Another MSFT Phone From An Unknown ODM
In May, we talked about how Microsoft was not succeeding in getting the big handset vendors to adopt their quirky smartphone software because the big 6 were concerned about being commoditized like the PC hardware manufacturers (Samsung is the exception to the rule, since they have embraced seemingly all OSes, and will soon release the i600 MSFT smartphone in the US.). We theorized that the MSFT strategy would revolve around getting low-cost Taiwanese and Chinese ODMs (Original Device Manufacturers) to produce the hardware, and cut the Nokias et al. out of the loop. Now, the announcement from little known Chi Mei Communications, out of Taiwan, that they are producing a MSFT based smartphone for the US supports our theory. The question remains: for which carrier is the phone intended. My bet is AT&T, but I'm only betting a dime.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Not just Microsoft
[ link to this | view in chronology ]