Last time we were talking about Microsoft releasing its own Windows Phone handset, we looked at rumors that such a device was still a long way’s off, not due to to arrive until well after the first wave of Windows Phone 8 models went up for sale, as well as those that this would be a particularly high-end device. Today a new rumor attempts to name some of the companies Microsoft is working with on this venture, but it’s not clear how well this new info meshes with those previous rumors.

Supposedly, Microsoft is in cahoots with Huawei and MediaTek for its so-called Surface phone. Now sure, we’ve heard that Huawei has plans of its own for a relatively high-end WP8 model, but its mention here isn’t exactly flooding us with confidence that a Microsoft collaboration would have similarly top-tier aspirations. After all, this is a company with a reputation for products that target budget price points.

The inclusion of MediaTek here is also loaded, as it’s not the sort of company we think of as a leader of SoC design, reinforcing concerns that the Surface phone might not be such a powerhouse, after all. Some sites are already wondering if the Surface phone might be so low-end as to not run Windows Phone 8 at all, but that might be going a little too far, at least until we learn more.

Source: The MS Nerd (Twitter)
Via: WMPoweruser