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AT&T's marketing clout for the Lumia 900 isn't quite as hefty as initially thought.

The budget to push Nokia's smartphone is significantly lower than the $150 million that Ad Age had reported yesterday, according to a person familiar with the situation. The Verge reported that the actual budget is more in line with a typical high-profile launch.

An AT&T representative declined to comment on a specific figure for the budget.

The amount AT&T spends is crucial to how successful the Lumia 900 will be, as a majority of phones are still … Read more

It was always the unspoken truth of the iPhone that it had a mesmerizing effect when placed on a bar.

Yes, Apple employees forgot to pick up prototypes from the bar on occasion, but that was surely because they -- of all people -- understood the sheer erotic power of the phone's design.

Now, as I read that AT&T is placing an enormous commitment behind its marriage to Nokia's Lumia 900, I went in search of the launch ad.

Would it focus on its touching Windows Phone-ness? Would it bathe in its sleek design? Well, in a way.

It tells boys that this is the phone that will help them pick up girls, just as the iPhone was always said to.… Read more

AT&T is putting some heavy cash behind its push to sell the Lumia 900.

The telecommunications giant plans to spend $150 million on its campaign to sell the Nokia smartphone -- more than its budget for the iPhone, according to Ad Age.

AT&T declined to comment on its Lumia budget, but the company previously told CNET that it would launch its biggest campaign ever for the Lumia 900. The carrier is willing to spend so much on an unproven phone because it wants to break away from growing duopoly of Android and iOS. In particular, the … Read more

The Lumia 900 is off to a nice start -- at least on Amazon.

Nokia's flagship smartphone sits atop Amazon's cellphone bestseller list. In fact, the black variant is the top seller, followed by the blue version. They were both outselling the Droid Razr Maxx by Motorola Mobility and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

That's a solid early indicator for a phone with a lot riding on it. Microsoft is looking for the Lumia 900 to break Windows Phone into the mainstream, while Nokia sees its phone as a way to get into in the U.S. market. … Read more

Microsoft wants consumers to really get its pitch that Windows Phones are more efficient than rival smartphones and can thus create more free time for consumers.

To drum up attention for the recently launched Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC Titan II, Microsoft has set up "free-time machines" in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. They are essentially offering freebies for meals, personal shoppers, grocery delivery, cleaning, and dog walkers. Personal concierges are also on-hand to handle tasks like waiting in line for a burger.

The promotion is part of the core Microsoft strategy centered on the Windows Phones … Read more

For developers looking beyond iOS and Android, the timing may be right to jump on the Windows Phone bandwagon. Nokia has a lot to do with that.

The Lumia 900 launch signals the potential rise of the Windows Phone platform, with Nokia, Microsoft, and AT&T looking to make a big push for the phone. Nokia brought New York's Times Square to a standstill on Friday thanks to a quick concert performance by Nicki Minaj, with the area blanketed in Nokia blue and references to its new flagship phone.

AT&T is promising its biggest launch ever. … Read more

The ink was barely dry on Nokia's deal with Microsoft to use Windows Phone more than a year ago when Nokia rushed to AT&T in an early bid to get a foothold back into the U.S.

AT&T was hesitant at first. The company's existing lineup of Windows Phone devices hadn't sold well, and Nokia hadn't had much of a presence in the U.S. AT&T was looking for a unique device suitable for its customers, but its principal hang-up was the lack of 4G LTE support, which was a … Read more

It appears Nokia isn't going to be shy about picking a fight with Apple and its iPhone.

Popping up recently is the Smartphone Beta Test website, which include several "hidden video" clips that poke fun at the iPhone, including a jab at the iPhone 4's "death grip controversy." The implication: that all preceding phones, including the iPhone, were beta tests for the real phone: Nokia's Lumia 900.

The website, which was found by WPCentral, doesn't mention Nokia or the Lumia 900, but a countdown clock ticks down to April 6, or two … Read more

AT&T, Microsoft, and Nokia are aligning their marketing dollars toward making the Lumia 900 a hero phone, a device that's coveted by the masses.

Why the big bucks? Nokia and Microsoft have a very small window of opportunity to make Windows Phone stick, as both Samsung and Apple are waiting in the wings with new devices.

One misfire, and Nokia and Microsoft's Windows Phone may not recover in the U.S. If those two companies can't generate interest with a modestly priced smart device and AT&T's biggest marketing push ever, getting positive … Read more