Samsung has been keeping pace with the Apple iPhone in the global smartphone market. A part of the reason for these gains is because of Google’s operating system, Android. However, Samsung is reportedly planning to launch a Windows Phone in order to reduce its dependence on the Android.
Tech blogs are abuzz after reports have been surfacing that Samsung could very well be releasing a Windows Phone sometime this year. This news came about after it was discovered Samsung is testing the Windows Phone 8.1’s features and functions on its own devices.
A source close to the situation told the Korea Times that Samsung is in the midst of releasing a budget smartphone that runs on Windows Phone 8.1. This may surprise some considering that the Windows OS has fallen 3.6 percent in the past year. In addition, Samsung’s Tizen OS hasn’t been very successful at all.
The only barrier in place against both companies is the fact they are currently battling one another in court. This past summer, Microsoft filed a lawsuit against Samsung claiming that the ladder violated a partnership agreement by denying to make any royalty payments after the United States company confirmed its plans to purchase Nokia’s handset business in the fall of 2013.
Microsoft is seeking $6.9 million in patent royalties and approximately $1 billion in interest.
Another source close to the matter told the Asian news publication that if the case is settled then the Samsung-Windows smartphone collaboration should be released in the third quarter of this year.
“If the companies settle their litigation, then Samsung will manufacture handsets powered by the Microsoft-developed mobile platform,” the anonymous official said. “The timing could be the third quarter of this year at the earliest.”
Samsung and Microsoft have not publicly commented on the news reports. At the end of the Friday trading session, Samsung shares were up 13 percent, while Microsoft shares closed unchanged.