att

The Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 Windows Phones that are heading to AT&T have been given the green light over at FCC and are well on their way to Microsoft's launch party. It's always a quiet buzz when our dear handsets pass through the agency, which provides us with a slight reminder on where Windows Phones are heading and more.

Now officially $49.99 thru AT&T

Nokia has announced on their official blog that the Lumia 900 has indeed had its price slashed at AT&T, which now sits at just $49.99 with a two-year contract. 

We published an article on Friday unveiling the potential offer, using multiple sources familiar with carrier plans. The high-end Windows Phone is perfect for those seeking a slick design, large display and a full-blown Lumia experience.

This deal comes in time for the debut of the pink aka magenta Lumia 900, which is set to be released this morning as well. While many would argue that the wait for Windows Phone 8 hardware is worth more than taking out a two-year deal with current generation hardware, we'd like to counter by reiterating just how brilliant the current Nokia Lumia family is. As well as wielding a device that has won multiple awards, you'll have access to all the OEM apps that Nokia have promised to update, even after Apollo is here with next generation Windows Phones.

Four colours are available including white, matte black, cyan and the now-available magenta (pink). To recap, the Lumia 900 features LTE, a 4.3" AMOLED display, 8MP camera (with FF shooter), 16GB storage and a 1.4Ghz chip. To top this offer off nicely, AT&T stores are still bundling $50 worth of accessories with each purchase. So, who's picking one up?

Source: Nokia Conversations; thanks to everyone who tipped us!

As well as the success in China, in the states Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T Mobility, had the following to say about Windows Phone and its future with Microsoft's upcoming dekstop OS release, Windows 8.

"I am really pleased with what I am seeing out of Microsoft and Nokia coming out with their first product. The operating system works really well. It is simple, it is easy to use, it is intuitive. The reception to the Lumia launch has actually exceeded our expectations. So we think there is a very good chance that Microsoft will have a very good OS that will be right in there with iOS and Android.

When they come out with Windows 8 in the fourth quarter, I think it will actually add to the value that that OS brings to the marketplace, in that that will be the first time that you can truly have a similar experience on your PC, on your tablet, and on your smartphone from soft Microsoft. From what I have seen and the previews that I have been given, I think it is going to be exceptionally good. I am very upbeat in what they are bringing to the market."

Microsoft is pushing the "three screens metro" vision with Windows Phone and the recent Xbox dashboard update. Consumers are patiently awaiting for Windows 8, which will sport the same tile system being used that's currently iconic with Windows Phone. Vega believes this familiarity with the desktop, tablet and smartphone will give consumers a reason to use Windows Phone (as well as other Microsoft products).

We already know the AT&T Mobility CEO is satisfied with the Lumia 900, and even promoted it instead of talking iPhone 5, but it's pleasing to know that he's also looking to the future of the platform, as well as Nokia and Microsoft's current push. 

Source: ZDNET

According to Nokia's U.S. president Chris Weber, sales of the Lumia 900, which recently launched in the states, has been outpacing supply. We've covered how the LTE Windows Phone has been out of stock more-so than anything else, which is having an effect on other markets looking to stock the device.

It would appear as though the sellout on AT&T is indeed due to demand and not simply a case of not stocking anywhere near enough units for launch, with little demand / interest present.

"Demand has been outstripping supply for the first couple of weeks, and we've been working hard to rectify that. The demand for cyan [phones] is significantly outpacing supply. When you give people something different from a design perspective—colors, etc. —it really stands out, and consumers want that."

As well as discussing AT&T and how the Lumia 900 is selling, Weber also touched on actual AT&T retail store support for the Windows Phone.

"Generally, we’re seeing very good support. It’s a work in progress."

It would appear as though Verizon is on Nokia's goal list for the future with the understanding that having the CDMA carrier on-board as well as AT&T would certainly boost growth for both the manufacturer and Windows Phone. Unfortunately, no details were revealed surrounding Windows Phone 8 "Apollo" upgrades for Lumia smartphone owners.

"Both Nokia and Microsoft understand the importance for consumers to keep their devices fresh and updated. Without any announcements being made, we're working to make sure people have fresh and updated experiences on any device they may have."

Microsoft has come a long way since Windows Mobile and the NoDo rollout following MIX'11. Nokia has a lot riding on the Lumia family of Windows Phones to rebuild the strong brand the company had many years ago when bricks were still being held to our ears. Will we see "Apollo" on our current devices? We can't possibly say, but we wouldn't rule the possibility out.

Source: PCMag; thanks everyone who tipped us!

The Lumia 900 (both black and cyan) has gone out of stock according to the product listing at the online AT&T store. Nokia has recently confirmed a memory management issue with the Lumia 900 running on AT&T that would kill the data connection, rendering the Windows Phone almost useless for owners while on the go. 

Since the announcement was made Nokia has offered $100 on the bill of affected AT&T and Rogers customers and has also begun rolling out the firmware fix for the connectivity bug days early. There have been reports that the U.S. carrier has been pulling handsets from shelves in favour of models with the update already installed. We haven't heard anything official but this could explain why the handset is temporarily "out of stock".

The amount of Lumia 900s left for shipping could have been snatched up by a relatively high number of orders. Then again, AT&T has publicly stated that the Lumia 900 has been selling beyond expectations (even the cyan case was listed as out of stock). We'll not know the exact numbers, but for now it'll be an anxious wait for the second batch of handsets to be made available for orders to run through.

Let us know if you've been able to find any Lumia 900 devices locally or if you've seen that the Windows Phones were pulled due to the update issues.

Source: AT&T; thanks everyone who tipped us!

AT&T has revealed that Lumia 900 marketing plans (combined with Nokia and Microsoft) will best any product they've launched before - including the famous iPhone. In an interview with CNET, AT&T device head Jeff Bradley, said that it'll be a notch up on anything the company has attempted previously.  We met with AT&T reps early today and have no doubt that AT&T's efforts to market the new Windows Phones should be a full court press.

But should we be surprised? The Lumia 900 on AT&T is Microsoft's (and Nokia's) best chance of survival in the competitive mobile market. Windows Phone has been performing arguably well with Nokia marketing the 710 and 800 on a global scale, but the Lumia 900 is the big gun for the U.S.

We previously covered how the Lumia 900 will be given "hero status" in the AT&T mobile arsenal. So how will they go about it? How will the stores convince people that Windows Phone is a solid choice against the iPhone and Android?  AT&T has told us that we can expect to see banners in windows of AT&T stores and Windows Phone walls featuring the TITAN II and Lumia 900.  In a nutshell, we were told AT&T stores are going to look like Nokia stores.

As well as the promotional material, we can confirm that we're likely to see demonstration tables, accessories (including skins, Monster Headsets, third-party cases, screen protectors, and more) and -of course- salestaff training. Nokia will be training employees to compliment the web training they'll receive from AT&T. This will hopefully result in more platform awareness internally as well as increasing the Windows Phone recommendation chance rate to customers.

Let's see what April 8th brings us, I would recommend we strap ourselves in. Then again, it could be a belly flop. Fingers crossed that it wont be and AT&T / Nokia / Microsoft get this right.

The Venue Pro, Dell's poor first generation Windows Phone, has found itself in trouble being plagued by issues (as well as lagging behind OS updates), been at the front of some good deals, and is tagged as Dell's only contribution to the platform for the foreseeable future. Should you be after the handset which sports a 4.1" AMOLED display, 1Ghz processor, 5MP camera, and a vertical slide-out QWERTY keyboard, you can pick one up for $299 unlocked. If contracts are more your scene, T-Mobile is offering the Venue Pro on a two-year plan for just $.99, not bad. 

While it's a solid deal for a Windows Phone that runs Mango smoothly, do note that there's no tethering and the compass is out of service. Be sure to check out our review for more information, and head on over to the source below to take advantage of the deals.

Source: Dell, thanks Kyle for the heads up!

According to a report published over at BGR, HTC is set to launch a 4G LTE Windows Phone in early 2012, on AT&T. According to 'trusted sources' (get the pinch of salt ready), HTC will be releasing fewer handsets next year, leaving the release schedule "shockingly quiet" (makes sense to focus on quality). Two new devices were revealed, a flagship Android handset and the manufacturer's first LTE Windows Phone. The latter is questionably going to be Titan-like, sporting a 4.7" screen.

The new 4G LTE Windows Phone is slated for an apparent release on February 5th. Should the rumours prove to be true, as well as the ones surrounding the upcoming Nokia LTE device, 2012 will be an exciting year for the platform to move on up. Of course if a 4G LTE Titan is right around the corner, how many of you will be a little annoyed that you just bought the HSPA+ version? Needless to say, CES in January should be interesting...we'll be there to cover it live.

Let us know your thoughts below.

Source: BGR, thanks TheWeeBear for the tip!

Should you have the HTC Titan jotted down on your Santa wish list (or simply desire one due to an ending contract), then perhaps you should check out this deal found at Best Buy. The HTC Titan 4G on AT&T is going for nothing at all, all that's required is a new two year contract to be taken out (or an upgrade), starting from just $39.99 for the cheapest plan. Taking the handset without a package will set you back $649.99.

Packing a massive 4.7" screen, the Titan (our review) truly is a beast of a Windows Phone. Powered by a 1.5GHz processor and shipping with 16GB worth of storage, this handset is a perfect choice for anyone who's searching for that extra oomph!

Source: Best Buy, thanks Figure 8 Dash for the tip!