Samsung is Developing a Windows Phone 8 Smartphone

Samsung is reportedly developing smartphones capable of running Microsoft's next-generation mobile operating system, Windows Phone 8.

According to ePrice, the South Korean manufacturer has confirmed it will introduce a Windows Phone 8-based smartphone in October. The Windows Phone 8 OS has been codenamed Apollo and according to the report Samsung will apparently not release any more Windows-based devices until Apollo is released. Samsung's first high-profile Windows Phone devcie was the Omnia 7, which made a big hit in 2010.

Back in February a video detailing features for Windows Phone 8 was leaked to Pocketnow, and featured senior vice president and Windows Phone manager Joe Belfiore giving a presentation about the highly-anticipated OS.

Windows Phone 8 will be based on a Windows 8 kernel and should feature a lot of integration with the new desktop OS. Additional features will include DataSmart, App-to-App communication, Internet Explorer 10 Mobile, SkyDrive integration, Skype, Near Field Communication (NFC) and Wallet and Local Scout. Moreover, it will include support for multi-core processors, sensor fusion, security models, and video and graphics technology.

The business features will have hardware-accelerated encryption, which enables BitLocker and secure boot capabilities. The software will reportedly also support Exchange ActiveSync policies and System Center configuration settings.

Check out how a Windows 8-based smartphone could stack up against the iOS and Android OS

Hardware:

Windows Phones today support single-core processors. However, if the reports are true, then Apollo will not only support multi-core processors but also a microSD card.

By comparison, Apple has never offered microSD card slots and the iPhone 4S' dual-core processor turned it into a rather amazing gadget. Android smartphones, on the other hand, support both multi-core processors and have a microSD card slot.

Near Field Communication (NFC)

Smartphones based on the Windows Phone 8 OS should be able to support NFC technology, which is used in making contactless mobile payments. The wallet experience will have the capability to be carrier-branded and controlled.

In contrast, the same technology has already debuted, with the Android-based Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Apple has already filed a patent for the iWallet NFC payment system.

Data Management:

A smartphone running the Windows Phone 8 OS will feature DataSmart, which will allow data usage to be tracked.

The same feature is available in iOS 5 devices by going to: "Settings > Cellular Data > Usage"

Meanwhile, smartphones running the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich use a built-in data usage meter, which allows for toggling data flow, based on amounts used.