Windows Phone Hits New Price Low as AT&T Adds $99 Prepaid Lumia 520

AT&T said on Monday that it is adding the first Windows Phone to its GoPhone prepaid brand.

Nokia Lumia 520[/caption]

The big news here is the price, with AT&T selling the Lumia 520 for just $99 without a contract or subsidy.

T-Mobile has been pleased with the results of selling a similar model — the Lumia 521. That carries a $149 sticker price, though promotions with HSN, Walmart and elsewhere have brought the phone’s price even lower.

“A diverse device ecosystem benefits everyone, and the addition of an affordable Windows device gives our customers yet another choice that fits their needs,” AT&T devices head Jeff Bradley said in a statement.

Windows Phone boss (and now overall Windows head) Terry Myerson spoke at D: Dive Into Mobile about the challenges Windows Phones have had in the U.S. taking on the iPhone and other top-of-the-line smartphones.

The addition of models like the Lumia 520 could offer Microsoft and Nokia a different battleground among first-time smartphone owners and the budget-conscious.

Of course, Nokia is still also aiming for the high end, most recently with the Lumia 925 for T-Mobile and the just-announced Lumia 1020 for AT&T, a 41-megapixel camera phone. AT&T said preorders for that phone have already sold out.