Verizon’s HTC Trophy Windows Phone expected to launch on April 15

By Tom Warren, on 30th Mar 11 1:52 pm with 15 Comments

Verizon’s Windows Phone is expected to launch on April 15 according to leaked Verizon roadmaps.

Phandroid posted a leaked Verizon Spring roadmap which contains details on a 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 last month, the HTC Arrive is available now and priced at $200.

WinRumors previously expected that Verizon’s offering will arrive in late March around the same time as Sprint. According to one source familiar with the situation, Verizon has not yet certified the device for use on its network but that should take place “any day now.” WinRumors understands that Verizon and Microsoft are both targeting a release and marketing date of mid-April.

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 earlier this month 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.

Verizon HTC 7 Trophy - Credit:WPCentral.com

  • cparker

    A little over two weeks to go…let’s hope this date sticks. I’m curious if Verizon will offer any of the “buy 1, get 1 free” or discount deals that other carriers have had on the WP7 phones.

    • Marky

      Whatever with this Windows and Verizon crap. I am thinking of buying a BB. I have waited too long and it over.

  • GP007

    Better late than never. I’m waiting to see what the next round of WP devices brings later this year though.

    • M_Lyons10

      Yeah, this device is underwhelming. About time though for Verizon to get something…

  • http://twitter.com/bc3tech Brandon

    I plan on getting this as it looks like it’ll be out before vzw goes tiered data this summer. so at least i’ll have 2yr of unlimited data plan :) i am curious to know the final specs of this thing, though – help us out, winrumors?

  • PZ

    UGH! 2 more weeks! i hope verizon crashes all iCrap phones on its network

  • Brian

    About flipping time…I am amazed how Verizon is so tight lipped on release dates. They never mentioned the Thunderbolt until the day before the release. If AT&T wasn’t so bad here in VT I would have switched months ago.

  • Anonymous

    MEH, and that’s from someone that’s been on pins and needles for months. I’m beyond tired of waiting for VZW; and this device is lackluster. My hope is VZW will lower the price on their Android phones. 199 for the Samsung Fascinate STILL?

    VZW FTL. If I wasn’t stuck for reasons I’d rather not put on the public net I’d have left months ago. NO amount of “great network” should be put up with for garbage devices or devices that were great when every other company got them a year ago (and their customers still play full price).

  • Sam

    Verizon doesn’t want to release it or any Windows phones right now; they are to hard up, swinging from Androids nuts. The only other platform they seem to be interested in other than Android is the Gay-Phone. They don’t like Windows and say that Windows phones are not cutting edge or innovative enough. As an insult, Verizon released the Kin 1 and 2; 2 phones which where never promoted by Verizon and since then have been dead.

  • Anonymous

    and when this piece of shite phone doesn’t sell, good luck to us getting a shot at some of the sleeker windows phones. Way to go Verizon. Microsoft, big fail not making a major push to Verizon. You should have done whatever it took to get great phones out first with this carrier. All us who could care less about an iPhone are already here and waiting because of the service.

  • VerizonNoMore

    Been a Verizon customer since they bought out AirTouch. I’m done with them. I have no desire for an iPhone or Android device, and their lack of support for Windows devices (it is Verizon that is delaying the Windows 7 phones due to the bloat-ware they require to have installed) is a deal breaker for me. It’s clear to me that if and when Verizon gets a Windows 7 Phone, they will not be supporting it like they are with their Apple and Android devices.

    My contract is up in a few months, at which time I’ll be walking into a Sprint store to meet my new phone service provider. Phones that work, great data services, and cost-saving plans … its a win-win situation. At least I hope so.

  • tk

    Let see when April 15th rolls around the “insiders” will say May 15 is the release date, then June 15, then June 30th.

  • Anonymous

    Another “rumor” another day passed. My guess is that VZW NEVER gets a WP7 device because they don’t give 2 shits about the platform and have SAID as much on several occasions. This is just their internal marketing/retention team keeping people on their network until they give up and get an Android device. I’m expecting another “rumored to release” announcement in the next 4 days that says “in May you’ll FINALLY get that phone you’ve wanted.”

    All bullshit. Just get a new phone now if you’ve waited and if you want WP7 dump Verizon.

    • cparker

      I think I’m moving to AT&T…pricing is about the same and I can deal with the data cap. With the HTC HD7S “coming soon” there, I’m ready for a change. At least AT&T supports the platform and has good phones even if their NoDo release is slow.

    • VerizonNoMore

      I don’t recommend AT&T. As a phone service provider their coverage and network reliability is the worst of all cell providers. Don’t sacrifice phone service for a cool phone … even if it’s a WP7. :)

      I’ve been checking out Sprint. Verizon has the best phone coverage and service (although their data service is horrible), I would say Sprint is the closest to Verizon’s phone coverage. If data service is important to you, Sprint beats Verizon hands down. I’ve used both and Sprint’s data service has always been 10x better (seriously … maybe its the area I’m in, but download speeds from Verizon was always worse than dial-up while Sprint data service was almost as good as DSL).

      And, their payment plans are probably the best out there. I talked to a Sprint rep and for $80 / month you get unlimited cell-to-cell (meaning you can call any cell phone regardless of carrier), 450 land-line minutes, unlimited data service, and unlimited texting. On top of that they will pay $125 towards cancelling your contract with your current carrier (which I am strongly considering right now), and … they will buy your current phone (at a reduced price of course).

      Sprint has the htc Arrive. I’ve seen some good reviews on it, and I went to the store to check it out. It’s a sweet phone … may not be the best in the WP7 group, but it seems solid and fun to use.