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Fujitsu IS12T Mango phone ready to launch August 25th, already accepting preorders
When we first learned of the Fujitsu IS12T, the world's first handset sporting Windows Phone 7.5 "Mango," it was rumored to be showing up in the second half of August. Our hopes were crushed, however, when the company officially stated that it should be available the following month "or beyond." Sure, a September launch would still be on right on time (given Microsoft's intent of releasing the update this fall), but wouldn't it be nice to see something come out ahead of schedule? Chin up, folks -- the Au KDDI store in Nishi-Kasai tweeted that the IS12T will be released this coming Thursday and is already accepting preorders. And there's more to the story: even though Nanopho reports that multiple locations are busy taking reservations, Au's official site is still sticking to its guns about the phone's September release. Given the tug-of-war taking place between the stores and their corporate boss, next week may turn out to be quite interesting. Update: Microsoft has now confirmed to us that there will indeed be a launch event in Japan on August 25th.
Fujitsu to launch first Windows Phone Mango handset in... August?
Say it ain't so -- not only is a phone not delayed, it's actually planning to come out earlier than its quoted launch window? This particular miracle is the exception much more than the rule, but Microsoft's latest Windows Phone OS (nicknamed "Mango,") might come out prior to the anticipated fall release. According to Nikkei, Fujitsu will offer the very first Mango device, a waterproof phone called the IS12T, on KDDI "as early as late next month." The phone is to be sold for 30,000 - 40,000 yen ($378 - 505), a reasonable amount of coin for what will likely be a higher-end device. And -- if it's the same handset showcased at this week's Worldwide Partner Conference -- a pink version will be on sale. So, what's more enticing: a Hello Kitty-flavored Windows Phone, or a Samsung Galaxy S II lookalike running Mango? It's a tough call.
