Sony could be Microsoft’s next big Windows Phone hardware partner

Microsoft and Sony may be bitter rivals when it comes to video games, but the pair might soon forge a smart partnership in smartphones.

Sony is reportedly considering joining Microsoft as a Windows Phone hardware partner, according to The Information, which claims that Sony’s efforts have gone as far as the prototype phase. The move would make Sony part of the growing list of Windows Phone hardware makers, which so far includes companies like Samsung, HTC, Acer, LG and, of course, Nokia.

The move would be a smart one for Sony, which has been largely choked out of the Android market (it sold just 10 million smartphones last quarter). Expanding to Windows Phone would give Sony’s devices a bit more breathing room, particularly if they’re more sleek than the sort of garish devices that Windows Phone has become home to.

Above: Sony’s Windows Phones could be the anti-Lumias.

The move is a win for Microsoft, too: Getting more hardware vendors to build Windows Phone devices means being able to offer consumers more choices. That means a greater market share for Windows Phone, at least in theory.

Considering that Nokia alone commands over 90 percent of the Windows Phone market right now, Microsoft has little to lose by getting more hardware makers onboard.