AT&T to spend $150M to promote Lumia 900, report says

That would be more than the telecommunications giant spends on the iPhone, according to Ad Age

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, and AT&T mobility chief Ralph de la Vega show off Nokia’s new Lumia 900.

(Credit: Lori Grunin/CNET)

AT&T is putting some heavy cash behind its push to sell the Lumia 900.

The telecommunications giant plans to spend $150 million on its campaign to sell the Nokia smartphone — more than its budget for the iPhone, according to Ad Age.

Ad Age said the company wouldn’t comment on Lumia spending, but AT&T previously told CNET that it would launch its biggest campaign ever for the Lumia 900. The carrier is willing to spend so much on an unproven phone because it wants to break away from growing duopoly of Android and iOS. In particular, the carrier wants to get off its dependence on the iPhone, which is no longer its exclusive device.

Despite AT&T’s push to get more Android smartphones in its lineup, Android has largely been a strength of Verizon’s, thanks to its Droid franchise. In fact, many assume Verizon’s Droid brand is synonymous with Android.

So AT&T is looking to Windows Phone and Microsoft, which has long been a partner for the company.

The Lumia 900 is off to a nice start on Amazon, topping the cell phone best-sellers list.