Recently, Nokia launched the much-anticipated Windows Phone 8 smartphone, the Lumia 928. U.S carrier is now selling the handset for $99.99 on a two-year contract and the handset will ship on May 20.

The Nokia Lumia 928, exclusive to Verizon, is an upgraded version of the Lumia 920, which is available only via AT&T in the U.S.

Verizon's Lumia 928 web page says "Relive your favorite moments by documenting them in photos and video worth sharing. The Verizon exclusive Nokia Lumia 928 features optical image stabilization, a high-performance loudspeaker and Carl Zeiss® optics, helping you capture events in low light. Share quickly with 4G LTE and this Windows Phone 8 smartphone."

The carrier is selling the Lumia 928 for $99.99 on a two-year contract and for $499.99 outright. The AT&T Lumia 920 has a price tag of $99.99 on a two-year contract and the carrier is selling the handset for $449.99 outright. The wait for those looking to buy the handset will not be long as the carrier indicates a shipping date of May 20.

The Lumia 928 is slimmer and lighter than the Lumia 920 and the latest handset retains most of the hardware specifications from the Lumia 920.

Both the Lumia 920 and Lumia 928 sport a 4.5-inch screen with 1280 x 768 resolution.  However, the Lumia 920 has an IPS LCD screen while the Lumia 928 has an OLED one. The OLED screen makes a big difference in direct sunlight and battery power as it will be more vivid and supposedly delivers a better battery life.

The Lumia 920 and Lumia 928 both feature an 8.7-megapixel rear-facing camera with Carl Zeiss optics; however the Lumia 928 features Xenon flash, which is more powerful and has a better balanced solution than the LED flash on the Lumia 920.

The Lumia 928 is just a small step ahead of the Lumia 920; so it will be interesting to see if the Lumia 928 is able to attract more customers.