Nokia Windows Phone 8 Coming To Verizon This Year

Since the dawn of Windows Phone, reception among carriers other than AT&T has been luke warm. Verizon’s only Windows Phone was the HTC Trophy and it came incredibly late to the party. Verizon is an important carrier when it comes to the success of a platform. Today’s report from Bloomberg could be the shot in the arm needed, as sources indicated a Nokia Windows Phone 8 device is coming to Verizon this year. It would represent the first Windows Phone device on big red since May of 2011.

Microsoft and Nokia have scheduled an event for September 5th, where they will formally introduce Windows Phone 8 and we suspect some new Nokia models. It would be surprising to see any Verizon models, considering the carrier is holding a joint “main event” with Motorola on the very same day to introduce the Droid RAZR HD.

While the news today is positive, we have a hard time taking this news as Verizon getting firmly behind Windows Phone 8. News of the Motorola/Verizon event came after Microsoft’s announcement. Clearly there must be communication between these two companies, so why the scheduling kerfuffle. Microsoft’s news should overshadow the launch of a new Android phone, but tech journalists might not find their way to both events. (Editor’s Note: We received an invite to the Motorola/Verizon event, but not the Microsoft event. We’ve reached out several times to Microsoft in order to provided expanded coverage, but have been told they are ‘at capacity’. We’ll still provide coverage of the event, but not at the level we’d like considering our inability to be on location.)

Verizon, along with other carriers, are looking to be less dependent on the iPhone. Expanding their non-iPhone portfolio does just that. It’s great to see news of a Verizon Windows Phone, but better news would be talk of promoting that phone on the scale it needs to compete on the shelves of Verizon retail stores. Verizon carrying a Windows Phone 8 device isn’t enough, but it’s certainly a good start.