If you live in the US and really, really want to get a Nokia Lumia 800 smartphone but don"t want to import it, you can now walk into one of Microsoft"s retail store locations and purchase the Windows Phone device. Confirming previous rumors, the official Windows Phone blog has announced that the Lumia 800 is available for sale in all 15 Microsoft Stores.
Apparently the official launch of the Lumia 800 in these stores was scheduled for February 26 but Microsoft"s blog gives consumers the OK to ask one of the store reps to get the phone from the back storage room. This version is unlocked and is not tied into any wireless carrier.
In addition to the phone itself, which was first launched in November in parts of Europe, people who purchase the Lumia 800 at the Microsoft Store locations will also get some hardware extras: the Purity HD Stereo Headset by Monster, the Luna Bluetooth headset, and the Play 360° wireless speaker. The phone itself comes in either black or magenta and some of the accessories have matching colors.
So far there are no announced plans for Microsoft to sell the Lumia 800 as a stand alone product in its stores. The Lumia 800 bundle, with all of the included hardware extras, is now on sale for $899.