Windows Phone Devices Will Hit Sub-$200 This Year, Exec Says

What would entice you to give Windows Phone a shot? The phone would obviously have to be nice, but what if it were a good $100-$200 cheaper than the competition? According to Microsoft, that's exactly what you're about to see from them.

At Computex, a Microsoft executive said the company was about to challenge device pricing. Nick Parker, Microsoft Executive Vice President for OEM Partnerships, said "Last year, we were in the 3s, 4s, 500 dollars. This year, we'll be 1s, 2s, 3s." According to PC World, Parker was speaking about phones without subsidies, so total cost to us.

Though it sounds far-fetched, Microsoft recently snapped up Nokia's hardware division, and has tapped turn-and-burn manufacturing entities like Foxconn and Micromax. They've also got partners like ZTE and Lenovo, neither of who are strangers to mass production, or creating incredible devices at a low price point.

A slumping Blackberry and incoming changes to Windows give the platform room to maneuver and find favor. Cortana looks to be an adequate competitor to Siri and Google Now, and Microsoft's new cross-platform take on apps is also favorable.

Unfortunately, Parker didn't note who would be bringing these low-cost devices. He also didn't mention where or (specifically) when they'd show up. Though the emerging market is important, the success of the Moto G stateside shows there is a desire for such devices here at home, too.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Via: PC World