Microsoft soon to launch Mango smartphones

Microsoft Corp, which has been trailing Apple Inc and Google Inc in the fast-growing smartphone market, said it will launch Mango-powered handsets from top makers including Nokia Oyj, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and HTC Corp in coming weeks.

The smartphone sector is currently dominated by Apple and Android phones, which together make up about half of the market, with Microsoft seen as slow to react to the rapidly rising popularity of mobile devices.

But some analysts say Microsoft still has time to catch up, especially given uncertainties among handset makers after Google's planned purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc sparked worries that Google may one day produce its own handsets.

"We've seen hardware manufacturers very nervous about what Google is doing. I think anyone who turns around and competes with you is a cause for concern," said Andrew Lees, president of Microsoft's Windows phone division.

Blackberry maker Research In Motion Ltd's recent outage problems might also ultimately help competitors such as Microsoft, analysts said.

Mango vs Apple, Ice Cream Sandwich:
Microsoft sees the United States, Europe and China as its top markets for handsets based on its new Mango operating system.

"As the price comes down, emerging markets do become a huge opportunity, but also the existing markets in western Europe and the U.S., because as the price point comes down, more people will get into the smartphone market," Lees said.

Lees said there were currently more than 30,000 applications for Windows smartphones, compared with about 500,000 applications in Apple's App Store.

Microsoft would introduce its Mango handsets in China for the first time next year. China is the world's biggest mobile phone market, with more than 900 million subscribers, although only a fraction are smartphone users, many of whom use Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy.

Microsoft would launch Samsung and HTC Mango smartphones in the United States and Europe over the next week or so, with Nokia following in various markets, Lees said.

Fujitsu Ltd has already rolled out a Mango smartphone in Japan.

Microsoft's comments come a day after Samsung and Google held the Hong Kong launch of the first smartphone powered by the new Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

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