In a move that threatens to render market share assessments redundant, HTC is reportedly investigating adding Windows Phone to its range of Android devices at Microsoft's behest.

It's not clear whether said phones would be able to switch between the two operating systems, or whether users would have to pick one and stick with it.

However, Bloomberg reports the strategy is designed both to help Microsoft increase its hand in the smartphone market and ensure HTC isn't reliant on Android.

A matter of money

The sweetener? The site claims Microsoft would drop the license fee it currently charges manufacturers for every Windows Phone device that rolls off the production line – a move that would help HTC's bottom line.

The Taiwanese manufacturer has just reported its first ever net loss in a quarter - 2.97 billion Taiwanese dollars (around $100 million, or £62 million) in the three months to September – with its Android range suffering at the hands of rival Samsung.

How Windows Phone on an HTC One might look

Similarly, estimates suggest the soon-to-be Microsoft-owned Nokia control around 90 percent of the Windows Phone market, with HTC – which was once top dog in the US smartphone market – again playing second fiddle.

While Bloomberg claims HTC currently has no plans for any official successors to its last batch of Windows Phone devices – the 8X and 8S, launched in June – it appears the company's new strategy may hinge around bringing Microsoft's OS to its flagship handsets, such as the HTC One.

[source: Bloomberg]