Lenovo, the world's second largest PC maker, has disclosed plans to launch a Windows Phone device by the second half of 2012.

There are many rumors speculating that Lenovo will release a new Windows Phone by next year and these rumors were confirmed by Yue Chen, Lenovo's LePhone Product Manager during an interview with the Chinese blog, iMobile. Leaked photos of the Lenovo Windows Phone show a strong resemblance with Lenovo's LePhone S2 Android smartphone. The only difference is that it is running with the latest Windows Phone 7.5 Mango OS. Information about the exact specifications and features of the new Lenovo Windows Phone was not revealed.

This confirmation about the launch of a new Windows Phone also sparked additional rumors about the entrance of Windows Phone in the booming Chinese market. There are reports stating that Microsoft is planning to launch Chinese Windows Phone by early next year through forming a partnership with Suning. Suning is a China-based retailer which has more than 700 stores all over China. Rumors are also circulating about Nokia's desire to enter the Chinese market through releasing their own Windows Phone. Despite these numerous reports speculating about the entrance of Windows Phone in China, no official statement from these companies has been released in the public.

Lenovo's move to release their own Windows Phone by next year could be the strategy that Microsoft is waiting for in order to upgrade their level in the smartphone market. According to most survey reports, Windows Phone is considerably behind power players like Apple's iPhone and Android-based devices. This partnership with Lenovo could be what Microsoft needs to boost their market share alongside the positive reviews that their latest "Mango" update received. As for the partnership between Lenovo and Microsoft, this is not the first time that the companies have partnered up so this partnership just an extension of their already established business partnership.

Since Lenovo acquired IBM's PC division, the company maintained their "black box formula" through the ThinkPad line in the U.S. In China, Lenovo is adapting a new strategy in which the company is more inclined to prioritize the needs of their consumers. For example, the S series from Lenovo targets female customers while the P series are considered towards business-oriented customers.

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