T-Mobile Planning Windows-Powered Phone

Source: Associated Press

Germany’s T-Mobile International said Monday it will launch a Windows-powered smartphone this summer in its major European markets.

The announcement, made during the opening of the 3GSM Congress in this French resort city, marks the second major wireless provider to embrace Microsoft’s smartphone operating system. Orange SA, the English-French wireless provider, launched its own version in October.

An exact release date wasn’t revealed, but analysts expect it could come in the early summer and coupled with a large advertising campaign.

The phone will be built by Taiwan’s High Tech Corp.

T-Mobile has more than 82 million customers and operates in the United States, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Russia. Elaine Devereux, a spokeswoman for T-Mobile, told The Associated Press that the smartphone would not be released in the United States.

The two companies forged a partnership of sorts in March when Microsoft and T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom, said they would collaborate on mobile devices for its customers.

Microsoft also said that T-Mobile will offer its e-mail and mobile services in Europe using the subscription-based Pocket MSN, the first European carrier to do so.

Currently, MSN mobile services are offered by 36 carriers in 21 countries.

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On the Net:

T-Mobile: http://www.tmobile.com

Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com

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