Microsoft drops camera requirement for Windows Phone 7.5 smartphones

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Microsoft has quietly relaxed the hardware specifications for Windows Phone 7.5 handsets to allow a few items to be optional that were formerly mandated requirements. Most notable of the changes is the dropping of the requirement that a Windows Phone smartphone must have a camera.

Most of the hardware specifications remain the same, including the WVGA (480 x 800 pixel) resolution display, capacitive screen, hardware buttons for Start, Search, and Back, 256MB or more of RAM, 8GB or more of internal storage, and a Qualcomm processor of 800MHz or faster. The new optional hardware specs include the aforementioned rear camera, a front-facing camera, a gyro, and a compass. Prior to this, all Windows Phone smartphones were required to have a 5 megapixel or higher camera with 720p video recording capability, autofocus, and a flash. A two-stage, dedicated camera key was also a requirement.

The relaxed specifications have apparently been in place since September, and will allow manufacturers, such as Nokia, to produce lower cost handsets for a variety of markets. We expect Microsoft to revise the requirements even further in the future, as Nokia has announced that it will utilize dual-core processors from ST Ericsson in Windows Phone smartphones next year, which are currently not allowed under Microsoft's hardware specifications. [via WP Central]