Zune Phone to be Announced at MWC 2010? [Microsoft Could Launch Windows Mobile 7-based Zune Phone in the Near Future]

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In a surprising move Apple launched the first iPhone two three years ago. The iPhone 2G was a revelation for the mobile business which completely changed the way we imagine smartphones. What followed was a frenzy of touchscreen handsets from various manufacturers. Meant to fight against the iPhone and bring in some extra cash, none of those models truly made a stand for themselves.

Microsoft stayed away of all the commotion and although people said that Redmond was working on a Zune or Pink phone, Steve Ballmer never confirmed the existence of the device. Even Google, a brand new player in the smartphone business, managed to launch its own phone earlier this year but Microsoft is still silent. Everyone was expecting them to try to counter the Apple iPhone with a phone of their own but Microsoft never came through for us.

Nowadays, when some people fear that Windows Mobile 7 could be postponed to 2011, we hear more news about a Zune Phone. The rumored handset should arrive sooner than we think and we definitely want it to be a good, dependable handset.

According to Katherine Egbert, a technology analyst at Jefferies, the Zune-based phone could be unveiled at the MWC 2010 in Spain next month. If that doesn’t happen then the next major event, the CTIA 2010 in March, could feature the Zune Phone.

Naturally, the device will run Windows Mobile 7, a 5-megapixel camera, HD video recording support, and an iTunes-like music subscription/purchasing service. Bundle that with Microsoft Marketplace and you could end up with a nice device capable to fight against the iPhone.

Microsoft would make a risky move announcing the Zune Phone now, a few months away of the iPhone 4G launch. But this risky move should have been done a while ago, so maybe it’s time for Redmond to grow some nuts and claim its place in the mobile business.