Windows Phone 7 only on GSM until mid-2011

posted by Ken N.

Sep 16, 2010, 10:23 PM

Windows Phone 7 only on GSM until mid-2011

There's some bad news for expectant Windows Phone 7 owners on CDMA carriers. Verizon had already said it wouldn't have WP7 devices until 2011, but Microsoft has now confirmed that the delayed release will be around mid-2011.

Greg Sullivan, product manager at Microsoft, told CNET: "We had to make some trade-offs...Even Microsoft doesn't have unlimited resources...We had to prioritize doing fewer things, really, really well." While there was talk of such a delay, this is the first official confirmation, and will surely dash many Verizon/Sprint subscribers' hopes.

Sullivan explained that their reasoning for starting with GSM was that it is a more global standard for their launch. Although the devices will be GSM, Sullivan gave no statement regarding T-Mobile also having devices at launch. There is obviously suspicion that the cold shoulder to CDMA is due in part to the KIN's epic failure with Verizon.

In an effort to follow the bad news with the good, we should note that Sullivan thought that 'mid-2011' was a conservative estimate.

source: CNET via Engadget

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10 Comments

10. justinB unregistered

guess this confirms it, Im going Android for the holidays, gg on screwing up MS.

posted on Sep 17, 2010, 5:05 PM 0

9. BleedingEdge unregistered

As a former WinMo fanboy... No removable storage? Market only app installs? Who cares? -Recent Android convert

posted on Sep 17, 2010, 10:43 AM 0

6. Fanboykiller unregistered

MS don't wanna have he same fate than palm with the PRE, they went CDMA first and a good handset is half dead now, good move for MS, GSM is the world standart.....!!!!!

posted on Sep 17, 2010, 7:49 AM 0

8. corps1089

Posts: 492; Member since: Jan 20, 2010

Yeah Fanboykiller, except the Palm Pre was exlusive and WP7 will be released on phones for all carriers. Its a tough call MS made and I don't like it; the only comfort I have is that I am not eligible to upgrade until March 2011 so I will not have to wait that long...

posted on Sep 17, 2010, 9:58 AM 0

4. PHONE FREAK unregistered

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HTC HD7 is coming to T-mobile! MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

posted on Sep 17, 2010, 6:22 AM 0

3. hawk62

Posts: 320; Member since: Nov 21, 2009

Great move MS. Cut off half the us buyers. Y? cause even vz couldn't sell the dumbest phone in years. Oh well im sure vz will just have to settle with selling millions on droid phones. Im sure BB is loving it too.

posted on Sep 17, 2010, 5:14 AM 0

5. GAYLORDFOCKER unregistered

YES. it was a GREAT move. GO SUCK MY D O R Nknob. LOSER>

posted on Sep 17, 2010, 6:23 AM 0

7. tomorrowisnow unregistered

It wasn't the move of MS, it was VZW. VZW is currently attempting to modify Good into its on Android mail server. They are experimenting locking down the Android OS and modifying it into a featureless crap OS like they did with regular handsets a few years back. This is seen in the Bing Search fiasco on the Fascinate and their announcement at creating/expanding the VZW AppStore to replace the Google market. The result is going to be and cradle to grave VZW solution where they control everything. MS is down right now and VZW can give them the boot without a PR uproar. VZW is doing what it has always done. It is pushing out any competition and is going to sell "different" devices that are really just clones of each other and then charge you every time you breathe.

posted on Sep 17, 2010, 9:06 AM 0

2. david_the_gom

Posts: 114; Member since: Dec 20, 2008

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted on Sep 17, 2010, 2:14 AM 0

1. 2lazy2login unregistered

LAME!!!!! At least any CDMA phone released in mid 2011 should be a WiMAX or LTE capable device... looks like upgrading now won't hurt... sigh... i was looking forward to a new christmas present of a WP7 Device..... disappointed.