With all the trouble companies are going through to cram their big product announcements into the week before Apple’s huge iPhone 5 press conference, you might think the companies also have plans to release their products in a similarly competitive time frame. Unfortunately for Windows Phone 8 fans, Nokia didn’t mention any release dates when it announced its slick new Lumia phones.
Now, rumors have surfaced that the new Nokia smartphones are set for a November launch. Reuters is reporting that unnamed sources at European telecom operators tell them the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 will begin selling sometime in November. It also reports that the price will be comparable to Samsung’s best-selling smartphone, the Galaxy S III.
The Verge is being even more specific with its launch date rumor. It cites “multiple sources familiar with Nokia’s plans” as saying the Lumia 920 will be launched on AT&T on November 2. It points out, however, that Microsoft and AT&T are in the process of testing the device, and any delays might push back its launch date.
As Apple’s iPhones and Samsung’s Android smartphones have begun consolidating the smartphone market over the past two years, handset manufacturers such as Nokia and RIM have begun having difficulties competing. As a consequence, Nokia has repositioned itself as the manufacturer of high-end Windows Phone devices. The success of Nokia in the smartphone space now rests with Windows Phone 8. How things shake out this fall will be interesting, though probably predictable.
(via BGR)