The next major version of Windows Phone, codenamed Apollo, is due to land in the fourth quarter of this year. We have a rough idea of what new features it’ll bring to the table, but until Microsoft issues a press release detailing everything we should know about … we’re pretty much clueless to what’s true and what’s bullshit. Software aside, what about devices? According to WMPoweruser, here’s what we can expect to see in terms of Apollo hardware: Nokia will release a Windows Phone 8 flagship device on Verizon that has a 1280 x 720 pixel display and a 12 megapixel “PureView” camera. Remember the Symbian powered 41 megapixel PureView 808 that was announced in February? This as yet to be named Nokia device will have a 12 megapixel version of that, so expect the final images to be roughly 1.5 megapixels in size, which is more than enough for Facebook/Twitter/email. Sprint will get a 4 inch QWERTY device with a display that pushes 800 x 480 pixels. It’s going to be a side slider, à la the Motorola DROID 4. T-Mobile will get an HTC device. And as for AT&T, they’re going to get a pair of Samsung handsets.
Something about this doesn’t sit right with us. Nokia partnered with AT&T and promised to spend an ungodly sum of money to promote the Lumia 900, yet it’s going to be Verizon who will be offering Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 flagship? If that’s true, then we can’t even begin to imagine the angry phone calls that are going to take place later this year. And as for Samsung, don’t count them out. Their Windows Phones are typically just tweaked versions of their Android devices. So if the Galaxy S III turns out to be a hit, then a Windows Phone that looks exactly like it would do incredibly well.
As always, take these rumors with a huge mountain of salt.