AT&T Halves Nokia Lumia 900 Price (But Will WP7.8 Scare Buyers Off?)

AT&T has halved the price of the Nokia Lumia 900 in the US, asking under fifty bucks for the Windows Phone 7 handset. Launched back in April at an already competitive $99.99 with a new, two-year agreement, the cost of entry with the Lumia 900 is now $49.99; however, in the intervening period there have been revelations about Windows Phone 7 handsets' future that may dissuade some buyers.

Microsoft officially announced Windows Phone 8 last month, but at the same time confirmed that owners of existing devices wouldn't get an upgrade to the new platform. Instead, they'd get a halfway house measure – Windows Phone 7.8 - with the same UI but none of the underlying advantages or, indeed, the commitment to future upgrades beyond that point.

That leaves the Lumia 900 as something of an evolutionary dead-end, a fact which may well have encouraged AT&T to halve the price of the smartphone. The Finnish company is unsurprisingly working on new WP8 Lumia devices, but they're not expected until later in 2012.

Still, if you're looking for a Windows Phone today and you're unwilling to wait, the Lumia 900 is probably your best option. Check out our full review here, and then head over to see what you've got to come in our Windows Phone 7.8 preview.