iTunes won't hit the Microsoft Store before the end of 2017

During the second day of its Build conference earlier in 2017, Microsoft had a surprise announcement: iTunes would be coming to the Microsoft Store (still the Windows Store at the time). Further, the app was expected to hit the store before the end of 2017. As the end of the year approaches, however, Apple is pouring cold water on that timeline.

In a statement to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, an Apple spokesperson stated that iTunes won't land on the Microsoft before the end of the year, citing a need for the time to "get it right." From the statement:

We have been working with Microsoft to deliver the full iTunes experience to our customers and we need a little more time to get it right

There's no new timeline available, and it's not exactly clear what is holding things up. Presumably, we'll still see iTunes hit the Store at some point in 2018.

For most Windows 10 users, this likely won't matter much; if you have the need for iTunes, you can simply use the standard desktop app. However, for anyone using Windows 10 S, which is locked to installing applications from the Microsoft Store, this delay could prove a little frustrating.