Nokia could be planning to introduce its next flagship Windows phone in the U.S. with Verizon Wireless in May, a first for the carrier. "Later this quarter a new Lumia device is anticipated to have hero status with a leading U.S. carrier." Those are the words used by Nokia CEO Stephen Elop last week during the company's quarterly earnings call with press. It's a clear tease of things to come. Elop also said this hero device marks "the beginning of a season of new product introductions." [Ed note: "Hero status" appears to be Nokia marketing-speak for a flagship unit and should not be taken to imply that the phone can actually leap tall buildings in a single bound or, you know, actually do anything heroic.] That leading U.S. carrier is believed to be Verizon Wireless, and a new report from Bloomberg more or less confirms that belief. Nokia and Verizon have struck a deal to sell the device, wrote Bloomberg, and will reveal their plans next month. Verizon Wireless has scheduled a press conference to take place May 22, during the CTIA Wireless trade show in Las Vegas. It is possible Verizon will use that press conference to make just such an announcement. The device in question is the Lumia 928, which has not been officially revealed by Nokia. It is believed to be a thinner, more attractive version of the Lumia 920. The 928 will shed the bulky plastic shell of the 920 and replace it with a thinner aluminum shell. All of Nokia's Lumia smartphones have made heavy use of polycarbonate for their shells. Switching to aluminum would be a significant design change for Nokia (but a welcome one). The 928 will be sold in various colors, including black, white, cyan and red. See the rest of the story on Information Week. — Eric Zeman, Information Week