The Lumia 928, the next flagship Windows Phone from Nokia, is expected to launch within the next month on Verizon and may be bringing along a major app with it.

Nokia is chasing Instagram, the popular photo-sharing social network, both in private and in public for a Windows Phone app that could end up as a Nokia exclusive. The Finnish giant is rumored to be chasing Instagram because of the celebrity user base who will give the company free promotion, something Apple and Android OEMs get for free.

WPPoweruser reports that Microsoft may be actively addressing the problem by persuading the developers of Instagram, Temple Run 2 and Jetpack Joyride to develop Windows Phone 8 apps which could launch alongside the Verizon Lumia 928. Whether the app would be a Nokia exclusive or available to all Windows Phone devices is still unknown, but the fact that Microsoft is pushing the deal hints at the latter.

Microsoft have made sizable investments into Facebook, which bought Instagram for $1 billion last year and may give it leverage when negotiating for apps. On the other hand, however, Facebook has yet to bring its own official app to Windows Phone, as Microsoft develops the current Facebook app on the platform.

The original Temple Run in currently available on Windows Phone, but the sequel never made it onto the platform. In the first four days on iOS, Temple Run 2 received over 20 million downloads. Jetpack Joyride is also rumored to be making its way to Windows Phone after much success on iOS.

Nokia's Lumia 928 is expected to include a 4.5-inch AMOLED screen, Nokia PureView technology, a range of colours and beefier internals than the Lumia 920 when it is announced within the next month.

Source: WPPoweruser