We more or less know what to expect from the confirmed Windows Phone 8 launch OEMs - Nokia, HTC, Samsung and Huawei. Here is a breakdown of what we should expect from the four when Windows Phone 8 is officially launched.
Nokia
Nokia is expected to initially launch two Windows Phone 8 devices. We expect Nokia to announce the two devices on the 5th of September, the Nokia Lumia 910 and the Nokia Lumia 920. Unfortunately, no specifications have been confirmed as if yet but we expect Nokia to bring out the big guns. We also suspect that the mysterious Juggernaut Alpha device that recently scored a massive 151.14 (50% more than the best other device, the HTC Titan) on a benchmarking site is a Windows Phone 8 Lumia device. Also, Corporate vice president of Windows Phone, Joe Belfiore, disclosed that he was using a dual-core Nokia Windows Phone 8 prototype during his presentation at last months's Developer Summit. We also bet our bottom dollar one of the devices will look like this. And another thing, don't hold your breath for a PureView Lumia device, it might be a while (at least not this year) before we see the technology on a Windows Phone device.
HTC
HTC is preparing 3 devices, the flagship "Zenith", the midrange "Accord" and the entry-level "Rio." The Low-end "Rio" will be no slouch though, boasting of an impressive (for a low end device)4-inch WVGA display, 14.4Mbps HSPA, a 5-megapixel camera with 720p video recording, 512MB of RAM and a Qualcomm MSM8227 Processor.
The mid-range "Accord" will feature a 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display, an 8-megapixel Camera with 1080p recording, 42Mbps HSPA+, NFC support (Wallet Hub and Tap&Send), 1GB of RAM and will be powered by a dual-core MSM8260A Processor
The big-brother "Zenith" is going to wipe the floor will all comers that's for sure. With a 4.7-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display, an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording, 42Mbps HSPA+ and an unnamed quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon, this device will be ready to take on the best from Sammy, Nokia and Huawei.
All three devices are expected to ship this year, with Rio and Accord coming in October and the Zenith launching sometime in Q4. Should HTC up their aesthetics and industrial device design and given how their cameras have improved lately, they might shift a fair-few Windows Phone 8 devices.
Huawei
We are sure we aren't the only ones waiting - with a keen eye - to see what the Chinese OEM is bringing to Windows Phone. Huawei are known for their dirt-cheap Android devices but have recently entered the high-end smartphone market with their Ascend range. Realising that other Windows Phone 8 launch partners were grabbing all the headlines, Huawei decided to take matters to it's own hands by announcing their plans for Windows Phone 8 via an official press release last month. Shao Yang, Huawei Chief Marketing Officer confirmed that the Huawei Ascend with Windows Phone 8 will be available in Europe, China and United States, with other markets to follow. The Android powered Ascend D Quad, the flagship of the current Ascend crop boasts of a quad-core 1.5GHz processor, a 4.5-inch 720P HD display, Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, Audience earSmart voice technology, 8-megapixel rear camera alongside a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and 1080p full HD video-capture/playback. Tasty!
Samsung
As reported yesterday, court documents revealed that Samsung is planning the "Odyssey" and "Marco" Windows Phone 8 handsets.
The LTE "Odyssey" will feature a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display with HD resolution, an 8MP main camera and a 2MP shooter at the front, NFC supporting the Wallet Hub and the Tap & Send feature and a Qualcomm MSM8960 1.5GHz dual-core processor. We expect this to be dubbed the Samsung Focus S2.
The lesser will be LTE enabled but lacks NFC. It will feature a 4-inch S-AMOLED display with WVGA resolution, a 5MP main camera and a 2MP front-facing one. It will also be powered by Qualcomm's MSM8960 1.5GHz dual-core processor. We suspect this will be the Samsung Focus 3 when it's launched.
Given that both devices are LTE enabled, that indicates that they will both be American devices. Samsung's Windows Phone strategy in Europe is very confusing at the very least. The success they are experiencing on the Android platform might be making them take the eye off the ball when it comes to Windows Phone. Samsung has produced some of the better Windows Phone devices but the farcical way they have been distributed and advertised is worrying. We hope Windows Phone 8 will bring some change - but we wont be holding our breath.
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