Only if you are in a developing country
Software giant Microsoft is developing a low-cost Windows Phone 7 handset for emerging markets.
Microsoft India's Visual Studio director of developer tools Sudeep
Bharati as saying the low-cost version will have a different spec than
Chassis 1 and will be launched by the end of 2010. Microsoft has
already said that gizmos based on the Chassis 1 spec will be heavy-duty
touchscreen-only devices built around a 1GHz processor, while Chassis 2
devices will have slide out Qwerty keyboards.
Chassis 3 has not yet been detailed by Microsoft, so this might be the
cheap and cheerful Win Phone 7 handsets. Of course Microsoft could
create a fourth as yet unannounced Chassis. If it is headed for
developing markets it might be made out of something nice and cheap,
like old coke bottles. However since Microsoft is not going into any
details it could be anyone's guess.
What is perhaps scary is that developing countries might get affordable
smart phones while the poor struggling workers in developed nations
might be still using ordinary phones because they can't afford what
Redmond says we should be able to afford. It might be better to be in
a semi-devloped country and get the best of both worlds.