HTC did not participate in the first round of Windows 8-/RT-based tablets roll-out, but this does not mean that the company is not working on any. According to a media report, the company is prepping rather interested 7” and 12” slates powered by Microsoft Corp.’s Windows RT operating system and intends to release them sometimes in 2013.

HTC’s 7” media tablet with Windows RT will not only be the world’s first 7” slate featuring the operating system from Microsoft, but will also be one of the world’s only tablets with phone-calls capability, reports Bloomberg news-agency citing own sources. At present it is unknown how does HTC intend to implement phone calling, but one of the solutions could be a specially designed application for Windows RT. In theory, such app will be able to transform any Windows RT-based tablet with 3G/4G/LTE into a phone.

In addition, HTC plans to release a 12” media tablet with Windows RT, another world’s first for the company as currently there are no similar slates on the market. Just like the 7” model, the big one will run a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 application processor based on ARM architecture as HTC decided not to release any Windows 8/x86-powered tablets in the foreseeable future due to cost reasons.

Prices and specifications of HTC’s 7” and 12” media tablets are yet to be determined. At present, it is unclear when the tablets are to be formally revealed or whether the company intends to demonstrate them at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January or Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February.

Microsoft and HTC did not comment on the news-story.

Tags: HTC, Microsoft, Windows RT, Windows 8, ARM, Qualcomm, Snapdragon