If you want to look like a badass carrying a Harley-Davidson Windows Phone—sorry, you’ll have to move to Europe. But a number of other cheaper Windows Phones are coming to the States.
On Thursday, Microsoft highlighted a number of smaller, cheaper Windows Phones heading to the United States, from manufacturers such as Blu and Archos. Microsoft’s recent goal has been to push out midrange and cheap Windows Phones, and this plays right into that strategy.
The most intriguing model, though, is reserved exclusively for Europeans: the New Generation Mobile (NGM) Harley Davidson Edition. Microsoft’s said previously that Italy is one of the markets where Windows Phone is selling well—at times, even better than the iPhone. And that’s led NGM to release a Harley-branded phone that includes dual SIMs, Windows Phone 8.1 and a 5-inch HD (1280×720) display with Gorilla Glass. Inside there’s 8GB of storage with a 32GB MicroSD card, plus a 8-megapixel rear camera. It will be sold for 249 euro in October.
Within the United States, Microsoft’s partners are making available more options for Windows Phone fans seeking a cheaper phone than the flagship Lumia Icon or the more recent entrant, the HTC One (M8).
Blu will offer two: the Win Jr ($89) and the the Win HD ($179), both unlocked and compatible with GSM networks in the United States. Interestingly, both are dual-SIM devices as well, a relative rarity for phones sold in the United States. They’ll be sold through Amazon and other online retailers, Microsoft said.
Microsoft Archos is bringing lots of color to Windows Phone.
The Blu Win JR is a 4-inch device with a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with a LED Flash, Microsoft said.The Blu Win HD is a 5-inch device with a HD IPS display and an 8-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED Flash.
Blu teased its phones a few months ago at Computex, while YEZZ preannounced then: The unlocked Billy 4.7 Windows Phone device with red, white and blue covers is now available for $249 at Amazon and other retailers, with service available through AT&T or T-Mobile. It boasts a 4.7-inch, 1280×720 display, and a 2- to 8-megapixel front and rear camera.
The Archos 40 Cesium has a 4-inch display and comes with 3 back cases in yellow, blue, and black. It’ll be available in September for only $99, Microsoft said.
Polaroid was also said to be showing off a Windows Phone at the IFA show in Berlin, but the company has said that it was only a concept at this point.