Verizon’s HTC 7 Trophy Windows Phone launch imminent, rumored to land mid-May [updated]

By Tom Warren, on 2nd May 11 12:52 pm with 35 Comments

Verizon’s Windows Phone is expected to launch in the month of May, WinRumors has learned.

Verizon’s HTC 7 Trophy appears to be nearing release according to sources familiar with the company’s plans. Verizon has faced a number of delays offering the HTC 7 Trophy after failing to launch the device in early 2011 as expected. Verizon’s leaked Spring roadmap originally revealed an April 15 launch date for Verizon’s HTC Trophy device. Verizon will introduce the HTC 7 Trophy as its first Windows Phone 7 device for $200 on a two-year contract. Verizon’s CDMA rival Sprint announced their first Windows Phone 7 device in February, the HTC Arrive is available now and priced at $200.

WinRumors previously expected Verizon’s offering to arrive in late March around the same time as Sprint. According to one source familiar with the situation, Verizon has successfully certified the device for use on its network. WinRumors understands that Microsoft’s internal marketing date is May 5 is now mid-May for the Verizon Windows Phone launch.

Verizon’s Windows Phone will ship with Microsoft’s “NoDo” copy and paste update. “NoDo” is Microsoft’s first platform update, which also includes improved application start-up and resume times. Verizon recently posted support articles referencing Microsoft’s own fixes for known Windows Phone 7 issues. Verizons’s HTC 7 Trophy Windows Phone device was spotted in the wild in late February. Further photos leaked in March following confirmation that the device includes all of Verizon’s branding, even a “My Verizon Mobile” application.

Microsoft said in September that no CDMA versions of Windows Phone 7 devices would be available until 2011. Microsoft Senior product manager Greg Sullivan said the company had to make trade-offs. “Even Microsoft doesn’t have unlimited resources. We had to prioritize doing fewer things, really, really well”, Sullivan said in an interview with CNET. The software giant made an active choice earlier in the year to delay CDMA versions of Windows Phone 7 but confirmed the decision in mid-September.

Update: Microsoft’s internal date has shifted to May 19 so things aren’t as imminent as they seemed.

Verizon HTC 7 Trophy - Credit:WPCentral.com

  • PZ

    OH MY! 3 DAYS!

  • PZ

    Nearly 5 MONTHS LATE!

  • iWantMyWP7

    Sorry Tom. No reflection on you but at this point …. I’ll believe it when I see it.

    • M_Lyons10

      Yeah, same here. How many times have we heard this and still nothing on Verizon. It’s really disapointing.

  • http://ibanniebtechsupport.wordpress.com Annie B.

    HTC Trophy specs reflect a first generation Snapdragon processor. I’m not interested in out-dated hardware, http://bit.ly/gS5qM6

    • iWantMyWP7

      Ditto. I would prefer the dual core on 4G.

    • Jason T

      Do you prefer a batter that last only 2 hours as well.

    • http://www.andrew-stockdale.co.uk Andrew Stockdale

      Why the focus on the hardware, when surely more important is what the hardware can do. The out-dated hardware you speak of produces an extremely smooth experience that puts dual-core Android phones firmly to shame. When I’m using my Optimus 7, I have never, ever, felt limited by the hardware. It’s just used far better than on certain platforms ;)

    • iWantMyWP7

      Ok. Ok. I got it. I’m not so interested in the dual core as I am in the 4G side of it. maybe I should’ve reversed the 2 and said – 4G first … then dual core (which isn’t really required).

      Thanks for everyone’s input … now, Verizon – get off the pot!

    • http://www.andrew-stockdale.co.uk Andrew Stockdale

      Yeah, 4G would be great. Although for what it’s worth, at the moment, 3G techs (and 3.5G stuff like HSDPA) is fine for streaming and nearly everything you could really want. LTE is faster, but it’s a battery killer (and will be for quite some time).

      I must sound like a massive killjoy, and I’m not positing the ‘why do we need feature x when feature y is good enough’. I fully get that that attitude results in zero technological progression, and you have to push the envelope to develop stuff, but I’m quite happy for the immature radio standards and hardware to be field tested on other platforms, first :)

    • http://ibanniebtechsupport.wordpress.com Annie B.

      Thought we were talking Win7 Phones…not Androids…

    • http://www.andrew-stockdale.co.uk Andrew Stockdale

      I thought we were too?

    • Anonymous

      The focus on hardware is because Microsoft is already setting specs on the “next generation” and if you wind up with a “yesterday technology” phone this far into the cycle, what you risk is having hardware that will not meet the specs of “Lima Bean” (or whatever is the code name of what comes after Mango), while being stuck in a 2 year contract. It is not about comparing it to Android, it is about future proofing long enough for the phone to survive the length of the contract. I mean even a modest bump up to the 1.2 or 1.5 Snapdragons rather than the 1Ghz would probably be ideal at this juncture.

    • Anonymous

      I agree with Andrew. Look at the battery life of the phones with the “latest” hardware. If dual cores do something really impresive it might be worth the Thunderbolts abysmal battery life(and it’s not even a dual core) but if you don’t need it then why put up with limitations with no benifits. Don’t get caught up on numbers on paper.

  • Anonymous

    Windows Phone Doesn’t need a Dual-Core processor to run as smooth and naturally as it does. That just goes to show you Android is coded poorly and requires more power to do relatively the same thing. I also love the fact that I don’t have to root my phone to uninstall preloaded apps.

    • Anonymous

      Don’t jump the gun just yet on what you can and can’t uninstall. You never know what deals carriers with strike. The initial Android devices didn’t have problems with Bloatware either, until VZW decided later to foist it upon those devices.

  • Anonymous

    I am looking at this phone for the xbox integration and finally got to sit down for about 30 minutes with my brothers from AT&T on Easter. All I can say is WOW. The phone is so responsive. It never lagged during scrolling. It never hung up more than a few milliseconds during screen switching or app launching. It never forced closed a single app and he claims he has not rebooted the phone in months. Microsoft has created a VERY stable OS. I have a DROID 1 and I am sick of the lag, force closes, lock up’s even during reboot. If you ever use one of these phones you will see that the OS utilizes the hardware very efficiently. I am hoping as a consumer for a 4 way OS race. There is room for IOS, Android, WP, and BB. That’s what drives prices down and innovation up.

  • Ma7mgte

    Launching this late without 4G and at full price?

  • http://twitter.com/karlcramer Karl Cramer

    *sigh* I had a hard March 31 date to choose a new phone on Verizon. Had to go Android but this is the phone I really wanted.

    • iWantMyWP7

      My BB was falling apart and my friend had a Droid they weren’t using so I activated that until the WP7 came out. Guess which skin is on the Droid now … that’s right, the main WP7 tiles. It took the edge off a bit. ;)

  • GP007

    Nice going Verizon, they don’t even care, this is so stupid. By the time they get this out everyone will be looking at what Mango will bring in the next round of phones. GG.

    • M_Lyons10

      Exactly. I’d love to know who at Verizon screwed this up so bad… It’s ridiculous. And then when they release it they’re going to have 1 phone? There’d better be several at the very least.

      Just ridiculous.

  • PZ

    MAY 19!!!!!!!!!!!!! ANOTHER SHIFT!

    SO MAD!

  • http://www.facebook.com/wixostrix WixosTrix

    What is taking Verizon so long to do this? If they don’t start pushing it with some kick-ass marketing, that will confirm they really didn’t want anything to do with it. Probably just trying to push the iPhone and the white one since that came out recently.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mitch-Foster/100000527225418 Mitch Foster

      I agree, but hopefully it will come out sooner than later. Maybe if there is an overwhelming demand (seeing as how this will be the only Verizon WP7 to be out), they will turn a new leaf. My hope is that because this is the closest release the phones will sell out like the iPhone does because there is only one person making the phone.

      Verizon’s people either don’t realize the amoutn of die-hard WP7 followers, or they are using their loyal customers to give up on waiting and buy a Droid instead, seeing as how Verizon gets so rock hard over google.

  • http://twitter.com/bc3tech Brandon

    All I gotta say is that if this phone has locked-down storage like it’s sounding (16gb, unexpandable) then that’s just as idiotic as coming to market 5 months late. Will be a deal breaker for me for sure. Esp w/ the XBox games that are available, 16gb will go QUICK.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, this is EXTREMELY disappointing. Why? Because Verizon won’t let us know anything concrete. ‘Coming soon’ is far to vague at this point. I’m trying to see the reasons for waiting, but a creeping date makes waiting feel like a fool’s errand. The question is how big a fool am I?

    You have until May 10th, Verizon, to confirm a date. Then circumstances will force me to go elsewhere for my WP7 needs. And that would be a shame …

  • Pingfr

    This is typical Verizon. They are always a generation behind on the Windows Phones. If you want the latest Windows Phone hardware or not get caught 6 months out of date on everything, buy the phone from someone else. Verizon has proven they really don’t care and can’t deliver.

  • WP7Whisher

    This is and awesome phone.. Six months ago!… Well not even then. By the time this thing comes out it so old news and so old hardware it’s going to be sad to see it represent the Windows Phone 7 name.

  • http://www.facebook.com/drharper Dustin Harper

    Verizon’s beef with Microsoft is losing them customers. I’ve decided I want a Windows Phone 7 instead of an Android. It’s a much more stable OS. I am probably going to jump ship and go with Sprint and a modern WP7. Verizon really screwed up the launch, and some say it was intentional (they got burned with the Kin). WP7 is an AWESOME phone, and I’d like to actually own one and use it daily.

  • Homeslice23

    I left six months ago for Tmobile and got the HD7. I love the phone, and my bill is MUCH less expensive.

  • Jason6311

    WP7 is already prepped for LTE and WiMAX, so I put the delay for 4G support (as well as shipping their 3G Trophy) squarely on Verizon, not Microsoft. I checked out Sprint (bad coverage), AT&T (I don’t like the Surround), and TMobil (where do I start?) so for me at least, waiting for Verizon was the lesser annoyance of a fistful of annoyances to get to WP7. And they bumped my 3G MiFI up to a 4G device for minimal charge, so that keeps me happy.

  • Dachevracr

    Het tom has there been any update I’m curious if the internal date has changed or can we expect the 19th still dying for windows phone 7 on Verizon. Thanks any update is appreciated

  • Dachevracr

    Het tom has there been any update I’m curious if the internal date has changed or can we expect the 19th still dying for windows phone 7 on Verizon. Thanks any update is appreciated