HTC has told Pocket-lint that Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 will be finished by the end of October and that it will be releasing its two phones, the Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC, a couple of days later in November.

The confirmation means that fans of the Microsoft operating system - whether it is on the HTC devices, the Nokia Lumia handsets or the Samsung ATIV phone - still have plenty of waiting ahead.

"Windows Phone 8 will be released at the end of October. We hope to be in shops days afterwards," a spokesman for the company told Pocket-lint ahead of the official launch in New York City.

The Windows Phone 8X by HTC will be available in 50 countries beginning in early November with 126 mobile operators. The Windows Phone 8S by HTC will be available in 52 countries beginning in November with more than 146 mobile operators.

With those numbers it's not surprising that HTC has confirmed that all the usual players and retail outlets will be carrying both devices in the UK and the US.

In the UK the Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC will be available on Three, Orange, T- Mobile, Vodafone, O2, Virgin Media, Carphone Warehouse, and Phones4u.

In the US you'll be able to get the phones on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.