9:45 AM -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) will launch Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK)'s first flagship smartphone in the U.S. for only $99.99 with a two-year contract on April 8.

The carrier confirmed the price tag and launch date for the Lumia 900 to CNET Monday. The trio of AT&T, Nokia and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) first announced the smartphone at 2012 International CES and promised that Nokia's first Long Term Evolution (LTE) phone with Windows 7 on board would be competitively priced. (See Nokia Counts on AT&T for a US Comeback .)

In the following video interview from CES, Nokia highlighted some of the ways a Windows experience is different on a smartphone, especially as it relates to social networking:



Nokia already has the lower-end Lumia 810 on T-Mobile US Inc. , but it has been counting on its flagship 900 to kick-start its revival in the U.S. Pricing the phone significantly below the market average of $200 or more for LTE smartphones is an important move in that direction.

The handset maker will still face challenges, not least attracting developers to Windows Phone and luring consumers away from Android and the iPhone. But aggressively pricing its first handset was perhaps the smartest thing it could do. (See Small Change for Windows Phone Apps .)

My guess is that most consumers will buy the device more for the low price than the LTE connectivity. But, either way, if the trio is successful in promoting it, the Lumia 900 could also help drive adoption of LTE smartphones in general, as right now most consumers aren't seeing the value in paying a premium for 4G. (See LTE's Uphill Climb.)

— Sarah Reedy, Senior Reporter, Light Reading Mobile