Windows 8 has been out for a couple of weeks now, and whilst some people are finding the change to their desktop interface a little hard to handle, the Windows 8 “Modern UI” (formerly Metro UI) is perfectly suited to tablets and smartphones. There are a number of highly specced Windows 8 phones that will gives the iPhone 5 and any of the leading Android phones a run for their money – but just which one should you choose?
3. Samsung ATIV S
Samsung is dominating the market for Android phones with the Galaxy S3 competing with the iPhone for the greatest number of sales, and for good reason with its huge and beautiful display and top-notch internals. The ATIV S is packing much of the same specs as its Android cousin, but as with the S3, the plastic of the casing can feel a little cheap (even if it looks like metal), and a 4.8″ screen is not for everyone – the ATIV S is a little thicker than the S3 and that makes the size issue even more apparent. The ATIV S has a 4.8″ HD (1280 x 720 @ 306ppi) Super AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel camera, a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 processor with 1GB of RAM running the show, with 16GB or 32GB of storage for files and media along with a MicroSD slot.
2. HTC Windows Phone 8X
In a major move away from the previous HTC phones designs, the Windows Phone 8X is strikingly bright and colourful, and they have gone all out on the specifications to try and become the leader of the Windows 8 pack straight out of the gate. It comes packing a 4.3″ 720p HD (1280 x 720 @ 341ppi) 341ppi super LCD 2 display, an 8-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture and a 28mm lens, and a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 processor with 1GB of RAM running the show, with 16GB of storage for files and media.
1. Nokia Lumia 920
Nokia has gone all in with Windows and offers no Android phones, but has their bet worked out? I would say yes. The Lumia 920 is an extension of the beautiful design of the WP7 Lumia 800 with its curved screen and polycarbonate body – but everything has been improved in this new device. The 4.5″ display sits it in between the ATIVS and 8X – big enough to watch videos and hold comfortably, and its PureMotion HD+ (768×1280 @ 332ppi) ClearBlack display is stunning. It has the same dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 processor with 1GB of RAM running the show as the other phones listed above and comes with 32GB of storage, but where it really stands out is the camera. Nokia has added it’s PureView technology and hardware image stabilisation to its already impressive 8-megapixel camera which puts it way and above the cameras of all other smartphones on the market including the iPhone 5.
A Mid-Range Option? Nokia Lumia 820
Not everyone wants or needs a big, beautiful HD display or the latest camera technology, and there are a number of more mid-range Windows 8 phones on the market. The HTC 8S (the little brother of the 8X) is an excellent smartphone, but it is just pipped to the post by the Nokia Lumia 820 due to the odd choice by HTC to remove the front camera. The Lumia 820 has a 4.3″ AMOLED ClearBlack display (480 x 800 @217ppi), a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 CPU with 1GM RAM, an 8-megapixel camera, and 8GB of storage expandable with a MicroSD slot. It lacks the breathtaking display and new camera technology of its big brother the Lumia 920, but it stands out in the mid-range smartphone market.