Verizon Says Microsoft Never Wanted Them to Sell the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL

If you're in the United States and planning to buy the Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL, you have two options: you can either purchase the unlocked version from Microsoft's store or pick the AT&T one, which is available either outright or with a contract.

Many have criticized Verizon for not joining the Windows 10 Mobile bandwagon and supporting the new Lumias, but now more information emerges on why exactly Microsoft's two new flagships remain AT&T exclusives.

A recent FCC complaint whose response was posted on reddit (via WinBeta) reveals Verizon's position in this saga, with the carrier clearly saying that Microsoft has never contacted the company for a possible collaboration on these two models.

Microsoft made the phones AT&T exclusives

Verizon suggests that selling the Lumia 950 and 950 XL would have been possible despite the “little demand” if Microsoft had contacted them and tried to certify the devices for its network.

“Because there has been little consumer demand for Windows 10 Smartphones, Verizon has chosen to not carry the Nokia Lumia 10 in its retail channels. However, if Nokia still wanted to make the device available to Verizon customers, it could have the device certified for use on the Verizon network through Verizon’s Open Development program. To date, Nokia has not chosen to do so,” the response reads (it's worth noting that Verizon refers to Microsoft's mobile business as “Nokia”).

Verizon isn't the only company blaming Microsoft for the limited availability of the new Lumia devices. Back in October, T-Mobile CEO John Legere criticized the software giant for giving the new phones exclusively to AT&T, adding that his company is always open to talks for a possible collaboration.

Microsoft hasn't yet commented on these accusations, but we've reached out to the company for a public statement and will update the article should we get an answer.

In the meantime, the only ways to buy a Lumia 950 or 950 XL in the United States are the two mentioned above: AT&T or Microsoft store, with or without a contract.