In an announcement that came a couple days ago, Nokia commented on rumors that the first mobile carrier to get their Windows Phone powered smartphone will be T-Mobile. The Nokia Lumia is set to launch in the United States in early 2012 and it appears that T-Mobile is going to be the perfect fit for it. This deal could be a very big one for T-Mobile since they are the only carrier that does not have the iPhone and a pending deal with AT&T could wipe the company out altogether.
The LA Times reported that “T-Mobile and Nokia have something exciting in the works. Be amongst the first to experience it”. Nokia recently launched to versions of the Lumia, the 710 and the 800, but not in the United States. The company has been mostly marketing the new smartphone in Europe. What has not been mentioned is whether or not the Lumia 710 or 800 will actually be launched in the United States, or if we will see a new phone based on one of those that are specific to the United States.
What is clear is that the phones will support 4G LTE and CDMA, which also means that Verizon Wireless is on the list when the phones launch in the United States. Microsoft and Nokia partnered up a while ago and the companies are hoping that together they can put a smartphone portfolio together that helps them gain market share that has been lost to Android and iOS over the past year. According to another source, Nokia also sent versions of the Lumia to AT&T also, but some warned that carriers will go ahead and test phones even if they never planned on putting them on the market.
Neither spokesperson from AT&T, Verizon Wireless or Nokia could be reached for any comments on the matter. According to some reports, the Lumia 710 is likely to be the smartphone launched in the United States, giving consumers another lower cost, entry level smartphone option. For Nokia it will be very important to have AT&T and Verizon on their side when the phone launches. The company has been putting off any type of real smartphone release since the partnership with Microsoft, but this launch could mean the company is getting on track and is ready to compete in the mobile world.
