HTC has announced its latest smartphones, which use Window Phone 8 as their operating system.

The announcement was welcomed by Microsoft’s chief, Steve Ballmer, who apparently described the new series of devices as “beautiful”, although no one knows much about them yet other than what they look like.

Peter Chou, chief executive of HTC, said: “We’ve been inspired by Windows Phone 8 to create new smartphones that give the platform the iconic design and personality it deserves.”

He added: “Windows Phone has clearly emerged as one of the top mobile ecosystems and is competitive against any other smartphone platform in the world.”

While Peter Chou and probably Steve Ballmer may think this is the case, in reality Microsoft has a long way to catch up with either Google’s Android platform or Apple’s iOS operating system, which together account for the majority of smartphones around.

The lead devices in this new series of Windows Phone handsets are the HTC 8X and HTC 8S. The former is said to feature separate amplifiers for headphones and speakers, while the 8S is reported to possess improved audio software that has been developed to include beats audio.

Smartphones nowadays are not just devices for making calls or sending texts; they have seemingly become all round media machines.

The rear camera on both devices has apparently been upgraded to support a 28mm lens. There is also a dedicated hard button.

Neither phone is 4G enabled, which will disappoint those thinking of getting one or the other handset. This may change, however, on launch.