Microsoft eases hardware requirements for WP7

Microsoft has quietly dropped some requirements for manufacturers of smartphones that will run its Windows Phone 7 operating system, a tech site reported over the weekend. The Next Web said Microsoft now considers front and rear cameras of Windows Phone 7 handsets as “optional" instead of “required" hardware. “For a yet unknown reason, and we do have a request for comment in with the company, Microsoft has designated both the front, and rear cameras in Windows Phone handsets to be no longer required. This means that Windows Phone handsets can now be shipped with no camera whatsoever," it said. It speculated this could be because that with the upcoming Tango update, Microsoft needed to allow original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to ship “lesser" phones for new and developing markets. Another possibility is Nokia, which now makes Windows Phone handsets, wants to ship cheaper handsets and needs more flexibility. The third possible reason is that no major smartphone OEM is likely to sell a handset with a touchscreen in a developed market without a camera, “so the rules could be relaxed without risk." Microsoft’s hardware specifications as of September 23 now require as standard hardware controls and buttons that include the Start, Search, and Back buttons; a large WVGA (800 x 480) format display capable of rendering most web content in full-page width and displaying movies in widescreen; a capacitive 4-point multi-touch screens for quick, simple control of the phone and its features; and support for data connectivity using cellular networks and Wi-Fi. It also requires 256 MB (or more) of RAM and 8 GB (or more) of flash storage; a GPS; and an accelerometer. Cameras, compasses, and gyroscopes were listed under “optional hardware." “Additional sensors, such as proximity and light, are on the phone but are not available for developer interaction yet," it added. — TJD, GMA News