Verizon to pick up Nokia Lumia 928 in Red? NaviFirm hints at a new version of the popular Windows Phone

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

By all accounts, the Nokia Lumia 928 on Verizon, an exclusive variant of the 92x series, is doing quite well. Verizon has steadily picked up Windows Phone market share in the US, mostly at the expense of AT&T and it helped bring a flagship Nokia device to one of the most important carriers in the States.

Currently, the Lumia 928 is only offered in glossy White or Black and while the device has a solid specification list, it could stand to be spiced up a bit in the looks department. That’s why the 1328 OS ROM spotted on NaviFirm Plus with the label RM-860 VAR VRZ RED (059R227) has piqued our interest. The other two versions, both white and black, are already listed but that Red variant and product code is something new.

Could Verizon be looking to refresh their Lumia 928 lineup with a dash of red? It certainly looks plausible. We’ve seen AT&T do as much in the past with the Lumia 900, so there is precedence for this kind of addition by a carrier. Plus we’ve always wondered why Verizon didn’t opt for a Red Lumia 928 from day one—seems kind of obvious seeing as that’s their official color.

We’ll just have to sit back and see what happens, but if you were thinking of grabbing a Lumia 928 for you or a loved one, you may want to hold back a few weeks as this could be close to release.

Thanks, AR2186, for the tip!

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

57 Comments
  • Maybe the red one will have FM. Doubt it though.
  • I highly doubt it, like highly...lol
  • You hope the red one has fm....were you being sarcastic?
  • whats the point of these hybrids if they dont have an active digitizer? i cant see using it as a tablet much if there is no pen 
  • I ask you this, why is it Verizon's color base stops at red? Even know your company color is red your allowed to have numerous abundance of colors. There is no law that I am aware of against this. I always get a kick when I hear Verizon is getting this or that phone in red. Its different than black I guess.
  • They seem kind of conservative. I mean, the NL928 could have been yellow, cyan, etc. too but they were like "no, black and white". Kind of lame as the NL928 from the front is too square/boring, imo. Great phone, just Verizon had Nokia tone it down so much...just like the NL810.
  • The palette doesn't stop at red but their red, aka Verizon Red, is a trademark color for them much in the same way Coca-Cola has their own trademark red.
  • I want! Too bad I can't upgrade till March thanks to this 24 month BS.
  • It is odd that they didn't have red to begin with but that didn't stop them from jamming "Verizon Red" into the color palette on the other 928s...and I presume other WPs as well
  • There are also firmware files for a magenta 920. If this is even real, it could just be an employee exclusive, as Verizon seems to get plenty of those.
  • gah..this was the one i was attempting to wait for but couldnt hold out when i got my black one on amazon for free.  although, for whatever reason it hasn't hit verizon's system that i made that purchase using an upgrade as i've never been charged a 30 dollar activation fee and my data is still unlimited after 2 billing cycles....   is a red lumia 928 worth giving that up/spending more money?  hmmm lol
  • Sell your back one on eBay and use that money for the red one. That's what I'm doing :)
  • Verizon needs a new model more than a new color.
  • 1028?
  • That, or the 925.
  • Am I the only one who thinks 928 is the least attractive phone in 9xx series?
  • It's not an unattractive phone, but compared to the 920 and 925, I'd agree.
     
    Even so, it's much better-looking than my old HTC Trophy and I'm happy with the way it looks anyway. :P
  • No you are not.
  • Nope. I agree. I prefer the look of the 920 (which I own) and the 925.
  • Not to me, I prefer its straight lines over the curves of the 920 which feels odd to me.
  • Unattractive, no. Uncomfortable, yes.
  • No.  It's an uncomfortable brick.
  • Actually I think its the 925 myself. I think the order is 920, 928, every other phone in existance, 925. lol
  • think its an updated hardware version too with Glossy Red ( FM radio) and may be with GDR2
     
  • Did they just realize it didn't make since for them not to have a red Nokia phone
  • They have a red 822...
  • Lol I meant 928 but thanks for correcting me had no idea the 822 actually came in red
  • They must be selling well, otherwise they wouldn't increase stock of an item that isn't moving
  • I would have loved to get a cyan/blue 928. White is the next best choice imo. I'm personally not a fan of red but more choice is always nice.
  • Cyan please -.-
  • We need a 102X series...
  • Questions boys, do users still have access to Nokia server? Because I would love to flash my Lumia 920 with GDR2. Please if anyone knows please let me know.
  • http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2401226
  • This or in our very own forums on WPCentral! That's where I got my info from.
  • I can't get my sisters L920 to flash for the life of me. Keeps telling me its the wrong variant type. Anyone know how to get around this?
  • Mine told me that, but I just clicked ok and it flashed through. I've done it twice now. Did u follow the instructions on the forum?
  • Yeah, I got that pop up, but then as it began to flash I got another one. I think the drivers might be the problem. I vaguely recall a similar thing happening months ago with a 620.
  • Thank you so so much.
  • http://forums.wpcentral.com/nokia-lumia-920/236790-how-update-any-l920-g...
  • Is the 928 really popular? I didn't think it was
  • I second this question.
  • I've heard that it is, but I guess popular is a relative term.
  • I know it has the highest user rating on the Verizon site
  • "By all accounts, the Nokia Lumia 928 on Verizon, an exclusive variant of the 92x series, is doing quite well"
    Is this true?  Quick check of Amazon shows the 928 is 8th place on Verizon list, after several different colors of the GS4 and GS3.  And thats with its price being $0.  Not saying Amazon is the best measure of success, but its all I have, unless you have other numbers.
  • Makes more sense to save this for their next flagship Nokia device, unless they are not expecting one in the near future.
  • "...glossy White or Black"
    ...glossy White or matte Black
     
    Many users like the matte option as it has bit more grip like the older Lumias.
  • I love the straight lines on my 928. It's gotten a lot of compliments. I wanted it in glossy yellow, but that'll never happen. I do agree that the glossy white is a bit slippery.
  • Nice, I hope they come out with a cyan version.
  • Are u using the cracked NCS? I would definitely check the drivers and maybe try a restart.
  • The wife will be pumped if this is true. She's been waiting and waiting since the rumor broke that a cyan and red were in the cards.
  • Why couldn't they give me a red one to begin with? I would have so much preferred it over my white one.
  • I actually like my matte black. It's not as slippery and fingerprints are much less obvious, unless you are up close. I'll admit that the sharper corners were a thing to get used to at first, but now I kinda like them. Feels more secure in my hand.
  • Oh, and for those few people who wonder, I have seen lots of new 928s in my area. Maybe because they were cheap and Verizon's kinda the only real signal, but it's nice to see.
  • Red should be STANDARD.
  • Just the fact we're talking about windows phones on Verizon is wonderful and Sprint too of course. I've been on board "original focus" for nearly three years and it's been a rough go for the platform, especially with iPhone / Android tech sites trashing it! Like I've said from the beginning....the people will decide the fate of windows phone! Looking fantastic!
  • Figures. Since the 900 was announced, I've only wanted a red one. I finally got my 928 (white) and now it leaks out that Verizon may be getting the red one.
  • Don't forget that you can always grab a decal that covers your device when you want to spice up the colors of what you already have.
     
    Decal Girl is a good site with designs for most of the Nokia phones.
     
    If you have a good photo printer, you can also buy decal paper and print your own if you are handy with an exacto knife.  There should be templates out there for most Nokia devices on the web.