Microsoft has held a mock funeral for Apple’s iPhone and as far as PR stunts go, this could be one that comes back to bite you on the bum.

It was only this morning that “senior figures” in the industry were reported to have said that Microsoft will launch Windows Phone 7 on October 11th, 2010.

Microsoft has since told us, "Can’t confirm that date but Windows 7 Phone will be in the New Zealand market in time for Christmas."

As if holding a funeral for the market-leading smartphone wasn't enough, Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 team also thought it was a good idea to perform Thriller. It wasn’t. Watch with care if you’ve just had lunch.