The Nokia Lumia 900 launched on Easter Sunday, April 8, to a rather rocky start. Shortly after launch, many owners started to complain of data network connection issues with AT&T. Nokia acknowledged the problem a few days later, and has now launched a fix.

Nokia said the data connectivity problem was caused by a memory management issue. The company insisted that it only affected the software, and did not represent an issue with the phone's hardware or AT&T's network.

On Friday, April 13, Nokia announced it has developed a fix for the data connectivity issue that affected the new Nokia Lumia 900 from AT&T. According to the company, customers who have already purchased the smartphone have two options: visit the dedicated Nokia page, download the software and fix the issue, or exchange the phone altogether. Those who would be more comfortable with a brand new Nokia Lumia 900 have until April 21 to exchange it at any AT&T store.

Update Available 'Earlier than expected'

The update was expected to roll out on April 16, but it was made available "earlier than expected," said Keith Novak, director of communications for Nokia's North American operation, in an email to PC Magazine.

According to the Nokia page dedicated to the issue, customers who don't want to exchange their phone can use the Zune software to download the update. Once the Zune software is installed on your computer, simply connect your Nokia Lumia 900 to your computer and Zune will pop up a fix in no time. To get Zune for your PC click here, and to get Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac access this link.

Earlier, Nokia, Microsoft and AT&T had offered a $100 credit as a goodwill gesture until the update was available. The offer is still available until midnight PST on April 21, and since the Nokia Lumia 900 was retailing for $99, this rebate makes it essentially free.

Nokia released preliminary first quarter numbers on Wednesday, claiming it sold two million Lumia devices and reporting "sequential growth in Lumia device activations every month" since the November launch of the smartphone line. The Lumia 900 smartphone is Nokia's first high-end Windows Phone device in the States.

(reported by Alexandra Burlacu, edited by Surojit Chatterjee)