Microsoft opens up OEM portal, build your own Windows Phone

Back in late February Microsoft announced that nine new OEMs would be joining the Windows Phone ecosystem. It also announced a new site, oem.windowsphone.com, for OEMs to get information and learn how to bring Windows Phone devices to market quickly. Companies like HTC and Samsung won’t really need this portal. That site is now live and potential OEMs can get the help they need to build and ship a new Windows Phone.

Anyone wanting to build and ship a new Windows Phone should head to the OEM portal. You’ll find all the materials and information there. The website offers a high level overview of Windows Phone, how to register as a Windows Phone OEM and information on how to start the process of reviewing and signing licensing agreements. You’ll need to be a Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD) OEM in order to become a licensed Windows Phone OEM and ship those phones.

The move should be a big boon for OEMs in emerging markets like India, China and Africa. We’re about to get a lot more handsets.

Source: OEM Portal Via: @joebelfiore

Thanks for the tip everyone!

79 Comments

More OEMs the better!
Now there should be no excuses for the complainers and whiners. Here's their opportunity to build their own phone just the way they would want it. :)
Totally Agree!
42 MP camera ;)
Cameras no smaller than 40MP ever and NO phones without SD Card support. Whoever does this is sure to succeed :)
Yeah, I will instantly buy the next 920/925/930/1020 variant with microSD. Until then, I'm just waiting for a new phone to buy :/
1020 with micro SDXC and possibly a processor upgrade would be perfect, adding 120+fps capture on HD video would also be rather spiffing.
And no phones without hardware camera button.
there will always be complainers cause nothing is perfect for instance wp still depends on qaulcomm and alot of the cheaper oems like using whatever soc is cheapest which right now is mediateks crappy lowcost socs.
Lol, exactly my thoughts. :P
What are you talking about, this is for OEMs only, there's licnesing papers and terms, you just can't hack a phone togather and have WP on it, more options will always mean more wining because options entail compromises and thus further complaints. :D
Maybe one of them will make the 1820!
That's last year's model, it'd be the 1830 now, but in reality, it's the 930.
On a separate note, is the NFC ring team planning to update WP app? Apparently, they were waiting for 8.1 https://twitter.com/NfcRing/status/453884427752722432 Also, is the recurring NFC notifications/confirmation issue resolved in 8.1 SDK? NFC ring would definitely get much better experience with that..
I'm pretty sure you can set a trusted device/application for NFC now so it doesn't ask you every time.
Thanks. I was hoping if I could find something on the MSDN library page to build a trusted connection (or contract).
Epic -- Sorry if I am mean, I just dislike mean people! --
REST IN PIECE Project Aria! Haha! MS is on a roll!
I see what you did there
Way way way different... Though WP8 is NT based so I don't see why MS couldn't do it easier. They have so many of their own written drivers it is crazy.
as much as I'd like it to be that way it's different. cause this is still a phone with chosen hardware but not one where you can swap hardware. Project Aria/phoneblocks projec is still way more sustainable. That being said this will be exiting. I really wish my 1020 had an sd card slot, but then again, we now have "Corsair Flash Voyager GO micro-USB Flash Drive" and windowsphone 8.1 is said to support USB on the go. I hope someone with more money than me tries this and if it works i will buy it in a heartbeat.
Who wants to lend me a 3D printer, I have AutoCAD
That would be cool! -- Sorry if I am mean, I just dislike mean people! --
This seems promising!
Womder if theres a potential for DIYers and Kickstarters here....
I was so excited by reading the title. Even if it was just a picture data maker and then them take the info to use and see what what people (the consumers) want in there phones.
Can I make my own custom WP now? :P (kidding)
What if you could though?
That'd be bad ass.
Man, that would be awesome. Everyone would have a One-of-a-Kind Phone. That would probably cost a crap load of money, but still it would be a dream phone. I could just build a phone just like 1520 but with a smaller screen and Qi Charging.
Yeah, that'd be so cool. I can see it now: A Lumia 930, but with a Glance screen compatible display and a Lumia 1020 camera sensor. And an SD card slot, for the cherry on top. #DreamPhone
I'd gladly take out a loan to pay to combine HTC's body design, Samsung's 4.7 or 5.0 screen, Nokia's OIS camera and the latest Snapdragon. I can dream...
Will wouldn't we all? :)
This is was i was thinking
Wow! Someone at Microsoft is bullish on WP! This just set the volume to "11" for getting manufacturers in the market. Good job!
I thought this was something else before I made it. Like I could design my own personal phone or something.
How awesome would that be? If we gould cherry pick phone features and make the phone we want... but then how insane would it be for MS to support different combinations, especially on the firmware side with Nokia (or whoever). I'd like this screen size, with this screen type. This body layout with Qi charging, this color, with the virtual buttons.. camera.. RAM.. chipset.. ooooooo
Sounds like Project Ara on Windows Phone. Whoch begs the question, what if this opens up for the potential of Ara Windows Phone modules?
"raises" the question. Begging the question is something different entirely:P
Like the Moto X but better
Sweet
Oops before I "read" it
Wow.. MS is on steroids nowadays.. It's getting real people.
I know this isn't the point, but I would LOVE to build my own phone like I build a computer on the website for HP/Dell/etc.
That's not building your own pc. Buying individual components and assembling them at home is the real 'build' :)
Haha, no argument there. I build my own PCs. I have just been spec -ing out servers for work on Dell's site.
I'll just mosey on over there now and start building my phone then.
Maybe WPCentral should become an OEM. I can see it now, "the high end Daniel Rubino, the camera savy Sam Sabri, the gamer powerhouse Paul Acevedo, etc"
WPCentral first needs responsive website and Bing search with Cortana talking. Then this^^... Baby steps... "crawl", "walk" and THEN "run" !! Microsoft way that is..
I actually do plan to go into the OEM business by making the first "open source WP." More plans, website, etc are to come. Anyone with experience like to contact please check my profile!
Sweet
Mobile first cloud first mantra is awesome
Yeah, I see what he's doing...
Built in qi wireless charging when you want it! Stupid at&t...
Screw ATT.
I wonder what will come out of this
I wonder what people will make out of this. Im having fun following the links and trying to figure out what can actually be built.
My new side project lol
Nice! Posted via the WPC App for Android!
I build custom PC gaming rigs and now a custom built smartphone so awesome! Bring on the "Windows Phone Clones!"
Bing "Chinese phone manufactures" and get lots of them..
I predict we'll see some sweet windows phones via kickstarter in the not to distant future.
"Companies like HTC and Samsung won't really need this portal."
I dunno... They haven't exactly given us much of a selection in the past year. :-\
Well they better before Sony comes in or otherwise they can just stay on Android for the rest of its short existence. Nokia has basically taken over WP when HTC and Samsung went to sleep and it's a good bet if Sony comes in to take the WP mantle with solid beautiful devices that we know they can build, they can kiss the rest of their meagre marketshare bye-bye.
Open sources, open platforms, free os (< 8 inches i think). Finally Microsoft is now in it to win it.
That's cool I wish I made phones.
Im going to build my own 10 inch phone which can cook for me and cuddle me when I ask it to. Also it will be able to act like a special toilet which collects my poop and recycles it into fresh food.
It will teach me various martial arts and occasionally indulge in physical combat with me to test and enhance my fighting skills.
So your ideal phone is ten inches long, covered in your own feces, and fights you?
Why couldnt open the install, I download the update and when i install he said couldnt open ( 8007000d ) please help me, is the problem in my phone or is the problem from microsoft, thnks
Stupid Microsoft. How many times have I installed updates to my various Apple iOS devices and they never once failed. Try it on my Lumia 920 and I get......... The update was downloaded, but couldn't be opened. (8007000d) Tried it three times so far, tried rebooting then downloading again...... fails every time. The downloader is even so stupid that it has to repeat its enormous download every time before going thru the "Preparing to install" up to 100% before it fails.
8.1 I like
This site has been up for 3 months now. Just sayin'
OEM link seems to be broken, you forgot to add http
Interesting, going to look into the Qualcomm OEM requirements. Have no intention of working my life away for a crappy pension lol.
After watching the video I actually feel like making a Windows Phone device myself. But, ._. I can't.
Hm, makes you think, why is there never a manufacturer who let people think out there own device. Not only the hardware but design as well. Should be expensive but for those who can afford it.
Many here opposed the notion of free WP which any OEM anywhere can use under concerns that it would lead to crappy sets and experiences. I'm glad MSFT finally repudiated that argument after realizing it was one of the reasons windows and android achieved dominance. change is indeed happening. heh. finally.
Bring it!!
How much will this cost?

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