AT&T prices Lumia 920 and 8GB HTC 8X at $100, Lumia 820 at $50, Nokias due on Friday
AT&T is finally spilling the beans on how much its Windows Phone 8 handsets will set you back if you plump for a two-year deal. Nokia's Lumia 920 costs $99.99, $50 less than previously speculated, and will come with a free wireless charging plate.
Context & Ripple Effects
AT&T had already secured a Lumia 920 exclusive for a November launch, while Best Buy listed the 920 at $149 for AT&T pre-orders. The carrier’s final $99.99 price undercuts that earlier retail signal and pairs the flagship with a charging accessory.
The move also follows AT&T’s $100 Lumia 900 launch pricing in March, giving Nokia another subsidized, carrier-led push at the Windows Phone launch window.
First-order effects
- AT&T buyers can obtain the Lumia 920 for $99.99 on a two-year agreement—$50 below Best Buy’s earlier listed price—and receive a wireless charging plate at no extra charge.
- Nokia’s Lumia 920 and HTC’s 8GB 8X enter AT&T at the same $99.99 contract price, while the Lumia 820 occupies the $49.99 step-down tier.
Second-order effects
- The Lumia 920’s bundled charger gives Nokia a visible retail differentiator against HTC’s equally priced 8X, shifting the immediate comparison from entry price to included hardware.
- Best Buy’s earlier AT&T Lumia pre-order pricing is no longer the clearest benchmark; AT&T’s own subsidy and bundle define the launch offer.
Third-order effects
- AT&T’s repeated use of roughly $100 contract pricing for Lumia launches points to carrier subsidy and exclusive distribution—not handset list price alone—as Nokia’s main route to reducing adoption friction in the U.S. market.
The trend: Windows Phone launches are being shaped by carrier-controlled contract pricing and accessory bundles that make flagship devices compete at mass-market upfront prices.