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Analyst: Microsoft Possibly Prepping Own Windows Phone 8 Handset

Microsoft made its own Windows 8 tablet, but what about a Windows Phone 8 handset? Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund thinks that might be in the cards.

June 22, 2012

While the entire tech industry is still reeling from Microsoft's introduction of its , a new whisper about another hardware surprise has gathered steam in some quarters. According to one analyst, Microsoft may be working on introducing its own handset for Window Phone 8, which also this week.

According to Reuters, Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund told his clients yesterday that "industry sources tell us that Microsoft may be working with a contract manufacturer to develop their own handset for Windows Phone 8… It is unclear to us whether this would be a reference platform or whether this may be a go-to market Microsoft-branded handset."

When reached for comment, a Microsoft spokesperson would neither confirm nor deny the report, and would only tell Reuters "[Microsoft is a] big believer in our hardware partners and together we're focused on bringing Windows Phone 8 to market this year."

This latest rumor is no doubt spurred by Monday's Surface announcement. The device's attention to detail, feature set, and overall fit and finish highlighted the fact that Microsoft appeared to be raising the bar for its own partners and targeting the Apple iPad. We're still waiting on pricing and availability, however.

If Microsoft decides against making its own handset, plenty of partners have already , including Qualcomm, Nokia, HTC, Huawei, ZTE, and Samsung.

For more, see and the slideshow below, as well as a look at .