It now appears T-Mobile will launch Windows Mobile 7 phones in the U.S. as well as AT&T.
Invitations for an October 11 Windows Phone 7 press conference point to T-Mobile as being a key presenter at the event.
Windows Phone 7 is expected to make its debut on October 11 in phones from Samsung, LG and HTC and become available through AT&T the week of November 8, reported The Wall Street Journal last week.
The phones will be officially unveiled on October 11 and then offered through AT&T four weeks later.
A success in smartphones is critical to Microsoft’s overall business analyst Avi Greengart of Current Analysis told the WSJ.
Microsoft’s share has fallen by half in the past year to only 5 percent in the second quarter compared to 9.3 percent a year ago, according to Gartner. And Android has largely replaced Microsoft as a key OS for phones.
Windows Phone 7 has some standout features that the company hopes will boost its market share including the ability to integrate games from Xbox live. It incorporates Zune and has a user interface with “live tiles” that stream updates from social networking sites.
Microsoft has confirmed only that Windows Phone 7 will be available on phones in time for the holiday season.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
