Is Samsung Selling Windows Phones So It Can Kill Windows Phone?

Jeff Johnston, of small research firm Detwiler Fenton, has an interesting theory about the Samsung-Microsoft mobile relationship.

Johnston thinks Samsung is selling a Windows Phone only to drain Microsoft resources while it builds its own competitive operating system.

It seems like an overly complicated notion, but since reading about it at All Things D last week, we can't stop thinking about.

Here's the idea: Android and iOS are running away with the smartphone market. Carriers are desperate for a third mobile operating system to emerge so they can play all three OSes off each other. So far, Blackberry and Microsoft haven't been able to become credible third-party OSes.

At the same time, Samsung has big ambitions of its own. Its success thus far has come entirely from using Google's Android software. But, it clearly wants to distance itself from Google. Its recent bizarre S4 launch made no mention of Android.

Samsung is developing Tizen, its own open source operating system. Samsung wants to control its software as well as its hardware, like Apple.

This is the trend right now in tech.

For years, Apple was the only company doing its own hardware and software. Everyone else specialized in either hardware, or software.

Now Microsoft makes the Surface and Windows 8. Google owns Motorola and does Android. Amazon has its own Kindle Software and hardware business. (HP tried and failed with this strategy when it bought Palm.)

From Samsung's perspective, it makes sense. Why rely on Google which has its own phone company in Motorola. Can you trust a partner that wants to compete with you?

Detweiler believes Samsung wants Tizen to become that third mobile operating system. Samsung could use its now-leading brand position to start selling Tizen phones.

For Tizen to succeed, it helps if Microsoft's Windows Phone fails. Therefore, Detweiler thinks Samsung is half-heartedly selling a Windows Phone only to drain Microsoft of engineering resources.

"Our checks indicate that Samsung may be intentionally gobbling up Microsoft’s smartphone resources as a strategic move to impede the adoption of Windows Phone 8 ... While Samsung insists on receiving extensive engineering support (which they are getting) from Microsoft, there is no evidence that Samsung has any interest in seeing the Windows Phone platform succeed."

One other piece of this that Johnston doesn't mention is that Samsung has been criticizing Microsoft loudly lately saying no one wants Windows Phones or tablets. Because it sells Windows Phones, when Samsung bashing of Microsoft is more credible than if it didn't.

If you believe in the conspiracy that Samsung is trying to hurt Microsoft, then it might sell that phone just so it can tell people the phone stinks and people would believe it.