Windows Phone 7 Manufacturers Confirmed, No Surprises

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Like Android, Windows Phone 7 won’t be restricted to one manufacturer. Via another interview with pocket-lint, Microsoft’s Greg Sullivan told the world the manufacturing partners that will be making Windows Phone 7 devices. No surprises about who’s included, but maybe a few regarding who’s not included.

Sullivan named Dell, ASUS, LG, HTC and Samsung as companies that’ll produce Windows Phone 7 devices by the end of the year. Dell and HTC we already knew they were working on. Various Dell WP7 smartphones had been detailed in leaks to the web, and pictures of the rumored HTC HD3 had already made their way to the web as well.

Samsung is no surprise either – as they’ve been making Windows Mobile smartphones since the dawn of time. What’s interesting is that means Samsung will be producing smartphones with three different operating systems – Bada OS (their own), Android and Windows Phone 7. A hardy task for sure, but Samsung can likely manage – being the biggest consumer electronics company in the world.

Is ASUS giving up on Garmin? ASUS is a longtime Microsoft partner, and their most notable entry into the smartphone space has been partnering with Garmin on the dreadful nuvifone and Garminfone smartphones. Is the fact that ASUS is making a Windows Phone 7 proof they’re giving up on Garmin (as was speculated), or will the next Garmin-ASUS phone run Windows Phone 7?

LG is another company that’s familiar with running Windows Phone 7. They’ve been struggling to make a dent in the US smartphone market. Will a strong WP7 phone be their ticket to success?

Who’s missing? No Motorola? The first mobile phone manufacturer previously made Windows Mobile handsets – but they’ve found success (and lots of it) in their Android devices. Have they given up completely on Windows Mobile/Phone?

No Sharp? Sharp doesn’t produce a lot of American smartphones but they have a few in Japan and they manufactured the ill-fated Kin One and Kin Two in the United States for Microsoft. Did Kin leave Sharp with a bad taste in it’s mouth?

At any rate, Windows Phone 7 is coming and Microsoft hopes it’ll do well. Greg Sullivan told pocket-lint that it offers the best of Android and the best of iOS. Sullivan expects devices to launch on most, if not all, US carriers by the end of the year.