Nokia is reportedly looking to give wireless carriers a financial stake in its Lumia handsets, rather than simply selling the devices through them. In return, these carriers would have exclusive access to Nokia’s lineup. The Finnish manufacturer hopes this tactic will help boost sales of its excellent but often overlooked Windows Phones.
This report comes by way of The Financial Times and claims that Nokia is already in talks with mobile operators in Europe, where its carrier relationships are strongest. Similar deals in the US aren’t out of the question, however, since many carriers are concerned about the influence of Apple and Google on the market.
Windows Phone 8 isn’t expected until November, about one month after the launch of the OS around October. The Espoo-based company has already begun teasing that “something amazing is coming” on September 7, the day after its Nokia World conference – which takes place September 5-6 – concludes. The Nokia Lumia 900, meanwhile, continues to sell fairly well on AT&T.
