AT&T; to sell Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone for $99

By Salvador Rodriguez

March 27, 2012 12 AM PT

AT&T will begin selling a Windows smartphone made by Nokia in early April that will be available for only $99.99.

Windows and Nokia are hoping the low price of the Lumia 900 will get consumers to take a closer look at their line of phones and help them gain ground in the smartphone market that is currently dominated by Apple and Google.

The Lumia 900, which is one of Window’s first phones to include 4G LTE technology, will go on sale April 8, though customers will be able to pre-order as early as Friday.

The phone, an AT&T exclusive, is bigger than the twice-as-expensive iPhone 4S with a 4.3-inch touchscreen. The Lumia 900 comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera as well as a forward-facing camera. It will initially be available in cyan blue and matte black, and a white version will go on sale April 22.

“The Lumia 900 is impeccably designed with clean lines and a camera that rivals stand-alone digital cameras on the market today,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of devices for AT&T Mobility. “Combine that with the people-first Windows Phone experience and our 4G LTE network – the nations’ largest 4G network – and it’s clear that this is one of the best phones customers can find.”

Independent tech analyst Phil Baker said the move doesn’t come as a surprise.

“Nokia and Microsoft are starting from way behind, so they got to do something to catch up,” said Baker, author of the book “From Concept to Consumer.”

The low price may give Nokia and Microsoft some traction, but in the long run it may not have too great of an impact.

“The cost of a phone is a lot more than the initial cost,” he said. Saving “$100 might get people to look at the product, but overall, i’m not sure it’ll have a huge impact.”

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