Taiwanese company HTC just unveiled two new Windows Phone 8 smartphones:  the Windows Phone 8X and the Windows Phone 8S.  The smartphones both feature Super LCD 2 displays coated with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass.

Microsoft CEO Steven Ballmer was present at the event and was pleased to talk about the two new devices which he calls Microsoft’s and HTC’s “biggest endeavor yet.”

The 8x features a 4.3-inch screen while the 8S’s screen is slightly smaller at 4 inches.  Both devices also feature Beats audio for better sound quality, an 8MP sensor rear camera with ultra-wide lens and a 2.1MP front-facing camera and both cameras support full 1080p HD video capture.

“Windows Phone is an important part of HTC’s heritage. We have more experience making Windows phones than anyone else, and we’ve sold more Windows phones than anyone else,”HTC’s CEO Peter Chou said at the event.

The phones are expected to launch across 150 mobile operators in 50 countries starting in November, and will be available in the US on  T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon.  No news yet for the price of the devices.

Jumping ship or early glory?

HTC once held the top position among Android OEMs, but as more OEMs use Google’s mobile platform, the further HTC fades into the background.  Now, it seems like HTC wants to start fresh with their Microsoft alliance.  Maybe this time, they could do well with Windows Phone 8 devices and keep their lead.

Unfortunately for HTC, I think Samsung’s also looking into making Windows Phone 8 devices, and if we know our mobile history, Samsung was the one who took HTC’s Android glory.

And we can’t forget about Nokia.  Nokia is a formidable Microsoft ally and though they’ve slipped from being the top phone vendor, you can’t deny that they still have significant market share and are a very close partner with Microsoft.   So HTC may be betting on the wrong horse again.  I wonder if Firefox’s upcoming OS could be HTC’s hero platform?