The next flagship smartphone will be picked up by at least 3 US carriers

Jun 6, 2014 11:01 GMT  ·  By

We have written earlier today on Nokia’s reportedly leaked roadmap for 2014/2015 and one of the smartphones mentioned there is called McLaren. Obviously, this is just the nickname by which the device is known internally, so expect it to be released on the market under a different name.

The information has recently been published by @evleaks, who also claims that sources familiar with Microsoft’s roadmap for the next 12 months said that the next Windows Phone flagship smartphone would be announced in fall.

The so-called Nokia McLaren is the same device that has previously leaked under a different nickname, Goldfinger. Well, it appears that WPCentral has more info on the upcoming flagship smartphone to be released by Microsoft in fall.

Nokia McLaren is not only a simple flagship smartphone, but the first device in which Microsoft will include innovative technology that is rarely integrated in Android and iOS handsets.

WPCentral’s Daniel Rubino claims that Nokia McLaren will indeed include 3D Touch technology. This is the same technology that was revealed last year by The Verge’s Tom Warren, so it may not be something new in terms of information.

Windows Phone enthusiasts should start getting hyped, as Microsoft is now working to integrate this technology onto Nokia McLaren. Sadly, for the time being, it’s unclear how exactly the technology functions, but one thing is certain and that’s the fact that some of the APIs for gestures used by 3D Touch are already included in the Windows Phone 8.1 SDK.

However, developers will not be able to see it yet, as they are kept hidden for the moment. Microsoft is likely to take the wrap off these APIs the moment it announces Nokia McLaren, so developers can start working on apps that would support this intriguing technology.

Microsoft is expected to unveil the Nokia McLaren in fall, but it’s unclear whether it will be showing this off at IFA 2014 in early September, or the Redmond-based company will maintain the Nokia World event that is usually held in October.

The good news is that the McLaren should be picked up by all US-based carriers, including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. Nokia McLaren is expected to hit shelves sometime in November, but some carriers may put it on sale later this year.

While there’s no word on price tag, the McLaren is likely to be priced just like any other Windows Phone flagship handset, so a price of around $200 (€145) or $300 (€220) on contract is to be expected.