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AT&T to spend $150M to promote Lumia 900, report says

That would be more than the telecommunications giant spends on the iPhone, according to Ad Age.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
Roger Cheng
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, and AT&T mobility chief Ralph de la Vega show off Nokia's new Lumia 900. Lori Grunin/CNET

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 carrier wants to get off its dependence on the iPhone, which is no longer its exclusive device.

Despite AT&T's push to get more Android smartphones in its lineup, Android has largely been a strength of Verizon's, thanks to its Droid franchise. In fact, many assume Verizon's Droid brand is synonymous with Android.

So AT&T is looking to Windows Phone and Microsoft, which has long been a partner for the company.

The Lumia 900 is off to a nice start on Amazon, topping the cell phone best-sellers list.