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Huawei not releasing Windows Phone on Sep. 25

Contrary to online speculation, the company says it has no events planned for its Ascend W1 device on Tuesday and will release more information about the smartphone "in due course".
Written by Kevin Kwang, Contributor

Huawei Technologies has no plans of announcing its Windows Phone 8 smartphone on Sep. 25, contrary to online rumors the Ascend W1 will be unveiled on Tuesday.

When asked if the Chinese IT vendor will be launching its device, a company spokesperson said: "We don't have any event [scheduled] on Sep. 25 for [Ascend] W1."

She added Huawei is unable to share further information about its Windows Phone 8 device at this juncture but is looking forward to officially unveiling the device "in due course where details of the smartphone will be confirmed". 

The company's reply comes after Chinese tech site Winp.cn said last Monday Huawei was preparing to showcase its smartphone on Tuesday and would make the device available in November or December this year. It also stated the device would be retailing at 2,000 yuan (US$315.60) and will be on sale in Europe, the United States and China.

A subsequent message on microblogging site Sina Weibo on Sep. 20 by Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei's consumer business group, confirmed the Ascend W1 name.

Yu added the company would no longer conduct pre-launch announcements for its smartphones, but will release the device to market as soon as it is announced which follows Apple's footsteps.

Huawei is one of four phonemakers Microsoft had appointed to manufacture the first wave of Windows Phone 8 phones, with the other three--Nokia, Samsung, and HTC--unveiling their devices in the recent weeks.

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