If you can tick the boxes marked 'student' and 'developer' then Microsoft UK would like to make you an offer. It's a pretty simple one, send them a screenshot of your application running in the emulator, and the first twenty will be sent a Samsung Focus Flash to see if it works on actual hardware. Have it live in the Marketplace before Christmas Eve, and you can keep the phone.

From the blog:

Send us a screenshot of your Windows Phone app running in the emulator and we’ll send you a Samsung Focus Flash Windows Phone. Only apps that have not already been published, please! If your app appears in MarketPlace before December 23^rd 2011 you can keep the phone - yup- you heard it - you get to keep the phone.

What’s the catch? None really, but there are a couple of little hurdles to jump through. You must have registered on AppHub using your DreamSpark login credentials. You then need to complete this form and email it back to us at ukstu@microsoft.com. First 20 complete entries get the phones!

This is one more promotional activity to get developers on board with Windows Phone, but this is important work The more developers that come to a platform, especially this early in the life cycle, means more applications, more mind share, more buzz around the platform, all of which can help contribute to the success.

And if you end up being one of these students, let us know what you release!