More details on AT&T’s Nokia Lumia 920 launch plan emerge

AT&T and the Lumia 920: coming soon, we swear

Recently we wrote about October 21st as being an important date for the Lumia 920 and AT&T. At the time, the info coming out strongly indicated that this was the release window which AT&T was aiming for (even though it raised a lot of eyebrows).

The problem always had been that Microsoft publicly has not unveiled all of Windows Phone 8 yet and when they do, it’s not expected until the end of October. That makes selling a phone before that time, well, odd.

We now have some new information that sheds light on the issue and it falls back on our previous theory. Here are the latest timeframes we know regarding AT&T’s planned Lumia 920 launch. The info once again comes directly though a highly placed source at AT&T.

October 21/22 – Lumia 920 announced for AT&T, including pricing and availability. No word on pre-orders thru AT&T’s main site. Traditionally, AT&T has announced new phones with a pre-order date following a week later.
November 4th (Sunday) – Nokia Lumia 920 goes on sale in stores
November 4th (Sunday) – Two mobility enabled Windows 8 tablets will also be available for purchase. No word on which ones, though we’re betting Lenovo is one of them.

Sundays for AT&T are their traditional day for selling of new phones—in fact, we’re hard pressed to find exceptions. AT&T is having a mini-event tomorrow, in which we'll be in attendance, so more information may be forthcoming.

Previous reports from the Verge stated Friday, November 2nd would be the day the Lumia 820 and 920 become available, presumably to coincide with the end of BUILD 12. To that notion we have not heard anything to corroborate that information but we really have no idea on what Microsoft’s plans are for BUILD and Windows Phone 8 e.g. will they have an "Oprah moment" and give all attendees a new Windows Phone.

However, like previous pre-order dates there may be a soft-launch for Friday, November 2nd. For example, folks who pre-ordered the Lumia 900 often received them before the official "store" date and it's not uncommon to hear of people walking in early to AT&T stores and picking up phones before their official availability.

As to other questions, like the HTC 8X, which AT&T announced yesterday, we do not have any new information to add at the moment. AT&T confirmed that they will be getting that device “in November” but did not give a specific date nor price.

It would seem that AT&T would launch the Lumia 820, 920 and the HTC 8X at the same time and not space them out, however this may rest on HTC being able to make delivery rather than AT&T pushing them back. We’ll of course pass more info on as it comes in.

Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007, back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and arguing with people on the internet.

109 Comments

yes!!! i hope these dates hold up, cant wait for these phones!
At least it's not Easter this time.
LOL! They should've gone with Thanksgiving Day...
Haha probably would have gone for Thanksgiving if it was on a Sunday. ;)
Sounds good.
It will be a good late bday present and early xmas present for me!! YESSS!!
So can we expect a WP8 unveiling event, where MS will present all the consumer features? And when?
Yes. Rumored at the end of the month on the West coast before BUILD. But there is nothing confirmed yet.
now i don't know if i want to buy on launch day or make someone buy it for me on the birthday a month later... (first world problems)
Lol yeah.
The wait is AGONIZING!!! I was excited for the 900, but the 920 just has me riddled with desire!
You mean the wait is AMAZING!!!
Another month? Sorry, but fuck you Microsoft! Another reason why WP8 will never gain any kind of sufficient market.
Want to get any kind of marketshare by the end of 2013? Announce all features of WP8, release the damn SDK to EVERYONE so people can start developing so that when WP8 does arrive, we will have more than 10 apps. Stop playing this secret game, you don't have leverage or sufficient fanbase to afford it.
When you don't release something for months after announcement, people tend to not give a shit about that product when it finally releases. Is this what Microsoft is aiming at?
Yeah, but look at October 26th...that's the big Windows 8 day. Everything launches then. I suppose it would have been better to launch the 28th instead (Sunday) but for some reason, that date may be too close. Win 8 RTM had a large lead compared to Windows Phone 8 RTM.
This GA launch date for Windows 8 is absurd. It's not 1995 any more. Nobody will be lined up at Best Buy stores to pick up a copy of Windows 8 at midnight. Most people will either buy an ISO and download it, or they'll get it on a new device when those devices start showing up in stores/online. There is no need to make the world wait a month and a half just so Steve Ballmer can cut the hypothetical ribbon and make it official. Windows 8 should have been made available to purchase, at most, a week after RTM.
There is more to the launch than the OS itself. They had to get OEMs ready to launch devices along side it.
And no coordination? Bah. Sory, but you're wrong. On the 26th, new OS, PCs, tablets, ultrabooks, Surface, new services, etc. will all be availble in one fell-swoop. You can't buy that message. That's going to look HUGE when they do it--it'd be like flicking a switch. You're only bent out of shape because you follow this news like a nerd (that's not an insult, it's why we're here). You need to think like the mass public who have NO idea MS has a new OS about to launch, with new PCs, tablets, etc. Nah, this is going to be an awesome two weeks for Microsoft.
We always knew it would be the end of October at the soonest. Don't blame Microsoft for your ignorance.
While I wouldn't say it like this, it is true. Apple can do what Apple does because they have 60+ million mindless lemmings who will run out to replace their iPhone every time one drops, even if the new version is almost identical in features and appearance. Apple could release a new iPhone on Christmas Day and still manage to make at least a few million people neglect their families to drive 125 miles on December 25 to the nearest Apple Store to re-buy the same thing.

Microsoft doesn't have that. They're lucky anybody still buys their phones, not because it's a bad product (because it is better than iOS and Android), but because their marketing and reputation is awful. Nobody in the tech field takes Windows Phone seriously, even though most have never even tried it.

Since we know the new Windows Phone 8 hardware is coming, Microsoft should have fully announced the software and made the SDK available at least in September, if not earlier. If they're worried about controlling the software available at launch, then just delay the Marketplace submissions. I suspect the real reason why is that they were so far behind schedule in development that the SDK couldn't be ready in time, and the limited-availability one is not the RTM code and still has issues. But we won't know until we see the OS build number on launch devices in 4-5 weeks.
I have at least one coworker who was interested in WP but did not want to wait one month. He ended up with Galaxy Nexus as his first smartphone.
I saw the same thing happen two years ago when my friend couldn't wait the remaining 4 weeks and bought a Samsung Captivate instead of a Samsung Focus. He recently upgraded to a Nokia Lumia 900 earlier this summer and hasn't looked back since. In fact, all he does is tell me how much better the OS is than Android. Microsoft just doesn't realize how all these unnecessary delays with Windows 8, RT, and Phone are hurting them time and time again. People are buying an inferior product because they're tired of waiting. My friend was fortunate enough that I stuck with it and pressured him to try Windows Phone, else he likely would have gone to the HTC One X, from what he has told me.
No ofense, but these anecdotes mean ZERO. What about when the GS3 launched? No iPhone 5 for months. Lots of people "switched". Should Apple have moved up their time frame? What about the One X? It launched before the GS3. Turns out, many waited and not many bought the One X. Point is, there is always something "awesome" out right now and something "Better" coming down the road. People will always get something now instead of waiting a few months, there is little you can do to stop that other than releasing something every 4 weeks. Shoot, Galaxy S4 rumors are already starting...should we wait? Point is, you can't rush hardware and software without compromising something--quality, features, etc. People will always say, until the end of time, "It should have come out sooner!" It means nothing.
I am waiting for the Microsoft Surface phone unless Nokia announces a 940, then I will wait for that as long as HTC doesn't announce the 8Z+ :P
+1,000,000!!!!
+1. End of bitch session.
All I am saying here is if WP8 pre-order and launch were planned to be announced at MS keynote, it would have boosted sales significantly.
Hype dies, you better take advantage of it before it is too late. Look at Apple, or Amzaon, heck Nook even did better with annoucing and taking pre-orders in a timely manner.
I agree with you to some extent, but where I disagree is having these big, meaningless events without actually giving the details that people want. Many people are willing to wait, but would also like to have some level of certainty. The Nokia event got me excited about the idea of a new phone, but I can't direct that excitement toward Nokia anytime soon. So when you get some hype going, then disappear, you get people wanting something, and they may just fill that Lumia shaped hole in their lives with something else.
I disagree with this. 2 years ago, I really wanted a WP. At the time I was on TMO and really could not switch to another provider. I kept waiting and waiting dying to get rid of my very hated Samsung behold. TMO kept putting off their WP 7 phone. I finally got tired of waiting and bought a G2 - Which for the most part, I liked. Now I can change carriers, and am patiently waiting for Verizon. If they don't get the L920 then I'll just go with the 8x but I'd feel like I'm settling for the runner up.
They need to use other OS first before they can fully appreciate WP...like I did.
True! I was on Android when I bought my 7.5 as supplementary phone but ended up loving it so much it became my primary phone!
How about this. Windows Phone 8 is launching almost 11 months "before" iPhone 6. Now that's staying ahead of the curve. Who has an excuse for not getting one now.
i hope he didn't sign a contract, the gnex was a great phone when it came out, but it's somewhat anemic in the hardware and camera department.

a GS3, note2 or one x would have been much better choices IMO.

personally, i've been able to convince 5-10 people to hold on for a month or so to see if they like the new windows phones, the camera on the 920 and the colors and form factor of the 8x have been enough to get them interested
"Stop playing this secret game, you don't have leverage or sufficient fanbase to afford it.
When you don't release something for months after announcement, people tend to not give a **** about that product when it finally releases. Is this what Microsoft is aiming at?" Or release it the day after the announcement and release a half-arsed product where maps don't work, photos are purple, phone is scratched... BTW I also want one in my hand right now, bit I think they are making sure it's not a ginormous pile of poo before they do. The Apple fanboys will be all over it if it isn't
Everyone can already create apps that will run just fine on wp8. WP8 will run current wp7 apps just fine. So your argument about no apps really does not hold any water.
Would it be nice to have the SDK now, yea. Is it really all that important, meh not really. If you want a leg up to create a wp8 only app create a WinRT app. The portability between the two will be very similar So you will have a very large majority of code reuse. On top of that when you finish you will be reaching 3 markets. WP8, WinRT, and regular windows 8.
If you did not expect Wp8 to be released with Windows 8 then you have not been paying attention. Link to an official comment that show cases other wise, and I'll eat my words, some wasabi might make it taste good, other wise 3 weeks is not going to make or break the release of a product. Plenty of time before the crazy holiday season.
How does creating an app on WinRT help at all? You don't know what APIs WP8 will have compared to WinRT. What if I want to create an app that uses WP8's VPN API's? I can't because I don't know if WP8 even has VPN APIs. Yes, if you want to code a fart app, you can do it in WP7, but I'm guessing developers want to go way beyond that and not having a SDK just delays us getting any apps worth a crap.
Windows Phone 8 API is a subset of Windows RunTime, so while it is not exactly the same it is very similar and will allow for much of the same code reuse. Obviously you will have to tweak it, but it is a start. The sooner they can release the SDk the better but until then doing it in WinRT is a good start.
If you can only code fart apps on wp7 then perhaps you should reconsider coding anything for wp8. You can do quite a bit in WP7
Dude, it's only cellphones. Relax.
Lol
@erzhik what's your point? Phone goes to stores at beginning of November. Nothing is lost what comes to Christmas sales so what is there to worry?
If you can't wait for four weeks, then its tough for you. But really, if you can't wait for the best, buy second best right now.
And apps there will be plenty. Only dedicated apps for wp8 you have to wait for a while but so what. Take pictures in mean time...
To be fair you already have more than ten apps.. all existing apps will work with the new system.
The only exception to the AT&T Sunday release I know about is every iPhone. I hope they aren't planning on doing a big release in NY because the NY Marathon is that day and it is impossible to get around. Reminds me of the Easter Sunday release of the Lumia 900.
So is it officially exclusive to att? No t-mobile? How disappointing =/
Unlocked.
How did you infer that? This was strictly talking about AT&T as that is where our source came from. We mentioned nothing of Verizon or T-Mobile...I mean, how did you even come to that conclusion?
Don't you just LOVE the Internet, Daniel? Hahaha!
well ya see second paragraph after the bullet points there was a word in blue that started with a V and because this is an article about the nokia 920 the word obviously had to be verizon I am pretty sure you used the word not somewhere in the story so 1+1 = 2 which means Verizon will not be getting it.
Also because the title says At&T's Nokia which implies AT&T owns Nokia and therefore Verizon and Tmo can not get it. So by using basic logic and math it is quite simple to under stand that Metro PCS will launch the iphone 6 this christmas season.
lol...had me going for a few lines there. well done.
You would do well with symbolic logic
Lmfao nice.
Haha sorry man simple mistake, just jumped to conclusions, I sure hope we at tmobile get it!
was hoping to get them this month
I can finally get a new phone after 2 years.
Sorry if I missed it but when is the HTC 8X launching on ATT?

I want to pre-order a 920 but there's that little responsible angel sitting on my shoulder telling me to wait and hold both the 920 and 8X in my hands at the same time for comparison.
"November"
920 hands down unless you want to save $99 and go with the 8x....
And not one mention of T-Mobile. Will we or will we not get the Nokia Lumia 920. That's the only thing that matters to me right now. Looks like I'll be going over to the ATT store to play with the device and leave again. Come on Nokia. Come on T-Mobile. Let's make it happen!
Why would an article about ATT launch timeline mention anything about T-Mobile? This was an ATT article more than a 920 article.
I was just speaking in general terms about announcement of carriers. I'm sticking with T-Mobile and I'd like to know if we're getting the 920 or getting "mid-ranged' again. I really hope we do so I check every article just to make sure.
T-mobile is too busy buying ghetto wireless carriers to mess with getting quality phones on their network. You need to stop using such a ghetto carrier. Buy an ATT phone and get on Straight Talk.
I already have an ATT phone(unlocked HTC Titan) and I'm not looking to buy one for a while. And I like T-Mobile and the plan I'm on so it's not THAT important. Just wishful thinking.
It's 30 freaking days people. Good gravy. #1st world problems?
Did you say gravy? What time is dinner?? What should I wear?
i thought everyone would have been happy dates are finally coming out since thats what people wanted and it fits into the timeline that was rumored.
Not when it comes to Nokia.
What I'm most curious about is if AT&T will allow unlocking of this device when it launches.. Not sure how many you bought the AT&T L900 in hopes to unlock it for another carrier but I was one of them (among the 10's of thousands) that couldn't unlock it due to AT&T not releasing unlock codes and their 900 exclusivity. The HTC Titan 2 was unlockable instantly but I had to eat some cash and unload the L900 after 1-2 months of realization that this phone could never be unlocked.
If 920 ends up as an exclusive for AT&T, then it will have the same fate as L900.I had to use my old Galaxy S2 for 3 months instead of my L900 when i was overseas.. That was so painful.
Yeah that was really painful. This time I'll be waiting for confirmation it can be unlocked before I take the chance on the 920.
Can we buy an international unlocked 920? What are the implications of doing so?
Can't officially unlock an AT&T phone until it's out of contract. But if you can find a friendly independent store owner, maybe they can unlock it for you.
I'm not due for an upgrade (with Sprint) until May. I've heard some carriers will help pay to break your ETF. Anyone have any success stories about AT&T helping you ditch another carrier to come over?
I'd be curious to hear as well. I love my HTC Arrive, but the lack of support from Sprint for it and the lack of WP8 devices announced for Sprint is basically forcing me to jump ship. If AT&T is willing to pay for my ETF, it's even more reason to leave!
I just received a reply from AT&T via their customer care on Twitter: "@dandrayan We will be happy to have you Dan. However, we do not help with ETF's from previous providers." Oh well, I still want that Lumia 920 way more than I want to stay with Sprint.
I think my ETF is down to $100 (which I think is the minimum it can be). If the Lumia hits AT&T AND they get it at $99 on contract (hopeful, I know), I'll be there in a heartbeat.
I don't think they will sell it for 99$, but of course it depends on the contract. More likely 199$ at first and then depending on the sales 99$ after christmas...
Something tells me Verizon isn't going to get the 920.
I'm ok with Nov 2 ish. As it stands, I'll have to pay Sprint the ETF, and on Oct 28, the fee will go down to the minimum amount.
Is the 920 going to be just as difficult to unlock as the 900 was? Ps: AT&T sales jerk said that 920 was going to be AT&T exclusive. Is he full of shiz? Or does he have some ground to stand on with such a claim?
Chances are if it's "exclusive" like the L900 then yes AT&T will likely hold on to those unlock codes forever. I'd wait it out this time for confirmation of it being unlocked before jumping to buying one from AT&T.
That is definitely not what I was hoping to hear.
If they are going to give out a free Windows Phone at BUILD I would think it would be the Windows Phone 8X by HTC, not the Lumia 920. It seems smarter to hand out the 8X and get more attention for that to help it not get overshadowed by the Lumia 920. Also the 8X is available on all 3 carriers. My prediction is that everyone at BUILD '12 gets a free Microsoft Surface and a Windows Phone 8X.
WPcentral, do you have any solid inside sources at Verizon?
I'm waiting for them to announce. God dammit Nokia!!
Hell yeah, got the Samsung focus right when it came out and now it's right on time for my upgrade. 920 ftw!
Daniel, I think you know this, but on the page that views the wpcentral store and the phones (on the homepage), it doesn't show the 8X and 8S. Just to let you know. :)
And sorry, I know this is off topic. You can delete this comment once u read it.
I am seeing a lot of news about the planned launch in US and Europe (even Australia) but nothing yet for Canada (you know....America's tuque). I am actually planning a cross-border Black Friday shopping trip in which I will pick up a Lumia 920 if there are none available back home by then.
Shame I must resort to these tactics. Had this phone been produced by Apple, I could have pre-ordered it a few days after it was announcement, with the carrier of my choice, and could have received it a month ago without having to leave my home town and/or country. MS and Nokia will have a lot to learn. There is a reason why Apple is ahead and it is not because of the technology.
Yeah and what did people get with their pre order? Scratched phone and faulty apps. I'd rather wait a little bit and get quality.
So you want a "f" up phone like iPhone 5 wilth all the problem like the maps issues, scratches, screen light bleeds, camera, and screen bubbles, rather than wait and have something that works.
He never said he wanted an iPhone 5, if you had any basic reading comprehension skills you'd see that he even stated he'll cross the border into another country to get a WP. He was merely stating his disappointment with Nokia's launch plans, contrasting that with Apple's typical launches which capitalize on the hype of recent keynotes by giving all the details consumers want/need, and then giving them set dates for when they can buy their products (which are usually not much later).
Now to wait for Rogers here in Canada to follow suit...Generally we'll see the same devices north of the border given the similarities between the two companies (especially given AT&T used to be part owner of Rogers iirc).
ATT exclusive in the US again? I'm glad I purchased an iPhone 4S for $49 while I had the chance. I love WP7, but the Arrive itself was a god awful device. Based on the currently announced WP8 device specs, I won't settle for anything less than the Lumia 920. Since I work for Sprint with a free cellular plan an ATT exclusive device is worthless to me. If Nokia isn't planning to push hard for more US networks then I'll just use my other upgrade to purchase an iPhone 5 because it's the only other LTE device whose camera is close to the Lumia 920. I'm seriously dissapointed with the pressure Nokia is mounting in the US as both an investor and a consumer.
Are you joking us? Sprint CHOOSES NOT TO SUPPORT WP,so why should any phone oem bother with sprint? Obviously sprint has to sell iPhones to cover their horrible investment(ATT + Verizon still adding more new customers for iOS than sprint) Tamara from dan@sprint.com has told me personally sprint has no plans for WP. Sprint won't offer updates for the Arrive that HTC and MS have given them(3 so far) So don't try for a second to blame anyone but sprint.. All they care about are magical evenings with David Blayne announcing the Kyocera echo instead of WP, you do know the Arrive was the highest user rated phone in sprints lineup before it was removed right? Stop the rush Limbaugh style lying tactics to bash nokia/wp
I've been a Sprint customer since 2000. I have no problem saying today that company can go straight to hell. Between their out-dated network, that disaster of a WiMax experiment and their anxiety about Windows Phone, I'm done with 'em. And I'm on a SERO plan.
SERO plan isn't free and it's really not much cheaper than many pre-paid plans. However, you still get upgrade discounts on SERO. My EWD plan is totally free and there isn't a windows phone out there worth an extra $45-60 per month just to have the OS that I prefer (even the 920). I did at least consider it because of Sprint's lack of WP support and poor coverage/speed in my area. My only beef with Nokia is that they (and Microsoft) aren't using their incredible power to put the phone in as many outlets as possible.
Its up to the carriers. MS and Nokia can't force Sprint to use or sell their products. Sprint chose not to, not the other way around.
If they offered up $$$$ amount of advertising support and kickbacks; there is a dollar value where any carrier would agree to sell their product.
You're talking about bribing Sprint but it is not worth it. Sprint is in the deep part of the water anytime it will go under.
You are sad and don't know shit about me. I've been using the Arrive for the past year and I'm the only employee at this location who praised WP or sold people on WP. As a shareholder of Nokia I'm not please with their total market penetration; only a fraction of which is caused by Sprint. As an employee and shareholder of Sprint I'm dissapointed with their lack of support for WP (Nokia) and their slow LTE deployment. None of that changes the fact that it's stupid for me to go pay for a cell phone elsewhere when I get my unlimited everything for free. Since the iPhone 5 will likely be my only choice for LTE and a great camera; I might end up buying it (employees aren't allowed to buy it yet). I just got the 4S because it only cost me $49 and it was a way to test out iOS. So far I've been pleased with the camera which is 10Mx better than the Arrive's camera.
iPhone 5 has great camera? I read a lot of people posting that they are having the purple color on their pictures like the Lumia 900 has.
Hey, the purple haze is one of the 200+ features in the iPhone5! The same thing can't be said of the purple haze in the L900! ;-)
If only a carrier in canada could make a move....
I wish we could hear some news about Verizon getting it....
Seriously. It's starting to look more and more like an AT&T exclusive isn't it?
I'can not wait for this phone. I want it NOW! :D
The Lumia 920 may be an ATT exclusive, but what about the 922 :) I know we have not heard of such a device, but Nokia did say they would bring something unique to each carrier. You'd have to think they are talking about the U.S market when they said that. I only say that because the carriers are have way more branding (and control) of their devices in the U.S than anywhere else.
Thoughts?
Dogfish,
that is a very interesting thought. The leaked roadmap from Verizon did mention an L822. So they might just do the same with the L920. At least that is what I'm pryaing for!
i want to wait for this lumia i really really do, but it needs to come sooner! i want a new phone!
i want to wait for this lumia i really really do, but it needs to come sooner! i want a new phone!
I just gotta get one now, can’t wait a month! Maybe I can Sprint to Europe and grab a unit, unlock it, come back stateside and Sim my preferred carrier!