Just three days ago, we were first notified of Microsoft’s plans to step into the mobile phone hardware market by coming out with two new handsets under the codename Project Pink. Now, Gizmodo has unearthed the first rendered pictures of the upcoming phones, dubbed Turtle and Pure.
“These phones are going to be made by Sharp, who’ll get to share branding with Microsoft. Sharp produced the Sidekick hardware for Danger, who was bought by Microsoft two years ago. Pink will be primarily aimed at the same market as the Sidekick (teenagers), and the branding and identity for it is highly developed, pointing toward a later stage in the development cycle,” Gizmodo writes.
Microsoft Turtle
The Turtle is being described as “a chunky child’s version of the Palm Pre”. The phone has a ‘plasticy’ look to it and should appeal to teens. We spot a slot for a camera at the back, but no LED flash – usually an indication of the price being kept down. The idea of a low-cost handset with ample social networking (as is apparent by the interface) should go down well with that segment. But enough of our dribble, take a dekko yourself:
Microsoft Pure
The Pure, on the other hand, is more a well-rounded attempt at a competitor to something like the HTC Touch Pro. It’s a regular slider, looks to have the basic features that any of the other mid-range phones do (including an LED flash, by the looks of it) and retains the bubble-plastic keys. Have a look here:
Our impression? The phones look perfect for entry-level social networking handsets, and the possibility of them syncing with Zune Marketplace and being able to run Apps from there is quite a pleasing though, apart from the numerous programs already available for Windows Mobile, which the handsets will run.
The idea of Microsoft’s maiden foray into the mobile phone market to be by targeting the low-cost teen segment is a bit surprising. But as long as the price is kept down, these shouldn’t do too badly.