Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) said a long-awaited operating system for smartphones initially won’t be available on handsets compatible with the cellular technology used by carriers that include Verizon Wireless (VZ) and Sprint Nextel Corp. (S).
The new operating system, Windows Phone 7, will initially work only with cellular networks based on a technology called GSM, said Greg Sullivan, senior product manager at Microsoft, who said the company decided to focus on that wireless standard because the company is “placing high-quality customer experiences above all else.”
GSM is the basis of U.S. networks operated by AT&T Inc. (T) and T-Mobile USA, and is widely used in Europe and other markets. AT&T will carry three devices running on the new Windows Phone 7 when it debuts in the U.S., according to a person familiar with the matter.
Windows Phone 7 won’t run on the cellular technology known as CDMA, which has a smaller position globally and is used in the U.S. by Verizon Wireless and Sprint.
