Kicking back against the iPhone and Android hype.
An executive at Microsoft's Chinese mobile team has claimed that 30 new smartphones running the Windows Mobile 6.5 OS will launch before the end of this year.
Furthermore, Benjamin Tan told reporters that those phones will come from 15 different handset makers, including existing partners HTC, Samsung and LG.
The comments are seemingly in response to the current buzz around rival smartphone platforms, and specifically Android, which has attracted many of the handset companies who were previously focused on WinMo for their smartphones.
Microsoft has been keeping a somewhat low profile recently, as it readies the new version of Windows Mobile for launch, while also putting the finishing touches to its Windows Marketplace for Mobile app store.
However, its future success may depend on how flexible the OS is for operators or handset makers who want to customise it to their own ends.
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One of Android's big features is the ability of handset firms or operators to put their own interfaces and/or services on top of it. Meanwhile, Vodafone has chosen to launch its new Vodafone 360 suite of services with a pair of customised Linux-based Samsung handsets.
