It seems that HTC’s recent shift of strategies is paying off quite nicely, especially in the design category. After taking the spotlight at MWC 2013 with HTC One, the Taiwanese manufacturer walks away with the prestigious Red Dot award for Product Design 2013 for the Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S.
Of the three initial Windows Phone 8 OEMs, it was only HTC that Microsoft allowed to bear the same branding of its mobile platform. At first, the decision seemed questionable at best, given the fact that Nokia and Microsoft have close ties and Samsung’s ATIV S features a sleek aluminum body. In the end, however, it’s apparent that the Redmond-based company was right in picking HTC and its two handsets all along.
In a statement made by the Prof. Dr. Peter Zec, CEO of Red Dot Design Award, he pointed out that in addition to its “extraordinary design quality”, both of HTC’s WP8-powered devices have “showed that design is an integral part of innovative product solutions.” We couldn’t agree more with Dr. Zec on that, and hopefully its competitors (especially the one that recently unveiled a handset *cough*) can learn a thing or two about making a visually appealing device.
Oh and in case you missed it, you can check out our full review of the Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S by clicking on the corresponding links.
For the previous year, Nokia was running the Windows Phone show with its line of colorful entries in the market. Now, we see HTC trying to take hold of that same market with handsets like the 8S. Did the HTC Windows Phone 8S dress to impress? Read our full review after the break.
Design and Construction
There is no denying it. After so many years of black, white and gray, you’ll feel very amazed with the design of the HTC Windows Phone 8S.
HTC has implemented the color scheme in a very different manner. The device feels very nice to hold with its tapered edges, and because of that, the device feels thinner than it should be.
There is a two-color scheme implemented on the device; the one we have here is a mixture of different shades of red and orange.
There is a reason why manufacturers opt for glass and glossy plastic rather than polycarbonate – and that is the tendency of dirt to stain the device, especially when it has a light color.
On the front you’ll find the 4-inch WVGA display that hides underneath the glass. Below you’ll find the Windows Phone buttons – back, start and search. On top you’ll find the sensors along with the colored earpiece and the HTC logo.
On the bottom of the phone, you’ll see the micro-USB port and the microphone. On the right, you’ll find the volume rocker and the two-stage camera key, which is prone to accidental presses.
On the left hand side, there is nothing to see while you’ll find the power button and the 3.5 mm headphone jack on top.
On the back, you’ll find the 5 megapixel shooter with LED flash, the HTC logo, the Beats branding and the speakers. You’ll also find the removable part of the polycarbonate body where the micro-SIM and the micro SD card should be.
Display
The Windows Phone 8S packs a 4-inch LCD display with a resolution of 480×800 pixels. The size of the screen is acceptable and easy to operate but the bezels around it make the display feel smaller.
The blacks aren’t deep, while the production of whites are somehow outstanding – as expected from an LCD display. Colors were quite unsaturated, and the viewing angles were limited.
Since the Windows Phone UI makes use of so many colors and text, the experience didn’t turn out so well.
OS, Apps and UI
The HTC Windows Phone 8S runs on, of course, Windows Phone 8. The design of the UI is very subjective as a minimalist might find the interface very appealing while others might beg to differ.
HTC barely added their stuff with the device, like the HTC hub which adds functionality as an app and as a live tile. The integration ends there and it doesn’t go as deep as other OEMs’ integration with its apps.
For all Windows Phone users, there is a reality that cannot be escaped. That is the lack of apps. Some might argue that the store can give you what you need, but apps like the YouTube app (which redirects you to the browser) makes it feel like it’s not there yet.
Multimedia and Camera
Video playback was great. The display didn’t deliver much in the UI, but once it came to playing videos – it pushed through well.
The speakers were loud and clear, and the addition of Beats Audio is a plus. Beats Audio could be a gimmick in some aspects, but it’s there and it helps in making flat tunes sound sharper.
The 5 megapixel camera on the 8S was disappointing to some extents. It did take average shots on direct sunlight, but anything less than that lacked saturation. The addition of flash messes with color fidelity, so don’t bother. It produced very soft and noisy shots as well, to describe it.
Video recording was noticeably better to an extent. 720p video was more than acceptable; it’s not bad and it’s not remarkable either.
Call Quality & Performance
We didn’t experience any dropped calls with the device. Sound was clear through the earpiece and was good through the speakers. At some instances, our voices on the other line was muffled – but this happened rarely.
There were some occasional hiccups with the 1GHz dual-core Krait processor – regardless of how Windows Phone’s UI works, the clock speed and the number of cores.
It is probably the fault of the 512MB RAM. Nevertheless, it was more than acceptable for most users.
Battery Life
We were able to get a day’s use from the 8S’ 1700 mAh battery. When we push it to the limits with gaming and consecutive syncing, you’ll get half of the expected battery life.
Conclusion
The HTC Windows Phone 8S has a lot going for it. For those that want a different experience and a design that stands out, the 8S is worth considering. However, there are some disadvantages with that choice.
It’s sure to accomplish tons of tasks, but the phone is not for the power user who pushes multimedia to further levels.
The phone has a suggested retail price of Php14,600.
HTC Windows Phone 8S specs:
4-inch S-LCD Display (480 x 800) 233ppi
1GHz dual-core Krait CPU
Adreno 305
512 RAM
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 3.1
4GB internal memory
up o 32GB via microSD card
5 megapixel camera (LED flash, 720p video)
Windows Phone 8
120.5 x 63 x 10.3 mm (dimensions)
113 g (weight)
Li-IOn battery 1700 mAh
Though HTC has not yet officially released the Windows Phone 8S in the Philippines, we managed to get hold of what could still be an engineering unit. This little handset is probably one of the nicest looking WP8 phones to be announced this year.
HTC has junked the usual monochromatic earthy tones they used with their smartphones and went color-crazy with their WP8 line-up.
The HTC 8S comes in a number of colors and the one we got here is the two-toned Fiesta Red. It goes well when you set the WP8 tiles to red or orange. There are other colors as well but we’re not sure if all of them will be released in the Philippines.
Both the HTC 8X and the HTC 8S has that new design that isn’t within their usual design signature. Aside from the cool color options, the HTC 8S has that smooth rubbery finish in a form factor that’s just right on the hands (it has the same screen size as the iPhone 5).
The back side is flat in the middle but tapers towards the edges to give it that perception of a thin profile (which is a pretty neat trick).
The unibody design gives the 8S a solid feel with continuous fluid lines that terminates right up to the glass panel at the front.
The compartment for the micro-SIM card and the micro-SD card is found at the bottom edge at the back (you can pry open the light-orange panel with your fingers). The battery is not removable though but that’s due to the almost unibody design.
The HTC 8S has decent specs but what intrigued us was the 1.0GHz dual-core Krait processor from Qualcomm. It’s the first time we’ve seen it being used in a handset.
HTC 8S specs:
4.0-inch Super LCD @ 480×800 pixels, 233ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Krait 1.0GHz dual-core
Adreno 305 Graphics
512MB RAM
4GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD card
3G/HSDPA
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 3.1
GPS with aGPS support, GLONASS
5MP rear camera, f/2.8 AF
720p video @ 30fps
1700mAh Li-Po battery
Windows Phone 8
We’re still not sure when the HTC 8S will be released in the Philippines (we project a January release at best). However, it’s bigger sibling (HTC 8X) is already out in the market and retails for Php28,880. We hope that the retail price of the HTC 8S will be just around Php20k or less.
