Verizon, Sprint Reportedly Set To Offer Windows Phone 7 Service

Until now Windows Phone 7, which began shipping last month, has only been available on T-Mobile and AT&T networks.

Windows Phone 7 will be available through Verizon and Sprint, the largest and third largest mobile network service providers in the U.S., respectively, starting in January, according to a story posted on Neowin.net. The story quoted sources that confirmed the Verizon and Sprint plans.

Word is that Verizon will be offering Windows Phone 7 on the HTC Trophy handset, according to a Microsoft flyer that leaked out and was shown on Engadget's Web site. That device has a 3.8-inch touch screen, 16.5 GB of flash memory, 802.11 Wi-Fi and a 5-megapixel camera.

Mobile software remains one of the few markets where Microsoft is an also-ran and the company's products lag behind such competitors as the Apple iPhone and Google Android. There have been reports that sales of Windows Phone 7, arguably Microsoft's biggest product announcement in 2010, have been less than stellar. But the software received a boost this month when Dell began selling its Windows Phone 7-powered Venue Pro smartphone.

Despite the recent introduction of Windows Phone 7, there are unconfirmed reports that Microsoft is already planning on releasing an update for the mobile operating system as soon as early 2011. Speculation is that the new release would include copy and paste capabilities, as well as some form of multi-tasking.