Huawei Working on Windows 8 Phones, Windows 8 4G LTE Tablets

Huawei has proven itself to be an emerging smartphone powerhouse in the Android camp with powerful, well designed models like the slim and sleek Ascend P1 and the quad-core Ascend D quad, but the company isn’t sitting still. Like HTC, Samsung, and LG before it, Huawei is looking to diversify its portfolio by offering multiple phones running multiple operating systems, and it looks like the company is eyeing Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform and Windows 8 OS to drive further growth.

Given Nokia’s commitment to Windows Phone and the recent increase in mind share behind Microsoft’s OS, which is struggling in the shadows of Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems in the mobile space, it comes as little surprise that the increased consumer awareness of Windows Phone is leading other manufacturers to try and capitalize on Windows Phone. According to Chinese site WPDang, Huawei has around 70 engineers and designers employed to release a Windows Phone 8 device by the end of this year.

Windows Phone 8, also known by its codename of Apollo, will help the platform remain more competitive against rivals, at least on paper. Though Windows Phone 7 performs smoothly with its single-core CPU restrictions, the platform seems dated when compared to multi-core Android phones and HD displays–Windows Phone 8 will help manufacturers catch up on specs so that their devices look competitive on paper.

WP Sauce is also reporting that there are also rumors that Microsoft’s desktop-class Windows 8 platform will also be used by Huawei on an upcoming slate. The company has released a number of Android tablets in the past, and the addition of Windows 8 will help it grow its offerings. It’s unclear if the slate will be a Windows on ARM tablet or if it will utilize Intel’s or AMD’s CPU. 4G LTE connectivity will be part of Windows 8.