‘Over 15k devs’ register for Windows Phone

More than 15,000 individual developers are registered to create apps and games for Windows Phone 7, Microsoft has claimed.

The breakdown of that headline figure, however, was not provided.

Microsoft’s own employees, to some extent at least, will be included on the list – and studios registered for the device may be counted in their full workforce numbers.

Nevertheless, it remains a striking indication of support for the new smart phone.

Todd Brix, a senior director in Microsoft’s mobile division, said the new developer count represented an 80% increase since September.

“Clearly we’re just getting warmed up,” he said on a Microsoft web page.

He also predicted the Windows Mobile platform will boast over 3,000 apps before December.

Windows Phone 7 is the company’s latest attempt to replicate, or threaten, the success of Apple’s iPhone. In June, Apple CEO Steve Jobs claimed his army of App Store devs had made $1 billion for themselves.

Recent rumours suggested that Microsoft sold just 40,000 of its new mobile devices on launch day in the US.