Motorola interested in Windows Phone 7

By Derek Mead August 10, 2011

motorola-droid-3-front-screen-keyboard-open-hand-on — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It looks like Windows Phone 7 might have some suitors after all. Motorola has just announced that it might be keen to work out a deal with Microsoft to run its mobile OS.

The words came from the big man himself, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha, who was speaking at the Oppenheimer Technology & Communications Conference in Boston. While he said that “today’s focus is Android,” Jha sounded intrigued by the Windows platform.

“I think we’re completely open to the notion of Windows as a platform,” he said according to The Inquirer. “I would have to consider whether defocusing from Android to Windows will be the right thing for us to do, but if the capabilities on Windows are such that that is the right thing for us, I think we will consider it.”

In other words, while he thinks the potential for WP7 is there, he’s waiting for Microsoft to show some more concrete success. Jha is likely playing coy to see if Microsoft will offer Motorola a similar deal to the one it gave Nokia. In order to convince Nokia to use WP7 rather than Android, Microsoft offered several billion dollars along with marketing and R&D support.

Should Microsoft not put together a similar offer for Motorola, Jha has the flexibility to see how Nokia succeeds while already having opened the possibility of adding WP7 to his company’s stable.

Despite possibly opening Motorola up to another mobile OS, Jha also touched on his opinion that the market can’t handle the number of current operating systems avaiable. He stated that iOS and Android are the clear front-runners and their success is assured. On the other hand, he didn’t seem to have much confidence in the ability of WP7, webOS and BlackBerry to all survive.

Of those three, Motorola’s interest in WP7 has to lend the OS a fair bit of weight, especially as patent wars between Apple and Android producers keep raging. With that in mind, it’s possible Motorola is hedging its OS bets while waiting to see if Android can come out of court unscathed.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Mobile

Motorola’s new Android phone looks amazing, but there’s a catch

motorola edge 50 Pro rear shell.

Earlier today, Motorola introduced a new premium phone in the Edge series, and from the looks of it, this could be one of the most value-centric phones of 2024. The Motorola Edge 50 Pro, which flaunts a fresh design language, marked its arrival in the Indian market with a price tag of roughly $385. For a limited spell, it will be sold at approximately $335, which is nothing short of stunning.

At that asking price, you won’t find a phone in the U.S. market that can match the hardware prowess and the fine looks of Motorola’s latest phone. We are talking about sleek curved glass aesthetics, a metallic frame, and a vegan leather finish available in a beautiful lavender shade.

Mobile

The best cheap phones in 2024: our 9 favorites for tight budgets

The OnePlus 12R lying on a book with its screen turned on.

Don’t want to spend $1,000 or more on a new smartphone? We don’t blame you. The good news is there are plenty of models available for half that price, but the trick is knowing which cheap smartphone is worth buying. After all, just because you’re not spending flagship phone money doesn’t mean you want to be stuck with a phone that's rubbish. There are plenty of options out there for the best cheap phones!

We’ve collected the models that still give you great performance, good cameras, the right connectivity, and often a desirable design and brand name too — all for less money than you may expect. Cheap phones in 2024 will surprise you with their strong performance, making them more than capable of playing the latest games; plus they have batteries that will last you at least a day.

Mobile

The 10 best apps for a second phone number in 2024

OnePlus 5 soft gold with the phone app open.

Having a second phone number can be handy for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you want to separate your business and personal calls, or you want a junk second number that you can use to sign up for services so you can avoid giving out your personal number to so many places. That's particularly importance with the frequency of annoying spam calls and messages that can pile up when your phone number is made public. You might also want a second number to use in situations where you want to be able to contact people occasionally but you don't necessarily want them to be able to reach your personal device directly, like when internet dating or using an app like AirBnB. Whatever the reason, there are many situations where having a number that you can give out which you can make use of but isn't directly tied to your personal life like your main phone number is can be important for safety and security.

While you could get a second SIM card (or even an eSIM), an easier option for casual use is to use an app that lets you set up a second phone line. Whether you're after an Android app or an iPhone app, you'll find plenty of options to get a second phone line, including some which are free to use. We've hunted down some of the best options for apps that will give you a second phone number for whatever reason you need it, and we're sharing them with you below.
Vyke