It looks like Windows Phone will indeed get LTE before the Apollo update in late 2012. Paul Thurrott, host of Windows Weekly and owner of WinSupersite has decided to come out with what he knows about Microsoft’s planned LTE rollout. He claims that Microsoft has chosen AT&T for its first LTE Windows Phones and that the first LTE-based devices will debut at CES in January. The Nokia ACE, HTC Radiant, and Samsung Mendel (these could be tentative titles) were named and will all be available by the middle of 2012. The Ace will be released March 18, 2012, tentatively.
What we don’t yet know is when the rumored “Tango” software update is coming and whether that will open support for LTE or if Microsoft is planning another software release. Or perhaps Tango doesn’t exist at all.
Thurrott also notes that the Nokia Lumia 710 will ship on Verizon in April 2012. We’re not sure why Verizon would want a cheaper handset that will be available on T-Mobile in January and lacks LTE, but apparently it’s in the cards. We haven’t yet heard of an LTE-based Windows Phone coming to Verizon.
While this is all rumor and speculation, Thurrott is not known for throwing out false rumors, so we take this news with some credence. The dates and names of devices will likely change before it’s all over, but it looks like AT&T will remain the best place to find good Windows Phones in the United States.
