Microsoft Relaxes Windows Phone Hardware Demands

Microsoft is set to push Mango big time over the coming months with a bunch of the smartphones that will hit the market already unveiled. Microsoft has also relaxed the hardware requirements for the Mango platform, which should allow cheaper handsets to be offered on the market. Some of the hardware that doesn't have to be included might be an issue for gamers though.

The good news is that less hardware means cheaper devices and with Nokia aiming at entry level and mid-range devices for Mango this will make for cheaper handsets. Microsoft no longer requires the device to have a camera, compass, gyro, or front facing camera. That lack of a gyro might make gamers unhappy since it could affect motion sensing accuracy.

Standard hardware includes hardware controls for start, search, and back. The display needs to be a WVGA 800 x 480 unit and the screen must be a capacitive 4-point multi-touch. Mango devices must also support data via WiFi and cellular networks. Minimum RAM needs to be 256MB and storage has to be at least 8GB or more of flash. The smartphones must also have an accelerometer and A-GPS.

[via WPCentral]