Windows Phone HTC One M8 launched as Verizon exclusive

The Windows Phone HTC One M8 variant has been launched as a Verizon exclusive over in the US.

Following leaked press renders earlier today, the HTC One M8 for Windows Phone has been officially unveiled in the US.

As the name suggests, the HTC One M8 for Windows Phone is exactly the same handset, but it runs Windows Phone 8.1 rather than the usual Android KitKat.

It’s pretty much a game of spot the difference in terms of design. The aluminium uni-body design is there with its rounded features.

There’s just the Verizon branding and a small Windows Phone logo on the back to tell them apart with the screen off.

Inside the two HTC One M8 variants are also the same beast. You’ll get the 5-inch 1080p full HD display running on the 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2GB of RAM.

All that is powered by a 2660mAh battery and you’ll also get Adreno 330 GPU graphics power. There’s the dual front-facing HTC BoomSound speakers and the dual lens 4-megapixel UltraPixel camera in the back. That is paired with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

Microsoft and HTC have worked together to ensure at least some of the UI experiences are the same across both models of the HTC One M8.

For example, the dual-camera’s UFocus features work with Windows Phone 8.1.1. You’ll get the trademark HTC Blinkfeed too, if you’re willing to install a separate app rather than have it integrated into the UI itself.

In the US, those looking to purchase the HTC One M8 for Windows Phone will have to head to Verizon. When it goes on sale on August 20 it will be offered at a promotional price of $99.99 on a two-year contract.

There’s no word on whether availability of this handset will extend to other carriers in the US or even to the UK and beyond.