While AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless have all announced Windows Phone 8 devices that will be launched this year, Sprint has been sitting quietly on the sidelines without any new Microsoft-powered smartphones of its own. But Sprint isn't going to be out of the Windows Phone 8 world for long, as the carrier confirmed to PC Mag that it plans to offer new Windows Phone 8 devices in 2013. "Sprint and Microsoft are partnering to bring Windows Phone 8 to Sprint's customers — operating on its 4G LTE network — next year," said the carrier in its statement.

Sprint had previously offered the HTC Arrive as its lone Windows Phone 7 device in 2010, and it did not introduce any new models with the launch of Windows Phone 7.5 in 2011 (though it did update the Arrive to the Windows Phone 7.5 platform). It's not yet clear which manufacturers Sprint will choose to carry, but if we had to guess, we would say that at least one Windows Phone from HTC will be in its lineup early next year.