A few weeks ago, we reported a rough timeline regarding the launch of Windows Phone 8. We saw Samsung kicking off the wave of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 news by announcing their ATIV line of tablets and phones. Next week we also expect Microsoft to be announcing more details about the consumer features of Windows Phone 8 on September 5, with Nokia also revealing their much awaited Lumia range of devices on the same date. HTC is also rumored to join in with the announcement of their new Windows Phone 8 line of devices around mid-September. Today Mary Jo Foley reported that Windows Phone 8 might be officially “launch” on October 29, a few days after the launch of Windows 8 on October 26, with devices coming a few weeks later:
October 29 will be the official "launch" of Windows Phone 8, I am told. I’m hearing this event will likely be on the west coast, either in San Francisco or Los Angeles. (Again, I don’t know exactly where. A photo studio? Outside an Apple store?) But this is considered the "consumer launch" of the product, with handsets to be made available starting a week or two later, meaning early November, as other sources of mine had indicated.
Given Mary Jo Foley’s accurate track record with launch dates, and the fact that the October 29 launch date seems to make sense such that Windows Phone 8 devices can be in people’s hands before the holiday season, we’re inclined to say this might in fact turn out to be true. However, as always, things may change last minute and Microsoft has not officially confirmed anything yet, so take this news with a pinch of salt. October definitely seems to be an exciting month for Microsoft!