Windows Phone 7 ‘to arrive October 11th’

Details of the launch plans of Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 have been revealed by the Wall Street Journal.

The launch is said to be "centered" in New York with events in other cities simultaneously according to people "familiar with the launch plans" cited by the WSJ. The launch event will take place on the 11th of October and US carrier AT&T will begin selling them a month later.

Echoing an exclusivity deal with the iPhone, AT&T has also secured an exclusive period in the vitally important US market although it’s expected not to last as long as the enduring iPhone exclusivity.

Three handsets will be offered from Samsung, LG and HTC in the launch which is vitally important for Microsoft to regain a footing in the smartphone sector, so eroded by a raft of competitors which have quickly outpaced Microsoft’s previous Windows Mobile operating system.

The interface has been influenced heavily by the Zune music player and Microsoft is choosing to sell up features such as Xbox Live integration and gaming while leaving out other features such as data tethering.