Glenn Lurie (pictured right), Head of AT&T’s Tablet Unit, spoke today at a conference in Barcelona organized by Morgan Stanley. He confirmed that his company is currently talking to Nokia about releasing Windows Phone devices in North America, but that he’s got nothing specific to announce. Does this really come as a surprise to anyone? Earlier this month we heard that AT&T will launch a modified version of the Lumia 800 that features 4G LTE connectivity, and considering America’s largest consumer electronics exhibition is due to take place in January, we’re less than 90 days away from hearing an official announcement. Bear in mind, when Nokia World took place in London last month, several Verizon employees were spotted at the event, so it’s a given that they too are talking with Nokia and will likely release either a modified version of the Lumia 800 to support their CDMA/LTE network, or a new higher end model all together.
The more important question here is how much money will the operators, Microsoft, and Nokia, pour into advertising and incentives for retailers to get Windows Phone the attention it deserves? Nearly everyone who has tried the relatively new OS says that it’s better than Android, and that if the ecosystem were just a tiny bit larger it could most definitely take on the iPhone. That ecosystem isn’t going to grow if marketing dollars aren’t spent. It’s sad to admit that, but it’s the truth. Part of Apple’s huge success is that they bombard you with advertising across various mediums, and their ads are actually useful because they explain what the iPhone does. The last thing we need to see on television is a set of brightly colored tiles that pulsate to a cheesy techno beat and then the words “Easier. Faster. Funner.” appear on the screen.
We’re extremely curious to see how Nokia plans to conquer North America. Again.