For a while there have been rumours circulating that software giant Microsoft is getting into the phone market.
Most of the rumours have been based on Redmond coming up with a Zune phone which will aim at killing off of Apple’s iPhone.
However it seems that Microsoft might have set its sights a bit lower.
Microsoft and MediaTek have said that they are forming a strategic partnership to provide a multimedia-rich smartphone primarily aimed at emerging markets.
The kit will be built on the Windows Phone 6 platform. They will be multimedia-rich smartphones and will have full touch capabilities and offer advanced communication features.
MediaTek says its partnership with Microsoft will drive smartphone penetration in developing countries.
The partnership is expected to drive both companies’ growth in emerging markets in the next 12 to 18 months, MediaTek said.
Microsoft is providing the Windows Phone 6 “platform” with touch control and email and internet access. MediaTek did not state what it would contribute to the partnership but it would be expected that, as a fabless chip company with experience in wireless and multimedia, it would offer a chip or chip set to host the Microsoft software.
“There is a huge thirst for smartphones in emerging markets. For many people, the phone rather than the PC is the main entry point to the Internet, resulting in a high demand for rich communication devices. In order to meet this demand, we have teamed up with MediaTek to facilitate the provision of affordable smartphones,” said Daren Mancini, general manager for OEM mobile at Microsoft in a statement issued by MediaTek.