Rumor Mill: Nokia to unveil three new Lumia Windows Phone 8 devices

Nokia (NYSE:NOK) may unveil three new Lumia smartphones running Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone 8 next month, according to the blog WMPoweruser.

The blog, which did not cite its sources, noted that pictures and leaks have been cobbled together to indicate that Nokia is planning to announce at least three new smartphones, with one of them being a high-end offering dubbed the "Nokia Phi."

Nokia and Microsoft will hold a media event in New York City on Sept. 5 in what is widely expected to be an unveiling of Nokia's first Windows Phone 8 smartphones. The event coincides with the start of Nokia's annual Nokia World event, which will take place in Helsinki, Finland. Nokia used the event last year to announce its first Windows Phones as part of the Lumia line.

According to the blog, the Phi will sport a 4.65-inch screen with HD display, dual-core processor, LTE and Near Field Communications. The other two devices are smaller and will likely be more mid-range gadgets, with one said to sport a 4.3-inch screen and the other a 4-inch screen. The devices all appear to have soft keys and front-facing cameras.

Earlier this week Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said the company would unveil its Windows Phone 8 smartphones in the "relatively near term." Nokia is likely going to unveil more than one new Lumia smartphone.

To drum up interest, and perhaps ratchet up the suspense, Nokia's Chris Weber sent out a message on Twitter that said "Samsung take note, next generation Lumia coming soon. #nokia." Weber is now Nokia's head of sales and marketing and was formerly Nokia's president for the Americas region, and was responsible for Nokia's push back into the U.S. market.

For more:
- see this WMPoweruser post
- see this WPCentral post

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