Acer was among the first companies to join Windows Phone, but after releasing its W4 handset back in 2012, the company decided to abandon the platform, choosing instead to focus its mobile efforts exclusively on Android. But all that will soon change, as Acer prepares to return to Windows Phone in the coming weeks.
Back in December, a report claimed that Acer was preparing to roll out "a slew of Windows Phones" this year, with the first devices being unveiled in the first half of 2015. It seems that that report was spot-on, as Digitimes reports that the company has now confirmed these plans.
According to the report, Acer CEO Jason Chen told a conference of the company"s suppliers and partners that it will launch new Windows Phones at the upcoming Mobile World Congress trade show in March.
However, if you were hoping that the new addition to the Windows Phone family might offer a new high-end handset to choose from, you"re going to be disappointed. As with all the other hardware brands that have joined the platform in recent months, Chen said that Acer "will mainly focus on the entry-level segment", with no plans to launch flagship-class devices.
Acer"s return to Windows Phone has been fairly pedestrian in its pace, with the company first revealing plans to do so in mid-2013, with the intention of launching a WP handset in 1H 2014. Internal slides revealed that it aimed to provide "a unique experience across Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8", but the device never materialized.
Last year, an Acer executive said that the company could not "take the risk" on Windows Phone until its market share and app store offerings improved further.