Microsoft today confirmed that Windows Phone 7 will only be offered on GSM networks in 2010. The CDMA version has been delayed to next year. This leaves two of the US’ major networks, Sprint and Verizon, without Windows Phone 7 devices until 2011. According to Microsoft senior product manager Greg Sullivan:
“For the worldwide market, the vast majority of phones are GSM phones, so we focused on GSM first and then plan to deliver an update that will have great CDMA support in the first half of 2011. That’s device availability in the first half and we’re very confident of that. That’s probably a conservative estimate.”
Sullivan also confirmed that Microsoft had to make some compromises and leave out some features, such as copy-and-paste, to deliver Windows Phone 7 this year.
Microsoft is expected to formally unveil the first devices running Windows Phone 7 on October 11th (although devices won’t be available until sometime later).