Inq boss thinks Windows Phone will be cheaper than Android

A couple of days ago we reported that the Fujitsu IS12T would be the first Windows Phone 7 phone to be released that was running on Mango, Windows Phone 7’s latest update. We also reported that it would be released in Japan with a reported price (after conversion) of $958 without contract, which seems pretty darn expensive, but it appears that Inq (a mobile phone manufacturer from London, owned by Hutchinson) boss Frank Meehan thinks that Windows Phone devices will ultimately be cheaper than Android.

His reasons?

He believes that because of royalties that Android manufacturers have to pay out, including those unforeseen royalties (HTC has to pay $5 to Microsoft for every Android handset), along with Google’s refusal to indemnify its licensees against patent trolls (read Lodsys) which means manufacturers are basically left to fend for themselves. All of these hidden unforeseen costs will eventually translate into the final price which customers will have to pay.

Given that the Fujitsu IS12T is a whopping $958 off contract, we’re not sure how exactly is that “cheaper” than Android devices, but for the sake of discussion, what do you guys think? Could theoretically cheaper Windows Phone 7 devices convince those on the fence to hop on over to their side?

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Android, Google, inq, Microsoft, Windows Phone 7