Gizmodo have just posted an update to the rumours around “Project Pink”. If you’ve not heard of it before, Project Pink was a rumour which started last year about a new phone platform developed by Microsoft which would be focused on Social Networking.
The project stemmed from the Microsoft takeover of Danger (makers of the Sidekick). Key members of Danger were said to be working on a secret project to release two new phone models – the Turtle and Pure.
Rumoured Turtle Phone
The latest post from Gizmodo states that they’ve received confidential promotional material regarding the release of Turtle on the Verizon network in the US. The material has reportedly come from a partner working with Microsoft, so they’re unable to show most of it to avoid giving away their source.
Here’s the facts so far regarding Project Pink:
- The Handset is not running a variant of Windows Phone 7
- Recent FCC Filings show evidence the handset exits and will be manufactured by Sharp
- Recent Twitter posts are coming from a device called “Danger” from within Microsoft
- Verizon appear to be the launch partner
- The phone supports a form of App (similar to IPhone, Google Apps etc)
Although the phone is said not to be running a variant of Windows Phone 7 – I suspect the interface will be similar. At MWC, Microsoft really emphasised the amount of work which had gone in to the interface over the last two years, so I’d be surprised if they ignored the results on a similar device? Also the screenshots on the render (although fuzzy and small), do remind me of the interface I saw in Barcelona at MWC.
Looks like we’ll be hearing more about this device soon!