Acer will only make Windows Phone devices if market adoption grows

With a total number of 13 OEM partners making the Microsoft's Windows Phone OS-based devices, Acer is looking to maintain its distance from the platform, saying it "can't take the risk" based on the OS's lack of demand and poor application availability.

"The Windows Phone Store is improving. But if there are 350,000 apps and it doesn't include the top 100, then it's no good for consumers. For example, if you don't have the local banking aps, then it is a naught to certain people," stated Allen Burnes, EMEA VP for Acer's smartphone division, to the Inquirer.

He further detailed the lack of OS demand among the users by pointing out that the Windows Phone OS is only used by seven percent of the users in Europe, and added "We are having conversations with Microsoft, and if they index Windows Phone to 10 to 15 percent, we are interested."

Burnes added that despite the new hype surrounding the Windows Phone platform, and its positive response by the users, Acer would for now stick only with Microsoft's PC and laptop OS, and focus on Android for its smartphones.

Acer is quite familiar with the Microsoft Windows Phone OS, as it has previously created the Windows Phone OS-based smartphones, including the Acer W8 and Acer Allegro, which operated on its Windows Phone 7 Mango OS version.

At the recently held Mobile World Congress 2014 at Barcelona, the firm revealed its Android-powered budget and mid-range smartphones, namely Acer Liquid Z4 and Liquid E3.

The Acer Liquid E3 comes with a price tag of 199 euros (approximately Rs. 17,000), and the Liquid Z4 comes with a price tag of 99 euros (approximately Rs. 8500). Both the Liquid smartphones will hit the European market in April.