Huawei revealed last week that the company was planning to bring a dual-booting Windows Phone and Android handset to the US this spring, but it appears plans for such a device have been canceled. In a statement provided to FierceWireless, a Huawei spokesperson says "at this stage there are no plans to launch a dual-OS smartphone in the near future."
Huawei backtracks on dual-booting Windows Phone and Android plans
is a senior correspondent and author of Notepad, who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years.
The backtracking contradicts statements from Huawei’s chief marketing officer, Shao Yang, last week. Yang claimed the firm was following a "dual OS" strategy with Android and Windows Phone on a single handset. It’s not clear if such a handset was ever in development, or whether Yang simply misspoke. Huawei’s change of heart follows reports that Microsoft and Google have both scuppered Intel’s plan for dual-OS tablets and laptops running both Android and Windows Phone.
Karbonn is reportedly releasing its own dual-booting Android and Windows Phone handset, due in the coming months, but it’s unclear if any other handset makers are planning similar devices. Microsoft is making a number of changes to Windows Phone 8.1 designed to assist with low-cost handsets, but the update could also help phone makers build dual-booting devices. Windows Phone 8.1 will support devices with just 4GB of storage and an option for apps to be installable to microSD cards. With space at a premium on dual-booting devices, and support for onscreen buttons in Windows Phone 8.1, it’s possible we might see more of these hybrid handsets in future.
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