This week, Engadget spotted an interesting job opportunity over on Microsoft"s careers website - an ad for a developer who is interested in building unique and exciting applications for OEMs.
Microsoft stood on a few toes earlier this year when it announced a tight set of guidelines for Windows Phones - including the minimum 1Ghz SnapDragon and GPU. In addition to this, Microsoft went as far as completely disallowing OEM"s to modify the user interface in any way using skinning - which is a great tool for manufacturers to identify themselves amongst the crowd on current mobile platforms such as Android and Windows Mobile .
The job advert is looking for a "senior Windows Phone developer" and says:
"We are looking for a strong and experienced developer to help the OEM to design and develop applications that make their devices stand out in the marketplace. You will also help them to bring new phones to market." and that this position would be "part of a dedicated team within MDSC working directly with a top Korean cellular phone manufacturer, who has made a large commitment to Windows Phone."
Engadget also points out that either LG or Samsung should be the "top Korean cellular phone manufacturer", although they think it will be LG, based on the early LG Windows Phone 7 prototypes that have been shown off. It seems that Microsoft is trying to make up for the fact that OEMs can no longer use their custom skins to lure potential buyers, and is finding another way for them to gain a competitive edge.