Nokia giving away Lumia 900 for free until April 21 due to data bug

A software glitch on the Nokia Lumia 900 that prevented people from access the Internet has Nokia offering a $100 credit to anyone who buys the phone before the updated ones hit AT&T stores. Essentially, the $100 phone would be free.

On Monday, news broke that Lumia 900 owners couldn’t get a data connection, making their smartphones pretty dumb. Now, Nokia has acknowledged the issue and, as a measure of good faith, it is offering a $100 credit to anyone who has already purchased the device, or anyone thinking about getting one.

Given that the phone is retailing at AT&T for $99, the phone is now free with a two-year contract, except for taxes and other charges that go along with getting a new phone. You have until midnight PT on April 21 to get the credit, but Nokia is also giving out rain checks if the phone isn’t in stock when you try to buy it.

Nokia is calling the problem a “memory management” issue and says it has to do with the software and nothing else. New Lumia 900s, which have been updated to fix the bug, will be sent out to stores during the next few days. If you already purchased one, you can exchange it for a new, software-updated model or wait until the update gets pushed out next Monday, April 19th.

The cell phone company has a lot riding on this Windows Phone, which it hopes will solidify Microsoft’s place in the mobile market along with the iPhone and Android devices. It’s no wonder Nokia is going to these lengths to keep people happy.

The Nokia Lumia 900 got high marks from VentureBeat’s Devindra Hardawar when he reviewed the device. He called it the best $100 smartphone yet.

Are you planning on grabbing a Lumia 900?