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With Windows Phone 8, Microsoft will be trying its damndest to recapture a segment of the global market taken by Android and iOS.
At the forefront of the charge are three main manufacturers, namely HTC, Samsung and Nokia, with each company bringing their own handsets to market.
The impending launch is a big one for HTC however, as its phones will be the official face of the Windows Phone 8 platform
So it was a fitting move that both Microsoft and the Taiwanese giant held press previews in Cape Town this week, showing off the operating system and hardware.
Beautiful hardware
HTC has a long history with Microsoft, 15 years to be exact, dating back to the PocketPCs of yore.
The company was also responsible for releasing the first Windows Mobile handsets, swiftly following that up with the Windows Phone 7 devices. So, it only seemed fair for Microsoft to team up with the Taiwanese tech titan for the WP8 launch.
The partnership also reflects in the naming convention, "Windows Phone 8X/8S by HTC".
So what are the fruits of the relationship looking like then?
The flagship handset is the top-line 8X, which features a 1280x720, 4.3-inch LCD screen and a powerful 1.5Ghz dual-core processor.
The 8X also features an eight-megapixel rear-facing camera, seemingly a downgrade from HTC's last Windows Phone, the 16MP-toting HTC Titan II. In our very brief time with the handset, we were more than happy with the snaps taken though, proving that megapixel count isn't everything.
But arguably the greatest thing about the phone is the look itself, sitting right there with the Nokia N9 and iPhone 4.
A few critics have derided the 8X design as being a rip-off of the N9 (and thus, the Lumia products), but when holding the handset, nothing could be further from the truth.
Sure, it's seemingly made out of the same polycarbonate material as Nokia's range, but that's about all it has in common with the Finnish giant.
One of the key design features are the tapered off edges all around the device, which aren't so sharp that they hurt your hands. In fact, the handset was pretty comfortable, feeling deceptively smaller in the hand thanks to the reduced surface area.
According to HTC promos, the design team envisioned what it would be like to bring a Windows Phone Live Tile to life. And this is the impressive result.
As is standard with Windows Phones, the 8X includes volume buttons, a camera shutter and a power button. We were however, disappointed with the latter's placement at the top of the device, something that HTC seems to do quite often with their handsets these days.
On the software side of things, the 8X was still running test firmware, which meant that a variety of diagnostic software was installed as well. But in saying so, the phone was still as nippy as expected and we look forward to getting more hands-on time with our review unit.
The second HTC Windows Phone is the 8S, mimicking the naming convention set by the ONE range.
Much like the ONE S, the 8S is the lower tier device in the range, but you're still getting a powerful handset in the process.
The 8S features a slightly lower clocked 1Ghz dual-core processor and 512MBs of RAM.
The 8S differs from the 8X by featuring a microSD slot as well, much like the Lumia 820.
Our one disappointment was with the five-megapixel camera and the 480x800 resolution. Nevertheless, Windows Phone looks just fine on a lower resolution screen and the camera was capable of 720p video capture.
Still, our brief time with the devices were very encouraging and we can't wait to get our hands on the devices.
Of course, both phones also feature Beats Audio, with a setting on the handsets delivering more bass and volume, regardless of your make of headphones.
More light shed on WP8
We've already covered the Windows Phone 8 platform in our Samsung Ativ S hands-on, but Microsoft SA's briefing still had a few new details.
The company showed off pretty much what was unveiled at their international WP8 briefing, for one.
One of the newest features was Rooms, which allows users to have their own private conversations, sharing media and the like. It's an intriguing app, especially considering that it's available on both Android and iOS, a great move by Microsoft.
The ability to have a Room-specific calendar is another welcome feature, although it isn't supported on Android.
Then there was the Live Wallpapers feature, which we spotted on Samsung's Ativ S but remained a mystery until this week.
In a practical touch, users can customise the lockscreen wallpaper itself to show content, such as Facebook album photos, for one. However, the feature comes into its own with the ESPN app's functionality, displaying live-scoring for sports.
It's a fantastic inclusion and one that could be a hidden gem for the platform, depending on whether other apps take advantage of the functionality.
Speaking of apps, Microsoft went to great lengths to tout its collection of 120 000 applications in the Windows Phone Marketplace. In fact, the firm claimed that it had 46 out of the top 50 apps on other platforms.
In saying so, Microsoft still has an uphill battle, with a few key apps such as Instagram nowhere to be seen. But as Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 share the same DNA, we hope to see an uptick in developer support for the mobile platform.
Another understated feature is the ability to sync with your iTunes library - a must for iPhone users wanting to switch.
South Africans will also be relieved to know that the Xbox Music service is definitely hitting the country. But in typical PR speak, there was no solid word on whether it would be arriving before the end of the year.
Nor was there any solid word on whether we would be receiving the Xbox Video service in the country, no doubt due to licensing arrangements.
Still, with three manufacturers launching Windows Phone 8 handsets by the end of the month and with Windows 8 out of the door, there's never been a better time to get hooked into the Microsoft ecosystem.
