It's official: Windows Phone 8 will launch October 29th

Microsoft sent press invitations this week announcing the launch of its Windows Phone 8 platform on October 29. The smart phone OS will run on handsets from Nokia, Samsung, and HTC -- and there's a rumor that Microsoft may be working on its own model as well.

After months of dropping hints, Microsoft is finally ready to make its big announcement. On October 29, it'll unveil Windows Phone 8, the company's answer to the dominant Android and iOS phone software. The company sent out press invitations on Thursday to a press event in San Francisco on the 29th.

That means we'll finally learn more about the features of the OS, finally get a good look at the handsets it'll run on, and -- if Microsoft sticks to the schedule -- finally get a software development kit so developers can create apps for Windows Phone 8.

Keep in mind that October 29th isn't the date you'll actually be able to buy a Windows Phone 8 handset -- that'll be a few days (or weeks) later. But Microsoft has made only vague promises for so long (until recently, we knew only that Windows Phone 8 would be introduced sometime in autumn) that it's nice to have a specific date to look forward to.

Though there are still a lot of things we don't know about Windows Phone 8, Microsoft has made some details public. Here's a quick rundown of what's already known: the OS has a tile-based look and feel, support for wireless payment (think tapping your phone instead of swiping a credit card), and built-in navigation and video chat.

It'll also be relatively easy to port Android and iOS apps to Windows Phone 8, which should make developers happy. And one other plus: users will be able to get software updates directly from Microsoft, rather than having to wait for carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint to release phone-specific updates -- a common complaint among many Android users.

We know a little bit about the hardware, too: Windows Phone 8 will launch, in the US at least, on the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 handsets, which got rave reviews when they were unveiled earlier this year. Those will be out in November, as will models from Samsung (the Ativ S) and HTC (the 8X and 8S). HTC has promised that it's "going big" on the Windows Phone 8 platform, which may mean there are new phones still in store.

There's an interesting rumor bouncing around, too: one that says Microsoft will also make its own Windows Phone 8 handset to compete more directly with Apple's iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S III. The rumor started with an article in the China Times, and was corroborated by the rumors site Boy Genius Report, and while it should be taken with an extra grain of salt, it's also worth remembering that Microsoft did basically the same thing earlier this year with the Surface tablet: a Microsoft-branded device that competes with the company's own hardware manufacturers. It's not impossible that the company would want to make its own smart-phone model, too.

Readers, are you looking forward to the launch? Considering a Windows Phone 8 handset, or satisfied with your current smart phone? Let us know in the comments section below.

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