Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2 and 3 to offer Windows Phone 7 mobiles

The UK's five biggest mobile networks: 3, Orange, O2, T-mobile and Vodafone, will all stock handsets running Microsoft Windows Phone 7. Microsoft also said high street retailers The Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U will offer a selection of handsets running the platform.

"Following our announcement at Mobile World Congress that Orange will be our lead partner, it is wonderful now to have all of the UK's network operators supporting the launch of Windows Phone 7," said Alex Reeve from Microsoft. "This means we can provide network choice and also a range of phones across networks for customers to choose from, all with the power of Windows Phone 7."

While Microsoft has yet to reveal when handsets feature the operating system will hit shelves, there's much speculation that it could be October 11. Pocket-lint cited multiple Microsoft sources, although it did not name them, confirming the October release date.