Samsung might not make Windows phones after 2012

KOREAN ELECTRONICS GIANT Samsung might stop making smartphones that run Windows Phone 7 (WP7) or later at the end of 2012, according to a company close to the firm.

A group that releases Samsung ROMs for phones called Samfirmware, which claims to have exclusive information about Samsung, tweeted, "Samsung will support Windows phone till end 2012."

It later added, "It's true about Samsung and Windows Phone. Windows Phone market is smaller than Samsung's own OS bada."

While this news is interesting and not entirely unsurprising, The INQUIRER is taking it with a pinch of salt.

First, it's likely that Samsung will give Windows Phone 7.1 Mango a go before discontinuing Windows Phone completely.

Also, we reported last week that Samsung has partnered with Microsoft to build a tablet that runs Windows 8, which would be a funny thing to do if it was dropping Microsoft's WP7 operating system.

Microsoft apparently will show off its Windows 8 tablet at its BUILD developers' conference in California this week, 13-16 September.

Samsung is also embroiled in a global knock down drag out patent battle with Apple over its Galaxy tablet and smartphone devices that run Google's Android mobile operating system. µ