I cannot confirm or deny that it is very trustworthy.

asks should I maybe have new hardware in hand by 15.7? And how will I get it on a FOB machine?

that could be about a week and a half early. In theory.

I'd guess that it would be on shelves then, or available as a download for 7/8 machines

no idea how net new pricing will compare to current pricing on 7/8.

There could be full download versions, but I wouldn't bet on that.