HTC has been, and still is, the most active manufacturer of Windows Phone devices, after Nokia. According to knowledgeable sources over at The Verge, HTC has a current roadmap to release three new Windows Phone 8 devices by the end of 2012. These three devices are expected to release as soon as Windows Phone 8 becomes available later this year. The three devices, from low-tier to flagship are Rio, Accord, and Zenith.
Starting with Rio, a typical low-tier Windows Phone device meant for new users to the smartphone world all together, or simply to satisfy the budget consumer. The Rio is set to feature the following: 4″ WVGA display, 5MP rear camera with 720p video capture, 512 MB of RAM, and the Qualcomm MSM8227 processor, a member of the Snapdragon S4 Plus line.
Next is the Accord, this is the middle brother of the three planned Windows Phone 8 devices from HTC. Immediately this device upgrades on all areas compared to the Rio: 4.3″ 720p Super LCD 2 display, 8MP rear camera with 1080p video capture, NFC support, 1 GB of RAM, and a dual-core processor (tentatively an MSM8260A, though that may change).
Last, but definitely the best of the trio, is the Zenith. This is the expected powerhouse of the three devices releasing by the end of 2012 from HTC. The Zenith will have a 4.7″ 720p Super LCD 2 display, same 8MP rear camera with 1080p video capture as the Accord, and an unnamed quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.
It is unknown whether the current names are code names or final device names. Regardless, you can expect the Rio and Accord to arrive in October 2012, with the Zenith set for fourth quarter 2012 release. The dates are not set, so HTC may just end up with different availability windows as the time approaches.
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