Dangled in front of their faces like a carrot on a stick, Windows Phone 7 users have been fed details regarding the first major update to the platform for some time now.

Rumours regarding dates for its roll out across the globe have ultimately come and gone without bearing fruit.

Though Microsoft itself has now named March as the update's launch window - features such as cut and paste, amongst others, on board - if Ars Technica is to be believed, nothing is set in stone quite yet.

March is the new January

The site claims Microsoft could currently be in the process of wrangling with carriers and OEMs across the globe, attempting to persuade them to launch the refresh – originally branded the 'January update' - in quick time.

"Microsoft officials tell me that the 'January update' appellation was somewhat accurate, insofar as January is when the update shipped to OEMs and carriers so that they could test it," Ars Technica's Peter Bright says in the report.

"Firmware for the HTC 7 Pro, a forthcoming CDMA handset, has leaked, and their operating system is identical to the emulator operating system in the SDK update that shipped earlier this month.

"This is a strong indication that the final code has been available for some time."

History repeating

For Android users, such a battle is especially familiar territory.

Ever since Google launched the OS, it has had to contend with operators and manufacturers reluctant to update the platform on existing handsets, preferring to tempt customers with entirely new models instead.

Whether Windows Phone is likely to suffer the same fate is unclear – there's a possibility testing the update could have unearthed problems aplenty with its implementation. Either way, what happens - or, perhaps, what doesn't happen - in March should shed some light on the situation.

[source: Ars Technica]