HTC event set for September 19, could be for Windows Phone 8 hardware

HTC has announced an event for September 19 in New York, where it could reveal its range of Windows Phone 8 hardware.

Timing is everything in business, just ask Apple, who sent out the invitations for its forthcoming event a day before Nokia and Motorola’s big press conferences, and two days before Amazon’s; ensuring it cheekily grabbed as many last minute headlines as possible.

Then there’s HTC, who chose almost the same moment as Apple to tell the world about its own special event, meaning any coverage it received was effectively lost in the commotion caused by a shadow.

So, for those who missed it at the time, here’s the news: HTC will be holding a press conference on September 19 in New York, where it advises us to join them “to see what’s next.”

The invitation is completely shadowless, but does feature an unusual design at the bottom, which to us looks like it belongs on Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system.

This makes sense, as HTC didn’t reveal its contribution to Windows Phone 8 during the IFA 2012 show last week, but did announce the Android-powered Desire X. If it had other Android phones ready, why not get them all out at the same time?

HTC is one of Microsoft’s key hardware partners for Windows Phone, and as such should have a healthy range of devices ready to launch, and be itching to show them off.

Rio, Accord and Zenith

A trio of HTC Windows Phone handsets have been leaked over the past few months, under the codenames Rio, Accord and Zenith. The Rio will be the entry-level device, but will still have a 4-inch screen, a dual-core processor and a 5-megapixel camera, while the Accord and Zenith are said to mirror the Android-based One S and One X.

This indicates the Zenith will be the top-of-the-range phone, with a 4.7-inch screen and Qualcomm’s quad-core S4 Pro processor, and the Accord will have a slightly smaller 4.3-inch screen and a dual-core chip instead.

There has also been talk of HTC entering the smartphone/tablet hybrid market, by way of an as-yet unnamed device with a 5-inch, 1080p screen and a Snapdragon S4 Pro chip. Finally, a new tablet from HTC has also been rumored, but neither of these are expected to run Windows Phone 8.

Again though, timing is crucial, and HTC will be slightly late to the party, as Samsung has already given us the Ativ S and later today, Nokia is expected to reveal its new Lumia Windows Phone 8 hardware too.

The one advantage here is that nobody has been given an exact release date for Windows Phone 8, so provided they’re all in before that bell, one manufacturer shouldn’t have an advantage over another.

HTC will reveal all on September 19 in New York, and the event begins at 11am.