Microsoft might bring cheaper Windows Phone devices to India via free license

Android owns the global smartphone space, followed by iOS and then you have the usual culprits; Windows Phone, BlackBerry OS owning their respective place in the market as well. Android's open-source nature is well documented by now add to the fact that you have a free platform for mobile devices that any vendor can use makes it highly attractive for manufacturers.

Microsoft has taken its own time to create a hold for its own Windows Phone (WP) platform that primarily runs on Nokia Lumia devices. But now the company is looking to gain some higher traction across markets by reportedly looking to offer free WP licenses to some unnamed vendors in the country. According to reports, Microsoft may be about to take the bold step to encourage more visibility of WP devices by offering its licenses at free of cost which will translate into lowering the cost of devices even more.

Currently, Nokia Lumia 520 is the most affordable WP device in the market and if these reports hold any truth then we might see WP devices selling for less than $100 in the country. Microsoft has been in the business of licensing its platform, notably Windows over the past 3 decades since its formation but this change of heart from the company is a signal that WP may be moving in the right direction after a long hiatus.

Free licensing of WP will allow domestic vendors like Micromax, Lava, Karbonn and Xolo among others to offer affordable devices that might entice any first-time smartphone buyer to opt for Windows Phone rather than angling towards low-cost Android devices which frankly are not up to mark. With free licensing, Microsoft is about to enter an uncharted territory and they will be better served by following on the strategy that Google employed with Android.