Nokia and China Mobile announced the Lumia 920T, the first Windows Phone-powered device to support the operator’s TD-SCDMA 3G network.

The device will be available for order “by the end of the year”, and will retail at CNY4,599 (US$739).

Lumia 920T LaunchThe 920T smartphone will give Nokia a chance to address the operator’s 698.5 million subscribers – which is around twice the size of the total US market.

Nokia has already offered Lumia devices for China Telecom, which uses CDMA for its 3G network.

China Unicom is also offering Windows Phone devices, and uses WCDMA for its 3G coverage.

Nokia has also offered a number of devices supporting China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA technology previously, including smartphones powered by its legacy Symbian OS.

However, its transition to Windows Phone left it without a device addressing this market for some time.

The recovering handset maker has traditionally had a strong position in the Chinese smartphone market, although of late it has been usurped by Samsung – with local rival Lenovo also providing an aggressive competitor.

According to Nokia, the device will be supported by 50,000 apps available, and offers the “best internet experience, thanks to cooperation with leading local providers Sina, Sohu, Tencent, Baidu and Renren”.

Li Yue, president of China Mobile, said: “Our close cooperation with Nokia is a key contributor to the success of China’s TD industry, and will further enhance the rapidly growing TD ecosystem.”