Best Windows Phone

Nokia has been building some buzz in the U.S. for its Windows Phone Lumia 900 for AT&T. Could Verizon be the next taker?

Verizon may be ready to cast its lot with Microsoft and its Windows Phone platform.Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo, speaking on a conference call today, said he was "fully supportive" of Microsoft and talked about the need for a third mobile ecosystem in the industry.

That Verizon shifted from its previously lukewarm stance on Windows Phone to today's comment underscores the increasing need for wireless carriers to wean themselves off of their dependence on Android and iOS, which are the two dominant smartphone platforms. Apple, in particular, has been able to extract hefty subsidy payments from the carriers, forcing them to look elsewhere for alternative hit devices. 

Verizon's marketing heft and large base of basic phone customers could be a boon to Microsoft and Nokia, which have been at the forefront of the recent Windows Phone push. While both are putting their resources behind the Lumia 900 launch at AT&T, having a presence at the two largest carriers in the U.S. would greatly enhance its chance of success.

"It hints that there's a Nokia device that could appear on the Verizon network in the near future," said Todd Rosenbluth, an equity analyst at Standard & Poor's.

Verizon believes that it can drive the adoption of Windows Phone devices just as it drove sales of Android with its Droid franchise. 

Verizon actually wasn't with Android at the beginning. T-Mobile USA was the first carrier to offer an Android phone -- the G1 from HTC. But Verizon struck a deeper partnership with Google, and its marketing clout helped turn the original Motorola Droid into a smash hit. The Droid's early success and the resulting push of Verizon's Droid franchise pushed Android into the mainstream.

Even to this day, people still believe Droid is synonymous with all Android phones, despite it being a Verizon-only brand. It wasn't until AT&T was on the cusp of losing its iPhone exclusivity that it began embracing Android.

Just as Verizon's desire to create a hit smartphone forced a partnership with Google, the dominance of Apple and Google may again convince the carrier to find a new ally in Microsoft.

The comments, however, come amid mixed results for Nokia and Windows Phone. In the U.S., Nokia Lumia 900 appears to be holding up strong despite glitches with some of the phones