Last year it emerged that Chinese manufacturer Lenovo was planning to build a Windows Phone device. ZDNet has a report out of CES that reiterates this claim, quoting JD Howard, vice president of business operations at Lenovo's MIDH (Mobile Internet and Digital Home) group, as saying the company is "planning a Windows Phone 8 device and, if approved, consumers have a good chance of seeing it released this year".

That seems to suggest that Lenovo hasn't yet fully commited to releasing a device, but is keeping it options open. This is reinforced by ZDNet reporting, which notes that Howard said "the company will go where he market leads in terms of deciding which operating system to includes in its handsets.

Intriguingly the article also suggest that consumer perceptions over security issues with Android may make Windows Phone devices more attractive, and this is one of the reasons why the MIDH group has put forward a proposal to develop Windows Phone based smartphones.

Getting Lenovo on board the Windows Phone ecosystem would be a significant achievement for Microsoft. Lenovo reported sales of almost 7 million smartphones in China in Q3 2012, taking the second spot, in terms of unit sales, behind Samsung. It is widely tipped to move into first position in Q4 2012 or Q1 2013. Globally Lenovo is just outside the top 5 smartphone manufacturers, but this could change in 2013. Lenovo, ZTE, and Huawei are all expected to challenge Sony, HTC and RIM for a spot in the top 5.

ZTE's, Huawei's, and Lenovo's current success is based on sales of Android devices. Google's platform will remain the mainstay of their smartphone shipments throughout 2013, but it's clear all three companies are keeping their options open. Huawei formally announced its first Windows Phone product earlier this week, and ZTE has said it is working on additional Windows Phone devices.

Momentum for Windows Phone device from these companies may be driven by their home markets. Microsoft has noted that China is the biggest single country market for Windows Phone devices, and the early signs suggest that the platform is enjoying strong sales after the formal launch of Windows Phone 8 in the country last month.