There have been rumblings that Nokia’s newest, most advanced smartphone would come to market soon, but until now, it was assumed that AT&T would land the contract. As of today, Bloomberg reports that Verizon struck a deal to put the forthcoming Lumia 928 at the head of its lineup.

To fuel the frenzy of this unexpected turn, the first images of the Lumia 928 hit the Web this morning. Although the legitimacy of the new images hasn’t been confirmed, they seem to match what the new phone is expected to look like.

The 928 will be a variation on Lumia’s most advanced model, the 920, which was one of AT&T’s premiere models last year. Like its predecessor, the 928 is expected to run on a state-of-the-art dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It’s also expected to feature 32GB of NAND flash memory, wireless charging, a Carl Zeiss lens, and PureView technology for outstanding picture quality.

Those top-notch specs may be what’s been fueling the eager anticipation for the 928. The new design — which is also expected to have a 4.5-inch AMOLED display and metal body — is geared towards optimal performance with no shortage of bells and whistles.

The Lumia 928’s Windows 8 OS may help differentiate it from Android and iOS rivals, but ultimately its high-end hardware will be what draws buyers. The 928 is expected to go on sale through Verizon next month, and will be the first Lumia Verizon has ever offered.

Via: PC World