14 DAY TRIAL // Sprint was the only major wireless carrier in the United States to have not announced plans to add new Windows Phone 8 devices to its offering just yet, and it seems that it did so for a good reason.
The company is now said to be planning the release of such handsets only next year, without a specific launch date provided as of now.
In fact, it seems that the company itself has confirmed the lack of Windows Phone 8 devices on its lineup for this year.
“Sprint and Microsoft are partnering to bring Windows Phone 8 to Sprint's customers - operating on its 4G LTE network - next year,” Sprint said in an email, PCMag reports.
Apparently, the low performance of Sprint’s previous Windows Phone might have determined the company to delay the launch of such handsets until it was certain that they would enjoy the expected response from their customers.
HTC Arrive, which landed at Sprint last year, was not received well at all, the company said in early 2012. In spring, however, David Owens, Sprint's director of consumer acquisition, said that he was bullish on Windows Phone 8.
However, it seems that this was not enough to determine him to bring new devices to shelves this holiday season.
Other wireless carriers in the country, however, did take the risk and launched Windows Phone handsets, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.
In fact, the first such smartphones, including the Nokia Lumia 920 and Windows Phone 8X by HTC are already available for purchase in the United States, and are said to have experienced great initial success.
What remains to be seen is how far in 2013 Sprint’s Windows Phone 8 devices will arrive on shelves. At the moment, the carrier is focused on the release of high-end Android-based devices, such as Samsung Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III and LG Optimus G.