European carriers feel that Nokia Lumia devices aren't good enough to take on iOS and Android

Sales of Nokia's Lumia 900 here in the U.S. may have exceeded AT&T's expectations, but according to a new report, several major European operators aren't terribly pleased with Nokia's Lumia devices. Sources from four large European operators have told Reuters that they feel that the Lumia handsets can't hold their own against the likes of iOS and Samsung Android phones, with one carrier executive saying that "no one comes into the store and asks for a Windows Phone." The exec added that although he thinks that Windows Phone has a lot of good features, there aren't many customers that know about them. "If the Lumia with the same hardware came with Android in it and not Windows, it would be much easier to sell," he said. A spokesperson for a different carrier suggested that Nokia could sell more Lumias if it lowered the price and made them a loss leader.

Here in the U.S., things are apparently a little different. T-Mobile told Reuters that the Lumia 710 is one of its most popular handsets, and an AT&T spokesperson explained that the carrier doesn't put as much support behind every device's launch as it has with the Lumia 900. The same spokesperson said that the Lumia 900 has sold out at several AT&T stores.

It's interesting to hear that European carriers are unhappy with the retail performance of the Lumia devices, and this isn't the first time that a Lumia running Android has been suggested. Still, the Lumia line appear to be doing well stateside, so at least Nokia's got that going for it. As for what Nokia can do to turn around its fortune in Europe, some suggest that Nokia or Microsoft should be marketing the Lumia line harder. The fault may not completely fall on those two companies, though, as Reuters points out a France Telecom store at which the Lumia phones weren't prominently displayed and that the first devices suggested to a customer by a store rep were an iPhone and then Samsung and HTC-made Android phones. What do you all make of the Lumia devices so far? What do you think Nokia could do to help increase sales of the phones?

Via Reuters