Microsoft looks at flexible hardware specification for Windows Phone 7

WinRumors has gotten wind of whispers that Microsoft could be exploring the possibility of having flexible hardware specifications where its Windows Phone 7 platform is concerned, and this could result in different hardware companies rolling out more affordable Windows Phone devices. Of course, with varying hardware on different handsets, you could end up with a software fragmentation problem that Android is currently experiencing – some games which require a high level of processing muscle can only be played on certain high-end phones, leaving the rest of the Android community in the dark. Is Microsoft willing to follow such a route? Apparently, an announcement on the matter might be made as early as the company’s MIX11 conference sometime later this week. Of course, there are pros and cons to this situation, where the added flexibility lets device manufacturers use cheaper components in order to make owning a Windows Phone a whole lot more affordable. What do you think – should Microsoft maintain a high standard, or can they relax a bit?