While the Nokia Lumia 1020 unveiled yesterday is an impressive smartphone with its 41MP PureView camera sensor, it is unlikely to help Microsoft push the market share of its Windows Phone 8 much higher given its high price tag (US$299.99 with a two-year contract). With other partners reportedly scaling back or ready to abandon their Windows Phone 8 efforts, Microsoft is facing a tough road to establish its mobile operating system as a credible third option behind Android and iOS. A report now suggests that a new manufacturer is about to hop on. According to Light Reading India, LG is readying its first Windows Phone 8 smartphone. “At home (South Korea), we are actually working on our Windows Phone 8 OS powered smartphone,” LG India’s Managing Director Soon H Kwon reportedly told the publication.
The unnamed device is currently in the R&D stage and nothing is known about it at this point. It is even possible that it may not see the light of day as Kwon added that the company has yet to commit to any Windows Phone 8 launch plans. Its focus remains on Android but LG expects Windows Phone 8 “pick up going ahead, as Microsoft is pumping efforts into it.”
It’s not the first time that LG has hinted at a Windows Phone 8 device. If nothing else, it appears to be keeping an eye on Windows Phone 8 should it continue to gain market share.
Sources : Light Reading India // CNET