Microsoft and XOLO Announce $150 Windows Phone for India

XOLO and the Windows Phone division of Microsoft are teaming up to release a string of phones sporting the mobile OS in India with a price range of $150 to $300, according to ubergizmo. This announcement comes about a month after it was announced that China's ZTE phone manufacturer would begin selling Windows Phone devices in China as early as the first quarter of 2014.

XOLO, who hopes to have its brand of Windows Phones out in India by the first quarter of next year, already has a string of affordable Android phones out in the country and the Windows Phones are expected to be similarly priced. For Microsoft this means that the Windows Phone platform now has two local manufacturers in the world's two largest emerging markets.

While Microsoft continues to battle with Blackberry for third place as most popular mobile OS in its own country, they seem to be betting that they can make more headway in the emerging markets. And are aggressively pursuing the mobile market despite Android and Apple's seemingly entrenched positions. The software manufacturer also recently acquired Nokia's hardware and devices division.

Do you think Windows Phone has any chance of standing up to Android (and to a lesser extent, Apple) with these new partnerships?

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