"FORGOTTEN SMARTPHONE DEVELOPER Microsoft has named the handset manufacturers that it hopes will help stave off its demise in the smartphone market. Microsoft is desperately pinning its hopes on Windows Phone 7 to reverse its trip to oblivion. However until now it remained quiet about who will help it do so. Now the Vole has finally revealed that handsets running Windows Phone 7 will be produced by Asustek, Dell, HTC, LG and Samsung. That's about all Microsoft was willing to say on the matter as it tries to drum up interest in its next mobile operating system. The handsets themselves are nowhere to be found, with release dates equally elusive. Microsoft is passing around a Samsung handset to developers in the hope that some applications will be created for its operating system at launch. Apparently the handset itself isn't what will end up in punters' hands, so that doesn't provide too many clues either. The Vole is playing a dangerous game by not giving away enough information about its smartphone plans. Even Apple, known for its secrecy, announces its Iphones months ahead of launch, allowing customers to ditch their mobile operators or save up for its expensive toys. Microsoft's silence on the matter could mean that it is nowhere near getting phones running Windows Phone 7 on the market. In the meantime, Apple's shiny toy and the numerous devices running Google's Android operating system are luring potential customers away from Microsoft. It will be interesting to see how many phones from the aforementioned manufacturers will actually run the Vole's operating system. HTC in particular has been a vocal supporter of Google's Android, while Samsung's Galaxy S has emerged to be one of the firm's most successful high-end handsets. For Microsoft, name dropping won't be nearly enough to lure smartphone customers away from the very credible alternatives that already exist today." via theinquirer.net