HTC is preparing three Windows Phone 8 devices for release this year, and one of them — the HTC Accord — appears to have leaked in an image render today. Posted on Twitter by XDA-Developers member Football, we've been able to confirm the image is from a HTC ROM and shows off a render of the new device. Although it's shown running Windows Phone 7, the HTC Accord appears to be sporting a purple color — indicating that HTC might be adopting a more vibrant color scheme for its Windows Phone 8 handsets.

We revealed various details about the Accord previously, but Football says the Accord will run on a 1.5GHz dual-core MSM8960 chip — the same CPU that Samsung uses in its US Galaxy S III handset. HTC's Accord will also include a 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display, an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p capture, microSD card support, and NFC. Samsung has already unveiled its first Windows Phone 8 handset, and we're expecting two from Nokia next week — so don't be surprised if HTC unveils the Accord soon too.

Thanks, Patrick!