Taiwan-based OEMs are not yet interested in Windows Phone 7; cite licensing fees

Digitimes is reporting that numerous Taiwanese phone manufactures such as Foxconn, Compal Communications, Pegatron Technology, Qisda, Inventec, Inventec Appliances and Arima Communication, are not yet jumping on Windows Phone 7 but rather are sticking with Android, for now.

The reason given is a combination of licensing fees and current levels of investment in the Android OS as barriers for entry for them. Of course, money talks and if Windows Phone 7 is a big hit, we imagine these companies will come on board.

For the casual reader, companies like Foxconn, Compal and Inventec are far from familiar names in the U.S. That's because such companies in the past have often been behind the scenes, having been hired to build devices for the likes of HP, Palm (Treo line) and Apple (iPhone). Recently, many of those companies have tried the go-it-alone approach to break free from this role, much like HTC did years ago. So far though they have made little traction in Western markets, meaning much of this "news" is inconsequential at the moment.