The rest of the specs in HTC's latest phones also run along the company line: The 8X cashes in on HTC's deal with Beats Audio (and features built-in amplifiers that are missing on the 8S), but otherwise the handset doesn't differ radically from the rest of the Windows Phone 8 family. Its 5.21-by-2.61-by-0.4-inch dimensions and 4.64-ounce weight are in line with what rival phone makers offer, as are its near-field communication (NFC) and LTE capabilities. The 16GB capacity, 1GB of RAM, and 1.5GHz dual-core processor in HTC's phone are similar to other Windows Phone 8 offerings, though its 1,800mAh battery is slightly smaller than the competitors.

While the HTC 8X may stack up quite comparably to the likes of the ATIV S and Lumia 920, the elephant in the room is how it might be able to compete with the , which arrives in stores this Friday. While the 8X has an eye-catching design, and stellar audio and camera capabilities that make it a great addition to the Windows Phone 8 landscape, it seems unlikely to win over Apple fans. Still, if its camera can produce images to rival the Lumia 920, the 8X could pull in a slew of folks ready to try out Windows Phone 8 software.