Huawei dual-boot Android and Windows phones aren't happening after all

Huawei Ascend W1
No dual-OS, but expect more Windows Phone devices from Huawei

The official word on Huawei's dual-OS powered handset has changed quite a bit.

The phone firm confirmed it has no plans to release a dual-OS smartphone running both Windows Phone and Android. Fierce Wireless first caught wind of Huawei's new statements reversing earlier decisions to build just such a phone.

"Huawei Consumer Business Group adopts an open approach towards mobile operating systems to provide a range of choices for consumers," the company said. "However, most of our products are based on Android OS, [and] at this stage there are no plans to launch a dual-OS smartphone in the near future."

Huawei's latest remarks are a reversal of the company's previous strategy to release such a device for the second quarter of this year, something Huawei device CMO Shao Yang told Trusted Reviews last week.

A Huawei spokeswoman explained that the company's plans have changed since Yang made the comments earlier at Mobile World Congress 2014.

Half and half

Huawei isn't the only electronics company to make an about face on dual-OS devices. A report earlier this week suggested both Google and Microsoft are unhappy about Asus' potential new transforming laptop.

While the hopes of a future dual booting phone from the Chinese smartphone maker and more parties seem squashed for now, there's still a chance for Windows OS on Huawei mobile devices.

"Microsoft is still a key global partner of Huawei Consumer Business Group," the company said. "As long as the consumers continue to demand Windows, we will continue to supply them."

Following the company's first Windows Phone 8-powered device, the Ascend W1, Huawei pledged more are coming this year.

Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee was a former computing reporter at TechRadar. Kevin is now the SEO Updates Editor at IGN based in New York. He handles all of the best of tech buying guides while also dipping his hand in the entertainment and games evergreen content. Kevin has over eight years of experience in the tech and games publications with previous bylines at Polygon, PC World, and more. Outside of work, Kevin is major movie buff of cult and bad films. He also regularly plays flight & space sim and racing games. IRL he's a fan of archery, axe throwing, and board games.