Sprint When will Sprints Windows Phone 8 devices be available?

When Windows Phone 8 launched last month, it did so on three of the four major carriers in the US: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Verizon, of course didn’t participate in the Windows Phone 7 launch, so its support this time around was welcomed by many people. Sprint customers have been unable to pick up a Windows Phone ever since the HTC Arrive was EOL’d earlier this year, but at least they have something to look forward to, since the company recently promised to deliver a 4G LTE Windows Phone 8 handset in 2013.

The big question is, when? If Sprint follows the same schedule it used with Windows Phone 7, we can expect a Windows Phone 8 handset to arrive sometime around March. But could it come out even earlier? One of our readers, Peter, recently visited his local Sprint store and inquired about when he’d be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8. Surprisingly, the Sprint representative told him that, while he technically wasn’t allowed to reveal anything, Windows Phone 8 devices should be on Sprint’s shelves “around Christmas.”

Now, this is just the word of one Sprint employee, so we should take this rumor with a very large grain of salt. That being said, the fact that a timeframe was actually named is promising. Although you’d think we would have heard additional leaks or rumors if the device was just a few weeks away.

When do you think Sprint will release its first Windows Phone 8 devices? And, more importantly, which ones would you like to see made available? The Windows Phone 8X by HTC, the Nokia Lumia 920, the Samsung ATIV S, or something else?