14 DAY TRIAL // Bad news for Windows Phone fans expecting the next version of the operating system to land on their developer units next month, as Microsoft might have made some changes regarding the release of the preview build.
According to WPCentral’s Daniel Rubino, the Windows Phone Developer Program for Windows Phone 8.1 has been delayed and will not be released on April 2 at BUILD 2014 conference.
Microsoft is said to be a bit behind with correcting some of the bugs and small issues found in the current build, which is why it needs the extra time.
The Windows Phone 8.1 preview build will not be delayed by much though, which means that Microsoft might release it by the end of April. The major problem is the fact that it won’t make it to BUILD 2014 conference, as previously expected.
Regarding the SDK, things are a bit unclear for the moment. There is no info that this might have been delayed as well, so it might get released in early April at Microsoft’s BUILD 2014.
This doesn’t mean anything for end users who don’t own developer units, as the general release of Windows Phone 8.1 is scheduled for later this summer. In fact these are the latest speculations coming from various analysts and insiders, but the official confirmation should come next week at BUILD 2014.
Speaking of which, it’s almost confirmed that Microsoft and Nokia will announce a new lineup of Lumia smartphones powered by Windows Phone 8.1.
Yesterday, the Finnish company teased the fact that it would bring more devices at BUILD 2014, so Nokia fans should be thrilled that they will be able to get new devices made by their favorite handset maker.
Unfortunately, there’s no telling when exactly the new Lumia smartphones will be available for purchase, but given the recent leak that suggests that Samsung ATIV SE, another Windows Phone 8.1 handset, will be released by Verizon on April 18, we expect Nokia to introduce its own devices around the same timeframe or perhaps earlier.
Before despairing, keep in mind that this information has yet to be confirmed by Microsoft, so take it with a grain of salt. If you were expecting Windows Phone 8.1 developer preview to be released in early April 2, then don’t get your hopes too high, but don’t fret.
Microsoft may have delayed Windows Phone 8.1 developer preview for the moment, but there’s still a week left until BUILD 2014 conference is set to kick off, so things might change by then.