Mobile

Nokia Lumia 521: Sold out at T-Mobile & Walmart, but HSN is stocking it

Alexandra Burlacu

The Nokia Lumia 521 is apparently very popular, as the handset has already sold out at both T-Mobile and Walmart. However, HSN has it back in stock.

The entry-level Windows Phone 8 (WP8) smartphone made its commercial debut starting in April as a T-Mobile variant of the Nokia Lumia 520. The handset proved highly popular due to its affordable price tag and now only the Home Shopping Network (HSN) is still shipping the Nokia Lumia 521 within three to seven business days.

The Nokia Lumia 521 initially launched on HSN in late April with an attractive $149 price tag off-contract. The handset later became available from Walmart online as well, but it sold out within an hour of going on sale. T-Mobile is also offering the Lumia 521 for $199.99 on a pre-paid model, complete with a $50 refill that brings down the price to $149.99. As previously mentioned, however, the handset sold out from T-Mobile's online store as well.

Microsoft released its WP8 mobile OS back in November 2012, but only select top-end smartphones ran on the new OS at first. Even now there's a limited pool of WP8 devices, with only a handful of smartphone makers launching such smartphones. Nokia dominates what little market share Windows 8 managed to grab in today's highly-competitive smartphone market.

The Nokia Lumia 521 is so popular because it's one of the most affordable Windows Phone 8 handsets currently available on the market. The entry-level WP8 smartphone also packs more than decent specifications  for its category and price tag. While many consumers may not be willing to invest in a top-end smartphone just to test a new operating system, the Lumia 521 makes it easier to experience the WP8 platform at a budget-friendly price.

HSN also sold out the Nokia Lumia 521 recently, but the retailer got new stock and is again shipping the smartphone within a maximum of seven business days. HSN is also throwing in a free car charger and a screen protector to make the offer even more attractive.

Neither Walmart nor T-Mobile currently list an exact date for when the Nokia Lumia 521 will become available again. Considering the phone's success so far, however, Nokia will likely push out new supplies as soon as possible to accommodate the high demand.

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