HTC, Microsoft unveil first signature Windows phones

HTC Corp. on Wednesday unveiled two smartphones running Microsoft Corp's Windows Phone 8 software and said the devices would be available in November with several operators around the world.

The two brightly colored devices -- the Windows Phone 8X and the Windows Phone 8S -- will pitch HTC directly against Microsoft's main partner Nokia, which also unveiled two phones based on the Windows software earlier this month.

New phones running WP8 software unveiled

However, while Nokia did not name any customers for its devices, HTC said theirs would go on sale at three of the top four U.S. mobile operators - Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc and T-Mobile USA. It also said that several operators in Europe and Asia agreed to sell the devices.

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HTC is under a lot of pressure to generate strong sales from its next round of smartphones as it has been losing ground to Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc.

Until now, HTC has been betting on its One series of phones but so far this year sales of those phones have failed to keep pace with the Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy range.

Until the second half of 2011, when it suffered a sharp decline in its fortunes, former contract smartphone maker HTC had build a strong brand around the world with phones based on Android software.

Reuters