Windows Phone 8, Microsoft’s latest try to snag a piece of the smartphone market, launched around the U.S. in November. That gave Windows Phone a lift throughout the holiday season that saw the Lumia 920 selling through about a million devices. It appears like Microsoft desires to recreate that mild success with the same launch for the subsequent iteration.

In a task listing for a software development engineer, Microsoft hints that its next Windows Phone platform would be launching this holiday season. Here’s the relevant sentence:

This is a good time to sign up for as we’re completing our current release are becoming ready for our next release targeting the vacation of this year and we’re chartered with keeping the momentum for Windows Phone by bringing new killer devices and beautiful user experiences.

Of course, Microsoft isn’t outright saying what its next Windows Phone platform is. Next release could mean an incremental update to Windows Phone 8, or it may mean the rumored Windows Blue platform with the intention to also reportedly come to Windows Phone.

If it’s Windows Blue, it’d be the beginning of the rumored annual release cycle for all Windows products. It should make Microsoft more like just about some other player within the industry because it tries to maintain with the quick pace of the mobile device industry. it continues to be seen if Microsoft’s hardware partners Samsung, Nokia and HTC will stay alongside of this new strategy, especially as Samsung and HTC are actually that specialize in flagship Android product launches this year.

[h/t: Mashable]