Microsoft unlikely to build own Windows Phone 8 hardware, happy with its premiere partners

Microsoft doesn’t see the need to manufacturer its own Windows Phone 8 devices, like it’s decided to do with the carrier-independent tablet market. The company was clearly unhappy with what its hardware partners were doing on the tablet side, so it developed Surface, coming to market later this year with the launch of Windows 8.

“Our hardware partners are doing some really cool things for the Windows Phone 8 launch,” says Greg Sullivan, Senior Windows Phone Product Manager. These partners are Samsung, HTC, Huawei and Nokia, and they will likely expand that pool once devices come to market.

Existing relationships with carriers by the likes of Samsung and Nokia probably play into Microsoft’s decision — Google has also stayed out of the direct manufacturing game for its Nexus handsets — but we wouldn’t be surprised to see Microsoft pull a rabbit out of its hat in the coming years, perhaps with an outright purchase of Nokia.

We’re excited to see what Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung and HTC bring to the Windows Phone 8 game — it’s really the product they need to be successful in this competitive smartphone market.

Source: Pocket-lint