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Microsoft officially responded to reports that it was developing a touch-screen, multimedia-phone-code-named Pink-with Verizon Wireless.
“Microsoft is not going into the phone hardware business,” John Starkweather, Microsoft’s director of social marketing and mobile experiences, wrote in a statement.
Distracting attentions from the possibility of two new Apple devices debuting on the Verizon Wireless network, the Wall Street Journal reported April 28 that project Pink had been in the works for several months, and that Microsoft would design the hardware and software.
Starkweather additionally stated, “Microsoft is not building a Zune-specific phone,” in regard to rumors that Flextronics had been enlisted for a prototype run of several thousand Zune music-player phones.
“We’re deepening our relationships with our hardware partners in order to create even better performing phones that are competitively priced, have the features people want, that are easy-to-use and just downright lust-worthy,” Starkweather added.
“The upcoming availability of Windows Mobile 6.5 software will enable our OEM partners to build even more compelling devices in a wide-range of form factors for customers around the world.”
The statements do not deny a Pink project, but simply pass the responsibility of hardware to other parties.
The CNBC tech blog reported as early as November 2008 that “a good source” stated that an update to the Zune music player could evolve into a smartphone, and that the device was code-named Pink.