Before Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 8.1 at Build 2014 this week and announced that it would launch on new smartphones in late April or early May, rumours had predicted that the Samsung ATIV SE would be among the first devices to come with it preloaded. That rumour did not pan out and the Samsung ATIV SE launched rather quietly late this week with Windows Phone 8 onboard. The honour of being Samsung’s first Windows Phone 8.1 device will now reportedly go to the Samsung ATIV Core.
According to SamMobile, the Samsung ATIV Core will be a mid-range device. It will come with a 4.5-inch HD (720×1280) display, 1GB of RAM, an 8MP rear camera although there is a chance it might be a 13MP one instead and a 2,100mAh battery.
There are no launch details for the Samsung ATIV Core at this point but SamMobile pegs a launch for sometime in May, coinciding with that of the new Nokia Lumia 630 and Lumia 635.
It would appear that with two new Windows Phone smartphones coming out in short succession, Microsoft was able to successfully woo Samsung back to the fold. It’s unlikely we’ll ever find out whether those rumours of some kind of US$1 billion financial arrangement played a role in Samsung’s decision to take another look at Windows Phone.
Source : SamMobile