The date many have been waiting for has finally been released. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has confirmed that the company will launch its Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system on October 29th at an event in San Francisco.
The new system, which is expected to launch with several handsets including the Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) Lumia 920, is an eagerly awaited alternative to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) mobile operating systems.
The software will be released as a complementary system to the company’s Microsoft 8 Desktop and Tablet operating system. That product will also be launched this month.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has lagged behind its competitors in recent years as consumers increased their purchases of mobile computing devices while simultaneously decreasing their purchases of traditional desktop computers. Microsoft has been left without a real challenger in the mobile sphere until now.
The firm has been working with Nokia Corporation (NASDAQ:NOK) to create mobile handset that will provide a viable alternative to the established mobile universes, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS. The birth of a third option for consumer may finally occur in the launch at the end of this month.
Little is known about the launch, though it seems unlikely that handsets will actually be available to consumers on the day. The launch day is likely to be a publicity event that draws attention to the features of the Microsoft Corporation operating system (NASDAQ:MSFT), and the new devices launching with it.
Carriers that are selling the devices will allow their customers to pre order the phones sometime around the launch date, though many may offer pre order before the 29th.
Either way, customers unhappy with the mobile devices currently on offer will finally have an alternative at the end of this month. The event itself should allow the public to grasp what makes Windows Phone 8 different from other operating systems, and why they should invest in a hand set.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been attempting to enter the smart phone market for some time, but the devices under the Window Phone 7 and Windows Phone 7.5 systems never saw wide success. The almost simultaneous release of the firm’s new operating system alongside its new desktop OS is likely to make October Microsoft’s month in the tech press.
Whether or not the firm manages success with its mobile offerings this time around will, as always, be up to the market.