AT&T in-store experience

[jmerrey]

Just got back from the AT&T store to purchase a 1020. My experience was quite good. No, there weren't any lines for the phone! I was actually the first one to purchase the device. The reps were very excited about the phone. There was even a little display that had two "scenes" which you could interact with, to show off the camera on the demo phone. One was in a box, to show off low light performance The other was a small town scene, almost like an oversized snow globe without the snow, to show off zoomed in details. The rep was fully versed with how to use the camera, and how to interact with the two scene's to produce very impressive effect.

Overall, very impressed with the experience. I dearly wish the phone was at $199; $299 is a big hurdle for the non-enthusiast.

 

[Funky Cricket]

awesome to hear, but I don't see an issue with the price, the phone is very much a targeted enthusiast phone, for mobile photo buffs. Very much like the Samsung google cameras.

 

[rmichael75]

808 started with 700 dollars as well.

 

[rmmoore80]

My wife and I both got 1020's this morning as soon as our AT&T store opened. Our rep was very informed about the Lumia 1020. In fact, he said he had been using his exclusively for 30 days at least. We even chatted about some of the more intricate aspects of Windows Phone and the 1020. Two displays were also set up for photo testing as the OP stated.

 

[Arsenic17]

Can you guys confirm whether they had the camera grips available at the store today?

 

[jmerrey]

My store only had a few cheesy looking two-colored plastic cases, and a leather case. No grips, no charging cases.

 

[bstein2]

The flagship store in Chicago at Ontario and Michigan was having a launch event. There were tons of people wearing yellow lumia 1020 tshirts and carrying around the phones with the camera grip. They are running a "promotion" that if you buy the phone in store you get a free camera grip sent to you. I preordered mine online through AT&T and after a conference with the manager, they will be sending me one also. Not sure if it is just the flagship store in Chicago or not, but a free camera grip is a pretty nice way to match the Microsoft store's dea.

 

[flyinion]

I'm going to check one out today. Hopefully I get a decent experience too. I was avoiding going to AT&T (on VZW had been looking at t-mobile) but it sounds like they've improved in the last couple years. With their new AT&T Next upgrade program I could get the device for $33 a month and pay it off whenever instead of $299 down and locked in to a contract. I was thinking originally a 920 or 928 but the 1020 camera is getting good enough reviews that I think I would really like it over the 9xx series to fill in when I don't want to haul my DSLR & tripod around. I'd been wanting to get a decent point & shoot for that anyway so this would definitely fit the bill

 

[ninjaap]

Just got back from the ATT store and picked up my yellow 1020! They didn't have any camera grip in stock. I opted for the monthly installment. Came out to $33/month for 20 months. I like that there's no activation fee. All I had to pay for was tax, which came out to $53.46. Though they didn't have much of a display, the associate that helped me was very knowledgeable and knew his way around a windows phone. I was in and out within 20 minutes. Impressive, considering my previous upgrades at stores usually takes about an hour.

 

[illidanx]

I went to ATT store to buy a white Lumia 1020 but they only had black and white. the black one looks better than in pictures so I just bought the black one.

 

[SKFlynn]

The flagship store in Chicago at Ontario and Michigan was having a launch event. There were tons of people wearing yellow lumia 1020 tshirts and carrying around the phones with the camera grip. They are running a "promotion" that if you buy the phone in store you get a free camera grip sent to you. I preordered mine online through AT&T and after a conference with the manager, they will be sending me one also. Not sure if it is just the flagship store in Chicago or not, but a free camera grip is a pretty nice way to match the Microsoft store's deal.

Was JUST at the MS store, they are all out of the camera grips yellow 1020s (as well as all 920s, though I have a feeling they pulled them from the floor so potential customers don't see them as an "affordable (ghetto) 1020" as opposed to dropping $300-700. Oddly enough the 1020 costs $50 more at MS store compared to AT&T.

 

[ALpHa.Q.RoUgH]

Visited the AT&T store at 4:00pm. Was the first person to buy the phone. They had all accessories except the wireless charger. Love the Nokia Set-Up in the store minus it being in the corner. Supposedly all their promo shots were shot using the phone. I bought a Mellow Yellow.

 

[snowmutt]

Glad to hear this. I drive to Champaign IL for my "in store" needs. The sales people there are fun friendly, and do not fake anything. I went there to play with the HTC 8X and the 920 when WP8 first came out. They were curious, but outright admitted they were still training and didn't try to "make up" features or operations. I appreciate that. My local store isnot so good. So, I am happy to hear most are better then my home town is.

Now, contrast that with their online/phone customer experience which is like slaming your head repeatedly into spikes, and you wonder why they can't get themselves above last place in any customer service poll among the wireless companies.

 

[Arsenic17]

I was planning to go to the ATT store to get the camera grip, but I just moved and when I went to what I thought was an ATT store, is was actually just an authroized dealer. Lame! The did have signs for the new device, but didnt have any in stock (sold all 3 black and 1 yellow they had) and didnt even know about the camera grip I was asking about. However, this was just a retailer. It was basically a Verizon store that somehow also sold some ATT phones. WTF?

 

[Pinkopanter]

Chicago, Medison/State store: No special promotions, no special advertisements, not even windows phone big signs, but a huge apple Iphone 5. They do not even know there is a camera grip accessory. When I asked the rep if they have or will they have it soon he asked me: " What is this?"

 

[Echoic44]

Went with my wife and got a yellow and a black first thing when they opened. Nobody else there but the rep knew a lot about the phone and wouldn't stop talking about how cool it was even after I told her I was already a fan. She went on raving about the camera as we were leaving. It was great to see some real enthusiasm.

 

[someoneinwa]

I bought my 1020 at the Seattle Microsoft Store, but needed to visit a local AT&T shop today to clear up an issue with my account. The agent handled that issue right away and then asked me as he was finishing up how I liked my 1020, which he obviously spotted on my account information because I never mentioned it. I told him I loved it and was heading out from the store on a photo and video expedition. I added that I've always been a Nokia fan, and that I still have a working 6310. He expressed his admiration of Nokia and then...he went there....and expressed how Nokia would have been so much better off if they had gone with Android. I could have launched into a pointed debate at this point, but calmly stated I doubted that Nokia's weakened state would have allowed them to compete with Samsung and that rather than recovering as they are now, they'd still be spiraling down like the other Android OEMs. He backed off a bit at this point and muttered some praise of the Windows Phone UI but it wasn't convincing. I appreciated the guy's work addressing my account, I didn't come in to hear his opinions. Still some work to do there Microsoft.

 

[falconeight]

1st store just ok. 2nd store it was a Nokia party in that bad boy.

 

[jeffskent]

I'm aware that this point has been made before, but... About 4 years ago I paid $299 for an iPhone 3GS with 32 GB of storage. Two years ago I paid $399 for an iPhone 4S with 64 GBs of storage. Today I could buy an iPhone 5 with 32 GB of storage for $299. More importantly, I have paid ATT $70 for the last 4 years for the lowest price voice and data plans. I am again under contract with ATT to continue this plan for the next two years with my Lumia 1020. The extra $100 that many people seem upset about paying is exactly what they would pay for a 32 GB iPhone, and the extra $100 comes out to $4.16 per month, or about a dollar a week for the top of the line phone of your choice. The easy upgrade plans from ATT and Verizon seem to me to be an even worse deal over the life of the contract. You pay your money and you make your choice.

 

[andybbtt111]

I stopped at the ATT store by my work in Skokie IL right at 10am and bought my Lumia. The lady didn't know much but I don't think she knew much about anything in general, she was really trying to push that rip off of a "next" deal on me.

They didn't have camera grips, and I searched online for a store that had it and I had to go downtown Chicago to the flagship store to buy mine. I probably got the worst deal out of anyone, haha. I bought the phone at ATT then I bought the Camera grip at ATT. So I spent more than I needed to, if I just bought the phone downtown, I could have had it shipped to me for free. Oh well.

At least I got my 1020