WP8 Reference Design from MS coming Mid-2013 – Surface Phone?

Digitimes repots that Microsoft is going to be launching a reference design WP8 device mid 2013. Not sure if they learnt the lesson regarding their “reference design” Surface tablet and how that irks other manufacturers rather than the intended “spur them to do better”

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130125PD213.html

The intention is apparently to expand the “ecosystem”. (Perhaps, MS, instead of twiddling your thumbs, you could put features in to WP8 that should be there already 2 years ago, eh? Or work with the top devs of app makers to make sure you haven’t got massive app gaps missing? Or other blatantly obvious things that you should have done but choose not to, instead feel content that users will be wowed away by your millionth demonstration of resizable tiles?).

On the other hand, Jiipee reckons that this reference design could make it easier for smaller manufacturers to release WP devices. It is most ideal that for Nokia to grow, the Windows Phone ecosystem has to grow too. Nokia has its distinct set of applications, designs and imaging specialities to differentiate from the crowd. They’re also the go-to name for anyone wanting a Windows Phone (that’s still small right now but will hopefully grow sufficiently in the future). I’d like to see some slim, yet high end WP to grab the limelight originally stolen by the lumiawannabe 8X, in addition to some beastly Lumia flagships, like the rumoured Nokia EOS and Catwalk.

I wonder if MS will try and grab some colourful Lumianess or go cold magnesium (which is quite attractive too) as seen in the Surface tablets.

Cheers Jiipee for the tip!

Category: Nokia, Windows Phone