Nokia Windows Phone 8 Devices Among First In UK With LTE, But Are Users Willing To Ditch iOS And Android?

The Nokia Lumia 920, the recently-unveiled flagship Windows Phone 8 device, will be released in the United Kingdom as one of the first smartphones in that area to feature LTE connectivity. UK carrier Everything Everywhere has just announced that its plans to roll out a 4G LTE network will be put into effect, and it will be rebranding itself as EE from here on forward.

The Nokia Lumia 920 will be released as an EE exclusive, The Verge has reported, although the company has not yet clarified the details on this exclusivity deal. A spokesperson for the Orange and T-Mobile parent company told the website that Nokia's new Windows Phone 8 device will undergo "a period of exclusivity at launch," but has not elaborated further.

A Nokia representative told the website that the Windows Phone 8 device "may" be ranged on other carriers as well, but there have been no further announcements.

Other smartphones that will feature LTE in the UK include the Samsung Galaxy S3, the HTC One XL, the Nokia 820, the Huawei E392, the Huawei Ascend P1 and the Huawei E589, according to EE's official website.

The LTE roll out in the UK had been announced a few weeks prior to the speedy network connection's official release. At the end of August, it was reported that UK communications regulator Ofcom granted approval to EE to launch the nation's first LTE network beginning on Sept. 11.

However, it was also reported that Apple's next-generation smartphone, believed to be called the iPhone 5, would be the first LTE-enabled smartphone to take advantage of this network. The iPhone 5 is expected to be officially unveiled tomorrow at Apple's scheduled press event, but there has been no news from EE on whether or not it will support the new iPhone.

The announcement that Nokia's Lumia 920 will support LTE may not be enough to convince users to commit to the Windows Phone 8 platform. Microsoft and Nokia will be facing stiff competition with competitors like Apple's iOS software and Google's popular Android platform. A new survey from CouponCodes4u, a leading coupon code website in the U.S., reflects this attitude toward Windows Phone 8.

The coupon company surveyed 2,371 Americans between the ages of 18 and 35. All of the participants were smartphone owners, and used their devices for both work-related and personal tasks. Of those surveyed, 39 percent said they owned an iPhone, 31 percent voted that they own an Android-powered device, and 29 percent said they used BlackBerry.

The majority of these respondents said they liked the new look of the Nokia's Lumia 920, with 65 percent answering that they were "impressed" with the release specifications and 87 percent saying that the new Windows Phone 8 device was a "big improvement" from past Nokia phones.

However, when asked whether they were interested enough to ditch their current cell phone contract to switch to the new Nokia phone, more than half of the respondents said they wouldn't. Of those polled, 52 percent said that they would not leave their current devices for Nokia's Windows Phone 8-based Lumia 920. Only 35 percent said that they would change carriers and smartphone brands to get the Lumia 920, and 13 percent said they would consider switching if the "price was right."

Nokia and Microsoft held a joint press conference on Sept. 5 to announce two new Windows Phone 8 devices, the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 smartphones. The flagship Lumia 920 will feature a 1.5GHz dual core processor, a larger 4.5-inch display, and the brand-new Windows Phone 8 operating system. Nokia has also said that the gadget will come in "vibrant colors" and features a one-piece polycarbonate body.