Disappointed with AT&T variant?

[fiveaces01]

Very confusing. Rarely do I find myself in the position of loving a product (NOKIA Windowsphones) but having nothing but contempt for the manufacturer(MS) and the distributor (ATT). ATT knows that the customer has no choice but to get the newest Nokia WP from them...no matter how badly they bastardize the product,,, and Microsoft continues to award them sole distribution rights. I read a lot of these forums and I cannot remember any positive comments about ATT practices in customer service. But why bother with customer service when you have a monopoly. I thought that our gov't put a stop to that years ago. I have a Nokia 920 32 gb phone. I chose it initially because of the amount of storage. Came to love it. Then had to put up with ATT's neglect in getting out updates that should not have been left up to them. You will never see iPhone updates dictated by the carrier. Why does Microsoft insist they are committed to making WP succeed but give ATT the power to sabotage a good product. As long as this practice continues WP will remain a very distant 3rd in the mobile phone market.

 

[nola75]

There is still the possibility that AT&T will offer both 16GB and 32GB versions of the 1520. The only thing we know for sure is that it there is definitely a 16GB version since one of our members had one in hand. A lot of people will have wasted a lot of energy complaining for nothing if AT&T winds up offering a 32GB version too. That would let those who are satisfied with 16GB get it at a lower price. Not holding out a lot of hope but not ruling it out either.

 

[Joe Acerbic]

Why does Microsoft insist they are committed to making WP succeed but give ATT the power to sabotage a good product.

So that MS can buy the Nokia phone division cheap. Duh. A win-win for MS and Elop.

 

[T Moore]

Why does Microsoft insist they are committed to making WP succeed but give ATT the power to sabotage a good product. As long as this practice continues WP will remain a very distant 3rd in the mobile phone market.

Microsoft makes the software.
Nokia makes the phone and markets it.
Microsoft currently has nothing to do with releasing or dealing with carriers.

 

[jfa1]

I'm not eligible for an upgrade till next March, so I'll see what's out at that point. By then, there could easily be another Nokia device that has better specs than the 1520.

same here my upgrade date slipped from October to March when ATT bumped upgrades back to 24 months. I'll be watching and palying with the 1520 when it comes out but probably holding off on the 1520 until after my upgrade date. If nothing else comes out will have yo wait and see. I'm thinking of going to play with the note 3 to check out the size.

 

[snowmutt]

My contract is up the day after Turkey Day, and my kids are up in late December. So, I am in the consumer group this would be aimed at:

-I am Windows Phone. BB10 is a blast and I love it, but WP is building a complete ecosystem and I like it. MS is stable. I am 90% sure I am sticking with WP.

-I have had Samsung, HTC, and Nokia. To me, there is no option. Nokia is the only way to go.

-I do like the bigger screens overall. The 4.7" on the Titan series was nice. My wife's Note's 5" screen is pretty good, and I do not find using it as much as a pain as I thought.

-I am a current AT&T customer, and here in rural Illinois, there is only AT&T and Verizon. Big Red is more expensive, so I tend to lean to AT&T.

Add it all up, and I should be a 1520 target. The 6" screen may be too much, but I am willing to look.

No wireless charging?? Okay, a little less girth.

Only 16GB of memory? Sigh. I am sorry, but internal memory is better then expanded. My L900 is jacked full of music/podcasts/apps. I really want 32GB storage.

Not a deal breaker, but asking me to sign up for 2 more years with a lesser spec device? Sure makes me want to see what Verizon has to offer. And if I am willing to look, as a WP user and a AT&T customer, why would this 1520 option attract phablet users of other OS or other carriers, which is what Nokia/AT&T are trying to do?

 

[psudotechzealot]

There is still the possibility that AT&T will offer both 16GB and 32GB versions of the 1520.

I hope so.

 

[kevm14]

I doubt it. They would need to create yet another SKU (32GB w/o wireless charging).

 

[TenTwelve]

Meh, I'm over it. A quad core, 1080p, 6" phone for $200? Yes please!

 

[nola75]

I doubt it. They would need to create yet another SKU (32GB w/o wireless charging).

I doubt it too but I did see that a later 32GB version has at least reached "leaked" rumor status on one site. The Nokia site only lists the 16GB version for AT&T right now. If people can wait it might make sense to give it a little time to rule it out completely before they go with a 16GB version. A lot of people don't care about 16GB as long as there is an SD card though. Personally, I like as much storage as I can get.

 

[kevm14]

I think the removal of the wireless charging annoys me more than the space reduction. And the idea of AT&T ordering a cheapened 1520 causes me to ask questions about other things that may have been cheapened (screen? something else?).

 

[TenTwelve]

I think the removal of the wireless charging annoys me more than the space reduction. And the idea of AT&T ordering a cheapened 1520 causes me to ask questions about other things that may have been cheapened (screen? something else?).

The storage is a matter of a different chip and the wireless charging is just as simple as peeling a coil off the housing. A different screen would have to sourced from a supplier causing Nokia to spend more money and inventory more parts. The sky is not falling chicken little. lol

 

[snowmutt]

Meh, I'm over it. A quad core, 1080p, 6" phone for $200? Yes please!

Okay.... when you put it like THAT, I just feel petty now...

:wink:

 

[Bob Box]

Meh, I'm over it. A quad core, 1080p, 6" phone for $200? Yes please!

An extra 16GB flash costs about $4 for a large OEM. The Qi charging circuit is likely around $0.50. The Nokia 1520 is a flagship phone and delivering anything less to the market is a failure. Especially when the cost differential is less than 5 bucks.

Nokia's buffoon of a CEO, Elop, should be fired for his inability to (a) deliver product to market on a timely basis and (b) deliver "as designed" product to market. The money Elop wasted on doing the vapor launch in Abu Dhabi could have been spent subsidizing AT&T to offer 32GB/Qi on the Lumia 1520. And then we are left wondering when the 1520 and 2520 will even ship. That huge launch and no product? No availability dates? No prices? Another flop from Eflop.

Elop is nothing more than a clueless moron in a suit. After the merger is through he should have to dress up as a clown and entertain guests in the Microsoft lobby.

 

[Joe Acerbic]

Elop is not a moron, the Nokia board members letting him get away with his scam are. Elop is directing Nokia to design and advertise phones but not sell them, so Microsoft will buy the phone division cheap and he gets his bonus for the deal.

 

[TenTwelve]

It's not a point of what these parts cost a manufacturer. It's matter of what they'll charge the consumer for it and if the absence of $5 worth of parts equates to a savings of $100 I'm ok with that.

 

[CSJr1]

If you think the carrier is wants to keep the cost down for the consumer, then I have a bridge in Alaska that I want to sell you. Removing Qi is not meant to save for the consumer. It was done to promote PMA which actually cost the consumer more because we would have to eat the price of the Qi charger we cant use any more and buy a PMA charger. Going from 32gb to 16"GB is 50$ to 20$. It saves AT&T 30$. But yet if the do offer a 32GB model, they will charge at least 50$ more for the phone and I would jump on it.

So your conjecture that the consumer saves is incorrect. AT&T is not likely to drop contract price $100 for a 30$ saving.

 

[ArthJar]

An extra 16GB flash costs about $4 for a large OEM. The Qi charging circuit is likely around $0.50. The Nokia 1520 is a flagship phone and delivering anything less to the market is a failure. Especially when the cost differential is less than 5 bucks.

The money Elop wasted on doing the vapor launch in Abu Dhabi could have been spent subsidizing AT&T to offer 32GB/Qi on the Lumia 1520.

I agree with your first point, however, why would you pay another company more money than what you just paid it to accept your product just for it to fully accept the product you just launched and not cut it in half?
I reckon the 1520 will come with 32GB/Qi to the rest of the world and other carriers are not being paid anymore just to carry it.
IT IS AT&T's FAULT that you will have to deal with a 16GB/noQi device, not Nokia's; It's AT&T that wants you to spend the same price of the fully featured 1520 for a device that has been slashed in half. It's AT&T that wants you to spend more money so that you could get a wireless charging cover.
This is called greed.