Is the W10M platform in danger from too much Lumia loyalty?

[RumoredNow]

Do you think that too many fans are stuck in the Lumia Uber Alles mindset?

Is this damaging the chances for 3rd party players to make headway in gaining recognition and sales?

Are we not shooting ourselves in the foot?

 

[anon(50597)]

From what I read on here, some are. It reminds me of some Blackberry BBOS users who badmouthed and would not move to BB10.
I understand liking something but when it ceases to exist it's time to change. Change is difficult for some.

Sent from my Alcatel Idol 4S

 

[pkcable]

From what I read on here, some are. It reminds me of some Blackberry BBOS users who badmouthed and would not move to BB10.
I understand liking something but when it ceases to exist it's time to change. Change is difficult for some.

Sent from my Alcatel Idol 4S

Can I get an AMEN!

 

[anon(9275303)]

Do you think that too many fans are stuck in the Lumia Uber Alles mindset?

Is this damaging the chances for 3rd party players to make headway in gaining recognition and sales?

Are we not shooting ourselves in the foot?

Yes, on all counts. I liked my Lumia's, but I was also a generally satisfied user of an HTC One M8 and I am a very satisfied current user of the Idol 4S that I bought as soon as it was available. It had all the right specs for me and I wanted to support Alcatel for building a W10M device. We need to be willing to buy non-Microsoft/Lumia devices if this platform has any chance of a future, and I'm not waiting on the mythical "Surface phone" to come out sometime in future.

Sent from mTalk on my Alcatel Idol 4S for Windows

 

[Daniel Rubino]

Do you think that too many fans are stuck in the Lumia Uber Alles mindset?

Is this damaging the chances for 3rd party players to make headway in gaining recognition and sales?

Are we not shooting ourselves in the foot?

Definitely. Although I get it too. Nokia's problem was they were _too_ good and went from 0% of Windows Phones to 97% in just a few years. That pushed out Samsung, HTC, and others. Granted, those companies needed to compete and Nokia beat them at every corner.

The Elite x3 from HP is a phenomal device, but even I like to grab my 950 sometimes due to it's more pocketable size and much better camera.

Nokia set the bar and unfortunately most OEMs cannot reach it. It's nice to see the IDOL 4S though, which is easily the best non-Nokia consumer Windows Phone to date.

 

[RumoredNow]

...Although I get it too. Nokia's problem was they were _too_ good and went from 0% of Windows Phones to 97% in just a few years. That pushed out Samsung, HTC, and others. Granted, those companies needed to compete and Nokia beat them at every corner...

Nokia set the bar and unfortunately most OEMs cannot reach it....

It's nice to see the IDOL 4S though, which is easily the best non-Nokia consumer Windows Phone to date...

I can't help but agree with these points. Thanks for the reply.

I'm also one of those "nuts" cheering on Wharton Brooks and Cerulean. Here's hoping they not only "get it," but get it done right.

 

[nate0]

Right now there are some new OEMs testing the waters. It will take time to see if those companies try and dive in. From my perspective and maybe other's it's hard to see what is around the corner for Windows 10 Mobile. So from a consumer level it puts folks in hard place. So its not hard to see why the scenario is the way it is. I'm fairly new to windows phones, I came around when WP8 came out, though I owned an ipaq back 10 or earlier (Windows Mobile 2003) years ago. I ended up snagged by Android initially. The W10M platform has a super outlook and in my opinion has huge potential. It's the work in progress/preparation foe constant evolvement that has been painful.

Sent from mTalk

 

[Daniel Rubino]

OEMs have really stepped up their game especially those Chinese companies. As production volumes increase it benefits everyone. That should trickle down to Windows phone too and already has with Alcatel imo. Still need much more though for obvious reasons.

 

[anon(50597)]

I know the Alcatel Idol 4s just went on sale unlocked (I grabbed one myself) but it would be nice to know sales numbers after some time.
Will we know how well it's selling?

Sent from my Alcatel Idol 4S

 

[fatclue_98]

I think these loyalists will have to come to their senses eventually. Microsoft has made it clear there will be no more Lumia handsets. Right now, there are 3 very capable Continuum-ready devices for sale to the public, my late-lamented Idol 4S, the HP x3 and the Acer Liquid Primo. None of them can touch the Lumia 950 series in the imaging department but from what I've read about the HP, my personal experience with the Idol and a brief session with the Acer at a Microsoft store, they all blow the 950s away in performance. The app gap is the same for the HP as it is for a Lumia 435 so that's not worth spending any time on.

These 3 devices I've mentioned are the best Windows has to offer and can hold their own against many others, particularly the Idol and x3 with their top-shelf CPUs and copious amounts of RAM. It's just a question of the Nokia lovers, and their love affair for a defunct brand (Windows OS), to adapt to the new reality with Windows 10 Mobile.

 

[StayClassy101]

I believe it's at times not just a question of loyalty but familiarity. One only needs to look to those who think android is Samsung and vice versa. As for those in the windows mobile arena who are informed, I'm sure it comes down to availability and cost. I love my Lumia 950, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to get an Alcatel idol 4.

 

[nate0]

Change is not easily accepted. It can be difficult when faced with change. It can turn people away at times or maybe there is a fear it will steer them wrong. It's know fact that change is uncomfortable. Most of us like what is comfortable, and knowing what something already is before we invest in it saves us venturing into an area of possible disappointment.

I personally don't have a preference whether I have a Lumia or a non-Lumia Windows phone in my hand. Some feel and look better than others. Unfortunately for me the aesthetic and feel are far more important than the device maker, company, or name on it. I've plowed through lots of phones because of that... As long as it is able to run windows 10 for phones smoothly on my network I'm good.

Sent from mTalk

 

[earthman007]

Ultimately such fans would be holding on to increasingly outdated hardware that will become more prone to faults/failure and they would only have the option of replacing it with pre-used Lumias or very old stock of unused phones. They like the hardware and the platform and would surely be tempted with the right hardware from other OEMs - or just face not being able to use W10m on good reliable kit. They may be fans but would move imo. As I would - I just need the right equipment and value - as well as post-sales supprot: unlike what MS has done for its current customers.

I'm hoping the new guys will provide top notch post-sales support, so that repairs, replacements etc will be sleekly done. For new entrants that's a tougher job, if they don't already have the resource in place - but we're not presumably talking about millions of handsets sold in a very short space of time, as great as that would also be.

It also depends on where the new handsets would be targeted - high end specs for businesses or also for the more mass market consumers: preferably both, as many fans aren't business users, provided with phones by their employers.

Most of us would like a phone range spanning the spectrum of both price and functionality - that's perhaps rather too ambitious in the very near term. But it doesn't take too many models to provide coverage of a lot of that. Fingers crossed.

 

[Rosebank]

Do you think that too many fans are stuck in the Lumia Uber Alles mindset?

Is this damaging the chances for 3rd party players to make headway in gaining recognition and sales?

Are we not shooting ourselves in the foot?

Exactly this.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

we would move to other OEMs but Nokia had an advantage that the rest do not have, and that is simply they had the vast distribution network that no other company had. So the alcatel, HP, acer, Nuans and other phones - I've not seen them yet here

 

[nate0]

we would move to other OEMs but Nokia had an advantage that the rest do not have, and that is simply they had the vast distribution network that no other company had. So the alcatel, HP, acer, Nuans and other phones - I've not seen them yet here

Chintan, how popular are Windows phones there?

 

[RumoredNow]

I did hear a rumor that Cerulean wants to quickly target the US / Canada / Mexico / Brazil / Bolivia. They are at least thinking about a hemisphere.

Maybe the next wave could target UK / Germany / Italy / France all of which posted some of the highest market shares for WP on the globe.

Then they might want to try India and points east... So maybe 2017 in the Americas, 2018 Europe and more?

They gotta see some love (and $)...

 

[Chintan Gohel]

Chintan, how popular are Windows phones there?

In Kenya, I think the percentage was about 15-20% for a year and now slowly it's coming down. I can still see windows phones wherever I go but not as many as there used to be. But certainly still a lot more than iphone

 

[pkcable]

OEMs have really stepped up their game especially those Chinese companies. As production volumes increase it benefits everyone. That should trickle down to Windows phone too and already has with Alcatel imo. Still need much more though for obvious reasons.

It's insane what TCL, Huawei, One Plus, and Xiaomi are doing with phones these days! I'm rocking a Mate 9 myself these days (among others) and I LOVE this thing, and I gave the Mi Mix a good look too, but balked at the price and it's lack of some of the US LTE frequencies. (BUT I still almost got one!!!! - And I still might if I can find one cheap)

 

[speccy]

I was mildly interested in the Idol4s, but without a camera that performs at least close to the L950, it's just not attractive to me. My 950 works fine for the most part and is fast enough... although in the long run, I may of course have to downgrade to an Android device eventually. I just can't see how Microsoft can get out of the rut they're in. If they come up with something groundbreaking like the three-screen device I've seen renders of, then maybe they'll generate some interest, but ultimately they need to do a MASSIVE deal with Samsung whereby they kick out Android and become Samsung's choice of OS. Never gonna happen though, hence the reason I can't see them making many inroads.