News: Microsoft increases the stake of its ‘Smoked by Windows Phone’ campaign to a $1000

Microsoft is changing its $100 ‘Smoked by Windows Phone’ campaign to a $1000 challenge at all its retail stores across the US this weekend. Visitors can walk into a Microsoft Store anytime between 9AM and 10PM local to time and challenge Microsoft to a Windows Phone speed test. The winners will walk away with a Hunger Hames Special Edition PC, while the ‘losers’ will be given an opportunity to trade their current smartphone for a Windows Phone. Each store will have 10 prizes every day.

A person familiar with the promotion has confirmed that Microsoft will accept modern smartphones like the iPhone, Android handsets and BlackBerrys. Shoppers will need to sign a release form to allow their stories to be used in future advertising, and there are also some strict rules involved, which includes a limitation of attempts to one. Microsoft Store visitors won’t need to hand over their phone at the end of the challenge is they don’t wish to, but they will get a chance to trade it in for one of the latest Windows Phones without a contract. The $1000 Windows Phone challenge starts today, as part of The Hunger Games opening weekend, and will go on till March 29th.