LG Confirms Windows Phone 7 Coming as Early as Sept.
Even before Microsoft announced Windows Phone 7 Series last week, LG has been feeding rumors that they would have a Windows Phone 7 phone out by September of this year. Now the company has upped the ante by confirming that launch window.
This news has come as a surprise for many people who assumed Microsoft's announcement that WinPhone7 would be available before the holidays meant sometime in November. The news that LG is aiming for earlier launch means that Microsoft may also release Windows Phone 7 Series sooner than expected.
The information comes via a conversation Engadget China had with LG Mobile at a Chinese New Year celebration. LG confirmed the September launch rumors for a Windows Phone 7 phone, but then also hedged by saying it would be in a launch window sometime between September and November.
While not a guarantee, this confirmation is good news for both LG and Microsoft. LG phones are generally recognized as good phones, but the company has not managed to make itself heard in the increasingly important smartphone category . News that LG will have a WinPhone7 phone available early indicates the company is eager to expand into smartphones.
The September news might also mean good things for Microsoft. The company has already received scorn for announcing an impressive new smartphone operating system after so many manufacturers started making Windows Mobile 6.5 phones. Many consumers might be content to wait until Windows Phone 7 Series comes out instead of buying a Windows Mobile 6.5 phone, so getting the new platform out sooner will help minimize the hit from low Windows Mobile 6.5 sales.
