A new report says that as well as building its own tablet to compete with the iPad, Microsoft may being preparing to design and sell its own smartphone.
Microsoft is said to be working with suppliers in Asia to test its own smartphone design, The Wall Street Journal reported this week. While the company is reportedly toying with the idea of building its own smartphone, officials aren’t sure whether the product will actually hit the market.
The device that Microsoft is reported to be testing has a screen between four and five inches, which is now considered by some to be required for smartphones in today’s market. The latest model of Apple’s iPhone, the iPhone 5, has a 4-inch display.
Sales of the Windows Phone platform have fared badly compared to Apple’s iPhone and Android handsets. Microsoft hopes the platform will get a boost this fall with the release of Windows Phone 8.
If Windows Phone 8 shows signs of struggling, the Redmond, WA software company could release it’s own hardware in hopes of spurring sales.
