While the news of recent has been mostly favorable for Windows Phone, it looks like Dell is ready to rain on that parade by saying that it won’t be producing any Windows Phone 7.5 devices.
WPCentral is saying that Dell will not release any devices for the remainder of this year or even next year. Dell will continue to support the Venue Pro but is taking a break from producing Windows Phone devices.
Dell was not a major vendor for Microsoft, but even so, losing a vendor is never a good thing for a platform that is an uphill fight to gain market share. But even as Dell is leaving the Windows Phone scene, Nokia is right around the corner and will start releasing its first Windows Phone devices in the very near future.
Dell, for now, is looking past the Windows Phone platform. That doesn’t mean that they won’t ever produce another Windows Phone device, but for the time being, Dell is passing on the opportunity.
Microsoft recently executed a massive rollout of the 7.5 upgrade to the Windows Phone platform that was delivered with near perfection. Yes, there were a few small bumps, but for the most part, nailed the roll-out. This update proved that Microsoft’s strategy of being able to control the update process to its devices is plausible and that it is a viable strategy going forward.