• Diyan
• On August 19, 2014

HTC announced the Windows-powered HTC One (M8)

The Windows Phone family has today grown with one new member. HTC, the first original Windows 8 manufacturer, presented in New York a very high-end Windows Phone 8.1 device with a premium metal body and attractive specs.

In fact, HTC One (M8) for Windows is an exact clone of the Android-powered One M8 model that debuted on the market a few months ago. Yes, HTC One Windows Phone is sharing the same hardware with its Android sibling and this is not a bad thing for our platform, as the just announced smartphone quickly became the best Windows Phone device, overtaking the Lumia 1520, Icon, and 930 in terms of specs/hardware (except the camera) and design. HTC is also the first OEM that has made the same phone with two different operating systems.

Top-hardware

HTC One (M8) Windows Phone comes with a 5-inch display with full HD resolution. Inside is a powerful Snapdragon 801 processor running at 2.3 GHz.

32 GB internal storage, 2 GB of RAM, and a 2600 mAh battery look tempting, but there is more good news. The phone comes with a storage expansion slot so you can add up to 128 GB more using a microSD card. In this area HTC beats Microsoft, as most of the high-end Lumias don’t include a slot for expansion. Other features you will love include gorgeous Boom Sound speakers up front, and a slew of software goodies – U Focus (an app that re-focuses your pictures after they are taken), HTC’s Camera app, Blink Feed, support for Dot View Case, and more.

What about pictures?

Maybe the only area where HTC still has catching up to do is the camera. HTC One (M8) for Windows includes Duo-cameras on the back with heavily advertised UltraPixel technology. Different camera tests showed that HTC’s technology is not better than the competition. Just the opposite – Nokia’s top-end phones and even some Samsung and LG devices beat HTC in terms of imaging capabilities.

Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1

Cortana assistant, notification center, more tiles, live folders, background photos, and more new features and settings are available for future HTC One (M8) owners. Read more about WP8.1 & Update 1 in this section.

Where to buy?

• US – the smartphone is offered exclusively through Verizon Wireless, with sales starting at noon today. The phone costs just $99 with a new contract!
  [Update]: AT&T announced that HTC One M8 for Windows would be coming to their network, the phone has been listed as ‘coming soon’
• Rest of the world – The phone is likely to be launched in more markets later this quarter. A Dutch on-line retailer has posted an image revealing that the Windows Phone phone version of the One M8 would be available globally.

We will update you as soon as more details become available. Stay tuned and follow our social profiles to get more news on HTC and Windows Phone.