Nokia to unveil Windows phones on Oct 26

Finnish phone maker Nokia will formally announce its Microsoft-powered "Windows Phones" in London on October 26, a Microsoft executive confirmed. Microsoft Windows Phone division president Andy Lees confirmed the event at a tech forum, tech site Engadget reported. "(Nokia will) have differentiating hardware and software," he said, according to Engadget. He also said Nokia will announce its rollout plans with Windows Phone. Lees that after Nokia saw Microsoft's roadmap for this year and next year, "it decided to bet the whole company on Windows Phone based on that." "We've seen that other hardware makers have seen this occurrence as an accelerant, which in turn helps both Microsoft and Nokia," he said. Lees also said he was "excited" about naming some new OEMs that will be coming onboard with Windows Phone 7. A separate article on tech site Mashable noted Nokia has recently cut a significant portion of its workforce, mostly due to poor smartphone sales. "It simply cannot risk another failure with Windows Phone devices, and we eagerly await to see what they have in stock for this holiday season," it said. Nokia to launch windows phones only in selected markets Meanwhile, a separate article on CNET said Nokia's Windows Phone will be launched only in selected markets this year. "We are being very deliberate in the sequence. It is a significant shift in the organization for how we sell and how we manufacture," Chief Executive Stephen Elop said in defending the plan. He added there is a "long list of things to do," mentioning language support for different parts of the world, marketplace capabilities, and operator billing. CNET added Nokia does not want to needlessly undercut its existing business with the Symbian operating system. "We're very thoughtful about how we first launch Windows Phone relative to where Symbian is strong so we get the right balance and right dynamics," Elop said. — TJD, GMA News