AMOLED screen, 8MP shooter as well as expandable memory.

Why so serious?

• 4.8-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen with a 720 x 1280 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE, dual-band Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• GPS with A-GPS Support and GLONASS
• 8MP AF camera with 1080p video recording and an LED flash
• Secondary 1.9MP Camera
• 16/32GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

Huawei Ascend W1
Huawei’s Ascend W1 isn’t officially announced yet, which is why we didn’t see it at the WP8 launch, but the full specifications along with a nice photo has already made its way onto the Internet. Following a youthful design and colour scheme of Nokia and HTC, the W1 appears to be a budget-friendly handset, with quite modest specs as compared to the others. Here are some of its details.

Got the blues

• 4.0-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE, Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• GPS with A-GPS Support and GLONASS
• 5MP AF camera with 1080p video recording and an LED flash
• 4GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

If you were hoping to get your hands on a WP8 device at the launch, then these are the options that will be available in November.