Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 Launch Event Happening October 29 In San Francisco

Microsoft is sending out invites for a Windows Phone 8 launch event on October 29, to be held at 10 AM PST. The  phone platform was shown off on stage during a joint event with Nokia, and also during another with HTC in September, but Microsoft is saying we’ll see more at its own show.

This could be when the company tells consumers when exactly they’ll get their hands on Redmond’s next mobile OS, and it comes just a few days after the official launch of the Windows 8 desktop and tablet platform. AT&T announced today that it would begin selling the Windows Phone 8-powered Nokia Lumia 820 and 920 in November, so maybe we’ll see these get a specific shelf date at this event.

Microsoft has been doing a lot to encourage developers to come on board for Windows Phone, with 100,000 apps as of June and likely quite a few more now. The OS also has a number of devices from both Nokia and HTC aimed at various budgets to help it gain some early traction. But it’s still going to have a hard time catching up to the number 1 and 2 mobile operating system’s, Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS.

Maybe the best part of a Microsoft event? The possibility of yet another Ballmer meme.