Stories that Microsoft is planning to release smartphones under its own brand name have been burning up many leading rumors sites for months.

The purported phones -- codenamed 'Pink,' rumors say -- aim to give Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) a leg up in the Windows Mobile space where the company has been having a hard slog for nearly a decade.

Rumors have also swirled that the software giant, which has a substantial hardware business that includes branded keyboards, mice, the Xbox, and the Zune MP3 players -- will market a tablet PC of some sort, also under its own brand name.

Reflecting on the rumors, several mobile analysts said that, if true, both could be bad moves on Microsoft's part.

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