The worries about Microsoft’s Windows Phone has traditionally been the limited amount of partners that Microsoft has allowed to be part of their program. At the Mobile World Congress on Monday, Microsoft named nine new partners as future Windows Phone partners for the phones.
During their Mobile World Congress briefing, Microsoft detailed that Windows Phone is one of the fastest growing OS system for phones, has a strong European marketshare, and a high customer satisfaction rate. These all add to reasons why Microsoft is expanding their number of partners.
Microsoft named nine new companies as partners in the Windows Phone Program. Along with Nokia and Samsung whom are current partners, Microsoft named: Foxconn, Gionee, JSR, Karbonn, Lava (Xolo), Lenovo,LG, Longcheer and ZTE as partners. These new companies are the biggest names in phones around the globe.
With the new partner programs, Microsoft will have an estimated 56 percent of the global smartphone market as partners for their new Windows Phones. They have an estimated seven of the top ten global OEMs, and this means that Windows Phone can expand into new countries like China, India, and Taiwan faster than ever before.
In addition to the Windows Phone program announcements, Microsoft also named more hardware options available for Windows Phone devices. The company announced support for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 and 400 series chipsets, and the availability to add LTE, HSPA, EVDO, and other cellular bands to the phones by manufacturers. This will allow companies to add features like soft keys, dual DIM phones, and to use the same hardware for Windows Phones and other Android lines.
Microsoft made a strong push to manufacturers with this move, and also launched a Windows Hardware Partner Portal so the partners can get access to tools needed to build Windows Phones whenever they need them. This will act as a hub from Microsoft, and give them a large new are to gain knowledge and follow Windows Phone development. Qualcomm Technologies also was brought in to help reference designs with Windows Phones, and help companies build stronger Windows Phones for the future.
This was a big day for Microsoft’s Windows Phones. With 9 new partners and hardware upgrades, new phones should be on the horizon.