Microsoft proudly announced in CES that two new devices – one from Samsung and one from HTC – are set to release by summer. Both will run on its latest operating system, Windows 8. When Microsoft unveiled the new OS at the end of October last year, it promised a radically different experience, than that of its predecessor – Windows 7. The new OS is fully integrated with Skydrive, Microsoft’s Cloud Software, and is innately the same as the Redmond Windows framework for PC. While the live tiles are maintained in the UI, the performance and features of the system will be far superior.
It is an indicator of the market confidence in Windows 8 that Sprint has picked up both the phones. Both phones will be sold with Sprint’s “Everything Data” plan, which is highlighted by the 4G LTE Internet speed. Possibly the fastest mobile Internet service in the U.S., the 4G LTE has attracted a new wave of customers to Sprint in the last 6 months and Windows 8 will benefit from this.
Microsoft’s Windows Phone Division’s Corporate Vice President, Terry Myerson, agrees, and asserts that the high-speed Internet will enhance the personal computing element of the phone. It seems like Myerson has found a like-minded partner in Sprint! Fared Adib, Sprint Senior VP of Product Development and Operations, was quoted praising the sturdy platform that Microsoft has provided on both these phones, and claiming that Windows 8 has the ability to bring the whole PC experience into the palms of users.
Samsung, HTC and Windows 8 have all been mum about the technical specifications of the phones, the official release date or the price rand. All they said is that both phones will have dual-core processors, two cameras, etc. These features are rather commonplace in the current smartphone marketplace and the participating companies are expected to make more titillating revelations in the coming days of CES.
Sprint’s “Everything Data” package offers unlimited Internet, calls within the US and texts, starting at $79.99 per month. The 4G LTE service is already live in 49 markets in the US, and is targeted to become available in another 100 by the end of 2013. Needless to say, this means added visibility for Windows 8 and therefore more belief in whatever devices it proffers next.
