14 DAY TRIAL // Nokia is the leading Windows Phone vendor out there at the moment, but it might not be too long before Samsung starts grabbing a portion of the market as well.
The company was rumored not long ago to be planning the launch of at least one smartphone running under Microsoft’s platform, and some more info on the matter is now available.
Apparently, the South Korean mobile phone maker is working on two such devices; at least this is what patent designs that emerged in its homeland market unveil.
No official confirmation on this has been provided as of now, but, as SammyToday points out, the menu key appears to be consistent with the design of Windows Phone handsets, thus suggesting that these new phones will run under Microsoft’s mobile OS.
The two patent designs are almost identical, though their back covers are different, with the first of them said to be similar to that of Samsung’s ATIV devices, but also to feature a refreshed back pattern.
The second one, however, sports a more complex quasi modular build that results in the back cover being divided into two pieces. An additional speaker should also be present on the back.
Apparently, Samsung applied for these patents in Q1 last year, though both of them have been registered only last week, on the same day – January 21.
One thing that remains to be seen is when exactly these smartphones are set to make an official debut, considering that Samsung and Microsoft haven’t provided specific details on this as of now.
However, with a wide array of rumors surrounding Windows Phone already suggesting that Samsung, Sony, and other large mobile phone makers out there would be considering the launch of smartphones running under the OS, it might not be too long before a formal announcement is made, so stay tuned.