The HTC 8S

Another Windows 8 phone courtesy of HTC

December 28th 2012

OK so the HTC 8S isn't anywhere near HTC's flagship Windows 8 device (the 8X) but it's still got a lot to offer, we've taken a closer look at the latest entry level Windows 8 offering from HTC.

Since the advent of the Smartphone HTC have gone from strength to strength; quickly overtaking companies such as Blackberry and Sony to establish themselves as one of the major players in the Smartphone market.

The 8S sits somewhere between the low and mid range devices and is available on contracts from around £17 per month or you could buy the handset for £230 without a SIM.

So, what do you get in return for your money? Well the answer appears to be that you'll get yourself very little stand-out features. The screen measures up at 4 inches and offers a fairly pedestrian 800x400 pixels when it comes to resolution. It's certainly not going to win any awards, but for the price bracket that it falls into, it's not too bad.

Elsewhere the phone performs fairly well; it's got a dual-core 1 GHz S4 processor with 512 MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. That storage may not sound like an awful lot but the phone handily has a micro SD card slot meaning that you can boost the 8S storage if you purchase yourself a microSD card.

If you're a fan of HTC devices then you'll be pleased to learn that the 8S comes with HTC's bevy of widgets which compliment the all new Windows 8 touch interface. One feature that really stands out on Windows 8 phones is the people hub where you are able to take a peek at all your contacts along with their various social media feeds - never miss a friend's update again!

Onto the battery; the 8S has a 1,700mAh sealed battery which will give you a decent days worth of usage, Windows 8 phones come with a battery saving mode which prolongs battery life when you're not using your handset so you should be able to extend the phone's usage if need be.

One thing that the 8S has got in its favour is that it's certainly a stylish phone, the build quality is more than decent and although there are plenty of features missing that you might find in a higher end device, there's still a lot going for the 8S, and it's attractive price means that it could be the perfect Smartphone for you if you're looking for an introduction to Windows 8.