14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s Windows Phone slowly rises in the charts and the Redmond-based company felt the need to highlight some of its achievements since it offered OEMs the option to license its mobile platform for free.
Some of the most important Windows Phone handsets announced in the last couple of weeks by various OEMs are listed by Microsoft in a blog post.
According to the company, “the choice of design, colors, features and price points is growing fast and fantastic news for Windows Phone fans around the world.”
With 14 new OEMs that decided to launch at least one handset this year, as well as 22 new smartphones already announced, Microsoft does seem happy with how Windows Phone fared this year.
Obviously, there’s always room for improvement, but the jump from only 5 or 6 OEMs to almost 20 in less than a year is quite high for Microsoft’s Windows Phone.
During the last major tech event of the year, IFA, several Microsoft partners announced and showcased their first Windows Phone handsets.
Italian OEM New Generation Mobile (NGM) launched the quirky Harley Davidson smartphone, which packs dual-SIM support and is manufactured in collaboration with the well-known motorcycle company.
Apart from the glorious Harley Davidson logo on the back, the smartphone comes with a leather gift box packaging and it’s only available in limited quantity. It will go on sale in early October for only €250 ($325) outright.
14 new OEMs have jumped on board the Windows Phone in less than a year
Next in line, UK-based OEM Kazam announced earlier this month the upcoming availability of their first Windows Phone smartphone, the Thunder 340W.
It comes with a 4-inch WVGA (480 x 800) display, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. A microSD card slot for memory expansion is included as well. Pricing and availability will be announced at a later date, though.
US company BLU showcased two of its Windows Phone products, namely Win JR and Win HD. They will be launched in the United States unlocked for only $89 (€69) and $179 (€138), respectively. In fact, the BLU Win JR is already available via Amazon, while the Win HD should hit shelves later this month.
YEZZ’s Billy 4.7 smartphone will ship with Windows Phone 8.1 operating system out of the box and can be yours for only $249 (€192) off contract.
Last but not least, French handset maker ARCHOS announced that its 40 Cesium smartphone would be available for only $99 (€73) beginning this month.
The future does seem bright for Windows Phone, so let’s see what Microsoft has in store for us in the next couple of months.
