In an attempt to better compete against Google in the mobile business, Microsoft reportedly considered various “unconventional tactics,” including letting smartphone buyers choose the mobile OS for their future handset, The Information reports (via The Next Web). “In one scenario, a smartphone buyer would be able to walk into a wireless carrier store, find a phone they like and only then choose whether they want Windows Phone or Android software to power it permanently,” a confidential document from a potential Windows Phone partner revealed.
However, Microsoft execs concluded that such a scenario would not be feasible, as letting the buyer choose the OS for a device would be problematic both for the hardware maker but also for the carriers involved. The only way the company really would have been able to make it happen would be to align Windows Phone’s hardware requirements with Google’s.
A previous Bloomberg report did say that future HTC devices may offer users an option of dual booting Android and Windows Phone 8, although such a device is yet to be confirmed by the Taiwanese smartphone maker.
While Microsoft has certainly improved its position in the mobile landscape, it’s still trailing behind Google and Apple when it comes to market share and profits, respectively. The company does make plenty of money off of Google’s Android though, as Microsoft is reportedly taking home over $2 billion in yearly licensing fees.
