HTC Windows Phone 8S Pro Reviews

When we got our hands on the 8X, we found it to be a worthy flagship, with a good balance of specifications and design. Fortunately for the 8S, much of the design DNA has carried over, which we like. Naturally, the spec sheet differs dramatically, but only as you would expect for a phone aimed at a more mainstream section of the market. Some people might not fancy the sound of a 1GHz dual-core chip or 5-megapixel camera, and these people should indeed look elsewhere. But, if you want a phone that looks good, is reasonably priced and just kinda gets the job done, then we're hard-pressed not to recommend the 8S. And until the Nokia Lumia 620 arrives, the 8S has the stage all to itself. So, if you're not looking to wait, we suggest you start thinking about color options.

An excellent handset that loses out to the Nokia Lumia 620 in the budget smartphone stakes by the narrowest of margins

The HTC Windows Phone 8S is a likeable little handset. It clearly isn't one of the platform's headliners, but it may be the right thing to help the fresh Windows Phone 8 conquer some new territory. The 8S was meant to make the WP OS more desirable and accessible, and it seems the HTC engineers did a pretty good job of cutting the right corners. The display may not be the standard-setting stuff that we saw in the One X, but it isn't half bad either. The chipset has a down-clocked CPU and half the RAM, but WP8 still feels pretty comfortable on it. And while full HD video recording didn't make the cut, 720p capture should still be enough for the majority of users. No phone is perfect, much less in this price range, but we can't see anything we can't live with on the list of cons. With excellent build quality and a fresh youthful styling, the HTC 8S will easily get most people's attention. The Windows Phone 8 UI is also novel enough and, while it might lack the versatility of Android, it offers an arguably better looking alternative to those keen to try something new. It will not be able to win the fierce battle in the mid-range all by itself, but the 8S is showing the right attitude. With iOS offering nothing in this price range, a reasonably priced WP8 handset is HTC's best bet on gaining back some lost ground.

An impressive budget Windows Phone 8 handset with a good camera, but Nokia's Lumia 620 rival takes the crown

The HTC Windows Phone 8S is the first Windows Phone 8 handset to fit into the mid-range price category. As such it's not quite the performer of the high-end Windows Phone 8 devices such as the bottom-of-the-high-end Lumia 820, but it's not so poor as to make it a bad deal. It offers solid performance and features for a reasonable price. Whether you prefer it to a similarly priced Android phone will depend on your own subjective preference of platform. The Lumia 820 is a smaller and cheaper version of the 920. It doesn't pack the same punch as that high-end Windows Phone, especially in key areas such as the screen and camera. But we like the interchangeable covers and decent battery life. It's a better phone than the HTC Windows Phone 8S, but it costs more - to buy outright, at least. In Windows Phones, you get what you pay for.

For currently 260 Euros (~$346) HTC brings an entry-level smartphone for smartphone newcomer and switching users to the market with the Windows Phone 8S. In this review we especially liked the case with its solid appearance yet low weight and compact dimensions. The performance convinced us as well, however there were some lags from time to time. The small amount of available memory has a negative impact and limits the multitasking. Among others the Samsung Galaxy S3 mini comes to mind as a competitor from the Android camp. It offers better battery runtime but cannot score with its outdoor use ability due to the low screen brightness. The latest Google Smartphone Nexus 4 can also be seen as an alternative. It is packed with power and offers a bigger screen with HD resolution. If you want to use Windows Phone 8 as an OS the options are currently very limited. A true alternative for supporters of the tile-based operating system is currently Nokia with the Lumia 620 and Huawei with the Ascend W1. If you dig a little deeper in your pockets the more powerful devices Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC Windows Phone 8X are also worth consideration.

The Windows Phone 8S by HTC comes in as an affordable handset for those wanting the Windows Phone experience on a budget. The quirky user experience is delivered here much as it is elsewhere but we can't help feeling, thanks to the specs of the phone, that the 8S isn't too far removed from the previous run of Windows Phone devices. What you don't get is the additional software that Nokia is pouring into its handsets to boost the offering. There is no company doing more to own the Windows Phone space, with this handset falling somewhere close to the Nokia 620, which you might want to consider as an alternative. The HTC 8S is a nice little handset. It's dependable without being groundbreaking, so while it might not get your pulse racing, it'll keep you in touch.

HTC has made a mucho sympatico handset with the 8S, shaping it in a two-tone ergonomic bod, with very easy one-handed operation. It has skimped a bit on the camera quality, and not even included one for video chat, but the rest of the readings are solid, and there is even a microSD slot for storage expansion, which you don’t see often with HTC these days. Its direct competitor is the Nokia Lumia 820, which is capable, but more expensive and more unwieldy to handle. The indirect competition is the real threat here, though, as the iPhone 4 sells for just $50 more SIM-free, and has much more apps to choose from. When we come to Android, the picture turns even bleaker for the HTC 8S, as there is an abundance of handsets just above its $350 price spot, which could take on it, including HTC’s own One S, but phones from Samsung and Sony, too, which are no less capable, like the Galaxy S III Mini, or the Xperia P with its bright display and 8 MP camera on the back.

HTC very nearly nailed the Windows Phone 8 market. The 8S is well designed and a great size: not everybody wants a huge smartphone, and many people who told us they liked the design of the 8X but wanted something scaled more like an iPhone 5 had no such complaints about the smaller model. Where the story starts to fall apart is in specifications, and where HTC has opted to cut corners. Yes, the camera is poor, but HTC’s big problem is Nokia. In the time since we first saw the 8S and its arrival on the market, Nokia has revealed the Lumia 620: it pairs a pocket-friendly 3.8-inch screen with both front and back cameras, NFC, and interchangeable back shells that are just as distinctive as the 8S. It also looks like the 620 will be cheaper than the 8S when it arrives early in 2013.

HTC has done a great job with the 8S aesthetically. I've tested a variety of Windows Phone 8 devices recently and this is easily the best looking of the bunch. The lightweight frame makes this especially appealing, and a 4-inch display is a sweet spot for one handed use on this device as well as making it generally comfortable to use. The two-tone color scheme is a unique and welcomed twist to this particular device and it's something I'd like to see on other HTC devices in the future. HTC has now proved it can make some great looking Windows Phone 8 devices. Unfortunately, this beautiful body is let down behind the brains of the operation. A lack of forward facing camera will be disappointing for those wishing to capture photos on this device, as will the existing 5-megapixel rear shooter. Coupled with such a small amount of storage space, these specifications make the 8S more disappointing than at first glance. There are also some odd touch / performance issues here that HTC and Microsoft will need to address as soon as possible.