14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft announced new partners at its press conference at Computex 2014 and while at it, it also revealed some never before seen Windows Phone 8.1 devices.
InFocus and Prestigio, as well as BLU have been present on the stage through their products, which are supposed to arrive on the market in the next several weeks.
But that is not all. Microsoft has also confirmed that many other ODMs are showcasing their prototype Windows Phone 8.1 units at Computex 2014.
Quanta and BYD are two Asian companies that demoed their reference design devices at the showroom, which might or might not be picked up by any of the OEMs planning to enter the Windows Phone market.
The first one, Quanta Aegis B61, is a rugged 5-inch Windows Phone handset that kind of looks like those Casio smartphones at Verizon Wireless.
It’s pretty massive when it comes to size and packs a rear-facing camera with LED flash. The headset jack and microUSB port are placed on the top side and covered by a plastic stripe.
The phone is also very heavy and comes with a speaker on the back side. The battery seems to be removable, though the rest of the specs are still a mystery.
Next in line is a BYD smartphone based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform that sports a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen display with 800 x 480 pixels resolution.
This one seems to have dual SIM, so this would make it the perfect device for markets where this feature is mandatory, like India and China.
It also packs a camera on the back, probably a 3-megapxiel photo snapper that does not have LED flash or any other additional capabilities aside from video recording. The phone also lacks a secondary front-facing camera, so say goodbye to selfies.
BYD’s prototype is aimed at the low-end smartphone market, so it’s made of cheap plastic. However, given the fact that this is just a reference design, the final version might use slightly different materials.
It’s also worth mentioning that the entry-level Windows Phone handset comes with a touch button right below the screen that looks exactly like the one included by Nokia in its X family of smartphones.
Lots of other companies are expected to launch their own Windows Phone 8.1 devices in the next couple of weeks, but only a few plan to roll out their smartphones worldwide.
All in all, the important thing is Microsoft now has more partners that will help the Redmond-based company bring its Windows Phone platform everywhere and at different price points.