Windows Phone 8 not yet ready, will be finished around end-October

Samsung, Nokia and HTC all announed their new Windows Phone 8 devices, but we can’t help but notice that all announcements came with one big fat disclaimer - the operating system is not ready yet. The Samsung Ativ S was remained locked for journalists to test, and Nokia only allowed press to test the camera on its new Lumias after the huge camera fiasco. Now, HTC also doesn’t allow media to go any deeper than the home screen in its new Windows Phone smartphones.

Why? And when will Windows Phone 8 be ready? HTC revealed that Microsoft will only have its operating system completely finished around the end of October. The first two HTC Windows Phone devices, the 8X and 8S will hit retail shelves in early November.

"Windows Phone 8 will be released at the end of October. We hope to be in shops days afterwards," a spokesman for HTC confirmed.

That extra time will hopefully allow all new devices to launch on a ton of carriers. In the U.S., HTC’s Windows Phones will arrive on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. Globally, the phones will land on 126 carriers across 50 countries.

source: Pocket-lint