So you’ve seen the photos from the launch, you’ve watched our hands-on video, you’ve even read the reports of a new model with an upgraded camera… now, understandably, you just want to know when you can actually get your hands on your very own Nokia Lumia 900. Corresponding with what we heard just a couple of weeks ago, it seems that there’s not too much longer to wait.
BGR got its hands on a copy of AT&T’s roadmap for part of 2012 via a ‘trusted source’; the documentation that they’ve viewed appears to confirm that the Lumia 900 will arrive on the network in March 18.
But far more significant is the price point at which the new smartphone will launch. For a device that’s widely being considered a ‘flagship’ handset, the expected price of just $99.99 on a two-year contract is extremely competitive. Prolific Microsoft follower Paul Thurrott has also tweeted that he too has seen documentation confirming the same launch price for the device.
The first-generation HTC TITAN Windows Phone is still selling on AT&T for $199.99, while pricing for its improved successor – the TITAN 2, with LTE connectivity and a 16MP camera – hasn’t yet been announced; this puts into context how aggressively Nokia is pricing its new top-of-the-line device in the US.
Indeed, eyebrows were also raised at BGR, who suggest that the 900’s attractive pricing “would make this sleek smartphone an absolute game-changer for Windows Phone”. Microsoft and Nokia clearly have a monumental task ahead – and the AT&T roadmap reportedly includes many other “heavy hitters” in the smartphone space for the first few months of the year.
We’ll still have to wait a couple of months to find out if consumers will respond to the competitive pricing of the new Nokia flagship device – between now and then, expect to see plenty of publicity from Microsoft, Nokia and AT&T promoting the handset ahead of its on-sale date.