Nokia Lumia 900 leak hints low price

Nokia's launch of the Lumia 900 in the US may compete fiercely on price. A leak at BGR, corroborated by previously accurate Windows writer Paul Thurrott, has the 4G Windows Phone costing just $100 on an AT&T contract. The same tip likewise supports earlier talk of a March 18 ship date.

Some room exists for the date to move, as AT&T hasn't yet given the full technical clearance for the Lumia 900.

Should it be proven real, the price could make it one of the lowest-cost LTE phones on any platform and the most ambitious Windows Phone launch in the US to date. Less-capable phones like the Samsung Focus S came in at twice the price and are thought to have continued the slow sales that have defined Windows Phone for more than a year.

AT&T is rumored to be putting at least $200 million into the marketing of the Lumia 900, and possibly other Windows Phones like the HTC Titan II, in what many see as a possible last big chance to ingrain Microsoft's platform into the US consciousness. The current American market is divided almost equally between Android and iPhone and has left Windows Phone competing more with outgoing platforms like Nokia's own Symbian than with Apple, Google, or even RIM.

By Electronista Staff