Hurricane Sandy Forces Google To Cancel NYC Android Event

As Hurricane Sandy closes in on the U.S. East Coast, Google has canceled its Monday Android event in New York City that was expected to take the wraps off high-end tablet Nexus 10 from Samsung Electronics and Nexus 4, the first Nexus phone from LG Electronics.

Google also was planning to launch Android 4.2, or Key Lime Pie, its latest Android operating system, at the same event.

Announcing the cancellation early Saturday, Google sent email to invitees stating: “We are canceling our Monday morning event in New York due to Hurricane Sandy. We will let you know our plans as soon as we know more. Stay safe and dry, The Android Team,” Wired has reported.

This is the second time Google has postponed a launch event in recent history for in 2011 it postponed its Ice Cream Sandwich event following the demise of Steve Jobs, head of archrival Apple, The Verge pointed out.

Google's Event Cancellation Makes It A Windfall For Microsoft

There's another interesting twist to the New York cancellation as Microsoft shares the same date for launching Windows Phone 8 3,000 miles away in San Francisco, Wired reported. This ensures more than enough attention for the Redmond, Wash., giant’s event, as it happens to be the only industry announcement to watch for Oct. 29.

The event sets the stage for Microsoft to show off Windows Phone 8 to the world and also launch new devices running the new mobile software from HTC, Nokia and Samsung.

While Android is the most popular mobile operating system, Windows Phone operating system continues to struggle to gain a foothold with consumers and handset manufacturers.