A week before Christmas, Microsoft announced that it had commenced the rollout of its Lumia Denim update, which includes the latest Windows Phone 8.1 release, Update 1, along with new firmware for certain devices. The next day, Verizon Wireless confirmed that it would be rolling out the Denim update for its Lumia 822 and Lumia 928 immediately.

However, owners of the Lumia Icon were left disappointed as they were told that the update would not be made available for them until "early 2015". This has been particularly frustrating for owners of the Icon - a handset exclusive to Verizon - as the device never even received the last Lumia Cyan update, and is still stuck with the original Lumia Black firmware with Windows Phone 8 that it launched with a year ago.

As January draws to a close, Icon owners have been growing increasingly impatient, hoping for some indication of when they should expect the Denim update to roll out for their phones. Today, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore repeated his earlier statement that the update will be made available in early 2015, adding: "In my mind that means jan/feb or so. Less likely March."

Lumia icon people asking what I meant by "early 2015": The first part of the year. In my mind that means jan/feb or so. Less likely March. — joebelfiore (@ joebelfiore ) January 30, 2015

In a further tweet, he emphasized that both Microsoft and Verizon are still working on completing the update, but said that "unpredictability" in the testing process means that "we can't say a firm end date" for when it will be rolled out.

Know that Vzw & MS are actively, daily working on getting it done. The test process has unpredictability so we can't say a firm end date — joebelfiore (@ joebelfiore ) January 30, 2015

If this all sounds a bit familiar, it's probably because you've heard this story before. At the end of October, Microsoft said that it was "working to get WP8.1/Cyan updates out", including testing various bug fixes. But much like today, the question of exactly when the updates would actually roll out was answered with: "We aren't sure how long it will take, but work is underway."

Somewhere between October 30 and December 19, Microsoft and Verizon evidently abandoned the testing process for Cyan with Windows Phone 8.1, and moved on instead to Denim with WP8.1 Update 1. But while Lumia Icon owners will no doubt appreciate the promise of Denim being on the way, the frustration of not knowing when it will arrive continues.

Source: @joebelfiore - tweet 1 / tweet 2