Windows Phone isn’t the operating system that’s most commonly associated with Samsung. Almost all of the company’s smartphones run on Android. It has been working on Tizen powered smartphones as well but they have no traction in the market as yet. The last Windows Phone to come out of Samsung was the ATIV SE, launched back in spring 2014, and even that was an exclusive for Verizon. A Korean publication claims Samsung now wants to cut reliance on Android and may very well launch new Windows Phone devices in 2015.
Sources that spoke to Korea Times say that Samsung is running pilot programs to test the stability of Windows 8.1 on its devices. An official directly involved with the process is quoted as saying that Samsung is “interested in promoting Windows mobiles.”
Apparently what’s holding Samsung back in fully committing to Windows Phone is the royalty dispute that’s currently ongoing between the company and Microsoft. The aforementioned official says if the litigation is sorted out Samsung will develop more Windows Phone handsets this year with an expected release around the third quarter of 2015.
It is unclear right now if Samsung is going to use existing handsets and offer them with Windows Phone instead of Android, much like the HTC One (M8) for Windows Phone, or if its going back to the drawing board. Perhaps we may see a bit of both.
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