14 DAY TRIAL // On April 2, Redmond-based software giant Microsoft officially unveiled the next flavor of its mobile operating system, namely Windows Phone 8.1, and it seems that it might not be too long before the platform starts arriving on existing devices as an official update.
At the moment, users interested in taking the OS for a spin can download and install it on their handsets in the form of a Developer Preview, which was made available on April 14, but Microsoft is also nearing the official availability of the OS, it seems.
According to a post on Vodafone Australia’s blog, the update is currently expected to arrive in its labs for testing, though it seems that it might take more than a month before this happens.
The wireless carrier notes on its website that handsets such as Nokia Lumia 1320, Lumia 625, Lumia 720, Lumia 820, and Lumia 925 are all set to receive the Windows Phone 8.1 update.
At the moment, the wireless services provider is waiting for the new platform release to be delivered to its labs for testing purposes and notes that this will happen in late May or early June.
Usually, new software updates are delivered to users about two or three weeks after delivered for testing, which suggests that we might indeed see the update coming to said phones before the end of June.
In early April, Microsoft did say that users would be provided with access to the update sometime in summer but has not provided a specific availability date for it as of now.
However, with the release of Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview two weeks ago, it was clear that Microsoft was indeed nearing the general availability of the operating system.
The first devices to run under Windows Phone 8.1 out of the box are expected to become available for purchase as soon as the next month, namely the Nokia Lumia 930 and Nokia Lumia 630, which are already on pre-order in some markets out there.
However, the new platform iteration will arrive on currently available handsets only after that, and Vodafone Australia’s listing suggests that June might be the lucky time frame for enthusiasts.
Vodafone won’t be the only wireless carrier to have the platform upgrade available to its users, which means that more info on the update’s landing at other operators out there might start arriving very soon. Keep an eye on this space for updates on this.