Sprint has announced that it will be adding two new Windows Phone 8 smartphones to its summer lineup. The HTC 8XT and Samsung ATIV S Neo will become the carrier's first Windows Phone 8 handset offerings and will be available later this summer.
Sprint customers and Windows Phone fans have been waiting for the carrier to offer Windows Phone 8 smartphones since the devices went on sale last year. The carrier has been late to the WP8 party and is now making up for it by launching two new smartphones running Microsoft's latest smartphone operating system. Sprint's first two Windows Phone 8 smartphones will be the HTC 8XT and Samsung ATIV S Neo.
The HTC 8XT will be targeted towards music-lovers by including HTC BoomSound and will be the first Windows Phone 8 device to feature dual front-facing stereo speakers. HTC currently uses this same technology in its flagship HTC One smartphone. The 8XT also has Beats Audio built in, which enables studio-quality sound and allows unique audio tuning to deliver an amazing sound experience. The smartphone also comes equipped with an 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and LED flash, and captures great photos in both bright-light and low-light situations.
The HTC 8XT features a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 display, runs Windows Phone 8, is powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, includes 8GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash, and 1080p video recording, a 1.6-megapixel front facing camera, 4G LTE radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a microSD expansion slot with support for up to 64GB microSD cards, and a 1,800 mAh non-removable battery.
The Samsung ATIV S Neo will be targeted towards camera enthusiasts with its 8-megapixel camera and includes a variety of pre-loaded camera apps, including Beauty Shot mode that enhances skin in headshots and the Manga Camera mode that allows users to give the photos a fun twist by morphing friends and family into cartoons. The built-in Photo Editor provides advanced features to edit, color, add effects, decorate, and share pictures quickly and easily.
The ATIV S Neo features a 4.8-inch HD display, runs Windows Phone 8, is powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, internal storage is not specified but includes a microSD expansion slot with support for up to 64GB microSD cards, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 1.9-megapixel front facing camera, 4G LTE radio with international roaming support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, and a removable 2,000 mAh battery.
Sprint does not indicate an exact date of when the smartphones will be available, only saying they will be available later this summer. The HTC 8XT will cost $99.99 when signing a new 2-year contract and the Samsung ATIV S Neo will be priced at $149.99 with a new 2-year contract. Sprint is allowing customers to pre-register for both smartphones now on its online store.
