Microsoft brings Xolo, Lava, Karbonn into the Windows Phone fold

Karbonn and Lava can now use cheaper and soft keys to make Windows Phone-based mobiles and also adapt designs from their Android phone equivalents.

February 24, 2014 06:04 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 07:11 pm IST

Microsoft has started its biggest push yet to make its Windows Phone software more popular in emerging markets with the induction of domestic mobile phone players Xolo and Karbonn as partners who will make smartphones that use the company’s trademark mobile software.

This push, which is one of the first moves by the company after newly appointed CEO Satya Nadella took over, is also accompanied by several changes in the company’s policy towards these partners. For instance, Microsoft is easing several restrictions on how phone makers use its software, in a bid to encourage them to drive down costs.

“We’re open for business on Windows Phone to anyone who wants to build a Windows phone,” said Nick Parker, Senior Vice President for mobile makers, while addressing reporters at the Mobile World Congress trade fair here.

The other new partners include South Korea’s LG Electronics and China’s ZTE, Lenovo and Gionee.

These sweeping changes also come on a day when Nokia, which Microsoft will finish acquiring later this quarter, decided to bring out an Android-based line of smartphones.

One of the major restrictions that Microsoft had earlier imposed, which hampered domestic players like Karbonn, was on how the hardware layout of the phone should be manufactured.

With this restriction now gone, Karbonn and Lava can now use cheaper and soft keys to make Windows Phone-based mobiles and also adapt designs from their Android phone equivalents.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.