14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is very busy getting ready for the release of the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system for the general public. Unveiled in early April, the update for those who already own a Windows Phone 8 handset is supposed to start rolling out sometime this month.
However, the Redmond-based company is also planning to launch a handful of brand new Windows Phone 8.1 devices in the next couple of months.
All the new smartphones that Microsoft is rumored to launch this year will arrive in the United States at one or more carriers, so this is good news for Windows Phone fans in North America who are probably wondering why they still can't buy the Lumia 635.
Well, that's about to change, at least according to @evleaks. The famous leaker claims that sources familiar with the matter said that some of the new Windows Phone 8.1 devices already announced by Nokia will arrive in the United States very soon.
For example, the Lumia 635 will be available in the United States through different carriers, including T-Mobile, AT&T and Cricket, from June or July.
Sprint will also sell the affordable Windows Phone 8.1 handset, but at this carrier, the device will be available later than at the other ones and it will come with a newer firmware.
Next in line, there is a new smartphone that hasn't been introduced yet, namely Nokia 530, which is an entry-level smartphone that should make its debut in the United States at T-Mobile sometime in the middle of the summer.
The Lumia 530 will also be available at Cricket, but only from early Q4. It's unclear whether or not the cheapest Windows Phone 8.1 handset will be picked up by additional US carriers.
The next smartphones that are rumored to arrive in the United States haven't been announced yet and are only referred to by their codenames, not the name that will be used when they will be released on the market.
So, it appears that the next trio of Windows Phone 8.1 smartphones supposed to hit shelves in the United States will arrive beginning Q3. They will all be powered by Windows Phone Blue GDR1, which is the first major update after the Windows Phone 8.1
Nokia Tesla will be picked up by AT&T, while Nokia Superman will be launched at Verizon. Both these smartphones are said to be mid-range. The third of the trio, Nokia McLaren is the next flagship smartphone launched by Microsoft.
The McLaren will be announced this fall and it will ship in time for the holidays. This one will be available worldwide, so all major US-based carriers should add it to their portfolios, but for now, T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon are the only ones confirmed.
Moving on to 2015, things become a little bit fuzzier, but sources close to the matter mention two more Windows Phone devices that should arrive at AT&T in the spring, Nokia Makepeace and Dempsey.
There are no details whatsoever on these two Windows Phone devices, but we will probably get more info as we're getting close to their release. Nokia Makepeace and Dempsey are likely to be revealed in early January at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015.
The last Windows Phone handsets to be released next year by Microsoft are called Nokia Cityman and Nokia Talkman. The first one is a phablet, while the second one will be the first flagship smartphone for 2015.
These are just some of the devices that Microsoft seems to have in the roadmap for the next year or so, but any changes are possible. We suggest taking the info with a grain of salt until more details surface in the next months.