Like so many others, we were predicting to see Microsoft finally pull back the curtain on Windows Phone 8 this past week in New York. The reality of course, was that very little new was shown to the public and Microsoft's Joe Belfiore continued to promise that there was more to come. What we didn't learn until after the event ended was just how little time or freedom members of the press had with demo units of the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820.

Peter Bright of Ars Technica wrote about his experience at the event in the feature, "Where oh where is Windows Phone 8?". Bright also analyzes the current situation with the mobile platform and warns that Microsoft is dangerously close to falling behind.

But what was a little surprising [at the Nokia-Microsoft event] is that there were no handsets for the press to play with. There were some demonstration units carefully attended by PR personnel, and while we were able to get kind of close to them, the general rule was "you can look but you can't touch." This isn't unprecedented, but it's a little unusual for such a high-priority smartphone launch. Touching the phones, seeing how they feel in the hand, checking that their UI is nice and fast, these are all important parts of a smartphone launch.

The problem Nokia has appears to be not so much its hardware; it's the software. Windows Phone 8 isn't done yet. Not only is Windows Phone 8 not done, it's not even public yet. If Nokia let the assembled members of the fourth estate use its shiny new phones, they'd end up learning about Windows Phone 8's unrevealed features—features that Microsoft hasn't yet talked about.

More red flags are raised when Bright points out that Microsoft isn't even prepared to deliver the complete SDK yet, with the first public release coming in Beta form next week to only a select number of users. He surmises that the delays may have stemmed from the transition to a new kernel, which Microsoft was eager to tout at the WP Summit but has since become an obstacle to overcome.

It is definitely worrying to see that Windows Phone 8 still may not be ready for primetime when devices are expected to begin shipping in less than two months time. That may seem like a long time for eager fans, but for software developers that's a fast-approaching deadline and it certainly puts even more pressure on Microsoft to deliver on its promises. Of course, finishing the code and developer tools is less than half the battle because the company will also need enough time to rally up developers to create new Windows Phone 8 specific apps as well as actually market their products.

All in all, we have to say there's a lump in our throats right now as we watch Microsoft move perilously slow. Are you worried about the lack of Windows Phone 8 information and resources?

Source: Ars Technica