High-end Nokia / Microsoft "McLaren" Windows Phone handset may debut this year, other details on new Lumia hardware leaked

With Microsoft now owning Nokia’s Devices and Services unit, it’s interesting to see what the future holds for the Lumia line of Windows Phone products. We heard that an entry-level Lumia 530 would be released soon (via T-Mobile and Cricket), but what about some new higher-end hardware? Well, @evleaks has a few things to share on this matter.

According to the leakster, the next Windows Phone 8.1 flagship handset from Nokia / Microsoft is codenamed McLaren, and should be available in time for the holidays this year. It’s said that Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile will all sell the McLaren. Unfortunately, there aren’t any details on what features the smartphone’s going to offer, but its codename suggests that it’ll be one fast device.

Before the McLaren, however, AT&T should launch a Lumia codenamed Tesla, while Verizon is supposed to release a handset codenamed Superman. Both are expected to be mid-range devices that will debut in early Q3 (thus, possibly in July). As reported back in April, the Nokia Superman may feature a 5MP front-facing camera, and a 4.7-inch display of unknown resolution. 

Earlier this year, when we first heard about the Nokia Tesla and Superman, other codenames were revealed, including the Ara, Leo, Moonraker, Onyx, Peridot, and Vantage. Sadly, these remain shrouded in mystery for now.

Moving on, in the spring of 2015, Microsoft may release two devices codenamed Makepeace and Dempsey, with AT&T being one of the carriers to offer them. @evleaks says that, later next year, we might see a Lumia phablet codenamed Cityman, plus a new flagship smartphone currently dubbed Talkman. There are no specific details about these products at the moment, but they could be available in late summer / early fall of 2015. We're thinking that the Cytiman phablet may be a successor to the 6-inch Lumia 1520 (pictured on the right), although, of course, we could be wrong. 

Plans regarding the devices mentioned above may change - thus, some of them may not be released at all. Anyhow, it looks like Microsoft is hard at work to expand its Windows Phone 8.1 device portfolio (not that we expected otherwise).