HTC One M8 for Windows officially announced

Today HTC unveiled a new flagship smartphone, but unlike its previous models its running Windows Phone 8.1. Meet the HTC One M8 for Windows, a live-tile variant of the original HTC One M8 which is exclusively available in the U.S. (at least initially) through Verizon

The HTC One M8 is clearly one of the best designed devices in the market. So it didn't come as much of a surprise that HTC reused their design for their Windows Phone variant of their Android flagship. The premium build quality and the subtle curves of the One M8 for Windows, gives the platform a look of maturity and is bound to make a potential buyer take a serious look at it.

Besides the OS, everything else in the One (M8) for Windows seems to be the same - You still get the 5 inch display with its 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution, 32GB of internal storage, 4MP Ultrapixel Duo camera, and the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor. You even get the BoomSound stereo speakers which lets it stand in a league of its own.

The HTC One M8 for Windows comes with the latest version of Windows Phone 8.1, which includes the Cortana digital assistant, customizable Live Tiles and the Action Center to manage your notifications. However, HTC has made sure to add some unique touches in order to differentiate its product. You get HTC's own Camera app, which brings the Duo Effects. You also get the social aggregator, BlinkFeed, and Sense TV. Meanwhile, Verizon throws its NFL Mobile application into the deal, with customers who add the phone to their More Everything plan getting free access to the app's features, including the livestreaming of games. Additionally, it looks like this will be the first Windows Phone device that will come with Verizon's own IM service, Messages, allowing you to chat with your buddies for free over Wi-Fi.

The HTC One (M8) for Windows will be available in Verizon's online store as soon as today, starting around noon, at the promotional price of $99.99 with two-year contract, or at $29.99 per month with Verizon Edge. Retail stores are expected to have stock tomorrow, August 20.