Nokia and Microsoft are preparing to showcase Windows 8 products at the Nokia World 2012 event in Helsinki on Sept. 5, but the two companies will also be hosting a joint media event on the same day in New York. Both events come exactly one week ahead of Apple's expected iPhone 5 unveiling on Sept. 12.

The dynamic duo sent out invites on Wednesday, Aug. 15, to a press conference on Sept. 5 in New York, at 9.30 a.m. EST. The invites feature images of the familiar Windows Phone tiles interface, boosting expectations that Nokia and Microsoft will unveil a new device using Microsoft's latest smartphone software, Windows 8.

The Finnish mobile maker gave no details about the September events, but on Wednesday, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said that the company will "soon" unveil a new smartphone using Microsoft's latest Windows Phone 8 software. Elop said that Nokia is determined to stick with Microsoft in the ongoing smartphone war, and will battle its rivals armed with Windows Phone 8 smartphones.

Nokia has struggled to keep pace after losing considerable ground to rivals Apple and Samsung in recent years. In 2011, it joined forces with Microsoft, Elop's former employer, which has also seen its smartphone software fall behind Apple's iOS and Google's Android mobile operating system. For the past two quarters its mobile phone business has seen deepening losses, while its smartphone business slumped even as the worldwide market has increased by roughly 50 percent annually.

The upcoming Windows Phone 8 is crucial for both Nokia and Microsoft in their struggle to regain relevance in the smartphone business. The next-generation Windows Phone will use the same code kernel as Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8, which for now has only been "released for manufacture" to computer makers. Using the same code kernel for Windows Phone 8 means that programmers should find it easier to write apps that run across both platforms. Meanwhile, the large-tile design of the Windows Phone interface will be more familiar to millions of users worldwide who buy Windows 8 PCs.

Nokia is expected to unveil two smartphones on Sept. 5: the Lumia 910 and Lumia 920. The company did not release any details about the devices, but a front-panel leaked online featured a Nokia phone with the new Windows tile button, indicating the presence of Windows Phone 8. The cut-out for the display on the alleged panel measured 4.3 inches, while the design seemed to ditch the sharp angles of the Lumia 800 and 900 models in favor of a smoother design with rounded corners.

Microsoft is expected to show off Windows Phone 8 on Nokia's new smartphones, demo-ing some more consumer oriented features in addition to those touted at the Windows Phone Summit in June. Though it is not yet official that Nokia will introduce new Windows Phone 8 smartphones on Sept. 5, all signs seem to point in this direction. Stay tuned for more details.