14 DAY TRIAL // Since Microsoft plans to remove any licensing fees for its Windows Phone operating system, it looks like several handset makers that have exclusively launched Android devices are suddenly interested in getting a piece of the Windows Phone pie.
The last on the list of possible Windows Phone device makers is Japanese company Sony. According to a report from The Information, Sony is considering Microsoft’s mobile platform for one of its devices that should go on sale this year.
The piece of information comes from a person involved in the talks between the two companies, so it may be either a Microsoft or a Sony official.
The insider claims that Sony has considered launching a Windows Phone device as early as mid-2014. This means that the Japanese company has yet to decide whether or not it will embrace Microsoft’s mobile platform for one of its smartphones.
If the information proves to be accurate, we might witness one of the bigger paradoxes on the smartphone market. Imagine playing an Xbox game using a Sony smartphone or using a Windows Phone handset manufactured by the Japanese company to control an Xbox One or Xbox 360.
It is also worth mentioning that the upcoming Sony smartphone powered by Windows Phone platform may be launched under Sony Vaio brand, the report claims.
In the same piece of news, the report mentions Chinese company ZTE as another major target for Microsoft. ZTE is not a newcomer when it comes to Windows Phone, but the handset maker only launched a few devices in the past.
ZTE stopped making Windows Phone devices due to low sales of Tania and Orbit smartphones, but may agree to continue launching WP-based handsets once Microsoft removes the licensing fee for its mobile operating system.
For the time being, Nokia remains the ruler of Windows Phone market, but since its mobile phone division will soon be acquired by Microsoft, it remains to be seen if other handset makers will be able to challenge the Finish company's supremacy.