Desperate times call for desperate measures, and no one is probably as desperate as Microsoft in getting its mobile platforms on more devices. And if one can’t beat them, join them, as the Redmond tech giant has reportedly approached not just HTC but Samsung and Huawei as well to add its mobile Windows versions to their next batch of devices.
While Microsoft has been doing fine on its triumvirate of operating systems that include Windows 8 for desktops, laptops, and hybrids, Windows RT for tablets, and Windows Phone for smartphones, its performance has not been exactly stellar either. Windows RT has largely been panned, if not maligned, by critics and Windows Phone has yet to see massive adaptation the way Android and iOS have seen. While Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s mobile business might spell out a more solid Windows Phone lineup in the future, the company has apparently realized it needed the backing of more players.
HTC was rumored to have been recently approached by Microsoft in order to make its pitch. And now we’re getting word that Samsung and Huawei have also been contacted. What is interesting is that Microsoft isn’t asking these companies to outrightly sell Windows Phone or Windows RT devices. Instead, Microsoft is willing to play second fiddle and be offered as a dual-boot option alongside Android. What’s more, Microsoft is reportedly willing to shoulder the costs of adapting such a system.
Dual-booting with Windows, on paper, sounds quite interesting, even if the return on investment is somewhat shaky. It seems, though, that Microsoft has found a listening ear in Samsung, as the Korean manufacturer is rumored to have a new 2014 edition of its Galaxy Tab on the way. The tablet, aside from dual-booting Windows RT and Android, will sport a 12-inch or larger display, which would make it the Korean manufacturer’s largest Android tablet to date.
VIA: Unwired View
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