As far as Windows Phone handsets are concerned, the larger manufacturer of such devices is probably Nokia. You also have other companies in the mix such as HTC, Samsung, ZTE, and Acer, although safe to say that Nokia is probably the most prominent and has more or less become associated with the Windows Phone platform.
So why aren’t more OEMs hopping on board? Well according to a recent report from DigiTimes, it seems that Chinese OEMs are still hesitant about the Windows Phone platform. This isn’t because they are worried about Windows Phone’s popularity, but rather the costs associated with it. Unlike Google with Android, Microsoft is pretty strict when it comes to the hardware requirements for Windows Phone devices.
This means that there are certain chipsets that companies need to use in order to create Windows Phone devices. As we have seen in Android devices made by Chinese OEMs, they don’t necessarily go for the same brands that we see from other manufacturers. For example most mainstream brands like Samsung and HTC go for Qualcomm’s lineup for chipsets, but Chinese OEMs either turn to their own brand or something else, like MediaTek, which might not necessarily be approved by Microsoft.
Examples like these are apparently the reason why despite Microsoft removing licensing fees, it could still end up a pretty expensive decision to embark on, but what do you guys think? Should Microsoft relax their rules a bit more like Google with Android, or should Microsoft continue their restrictions?
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