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Huawei has reversed course on plans for a handset equipped with both Android and Windows Phone.
In a statement sent to FierceWireless on Wednesday, the China-based mobile phone vendor indicated it will continue to support Android and Windows Phone but as separate items.
“Huawei Consumer Business Group adopts an open approach towards mobile operating systems to provide a range of choices for consumers,” the company said in its statement. “However, most of our products are based on Android OS, [and] at this stage there are no plans to launch a dual-OS smartphone in the near future.”
Though Android remains the higher priority, Huawei will keep its commitment to Windows Phone as it readies new handsets with Microsoft’s mobile OS for launch this year.
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“Microsoft is still a key global partner of Huawei Consumer Business Group,” the company added. “As long as the consumers continue to demand Windows, we will continue to supply them.”
The latest statement contradicts a recent comment made by Huawei Chief Marketing Officer Shao Yang. Speaking with TrustedReviews, Yang touted the dual-OS phone as one direction for the company.
“With Windows Phone, one direction for us — and one that we are now following — is dual OS. Dual OS as in Android and Windows together,” Yang said. “If it is Windows only, maybe people will not find it as easy a decision to buy the phone. If they have the Android and Windows together, you can change it as you wish and it is much easier for people to choose Windows Phone.”
A spokeswoman for Huawei told FierceWireless that the company’s plans have changed since Yang spoke with TrustedReviews at Mobile World Congress in late February.
The dual-OS concept seems to be falling by the wayside, at least when it comes to Windows and Android.
At CES in January, Asus unveiled a Transformer tablet that runs both Windows 8.1 and Android. But that device has reportedly been shelved, The Wall Street Journal said last week. The reason? Friction between Microsoft and Google.
Google wants only all-Android devices, the Journal’s sources said, while Microsoft won’t accept any Windows device equipped with another operating system. Asus already offers dual-OS devices, namely the Transformer AiO P1801 and P1802. But those two items could be on the chopping block due to Microsoft’s stance, the Journal added.
