Nokia Lumia 900 delayed until May

The Nokia Lumia 900 has been delayed. The 4.3-inch Windows Phone, expected to hit shop shelves this week, has been pushed back to next month as American phone fans snap them up.

The 900 will arrive on 14 May or thereabouts, delayed from the original release date of 27 April, as quoted by retailer Phones4U.

Update: Nokia told us that "overwhelming demand for the Lumia 900 in the US with AT&T has, unfortunately, had a small knock-on effect on product availability in the UK. The Lumia 900 is now expected to be available from Phones4U around the 14th May. We are doing everything we can to fulfil demand."

The colonial clamour for the 900 is a big comfort for Nokia as the beleaguered Finnish company hasn't previously had anything like the presence in the US that it does here. Here in Europe it's the grand old man of mobile phones, but the years since the iPhone turned the phone market upside down haven't been kind, and any indications that the Lumia phones are doing well will be very welcome in Finland.

The Lumia range is yet to light up Britain, however. Nokia itself admits Brits just aren't that into Windows Phone as yet, while even the phone networks are doubtful Windows Phone can compete with Android and iPhone.

The new phones haven't been without problems either: in the US a software bug plagued the 900, while the Lumia 800 suffered various battery problems. Nokia reckons both problems are now fixed, but they're still an embarassment.

I think Windows Phone is the best smart phone interface around, so I'm hopeful the arrival of the Lumia range will help Windows Phone open up the smart phone race. There'll be plenty of choice, with the 900 leading the charge and the Lumia 800 rivalling other smart phones, and the Lumia 710 and Lumia 610 for those with lower budgets.

Are you keen to splash your cash on the Lumia 900? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.