Microsoft using free Xbox 360s and Zune Passes to sell Windows Phone 7

Microsoft may be throwing around some of its weight by providing carriers with free Xbox 360 consoles and Zune Pass subscriptions to help sell its Windows Phone 7 handsets. As the October 21st and early November launch dates approach, carrier promotions are cropping up left and right and Microsoft is presumably behind most, if not all, of these giveaways.

Starting in the US, AT&T is offering a free month of Microsoft’s Zune Pass subscription service for all customers who buy a Windows Phone 7 handset. Microsoft now offers a 14-day public trial for all customers and is adding in two extra weeks to sweeten the deal for AT&T customers. The subscription music service offers unlimited downloads for the life of the service and is available for $15 per month or $45 for 3-months. Zune Pass subscribers are also allowed to keep 10 songs per month.

Speaking of Microsoft, the Redmond company is offering its own incentive to prospective Windows Phone buyers. If you sign up for Windows Phone pre-order notifications and eventually buy a phone, you are eligible for three months of free Zune service courtesy of Microsoft. I am not sure if this promotion can be combined with AT&T offer but the savvy shopper within me hopes that you would be able to score four full months of free Zune service with the purchase of a single Windows Phone 7 handset on AT&T.

The biggest winners in this promotion extravaganza are those that live in Austria and Spain. Customers of Austria-based A1 will receive a free Xbox 360 if they buy a Windows Phone handset with a two-year contract. A1 is being extra generous and allowing customers to receive two new Xbox 360 consoles in exchange for signing up for two new lines of service. The carrier is also offering an Xbox 360 raffle and will give away consoles to 360 lucky customers who pre-ordered a Windows Phone.

Customers in Spain looking for a free Xbox 360 should look no further than Movistar’s Central Madrid Store. The wireless carrier is giving away an Xbox 360 console to the first 100 customers to buy a Windows Phone handset on October 21st. This promotion is apparently limited to this single store and the launch day only. Anyone willing to guess whether this promotion means people will be lining up for Windows Phone handsets tomorrow morning?

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