The only indication Microsoft has given about the release of Windows Phone 7 is that it would be made available to the public by the holidays. That announcement came back in February, and since then, Microsoft hasn’t had much to say on the matter. Well, they still don’t have much news, but few facts  seem to indicate a late October launch for Windows Phone 7.

On September 16th, the Windows Phone 7 Development Tools will go gold, giving developers their first hands on experience with the final version of the development software. Microsoft will start accepting submissions to the app marketplace sometime in the beginning of October. Now, that timeline is important, because it could potentially indicate the release window for Windows Phone 7. Once developers start submitting apps, Microsoft will put them through a review process of some sort. There is a good chance that the review process won’t take more than two or three weeks. In other words, apps could be submitted and approved by the end of October, or the beginning of November.

Keep in mind that this is pure speculation on our part. The only parts officially confirmed by MS are the release date for the final version of the development tools, and the rough time frame in which they’ll start taking application submissions. We’re guessing that there will be a  two  to three week approval process based on how other companies handle similar approval processes.

Of course, we could be wrong. Microsoft requires developers to submit Xbox Live Arcade games for the Xbox 360 to a review process, and that sometimes takes over a month. Sometimes, the game will be bounced back to the developers over something small, and then it will have to wait in line all over again. If the review process for phone apps is just as strict, we could be looking at a Black Friday release for Windows Phone 7.

Any way you slice it, the wait is almost over. We’ll be able to get our hands on Windows Phone 7 in just a couple of months, and it looks like we’ll have a strong selection of apps and games to choose from at that time. We’ll be sure to bring you information on the official release date as soon as possible.

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