We’ve heard plenty of rumors about when some of this first generation Windows Phone 8 hardware will arrive, but the picking have been pretty darn slim when it comes to confirmation. According to a new report, there’s a good reason for that, as Microsoft has yet to finish work on Windows Phone 8, and though it’s scrambling to reach the rumored October 29 launch date, there’s always the chance that things might not be ready on time.

The Verge tells the tale of last-minute bugs and production delays continuing to push-back expectations for when the software will finally be ready for manufacturers to load. Supposedly, HTC has been more heavily impacted by these delays than other manufacturers, which may be one reason we’ve yet to get official word on its WP8 lineup.

Supposedly, carrier testing is really getting the short end of the stick with this rapidly-diminishing timetable; that means carriers getting less time with these handsets before approval, and may end up meaning we see more models released with something closer to stock WP8, lacking manufacturer customizations.

Microsoft may be ready to finalize the launch build of WP8 as soon as this week, but even with seven weeks to go before the end of October, that’s not much wiggle room for OEMs and carriers to get all this software ready-to-go for the hardware’s arrival.

Source: The Verge