HTC introduced two new smartphones on Wednesday, Sept. 19, bearing Microsoft's new Windows Phone 8 software. The HTC Windows Phone 8X and 8S mark a significant design push, with colorful designs, higher-end cameras, and improved audio.

The announcement will pit HTC against Nokia, another Microsoft partner which launched two colorful Windows Phone smartphones earlier this month. Like Nokia, HTC is also relying on its next round of smartphones to generate strong sales, as both have continued losing ground to the dominant Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc.

The HTC 8X sports a 4.3-inch HD touch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels at 342 pixels-per-inch (ppi), topped with Gorilla Glass protection. It packs a Qualcomm 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. Features include NFC (Near-Field Communication), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, GPS, and 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, but the company has put a great deal of emphasis on the handset's audio and cameras.

The HTC 8X comes with Beats Audio enhancement for superior audio quality, and sports two cameras. The 8-megapixel rear facing camera has a BSI sensor, LED flash and auto-focus, with an f/2.0 aperture, 28mm lens, and 1080p video recording. The front of the device packs a 2.1-megapixel camera with a wide-angle lens, capable of Full HD video in 1080p.

Meanwhile, the smaller, lower-end Windows Phone 8S features a 4-inch WVGA display with a 800 x 400 resolution, a 1GHz Qualcomm dual-core processor, 4GB of storage, and Beats Audio. Unlike its sibling, the 8S only packs a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with an f/2.8 aperture, a 35mm lens and 720p video. It does, however, have a microSD card slot, which the 8X lacks.

Both the HTC 8X and 8S are slated to go on sale in November at three of the top U.S. mobile carriers - Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile USA. The 8X will be available in blue, red, yellow, and black, while the 8S will come in white, red, blue, and black, with some two-tone combinations as well.

It is too early to tell at this point how these handsets are actually performing, as no one was allowed to do any real testing. Microsoft is restricting handset makers in a bid to have something left to announce on Oct. 29, when the Windows Phone 8 officially launches.