In the battle of mobile phone operating systems, Windows Mobile and Linux score another. ZTE, the sixth largest handset manufacturer in the world, is starting to inch its way up to higher-end handsets, after making a mark in lower-end operator-branded phones. And, so far, it’s anticipated that it will focus its vast resources on producing Windows Mobile and Linux phones, according to research firm Ovum (via DigiTimes).
The company is on a growth spurt, having only shipped 15 million units in 2006, jumping to 50 million units this year. However, when it comes to 3G, so far its focus outside of China has been on making USB modems for laptops, which it expects to sell more than six million by the end of the year. For future growth, it is looking at high-end 3G handsets that can be sold around the world. ZTE will begin shipping Windows-Mobile-powered devices with Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) next year and there are signs of other such deals, Ovum reports. ZTE also has confirmed that it will support Linux, although it’s unclear which variant. ZTE said it’s not interested in Symbian because even though it is moving towards open-source, it’s still predominantly used by Nokia.
