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Microsoft teases HTC partnership at Computex 2014

Microsoft's VP of OEM partners Nick Parker dropped clear hints about a new Windows Phone from HTC at the Taiwan tech show.

Nic Healey Senior Editor / Australia
Nic Healey is a Senior Editor with CNET, based in the Australia office. His passions include bourbon, video games and boring strangers with photos of his cat.
Nic Healey

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Microsoft's Nick Parker at Computex 2014. Aloysius Low/CNET

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Could HTC be heading back into the world of Windows?

That's certainly what Nick Parker, Microsoft's VP of OEM partners, was suggesting during a Microsoft press conference here at Computex.

"I'd love to break some news here if I could," said Parker in response to a question about manufacturing partners. "But instead I'll just say that Microsoft will continue to have a great relationship with HTC. New things are coming, so get excited."

Parker was possibly talking about the much rumoured HTC W8. Sadly, this doesn't appear to be a Windows Phone version of the much loved HTC One M8 , but may instead be a Windows variant of the upcoming mid-range phone codenamed the HTC A9.

Noted tipster @evleaks has been hinting at the W8 for some time now, most recently stating that it will be an exclusive for US network Verizon, landing in Q3.

The site also says that HTC's BoomSound and Duo Cameras, as seen in the One M8, will make the move to the Windows Phone platform.

Parker's comments were suitably vague, so the Microsoft-HTC device could be anything. It's been a while between Windows-flavoured drinks for HTC, but if true, it shows that Microsoft's Nokia acquisition certainly won't be shutting any doors on previous relationships.