No to a Microsoft Rival to the iPhone

Microsoft has no plans to build its own rival to Apple's iPhone, Chairman Bill Gates said in an interview with Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

"No, we won't do that. In the so-called smart phone business we will concentrate solely on software with our Windows Mobile programme," Gates was quoted as saying in the interview "We have partnerships with a lot of device manufacturers from Samsung to Motorola and this variety brings us significantly more than if we would make our own mobile phone," he added.

There had been rumours that the company may try to take on Apple in the hardware market as it tried (and generally failed) to take on the iPod with its Zune player. However, the company already has a noticeable presence in the smartphone market through its Windows Mobile OS, and was considered to be unlikely to upset its existing hardware suppliers by trying to compete with them.

The next version of Windows Mobile is due out soon - and media leaks about its capabilities have been fairly positive.

On the web: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Posted to the site on 10th January 2008