Said to have ordered 8 million devices

Jul 28, 2010 09:30 GMT  ·  By

Redmond-based software giant Microsoft is getting ready for the release of a new mobile operating system, namely Windows Phone 7, and various pieces of information on its launch partners have started to emerge into the wild. Among them, we can count some details regarding the availability of the first Windows Phone 7 device on the US market, when AT&T is reportedly the premier carrier for the forthcoming mobile phones.

According to a recent article on PC World, this piece of news comes from AT&T themselves, “We'll be the premier carrier for Windows Phone 7,” an AT&T spokeswoman reportedly told the news site via e-mail not too long ago. “We haven't given guidance on timing,” she continued. Unfortunately, no other details on the matter were shared for the time being.

Some of the previous reports on AT&T and its plans for the Windows Phone 7 handsets suggested that the wireless carrier ordered a number of over 8 million devices to have available for its customers. The move hasn't been confirmed officially for the time being, but chances are that AT&T might indeed have great plans for the platform, especially since it is expected to lose its exclusivity on the Apple iPhone in the near future.

Microsoft said not too long ago that it would have Windows Phone 7 devices available via all carriers in the country, as there will be no exclusivities, but neither of the other three largest wireless services providers in the United States unveiled specific plans for the OS. However, Microsoft did mention at one time that AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon would carry Windows Phone 7 mobile phones.

It still remains to be seen what exactly did AT&T mean by saying that it would be a premier carrier for the launch of Windows Phone 7. Most probably, it would play a bigger role in the promoting of handsets, or it might even push these devices in front of other solutions. One way or the other, specific details on what this would be all about should emerge when the first devices arrive on the market, later during the ongoing year.