Taiwanese handset manufacturer HTC will be the first company to launch smartphones running Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 operating system.
HTC, whose products are distributed in SA by Leaf, will offer two handsets, the HTC 7 Mozart and the HTC 7 Trophy. The Mozart will be available on all local networks, while the Trophy is exclusive to Vodacom.
The phones will be available in early December, according to Microsoft.
No prices have been announced yet, though a Microsoft spokesman says the products will be available on contract starting at monthly subscription rates of R150/month.
The Mozart is a full touch-screen phone with 1GHz processor, 3,7-inch display and 8-megapixel camera. The Trophy has a slightly larger, 3,8-inch screen, a 5-megapixel camera and a 1GHz processor. Both devices have GPS built in and support 7,2Mbit/s downloads.
Korean manufacturers LG Electronics and Samsung will release Windows Phone 7 devices in SA early in 2011.
Microsoft officially launched Windows Phone 7 in SA on at an event in Johannesburg on Wednesday evening.
Consumers have keenly anticipated the new Microsoft operating system. Analysts have said it’s the software giant’s last chance to gain a meaningful slice of a smartphone market that is dominated by Apple, Google (with Android) and BlackBerry. — Staff reporter, TechCentral
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