AT&T plans to be premier operator for Windows Phone 7

AT&T (NYSE: T) said it plans to be "the premier carrier for Windows Phone 7" when the platform is released later this year, according to an article in Computerworld.

The comment comes on the heels of a Altimeter Group analyst Michael Gartenberg's tweet last week that indicated AT&T had signed up to purchase 8 million WP7 devices. He cited an email from what he called a "trusted source." That information has yet to be confirmed.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has cited the need to get carriers on board with WP7, and both Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and Sprint (NYSE: S) have declined to comment about their plans for the new operating system. However, Microsoft indicated in an announcement in February that its U.S. partners were AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon.

AT&T, in particular, has been vocal in its praise of WP7 in recent months. It has long been a fan of Windows Mobile devices, claiming it had sold more WinMo devices than any other carrier around the world.

Moreover, early reviews of WP7 OS are surprising nearly everyone. Last week Microsoft released a technical preview of WP7 and shipped prototype devices from Asus, LG and Samsung to its developer partners. Microsoft, which emphasizes that the OS is not finished yet, is soliciting feedback from developers, consumers, operators and original equipment manufacturers.

For more:
- check out this Computerworld article

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