CEO Steve Ballmer described the Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system as offering personalization that other smartphones don't have through the use of live tiles and other features.

"People all over the world are about to fall in love with Windows Phone," Ballmer said in a Webcast presentation. "It has killer hardware and is the most personal smartphone available."

Ballmer made a mild dig at with its successful , which hasn't varied much in size or shape until the launch of the larger iPhone 5. "We have a different perspective on what a smartphone should be ... and didn't want just a single phone for all of us but wanted to build a phone that could be personal for each of us."

Verizon will carry the Windows Phone 8X by HTC for $199.99 with a two-year contract and the Nokia Lumia 822, exclusively, for $99.99 with a two-year contract. Both will ship by Thanksgiving. In December, Verizon also will have the Samsung ATIV Odyssey smartphone.

AT&T will carry the Nokia Lumia 920, the Lumia 820 and the Windows Phone 8X by HTC, all going on sale in November, with precise pricing and launch dates coming later.