Yesterday we mentioned that T-Mobile had announced that the Nokia Lumia 521 would be available through HSN.com on April 27th as a part of HSN's Innovation Weekend.
Well... apparently someone over at HSN.com started the weekend a little early. The T-Mobile Lumia 521 is now available over at HSN.com for $149.95 with free shipping and bundled with a car charger and screen protector. Flex payments of $37.49 are also available.
You can find the HSN.com listing for the Nokia Lumia 521 here.
We had received reports that the Lumia 521 had already sold out but we were able to add the Windows Phone to the cart and proceed to check out with no problem. Let us know below in the comments if you are finding the Lumia 521 out of stock over at HSN.com.
Thanks, Pushkar and Adrian, for the tips!
Reader comments
T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 521 on sale now at HSN.com
Anyone know if the backs from Lumia 520 will fit the 521?
Ordered mine has well got confirmation and ship date of 5/17..could not resist that price..
Back in stock. Couldn't get it last night but it is expected to ship in 15 days for me
Wow such a great price for the phone.
only 4 in stock.. interesting that even after i ordered, it was still 4 in stock.
Damn... sold out again. I was planning to order it. :(
Ordered. My mom had a Lumia 710 on TMO, and washed it with her pants one day. Killed it good. She got a shitty Android at Walmart for $200 and HATES it. She keeps whining about how she wants to go back to Windows. I sent her this link, and she ordered it INSTANTLY. You know what this means?
Its quoting 3-7 days shipping.
3D printed cell phone cases for the Lumia 520/521 ;)
Can I buy this and use it on ATT? Do I need a T-mobile account at all?
The 521's radio's are locked to TMO's. Try to get a 520 if you want to use it on AT&T
"radios" arent locked to carriers. T-Mobile uses most of the same bands and frequencies ATT does (albeit due to ATT monopolization in a number of areas those frequencies are used for 2G, which is why a number of T-Mobile phones support an extra 1 - 2 frequencies that are specific to tmobile) However, the phone itself is locked to a specific sim card. Though, however, if you have paid in full T-Mobile should give you the unlock code which would allow use the device with an ATT sim (Though some stores prefer you be a customer of Tmo for a month for some reason b4 they give it to you. it all depends.) Also, the regular 520 cheapest new i could find online was $225 @ Expansys. Thats $75 more than the T-Mobile RM-917 variant.
Yeah that hsn video is awesome!!! Oh and for anyone that doesn't have $150 today (I'll be the first to admit that I'm one), the flex pay allows you to pay $37.49 today and you still get the phone in 3-7 days. :)
This should work with net10 bring your own sim right
idk. If Net10 Sims work in T-Mobile phones, then yes, but otherwise it may vary. Even though you are buying it outright idk if its actually unlocked. Also, it depends on what kind of network Net10 uses. That, and if its like tracfone, you can only use certain phones with a sim card last i knew (i gave my friend an unlocked device i had laying around a few years ago and the sim wouldnt work. Tracfone said he couldnt use that device.). So do some research to see if this is unlocked, see if NET10 has Micro Sims (the 521 doesnt use full-sized sim cards), and see if they can be used with any unloicked GSM/HS(D)PA device.
If you put the pictures of the 520 and 521 side by side, it looks as if the 521 has a larger bottom bezel. Has T-Mo released the detailed specs fot the 521 yet? I wonder if they screwed around with the design like they did with the 810.
Only difference is an added frequency compatibility. Last i checked they are one and the same. Even the FAQ on Nokia Global groups the 521 with the 520 and GSM arena doesnt even call it the 521 it is under 520 RM-917. (There is also no product page last i checked on the Nokia site for the 521) EDIT: HSN's mesurements when converted to MM are a few MM off from Nokia's. This doesnt mean they arent the same size, however, since HSN only has approximate measurements, not exact like Nokia's on the 520.
Well they at lease moved the capacative buttons up to squeeze in the T-Mo logo.
The 520 is more square, and the 521 is taperd. Totally different shell case. The phone itself looks like it will accept both shells. It seems like all TMO did was make a custom shell and change the radio's. Time will tell.
I think this is a pre-event release. The display in the background says "Innovation Event Preview" and the guy said he wasnt sure if itd even make it to the main event before selling out.
Also, i wish i had the money now ;w;
I have a prepaid Lumia 710 and I'm interested in upgrading to this. Only thing I'm wondering about is the camera. I notice it doesn't have a flash. I would be interested in knowing what type of pictures it takes in low-light situations.
It seems to be popular on the hsn.com webpage... It's categorized as one of the most "liked", "best seller" and most "favorited"
But at that price I'm not surpriced. You can not find more smartphone for less money... But you can for sure find less smartphone for more money! :-)
I bought one that I will use for Audible, GPS and Podcasts and will keep as a backup phone. At $150 it's not much more than a new GPS to replace my old one.
Will this come unlocked? I realize that it's a "T-mobile" phone but if that's an unsubsidized price, my understanding is that it should be unlocked per Tmo's policy. I ask because I'm curious whether it would be able to take an AT&T SIM card straight out of the box or if I would have to butt heads with T-mobile in order to get it unlocked. Anyone have any idea or experience with buying a phone off contract and unsubsidized from them since they became the "un-carrier"?
Anyone in the US want to order one for me :D
Would it be possible to just pop in my AT&T sim card in this and use it on AT&T? My Lumia 900 has a cracked screen, and I've still got one more year on my AT&T contract...
Is anybody else getting an internal server error when you try to buy the phone?
Does this phone come unlocked? I have a t-mobile sim card currently, could I just place it in and start using it?
Yes. I have a walmart family mobile sim on 710.. but yes it is unlocked but i think it shoudl work.
Why would it need to be unlocked to use with the same carrier?
Ughhh! Im not sure if I should buy... I heard T-Mo sucks with reception/coverege? This is a good deal with their $50 unlimited everything /no contract plan though. Decisions, decisions...
It all depends where you live really. Around my house you get solid 4G with TMO but travel north at all and it's terrible.
One thing about Nokia is that they always have recieved great reception on their phones. I'm not saying it in all cases, but the quality of Nokia phones for me has always been best in places I get harder reception on other phones. I have a dead spot sometimes at my office with other phones, but when Nokia (both the 900 and 920) that has been almost no issue at all.
Like invertme said it all depends on where u live... I live in GA and I rarely have loss of service or anything, but some but very few areas I may have only one bar, like in my house I only get one bar In certain rooms but it still works and outside my house in at like 3-4 bars and around the corner etc I get all bars... Not bad for what u pay.
I want to make sure I am understaning this:
I just added this to my cart and almost checked out as a guest. It looks like I can buy this phone brand new for $150 with no contract at all. Is that real?!
Yes. It says no contract.
I'm buying it just to play with.. I mean at that price why not?
Initially got "sold out", but after few tries and couple of phone calls, I was able to order 2. The first customer service rep. said that it was sold out, but the 2nd rep. told me that they had about 500 of them. Maybe they saw a huge demand and restocked.
Shooed forget what everybody is saying about T-Mobile, truth is everybody including AT&T has flaws; no ones perfect! I just bought this phone for my son and he will love it because it has Xbox Live on it lol.. This may be low end but it will appeal to parents that don't wanna spend 1-million dollars on a phone, so it's a great deal I might just buy another one since I can just pay installments..
a million bazillion dollars...
Lol
This is the mobile that is gonna spread WP8 to many people just because of the affordable price tag...
Dear WPCENTRAL please do a post on urging Microsoft to enable Carrier billing for windows phones in south east Asian countries where we don't have credit cards and can't purchase paid apps/games.
An exclusive pre-release release--That looks like a smart move. Bummer that T-Mobile is only 2G in my area.
I just grabbed one (says 3-5 day delivery estimate) to replace my HTC Radar. It's cheap enough to replace in another 6 months or so when a real WP8 flagship phone finally comes out.
Peeps could leave a few good reviews :)
can this work on att or overseas(especially India)?
No, it's specifically branded to work with T-Mobile's network. Buy it unlocked on Ebay (as the international version the 520) if you need it in India. On AT&T, the 520 should work for 3G, not 4G. It's about $225 on Ebay from US sellers.
Lumia 520 already costs $160-$180 in India, why do you want to lose warranty and get a carrier branded phone when you can get the 520 itself.
the guy in the hsn video sells microsoft better than microsoft haha he makes this phone sound like a flagship. Put him on the front line and everybody will buy it.
Did see the video and it's seems to be the new Lumia flagship for sure... :P
^this.
Didn't see the video, but were they any horses dressed as butterflies?
The video is incredibly well done. I don't know if people understand the $149 outright thing vs $199 for an iPhone, but they did say you can activate whenever you like and that it was only $50/month.
T•Mobile the worst company in phones quality. Just offering low end devices.
My 8X seems to poop on most top android phones and is competitive to the Lumia 920 in Specs. My Camera is pretty freaking awesome and with my studio equipment Beats Audio AMP is a beauty. They don't only offer low end (Z10, Galaxy Series, 8X and Rumored Catwalk, ETC)
How exactly is Tmobile the worst company in phone quality?? Having the note2, Gs2,3and 4, BB, Q10,and I believe Z10.. The Htc8x and iPhone along with coming catwalk and HTC One. They are the smallest Of the 4 major wireless carriers but phones are on par with Sprinkle(sprint). And only missing flagships that are exclusive to other carriers... So I think your statement is misleading and false at best.
You beat me to the punch. TMo has had plenty of flagship phones.
They were the first to offer the Nexus One and Nexus S they sold all the Galaxy S Series. They getting the Xperia Z hopefully, they just picked up in the iPhone, they selling the HTC One and hopefully the rumor of the catwalk will blossom and they carried the HTC 8x. They may not have alot of high end WP but that don't mean they don't have or have carried high end phones. I mean what other high end WP phones are out other than the Ativ S and 920? TMo is the starting reason of Android.
Umm.. They have the HTC 8x, iPhone 5, Galaxy S4, HTC One, BB Z10 and are getting a top tier Lumia in the next few months. These TMobile low quality comments are getting old.
THIS!!
I think he's saying Tmo has a Flagship device for every OS except W8. They do have the 8X and some people say it's high end. Crap I did too... Until I got my Rogers Lumia 920. Now my 8X is just a paper weight.
I'm pretty sure he meant phone quality in general. But that's not Tmo fault on WP. 920 is exclusive to AT&T and even Samsung doesn't support their own ATIV S. HTC 8X is far from a poor quality phone IMO. What else was there to offer from WP8? They atleast tried to offer the 810 and now selling the 510. It's better than no support to WP. And you can't even use that as an excuse of OS. They carried the HTC HD7 and Dell Venue(?) at launch of WP7.
You got it. I need to be + specific. Actually I still using radar 4G but waiting 2 upgrade a phone in the category of a 920lumia, but nothing. I use a windows phone ever, I know 4 android & now the iPhone have a good choices 2do, but on WP is really the worst. I saw the X8 but to me is a feminine phone, I love something more firm like a 920 or the 810 but unfortunately they are not offering any more.
Once again the selection of WP8 phones is not TMo fault. I think with the summer coming up better selection of WP flagships will be ramped up and we will see a slew of great phones for all carriers
Dude tmobile is the shiznit. Speeds are faster than any carrier I've been on. Devices were great until they had issues as a carrier trying to stay alive. True indeed the coverage wasn't everywhere but I'm an inner city kid and coverage was fine. Travel was different outside of large cities. Not to mention customer service is the best. I have tmobile and att and enjoy calling tmobile any day. But who wants to send a high grade flag ship phone to T-Mobile and they have the least customer base. I wouldn't and its called business. Didn't proof read. #Lumia 920 Red
I definitely don't agree with your inaccurate term "business". Facts don't lie. From a smart business standpoint you put your flagship on every carrier. By putting it on one carrier you limit your growth / sales. I'll use the Samsung G3 for example. It's the #1 selling phone. Why? Because Samsung was smart enough to put it on all carriers. If Nokia would've took this approach and Microsoft pushed it W8 would've had over 10% market share now. Regardless Samsung showed how to grow a brand. Word domination....
And I don't agree with you. You can put a windows phone on all carriers doesn't mean a damn thing if people are buying the gs3 and 4 and HTC one.
You don't have to agree FACTS ARE FACTS. W8 doesn't have a flagship on all carriers. If Nokia and Microsoft would've put the 920 on all carriers and put a massive budget W8 would have a double digit market share. Factually you can't dispute that.
And no it sold because of android.
WRONG!!!!! It sold because Samsung built a high end phone. They put it on every carrier. Then they broke the bank on advertising it. Now Samsung is reaping the rewards. Genius move. I just wish Microsoft and Nokia would've used this proven formula.
Seems like a lot of people just crapped all over the worst comment in thread quality...just offering sour grapes. =P
No its not the worst comment. No I don't know what sells are and if you know so much then fix the market share I know what a flag ship phone is and to me the 8x isn't one of them. Yes the 920 should have been on all carriers but I'm sure it wasn't something microsoft didn't want. So yes it's business. What you hope for isn't reality at the moment. The 920 is a flagship device. Once it sold and got media attention then big red gets a 928, business. Response is for anyone who feels the need.
Man this is a prety good deal. I really need a new Smartphone since the G2 is on its last legs. Hmm should I just grab this for the cheap $150 or wait for the rumored Catwalk that might not even be coming too Tmobile.
If only this had a camera flash.
My advice, grab this for $150. Lord knows when Catwalk will be available or on what carriers. If you want to upgrade later on, it would either be a great backup phone, or you could probably sell it back for almost the cost you paid.
Sold out.
$150 is insanity for a smartphone. Is Nokia selling these at a loss?
Probably a mid to low spec phone, plus no contract. Not that insane
It might be T-Mobile that's cutting into the margins, but Nokia said the approximate retail for the 520-series is $180.
I think $150 for a smartphone is insane. This may be "low spec" but you are still getting 4inch screen, dual core CPU, and it will run WP8 just as smoothly as any other windows phone. You just have to be okay with no FFC (which I never use) and you won't be able to install some apps/games that require more memory. But or $150!!!!????
Which other smart phones with the latest OS version do you see in the US for $150 without a contract?
With HSN, Nokia saves on distribution cost, but still the price very low. Even at $180 the 520 was already the best bang for your buck.
Ordered. Seems like a great deal for a WP8 phone.
Since it has an SD Card Slot, might just use it as a pure media device.
You can't just buy this phone. You still need to sign-up with T-Mobile, or add the phone to your existing plan, even though it is no contract.
Does anyone know if this is a 4G phone? I do not see anywhere that it is. I want to recommend this to a friend who is looking at smartphones, but doesn't want to spend a lot. He does want 4G though. He still has a flip!
since it is non contract you can get it with a plan if neccesary and then cancel the plan. If you cant, then they should have a problem calling it non contract.
I'm on Tmobile, should have specified. Lol. Can't Leave the Magenta Carrier, best service in my area with consistent 4G speeds! Proud owner of HD7, 8X, 810, LG Quantum, and soon the 510!
Tmo has great service in my area too. I had a HD7, Dell Venue Pro, Titan2, Lumia 900, 8X and Lumia 920. I'd strongly recommend buying a Rogers 920 off eBay. It is the Best phone by far.
@tbonenga Why Rogers? Does it use the same frequencies as Tmobile? I have an unlocked AT&T 900 and am looking to upgrade in the near future.
The 920 from Rogers is Pentaband (has all GSM frequencies). It works like a charm on Tmo. It want be slow like the titan 2 or 900
If you have the 810, why would you get the 521?
You can just buy the phone. There is no sign up process for T-Mobile during or after the purchase. The specs at phonescoop show it has 3G/4G. They also specify international GSM support at 2G which may mean it is SIM unlocked. But if you are a Windows Phone Developer or interested in going there unlocked won't matter as this is a GREAT price for a WP8 dev phone.
You CAN buy the phone without signing up for a plan. This is great for those who need some extra time figuring out what plan they want. I just bought it...no plan required before or during checkout! I plan on using this phone as a gift for a no annual (prepaid) plan. Transaction was perfect...arrives in 3-7 days and comes with extras! Nokia Lumia for $150... I don't think it can get better than that!
This is a great smart phone! It is a 4G phone too. Add it to an existing T mobile phone or a pre paid plan. Either way you can't beat it for the price. My Daughter has been asking for a phone and we've held off itll now. She'll be going to Junor High next year so I bought her the phone. I have the older HTC windows 7 phone which I love but this is so much faster I wish I bought one for me. Windows phones? You don't know about them? I do. Connect to your computer, printer, xbox account your kids xbox account, Xbox music and down load every song ever made or ever will. Save thousands over I tunes. Full office, Excel, etc. If you or your friends don't like the windows phone you just don't know them. Yet! Ok so I'm going to buy another phone but maybe the next model up the " Nokia Lumia 925 4.5" Smartphone".