For as much as Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) might try, it’s had a tough time convincing hardware partners to take the plunge and invest serious resources in developing Windows Phone powered handsets. Now, Huawei’s (SHE:002502) head of international media affairs has come out with a reason why vendors are hesitant to develop for the platform: it’s simply not a profitable endeavor.
“We didn’t make any money in Windows Phone,” Huawei head of international media affairs Joe Kelly told the Seattle Times in an interview. “Nobody made any money in Windows Phone.”
Earlier this year Huawei — which has a poor reputation in the US due to associations with Chinese espionage — cancelled plans to develop a dual-boot Android and Windows Phone handset targeted to the US market. Huawei spokespeople later said to the press that the project was canned because the cost-benefit analysis was not there. The R&D costs did not meet the projected sales.
In order to drum up interest amongst vendors for the mobile operating system, Microsoft pledged earlier in the year to give it away for free.
