HTC 8XT: Windows Phone To See Release Date On Sprint, Specs Include BoomSound, Dual-Core Chip, Cost $99 After Contract

HTC, alongside Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), announced on Wednesday its new 8XT smartphone. The dual-core running HTC 8XT will be released exclusively for Sprint subscribers and will run on Windows Phone 8. The HTC 8XT's release date was not mentioned in the HTC press release but is coming some time this summer.

The 4.3-inch HTC 8XT features 1GB of RAM and BoomSound, the front-facing stereo speakers powered by a separate amplifier that HTC first utilized in the HTC One. The HTC 8XT will run on Sprint's growing LTE 4G network and has a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, with each core running at 1.4GHz.

HTC's newest Windows Phone comes with 8GB of built-in memory and features a microSD slot that supports cards up to 64GB. The phone has an 1,800 mAh battery, 20 percent lower capacity than the HTC One's 2300 mAh, and features the Beats Audio equalizer software.

The front-facing stereo speakers on the HTC 8XT is BoomSound's first foray into the Windows Phone operating system, and the phone also features dual microphones for clean recording of sound. The phone has a rubberized "soft-to-the-touch texture" and has an 8-megapixel main camera and a 1.6-megapixel shooter on the front. The HTC 8XT also has the ability to take still shots while recording in full HD (1080p).