Retailers are preparing for a September launch of Microsoft Windows Phone 7, according to some info that has leaked on the internet.
The mooted Quarter 3 launch is earlier than originally planned for the Windows Phone 7 launch and the news follows quickly in the footsteps of the decision to ditch Microsoft’s KIN phones in Europe. This may well have prompted the rush to promote a smartphone rival on the market to compete with Apple, BlackBerry, Android and Nokia’s Symbian phones this summer / autumn. 
By the way, just in case you’d missed the announcement, Microsoft is killing its ill-conceived KIN social network phones….six weeks after they launched. Unveiled in April, the KIN had the shortest lifespan of any product in Microsoft’s 35-year history. The internal KIN development team are going to now work on Windows Phone 7.
Leaked documents from US phone network AT&T reveal that Windows Phone 7 promotions are set to appear in store as early as late July, according to Engadget, which published the leaked floorplan for retail stores.
The new operating system can’t come soon enough for Microsoft, which has seen its mobile OS market share eroded by its rivals. Windows Mobile devices accounted for only 7% of smartphone sales in Q1 of this year, according to Gartner, leaving Microsoft trailing behind Symbian (44%), RIM (19%), Apple (15%) and Android (10%).
