Nokia to offer free Lumia 900 upgrades to AT&T employees in preparation for launch
The exact launch date of Nokia’s Lumia 900 Windows Phone may still be unknown, but the latest reports seem to suggest that Nokia is quickly gearing up for an imminent launch. Before focusing on getting to the customer, however, they are instead reported to be offering a free Lumia 900 to any AT&T employee who trades in their current smartphone for it.
It seems that this move will accomplish two main goals. First off, it will allow Nokia to get some Lumia 900s out into the real world and squash any remaining bugs with the device. More importantly, though, it will get the Lumia 900 into the hands of salespeople for their everyday use, familiarizing them with both Windows Phone and the hardware. More than likely, the desired result of this experiment is not only to have most AT&T employees walking around with a Lumia 900, but also show them the platform so they can better promote and explain Windows Phone to potential customers.
Regardless Nokia’s reasoning behind this decision, if it actually comes to pass it will certainly show their dedication to pushing Windows Phone and the Lumia line in the US as it will cost the company nearly $25 million dollars. They are already rumored to be planning a massive and expensive advertising campaign around the devices as well, in an attempt to gain mindshare for both platforms. Of course, they will need to release the actual device sometime as well, so let’s hope that the next time we hear about the Lumia 900 the news includes a release date.
[BGR]
