Microsoft asked HTC to add Windows Phone to Android models
Microsoft is reported to have begun talks with HTC about adding its Windows Phone to HTC’s Android based smartphones. Redmond has considered cutting or eliminating the license fee for HTC and other OEMs in order to increase the market share of its own operating system. Currently, Windows Phone is the third OS, far beyond Android and closing the gap to the second – iOS.
With this move, Redmond hopes to ensure third party WP devices, after Nokia’s acquisition. According to a report in Bloomberg, the software giant could have gone to extremes, asking HTC to install Windows Phone on the Android handsets. The negotiations are said to be in an initial stage, Bloomberg adds.
As yet, the exact concept of the future phones is not known, but they are possible to run both operating systems concurrently. The other option is users to select which one to work as a default. It seems there is a third option on the horizon. Microsoft could convince HTC to install Windows Phone on the already available Android handsets. The same happened with the Lumia 800, a phone based on the N9 model, but with WP7 instead.
Soon after Nokia’s deal, Redmond commented that the licensing policy was not likely to change in the future. Microsoft said, they would continue to license its operating system to other manufacturers. Steve Ballmer reportedly flew to China last week to talk with other third party smartphone manufacturers.
Meanwhile, Windows Phone is gaining new ground in different markets. In Europe, the mobile platform has reached a double digit share in two key markets – the UK and France, while in Germany Redmond is just eight percentage points behind the second place (iOS).
HTC, the first company that delivered Windows based models, has reported a net loss of $101 million for the third quarter.
Source: Bloomberg
