How Much Do You Think the 950 & 950xl will Cost?

[slivy58]

Not sure I really care about price if they don't get it "right" (for me). By right, I mean:

You are right, if they flub it up price doesn't really matter, as for "getting it right", for me it means getting the lead out and continuing a stable, forward movement along with making the devices easily obtainable in "all" markets and not just the selective ones, I have a sneaky suspicion though...

 

[Jazmac]

I'm thinking if its carried by AT&T, its get that 100 dollar AT&T premium on it. Considering development, testing advertising costs, yada yada, about easily 749-849. Save up!

 

[hoanglongroyal]

the L930 had been priced at ~600$, then I think with new great specs, L950 might take around 650-700$
About continuum, I have no much experience about device protocol, but I think it's better if this feature come with wireless support. A dock is not what I want to carry with all time.

 

[Davis P B]

Methinks around $600 for the 950 and $700 for the 950XL

 

[tangledW]

If you are right in that they won't sell well, few enthusiasts wanting a flagship and MS mentality that they don't care/expect high sales then WP is in deep trouble. Can't see WP being relegated to only the "budget minded" so budget /low-spec'd phones is what it'll be, for me MS has made the future of the WP very uncertain and confusing with their constant changes and delays, if they keep heading down this narrow path then we'll never see a great presence in the mobile phone market, so if the 950/950XL are a fail (if they actually materialize) then there is only one entity to blame and it is not the consumer... No, one or two handsets aren't going to make or break it, but, it does matter what kind of splash it makes coming into the market as to whether it has a negative or positive impact.

MS has detailed theur plans. It in involves only a few handset, in the categories of budget, enterprise and flagship. They want to rely on partners more.

I think this is actually a good strategy. I'm not smart enough to say what can make Windows mobile successful in the US, but I'm smart enough to know that no one else here does either.

We can only hope. In the mean time, Windows mobile is doing increasingly well overseas - I think this is the key to success. Much as Android became very popular globally before succeeding in the US.

 

[tangledW]

Anyone saying $500 or less are delusional.

 

[Char8]

Probably $599 and $699, maybe $50 more for each, regular flagship prices. If they introduce a Surface phone however, things might change, maybe.

 

[hemanlive]

MS is losing market share even in developing countries. One of the reasons it wrote off Nokia acquisition was that it failed to meet even the modest sales targets.
I am not guessing what the price should be, but I think that if MS is really serious about increasing its phone sales and market share, it has to go very aggressive with pricing. Price the phone almost cost-to-cost. And if the Chinese manufacturers can sell top of the line spec phones for about 400 USD or less, I don't think MS should price these two phone anywhere in excess of 500 - 550 USD. If they do that, they will achieve two things: increased sales figures and more importantly send a very loud and clear message that they are very serious about their phones and the competitors should really watch out for.
If the rumors about them pricing in the range of latest Galaxy phones are true, I am afraid the sales volume might not pick up.

 

[mariusmuntean]

Heard of price somewhere between 590$ and 640$ for 950 and 690$-760$ for 950xl..so huge prices for the mediocre design they have. again specs aren't everything.

 

[imnotevenhererightnow]

Anyone saying $500 or less are delusional.

With all due respect, speculating around $500 or less seems quite reasonable considering the specifications for the 950. You've got the LG G4, Moto X, OnePlus Two, all with specs at, near, or just above the 950 and they all cost $500 or less. That's not even counting the upcoming Nexus 5X which expects to start around $400 and packs the SD808 (albeit with a lower spec camera), fingerprint scanner, etc.

So yeah, maybe not $400, but below $500 for the 950 doesn't sound outlandish.

 

[HeyCori]

Probably about the same as the 1520, so I'm guessing around $650-$700.

 

[tgp]

Although pricing lower will help sales, there is a caveat there: to a certain extent, we perceive quality based on cost. For example, give someone a phone. If you tell that person that it costs $800, they will perceive its quality as higher than if we give them the exact same device and tell them it costs $400. It seems that Apple uses this to their advantage. Microsoft might do well to keep prices higher. But, is it better to have lower sales with a higher profit margin and better perception of quality, or more sales with less margin?

Maybe the bigger question is: is it going to matter either way? I don't see consumers choosing a $450 950/XL over the tried and proven OnePlus, Moto X, or LG G4, and neither do I see people buying it at $750 over the iPhone or Samsung flagships.

 

[HeyCori]

Maybe the bigger question is: is it going to matter either way? I don't see consumers choosing a $450 950/XL over the tried and proven OnePlus, Moto X, or LG G4, and neither do I see people buying it at $750 over the iPhone or Samsung flagships.

And maybe Microsoft agrees. Microsoft's low-mid range phones are more successful than their higher end stuff. The same holds true in America and across the world. Despite being discontinued by T-Mobile, the Lumia 640 quickly shot up to become the second most popular WP in the U.S. If you look at the sales data, the majority of customers have spoken and they do not want a flagship WP. Which isn't to say that MS shouldn't have a flagship phone. They should have a phone to satisfy every level of WP enthusiast, from casual to hardcore. But Microsoft knows they're going to sell more WPs at $199 and cheaper. And Microsoft knows they need a flagship, and they know it likely won't sell as well. So maybe Microsoft is playing the profit margin game with the 950. Save a little on the outside so they can make more money with every sell. Why blow the budget on the 950 when the other two tiers of WPs (that MS hasn't introduced yet) will probably sell better?

 

[slivy58]

MS has detailed theur plans. It in involves only a few handset, in the categories of budget, enterprise and flagship. They want to rely on partners more.

I think this is actually a good strategy. I'm not smart enough to say what can make Windows mobile successful in the US, but I'm smart enough to know that no one else here does either.

We can only hope. In the mean time, Windows mobile is doing increasingly well overseas - I think this is the key to success. Much as Android became very popular globally before succeeding in the US.

I'm not too optimistic much will change in regards to the receptiveness towards WPs for a considerable amount of time, doubting the purported new handsets along w/Win 10 will do a whole heck of a lot either, if the former does come to fruition its availability/pricing will tell me a lot... I got my lifejacket ready LOL.

 

[tgp]

And Microsoft knows they need a flagship but it likely won't sell as well. So maybe Microsoft is playing the profit margin game with the 950. Save a little on the outside so they can make more money with every sell. Why blow the budget on the 950 when the other two tiers of WPs (that MS hasn't introduced yet) will probably sell better?

This is how I expect it to play out. Even if W10M is successful, it probably won't be with the first round. It will take at least a year or two until developers get on board and Microsoft's mobile department finally has a viable ecosystem. Microsoft might as well make a profit on what does sell, and as the ecosystem matures, let the flagships sell themselves.

I'm not too optimistic much will change in regards to the receptiveness towards WPs for a considerable amount of time, doubting the purported new handsets along w/Win 10 will do a whole heck of a lot either, if the former does come to frustration its availability/pricing will tell me a lot... I got my lifejacket ready LOL.

I agree; see above...

 

[gwinegarden]

Certainly more than I will want to pay. My needs just can't justify a big price.

 

[KaiserMcG]

Probably at the same level as a S6 or equivalent Android, but that's too much!

Why? Because Win 10 as a mobile OS is unproven and a lot of damage to the brand has been done in the last 2 years with a pile of low-middle end devices that offered very little between them in reality (WP's ability to run just as acceptably well on low-end hardware as higher-end stuff is both a blessing and a curse), the fact that while most of the top apps are now available they just don't work as well as their Android/IOS counterparts, and the lack of "must have" features like Cortana (not my cup of tea personally anyway but it is supposed to be a main selling point), or indeed the dilution of those "must haves" by makinf them available to the other platforms (and again they often work better there too)

Where I am the network operators have only ever carried 2/3 different WP's between them - all low to medium end stuff - and there seems very little interest in changing that. People will just not shell out ?6/700 on a Windows Phone device off-contract and then have to pay for a network package on top of that for a device that realistically is still lagging behind the competition in many ways.

I know this will no doubt be an unpopular opinion with the WP fanboys but I've had several of them now in the last few years and while yes, they're fast, clean and stable... they're also pretty stark and basic in terms of the app experience, there's virtually no local apps (and no plans for any), and there just not out there beyond the prepay ?50-100 market (ie: kids who can't afford the higher end handsets)

Win 10 has promise as an OS but it's not there yet IMO (and all the data gathering and lack of control over what's installed on my own system bothers me). Whether it'll be enough on mobile remains to be seen, but it has a lot of catching up to do if it's to actually become a sustainable platform.

 

[Joe Acerbic]

572 Quatloos and 150725 Flanian Pobble Beads, respectively.

What? Was there some other purpose for all this guessing?

 

[Johnny Tremaine]

It will take at least a year or two until developers get on board and Microsoft's mobile department finally has a viable ecosystem.

Speaking rhetorically, why are we assuming this is going to be a defacto thing? W10 (desktop) is out now, but I didn't see an army of mobile app developer launch partners.
Wasn't that what folks were saying for the past year? Developers are waiting for Windows 10 before they flood the Windows 10 app store with a deluge of universal apps?
If by this time next year, these forums are having the same discussion, Windows mobile is never going to get beyond 2-3%, as Paul Thurrott muses about in the latest What the Tech podcast.

 

[tgp]

Speaking rhetorically, why are we assuming this is going to be a defacto thing? W10 is out now, but I didn't see an army of mobile app developer launch partners.
If by this time next year, these forums are having the same discussion, it's never going to get beyond 2-3%, as Paul Thurrott muses about in the latest What the Tech podcast.

TBH, I agree. However, I've learned that you have to be careful here! :eck: Most WC members do not think that there is an IF; there is only a WHEN. You are correct; I should have included a big IF.

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