We’ve been waiting for Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s iPhone for years, and we’ve often speculated that it wouldn’t really dirty its hands in the smartphone industry. After all, its real strength is in its software offerings, such as Windows Mobile. But if the rumors are to be believed, we may be seeing the first Zune Phone at the Mobile World Congress.

MuyComputer (the Spanish-language blog) claims that it received NVIDIA’s confirmation about being with Microsoft to announce the new Zune Phone in Barcelona this month. Rumor has it that the phone will run on NVIDIA’s powerful Tegra platform, which is also used in the Zune HD as well as a few tablets in development.

Contrary to widespread speculation, the Zune Phone won’t be a Zune player with extra phone features thrown in. Rather, it’s going to run Windows Mobile 7 and have a tweaked version of the Zune software. Pretty much like how the iPhone presents a rehashed veresion of the iPod software.

Details are still scant at this point, but it bears repeating — it’s just a rumor. With many Apple fans epicly disheartened with the Apple tablet’s underwhelming debut (and name), it’s best we take this information with a grain of salt, until we see the real meat-and-potatoes at the Mobile World Congress.

Via: Mashable