Will Windows Phone 8 Arrive on September 7?

We now know that Microsoft’s Windows 8 platform for desktops and tablets will be shipping starting on October 26, but what about the mobileWindows Phone 8 OS? According to a teaser that Nokia is posting outside of its Helsinki, Finland store, ‘something amazing’ will be coming on September 7, 2012. The company’s retail store is currently closed for renovations currently.

An image posted on My Nokia Blog shows a Nokia store with a banner outside teasing the arrival of something amazing along with the date.

It’s unclear what that something amazing is. According to a report on Phone Arena, Nokia’s annual Nokia World conference is slated to kick off this year on September 5. However, given that the close proximity of the conference’s start date to the amazing release date two days later, it may be unlikely that Windows Phone 8 devices would be available for sale two days after the conference kicks off. However, it is still a possibility that Windows Phone 8 could arrive by then.

Windows Phone 8: What Windows Phone 7 Users Need to Know

When Windows Phone 8 debuts this fall it will feature a slick new camera app, Internet Explorer 10, near-field communication, Nokia Maps, Direct X support for advanced gaming and multi core processor support. That's the good news. The bad news is current Windows Phone 7 users will be left out in the cold for most of these features, including recent buyers of Nokia's Lumia 900 handset.

But don't lose heart Windows Phone fans, because Microsoft is still throwing you a bone and delivering a few Windows Phone 8-like changes for you. Following the release of Windows Phone 8this fall, Windows Phone 7 users will receive an update called Windows Phone 7.8 that includes the new Windows Phone 8 start screen.

If you're a current Windows Phone fan with no immediate plans to upgrade to a new handset when Windows Phone 8 comes out later in 2012, here's what you need to know about Windows Phone 7.8.

What if RIM Supported Windows Phone 8?

Research In Motion’s new BlackBerry 10 operating system has been delayed to, at the earliest, early 2013. That could prove to be a deathblow to the storied but struggling smartphone maker. RIM is going to miss out on the important holiday season with BlackBerry 10, and that could prove to be the weight that finally breaks the company’s back. In its dire straits, RIM has reportedly started to consider alternatives to BlackBerry 10 and its current strategy. Does that mean aligning itself with Microsoft and its Windows Phone platform? And how would such a move remake the smartphone landscape? 

On June 29th, Reuters reported that RIM had been approached by Microsoft to use its Windows Phone platform on BlackBerry hardware. RIM, being a proud company that thinks it can pull itself out of its tailspin, declined. At least for now.

Microsoft Windows Phone 8: Should You Make the Switch?

On Monday Microsoft announced the Microsoft Surface, its latest foray into the tablet hardware market. Now the software giant has unveiled Windows Phone 8, the new version of its smartphone operating system. The new OS looks impressive on several levels:

It borrows much of its code base from Windows 8. The result is an integrated ecosystem wherein developers can easily create apps and drivers that can be used on phones, tablets, and desktops.

WP8, which will support multi-core chipsets, a range of screen resolutions and removable MicroSD, also includes better support for native near-field communication (NFC) between phones, laptops, tablets, and PCs, meaning we could soon see more usable applications for NFC and a real mobile wallet.
WP8 will get Internet Explorer 10, complete with malware blocking, from Windows 8. IE10 provides significantly faster JavaScript performance and full HTML5 support.

Qualcomm reminds us that dual-core Windows Phone 8 is coming

Nokia Lumia 900 runs Windows Phone 7. It has a chip with only a single-core processor like other Windows phones.

Windows phones will finally be able to support more than one processor when the next version of Microsoft's mobile operating system hits, Qualcomm suggested Wednesday at Computex.

With Android phones already making the jump to quad-core it seems to be almost a throwback to the dawn of smartphones that Windows Phone 7 devices are still single core.

Generally, dual-core devices perform better than those with only one processor core -- as Microsoft and Intel know well in the Windows laptop world -- so it would be logical for Redmond to finally offer support for more processors in the Windows Phone 8 OS.

At a Computex Qualcomm briefing that CNET Asia attended, Rob Chandhok, Qualcomm's SVP and president of Qualcomm Internet services, confirmed that its dual-core Snapdragon S4 chip has been certified for Windows Phone 8.

Oddly, he added that even if a phone supplier plops an S4 into a phone, that doesn't necessarily mean "both cores would be used".

Well, let's just hope Qualcomm is being coy. No matter how much Microsoft tries to justify the power-efficiency attributes and good-enough performance of single-core phones, dual-core will eventually be the baseline standard on Android as it already is for Apple.

And carriers these days are quick to highlight this in advertising.

From:http://news.cnet.com/