Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 launch event doesn’t seem to be much of a mystery, thanks to a pile of leaks and rumors. Care to ignore the Windows Phone 7 haters and get wrapped up in the pre-launch buzz? Come along for a look at what to expect October 11.
The Phones
Samsung’s Omnia 7, also known as the GT-i8700, got the shady spy shot treatment at Gizmodo. Specs are unknown, except that it has 8 GB of storage.
The Carriers
GigaOM notes that AT&T chief executive Ralph De La Vega will have a morning keynote during Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 event, and that T-Mobile is holding a separate event later in the day. Given the rumor that AT&T will be Microsoft’s exclusive launch partner starting November 8, I’m guessing that T-Mobile will start selling Windows Phone 7 handsets after some short exclusivity window. Whether AT&T’s lock on Windows Phone 7 will last through the holidays is unclear.
We know that Windows Phone 7 won’t be available for CDMA carriers — that’s Verizon Wireless and Sprint — until next year.
What’s Next
More phones, more carriers, of course. Despite being sued by Microsoft for patent infringement, Sanjay Jha, the co-chief executive of Motorola, told the Wall Street Journal that he’s willing to consider Windows Phone 7, but only if the software looks good. Jha hasn’t seen it, he said. Meanwhile, Dell is reportedly working on its own Windows Phone 7 handsets, and they look a lot better than the wimpy Aero Android phone that launched in August.
IDC analyst Ramon Llamas expects Windows Phone 7 to be adopted slowly but surely, and IDC thinks the OS will have 9.8 percent of the global smartphone market by 2014.