Nokia Lumia 820 variant could be next Windows Phone 8 device for Verizon

Nokia Lumia 820
Verizon's Atlas may be a Nokia Lumia 820 in disguise

Verizon Wireless may not be as bullish on Windows Phone 8 as rival AT&T, but the nation's largest LTE network may soon have a Nokia Lumia handset to call its own.

Cnet reported on Tuesday that the leaked image of a Verizon-branded Windows Phone 8 handset codenamed "Atlas" has surfaced on Twitter, and it bears a striking resemblance to Nokia's midrange Lumia 820.

The leak means that Windows Phone lovers on Verizon's network may soon get its own taste of Nokia's flagship Lumia line on or soon after Oct. 29, when Microsoft plans to officially launch Windows Phone 8 at an event in San Francisco.

Codename: Atlas

NokiaAtlas

The Atlas aka The 820 (credit: @evleaks)

With a 4.3-inch display, rounded corners and a front-facing camera, Nokia's Lumia 820 is considered a step down from the company's Lumia 920 handset, which will be exclusive to AT&T in the U.S.

Rival T-Mobile already announced it will carry the Lumia 810, a slightly modified version of the Lumia 820 that will be tweaked for the fourth-place carrier's network.

Verizon appears to be sticking with the name "Atlas" over Nokia's own Lumia branding, and is expected to announce the handset within days, which is expected to start shipping in early November along with the rest of Nokia's new lineup.

(Image from @evleaks)

Via: Cnet, Twitter, The Verge