Sony Ericsson, soon to be just plain jane Sony, is the only major handset vendor to not support Microsoft’s new Windows Phone operating system. That’s really kind of shocking when you think about how many Windows Mobile devices Sony Ericsson shipped in the past, the most important of which being the X1 that came out in late 2008. According to NokiaWP today’s situation will soon change. An annoymus source sent them two blurry images of a device that’s supposedly going to be the first Sony Ericsson device to run Windows Phone. It may even feature a slide out QWERTY keyboard similar to that of the X1. With Mobile World Congress just six weeks away, we’re pretty excited that Sony Ericsson is considering entering the Windows Phone market. Why?
Consider this, Sony Ericsson makes use of some of the best camera sensors on the planet. They’re not as good as Nokia in terms of over all image quality, but they’re up there. Sony Ericsson also makes use of some of the best screens that are available on the market. Anyone who has ever seen an Xperia Arc knows that. There’s also the design factor. Have you seen how gorgeous Sony Ericsson’s devices are? They’re a bit marred by the TimeScape UI that gets thrown on top of Android, but take that away and what you’re left with is a beautiful piece of glass and metal.
When you think about Sony as a whole, this move makes even more sense. Think of a consumer walking into an electronics store to buy a laptop. They see a Sony VAIO running Windows 8, a Sony tablet running the ARM version of Windows 8, and a Sony phone running Windows Phone. The TV strategy, along with the PlayStation, is a bit harder to figure out though … any suggestions? Sony has “PlayStation Certified” for Android devices, but that whole side project is turning out to be a huge mess.
Update: We asked Eldar Murtazin what he thought about about Sony making Windows Phones, and he says there might be a model coming out in Japan.
