Microsoft can now count on 17 manufacturers to make handsets for their
Windows Phone 8.1 mobile OS. The reason why the Seattle based tech giant was able to get so many people on board is more than likely attributed to the fact that they’ve made their mobile OS free to use.
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Adding more OEMs should prove to be a profitable strategy for Microsoft especially in the mid-range market. Lower spec’d Windows Phone tend to operate more smoothly than mid-range
Android handsets, which may help to sway consumers towards a Microsoft device over a
Google one.