Next month we will see AT&T launching Nokia’s Lumia 900 smartphone as the manufacturer looks to crack the US smartphone market. Now it seems the carrier is planning a launch for the device that will be even bigger to what has so far been seen for the iPhone.
AT&Ts Jeff Bradley was talking to Cnet and said that the carrier when they launch the Lumia 900 it will be “a notch above anything we’ve ever done”, and that includes the launch of the iPhone. The company are putting a lot of resources into the campaign for the handset, and means it is putting a lot of importance in the Lumia 900 becoming a success in the US.
Some may feel the handset is the last chance for Nokia and the Windows Phone platform to be a hit in the country, with both struggling in the past. When the device launches on April 8th consumers will see a massive TV marketing campaign, and the device will take centre stage at AT&T retail stores with huge posters and signs.
Both AT&T and Nokia has spent time training store staff with many of them having a Lumia 900 handset on them, and it will launch with a range of accessories that the company believe shows its important enough to get such support. Bradley even referred to the handset as their “hero phone”, and the advertising campaign is thought to last for about six to eight weeks.
AT&T and Nokia have not commented on an exact figure for the campaign, but according to AT&Ts Chris Weber it is what’s needed to push a successful handset to the market. The Windows Phone platform has so far failed to make much of an impression on the US smartphone market, which is still dominated by the Android and iPhone platforms.
Each of the major carriers in the US have Windows Phone devices on offer but there has been low interest so far, even though the budget Lumia 710 on T-Mobile has seen some success. AT&T hasn’t really taken to the Lumia 710, and instead feels the Lumia 900 is the device to re-launch the Nokia brand.
The fact that the Lumia 900 has an improved design and software coupled with 4G LTE connectivity, and is believed will be the reason for higher sales. Applications were seen as the weak link for the Windows Phone platform, but Microsoft is improving the situation with a more solid app library. AT&T staff have been trained to help consumers to find apps or similar ones that they may have used on Android or iOS.
Also the competitive $99.99 price for the Lumia 900 makes it the most affordable flagship smartphone the carrier has ever offered. No information was provided on how much subsidy was put on the handset, but it is obvious Nokia is being aggressive with pricing as it looks to win market share in the US.
Currently only AT&T and T-Mobile have committed to providing Nokia’s new products with AT&T getting an exclusive deal for the Lumia 900 for a limited time. Will you be considering the Nokia Lumia 900?