The latest rumour from the mobile world is that Sony may be jumping on board with Microsoft’s new operating system.
Well, that’s not strictly true, as the leaked images highlighted by Ubergizmo show that an upcoming handset is running Windows Phone 7. However, it is branded as a Sony Ericsson phone, the old name for the joint company which has now been abandoned as Sony is going it alone in the mobile sphere.
The fact that this is an older image doesn’t mean that this Windows Phone 7 handset, which is shown with the words “Protoype: not for sale” on the base of the unit, doesn’t exist. If it’s going to be revealed, then it will likely be wheeled out at next month’s Mobile World Congress, so we won’t have to wait long to find out.
Currently Sony is producing Android devices and has previously indicated that it’s unsure about Microsoft’s new OS. Quite rightly so, as it has yet to prove itself, even after Nokia has begun releasing hardware with the Mango version on board. We must admit, we’d be a little surprised if Sony does unveil a WP7 handset so soon, because at this stage the platform is still looking somewhat shaky, despite considerable critical acclaim. The danger is Android and iOS pretty much have the smartphone market sown up, and any new entrant is going to struggle to gain a foothold against these two dominating forces.