Windows Phone 8 fans will be pleased to learn that the T-Mobile exclusive Nokia Lumia 521 is set to hit the carrier's stores on May 22. T-Mobile will offer the entry-level Lumia 521, a variant of the Lumia 520, for just $150.
The T-Mobile press release notes that "beginning May 22, the Nokia Lumia 521 - an exclusive to T-Mobile - will be available online at www.T-Mobile.com, at T-Mobile retail stores, select dealers and national retailers for $29.99 down with 24 equal monthly payments1 of $5 0% APR O.A.C. for well-qualified customers with the new Simple Choice Plan."
Recently, Walmart began offering the budget friendly smartphone for $129.88 outright and unsurprisingly, the Lumia 521 sold out at the retailer.
The Lumia 521 touts a 4-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 800 x 480 pixels resolution. The device also features a 5-megapixel primary camera which can record 720p HD videos. The Lumia 521 is quite compact and measures 4.72 x 2.52 x 0.39 inches and weighs just 4.37 ounces. It's powered by a 1430mAh battery, which gives up to 360 hours of standby time and up to 9 hours and 40 minutes of talk time (on 3G). The Lumia 521 is fueled by a 1GHz dual-core processor and has access to T-Mobile's HSPA+ network.
The Lumia 521 sold via T-mobile is Wi-Fi Calling enabled and the feature will be welcomed by users as owners can save money when making calls outside the U.S. as the deduction will be based only on the local fees, eliminating the roaming charges.
According to the T-Mobile press release, the "customers who have already purchased or ordered a Lumia 521 through HSN, Microsoft Retail Stores or Walmart will receive an over-the-air maintenance release beginning May 20, which will enable the Wi-Fi Calling feature."
With the Lumia 521 getting a favorable response post its release at the Microsoft Stores ($149) and Walmart ($129.88) on May 11, it will be interesting to see if the WP8-powered handset can keep up the momentum.
