14 DAY TRIAL // Redmond-based software giant Microsoft has been recently rumored to plan on launching on the market a series of mobile phones based on its Windows Mobile operating system, yet the company seems determined to not make such a move. Rumors on a possible Microsoft handset have a long history of emerging in the wild from time to time, but that won't change the software giant's mind it seems.
Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer has reiterated in a recent interview with TechCrunch older statements that there will be no Microsoft phones on the market, and has also provided an explanation for this state of facts. Selling licenses of Windows Mobile to handset makers is what the company does and will do from now on too. It pays off quite well, it seems. Watch the video below to hear his explanation.
As many of you might already know, a while ago Microsoft acquired Danger, and that, along with the creation of the Microsoft Premium Mobile Experiences division, kicked off rumors on the possibility that a high-end Windows Mobile-based handset was under development at Redmond. Moreover, details and photos of two Microsoft-branded devices have recently emerged, placing rumors in the 'almost true' section.
According to Ballmer, Microsoft won't launch its own mobile phone mainly due to the fact that the sales would be very slow once both the hardware and software are controlled by the same company. The current approach enables it to sell a huge amount of licenses for Windows Mobile, which is why the software giant will continue to use it.
However, that does not exclude the possibility that Microsoft will have its name on a handset on the market. It already confirmed working on a Windows Mobile 7 chassis, and a tight collaboration with a company like Sharp might result in the Microsoft brand printed on the device. Just as Google has its name on certain Android-based phones available on the market at the moment.