Sprint to launch two Windows Phone 8 smartphones this summer

Sprint announced Wednesday it will soon sell two Windows Phone 8 smartphones that run over fast LTE, the HTC 8XT and the Samsung ATIV S Neo.

The HTC 8XT smartphone will be available from Sprint later this summer. (Photo: HTC)

The 8XT will cost $99.99 and the ATIV S Neo will cost $149.99. Both prices apply after rebate and require a two-year service agreement.

Sprint didn't announce a sales date, but said both devices will be launched this summer. Customers can register on the Sprint website for more information.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer introduced both Windows Phone 8 phones for Sprint along with recent Nokia models, calling them "really beautiful phones." He spoke at the opening of the company's annual BUILD developers conference in San Francisco.

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The ATIV S offers a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor with a 4.8-in. display and a 2,000 mAh removable battery. Data sharing with ATIV Beam uses an internal NFC chip.

It also includes an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front camera.

The 8XT has a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400. I also has a 4.3-in. display and an 1,800 mAh battery.

It includes an 8 megapixel rear camera and a 1.6 megapixel front camera.

For the first time in a Windows Phone 8 smartphone, HTC will provide dual front-facing stereo speakers for better sound.

Both phones feature micro SD expansion slots for greater storage. Also, both provide Office Mobile for Windows Phone so that users can access, view and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, which can be transmitted in the proper format to a desktop computer or a Windows tablet.

This article, Sprint to launch two Windows Phone 8 smartphones this summer, was originally published at Computerworld.com.

Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed. His email address is mhamblen@computerworld.com.

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