Huawei to release an Android-Windows Phone dual-OS smartphone in the US next quarter

China's Huawei will release anAndroid-Windows Phone dual-OS handset in the US next quarter. Thenews came from a high tier in the company's hierarchy, namely ShaoYang, Chief Marketing Officer of devices. “Compared to Android,the priority of Windows Phone is much lower, but is still one of ourchoices of OS. We are definitely using a multi-OS strategy, as inAndroid and Windows together." - revealed the CMO,boasting that ”dual OS can be a new choice for the consumer.”

Mr. Yang makes it clear that Huaweiwill support Windows Phone, but wants to offer it alongside a morefamiliar operating system like Android. "If it's Windows-only,maybe people will not find it as easy a decision to buy the phone. Ifthey have Android and Windows together, they can change it as theywish, and it will be much easier for people to choose Windows Phone."- he believes.

This strategy will probably ring a sournote within Google's collective hearing, because the Androiddeveloper is strongly opposed to the Android-Windows Phonedual-booting concept. It doesn't take a marketing genius to realizethat such devices will let Microsoft, a fierce Google competitor,easily take advantage of Android's popularity to increase WindowsPhone's market share, while Mountain View sees zero benefit.Moreover, Microsoft's Devices and Services business makes up to $2billion profit per year from Android patent royalties - which isoffset by the division's overall losses.

"If they have Android and Windows together, they can change it as they wish, and it will be much easier for people to choose Windows Phone."

That, and accusations of spying for theChinese army by the US government don't seem to bother Huawei verymuch. Being the world's third largest smartphone maker probably helpswith the confidence. Either way, Mr. Yang confirmed that the dual-OShandset "will be on sale in the US in Q2”, and revealed thatthe company is "definitely looking at other platforms" inthe meantime. "We need to watch every OS", said the CMO,but added that Huawei isn't "very clear" on Samsung'shome-grown Tizen OS. Tizen's future in smartphones is ratherquestionable at the moment, with Samsung predominantly using it forsmart-TV and smart-watches.

source: TrustedReviews via WMPowerUser