14 DAY TRIAL // Large mobile phone makers out there might have left Windows Phone plans aside, but it appears that smaller vendors are interested in the launch of devices powered by the platform.
According to the latest reports on the matter, India’s XOLO is among these companies, aiming at launching a Windows Phone 8 device sometime in the second quarter of the next year.
“We are likely to launch the first XOLO Windows Phone by early next quarter, which will make us the first Indian smartphone maker to launch Windows Phone in India,” Vikas Sehgal, co-founder & director of XOLO said, the Economic Times of India reports.
The company also confirmed that it would price the upcoming device similarly with its existing Android series of smartphones.
“Pricing of these devices would be no different from the prices of XOLO Android smartphones and tablets. XOLO Windows Phone smartphones would be priced in the $150-$300 [€109-€218] range,” Vikas Sehgal continued.
Windows Phone has started to gain some more traction on the market lately, and it is expected to grow further in the coming years, which should prove a great opportunity for small vendors looking to increase sales.
Specifically in India, Microsoft’s platform is appealing to users looking for budget devices. XOLO appears set to seize the opportunity, especially given that Nokia, currently the largest provider of Windows Phone smartphones, has only a 5 percent market share in the country, as WMPoweruser notes.
Compared to Android, Windows Phone might not prove as successful right from the beginning, not to mention that handset vendors will see lower revenue from this OS. XOLO, however, appears optimistic about that.
“There is certainly an ecosystem cost attached to the Windows OS, which is higher. But it’s an early stage scenario, as time goes by, we believe that it will also get neutralized,” Sehgal also said.
XOLO’s upcoming Windows Phone 8 smartphone will arrive on the market with TD-LTE connectivity packed inside, and will be compatible with the network of Bharti Airtel.