What the deuce....STILL NO US DATE OR PRICE?

[larrynj]

If Microsoft truly wants to be one of the big boys, getting details like this right are crucial. Now, all people who watched that event have to take away from it are a bunch of 7-7.9/10 reviews and some vague release windows for several of the devices.

We can sit here and analyse everything and try to defend why there are delays and so on, but the point here is that if you want your product to be successful, you have to make sure not only to have a good software/hardware you have to have a great marketing strategy. So far between Microsoft, Nokia, and AT&T it has been a big pile of mess once again. I would thing that companies learn from their past failures. No matter who is the OEM, and who is the re-seller here, they all need to properly coordinate such big and important events. All the training needs to take place prior to the announcement. They need to coordinate the release date, the pricing and so on before the big event. This is the only way you can hope for a successful product sales!

I'd guess that 90+% of the people who watched today's event will wait for the phones whether it's 2 days or 2 months because they are already WP users or are already sold on switching.

Today's event and lack of dates, pricing will have very little bearing on how successful the phones or platform will be. Most of the sales will come from people who had no clue about today's announcements and who have no idea what a 920, 822, 8x or Ativ are.

It sounds like they are ready to market it very heavily. They said today that you won't be able to turn on the TV, open a magazine without see WP. A joint combination of advertising from MS, the hardware manufactures and service providers will determine the success.

 

[Reeves]

I'd guess that 90+% of the people who watched today's event will wait for the phones whether it's 2 days or 2 months because they are already WP users or are already sold on switching.

Today's event and lack of dates, pricing will have very little bearing on how successful the phones or platform will be. Most of the sales will come from people who had no clue about today's announcements and who have no idea what a 920, 822, 8x or Ativ are.

It sounds like they are ready to market it very heavily. They said today that you won't be able to turn on the TV, open a magazine without see WP. A joint combination of advertising from MS, the hardware manufactures and service providers will determine the success.

I guess that's one way of looking at it.

Yet another is that before someone interested in the Lumia 920 could read one review that actually put it's much ballyhooed camera through its paces, or even a hands-on, they got to read lots of "fair-to-middling" 7-ish out of 10 type reviews of the Windows Phone 8 operating system that stressed again and again that the app ecosystem just isn't there and that there are few compelling reasons to switch from an iPhone or Android device that they probably currently own. And if they were waiting with an upgrade and had no idea when these devices were dropping, but could instead go get an iPhone 5 or Galaxy Note II or other Android flagship, maybe they'd do that instead.

If you think today's event was just some kind of formality for a large swath of people already "sold on switching", I truly have to laugh. This is an operating system with a miniscule marketshare and a brand new version obviously being rushed to market to try and get some small part of the 2012 holiday season. Its first flagship is still mysteriously invisible and being kept away in the US. The software is still "pre-release" despite having been delivered by Microsoft to all manufacturers six weeks ago. Yet, HTC's unit has apparently been finished and newly christened "the flagship" or "signature" device.

While I applaud Microsoft's verbal commitment to marketing, the fact is, they can't sell devices. That has to be done by committed carriers with their stuff together and it has to be done by manufacturers heavily promoting their unique features. Neither HTC nor Nokia has the kind of cash laying around to do that sort of promotion for long, and clearly ATT and Verizon are half-assing their lanches of these devices.

Today was a big opportunity to start to turn that around and it was a blown one.

 

[Banstyle]

All I have to say is: The only thing I wanted out of today's PR was a date and price of 920. I got neither. Another GIANT fail for both MS and AT&T, but as a WP7 owner I am used to these disappointments so I rarely expect anything more from both of them. So, I'll just wait it out, however long it takes.

 

[theefman]

Why not just move on to devices that have dates and prices? Either there is something wrong with the at&t version or Nokia is completely incompetent, whatever the case there will be other options. Nokia seems to just have a problem launching devices going back many years so really this is not surprising.


By the time they launch it will be close to CES and MWC and better stuff will be on the horizon. The delay is probably doing us all a favor and something better will come along.

 

[anon(5335877)]

Why not just move on to devices that have dates and prices? Either there is something wrong with the at&t version or Nokia is completely incompetent, whatever the case there will be other options. Nokia seems to just have a problem launching devices going back many years so really this is not surprising.


By the time they launch it will be close to CES and MWC and better stuff will be on the horizon. The delay is probably doing us all a favor and something better will come along.

I feel like it has something to do with AT&T, look at Rogers in Canada, they're launching the Lumia 920 tomorrow.

I think AT&T has always had a problem with launching phones. Way back when, before iPhone and Android became popular, I felt like a lot of the best phones (the Nokia's and the Sony Ericssons with really nice cameras) were sold overseas only. Then of course, a few months after these latest models have been released, there's a rumor that it's coming to AT&T. Then another six months later, it finally arrives on AT&T, and by this time, new model has already replaced the old model overseas making the AT&T version of the phone outdated.

Seems almost like the same thing with Android phones that aren't a Samsung Galaxy. By the time AT&T gets it to market (like the Sony Xperia Ion I think) it's either got an outdated OS or it's running old hardware or sometimes both.

And it seems that if it's not an iPhone, software updates take FOREVER.

Wow, I just realized how much I hate AT&T.

 

[anon(157335)]

Are OS updates going to be an issue with the 920 as well? I thought I saw something about future updates being handled directly through Microsoft.

I'm likely going to switch to AT&T for the 920 and am hoping it will be supported for two years.

 

[jkrc717]

It's a product we all want very badly. I think people have a right to b!tch..lol

Sure, sooner or later it'll come out, but no one wants to hear that c'mon now..lol

I don't know who's in charge of revealing prices and availability, but no one can deny that they're all guilty of teases us.

It really becomes a pain after a while.

"Coming soon, coming soon, here it comes, SORRY!"

"Here you go here you go, you almost got it, SIKE!"

"Pre order October 23. Better get ready.. NOPE!"

"Best buy has it hurry hurry, AWWWW!"

"Nov 3rd, mark your calendars. MY MISTAKE!"

"Nov 11th, here it comes.. MAYBE!"

 

[leftturney]

Why are you guys getting all butthurt now about AT&T and no details? You've known this phone is coming for a few months now and I'm pretty certain that months before that you all had already decided your next phone was going to be a WP8 phone, no matter what phone it was. They said it's coming in November, they have an ad on their site now, since last night after the conference. Do you need to be reminded that WP8 was announced yesterday? Just because you're "in the know" and have known about the phones existence for a few months doesn't mean that AT&T have to give you all of their details on phone availability ahead of their own schedule. Chill out, it's going to be a week or two and you'll have your phones.

Oh, and there's a lot of hate here on AT&T, why? I've had plans with them since 2004 and have never had an issue. Tell me T-mo can beat 400 min, text, and unlim data for under the $65 my AT&T plan costs and I'll switch.

 

[Loiselle]

I think we all need to calm down just a little bit. We've waited this long. What's a few more weeks, really? Let AT&T come forward when they're ready. Your patience will be rewarded.

 

[Reeves]

Why are you guys getting all butthurt now about AT&T and no details? You've known this phone is coming for a few months now and I'm pretty certain that months before that you all had already decided your next phone was going to be a WP8 phone, no matter what phone it was. They said it's coming in November, they have an ad on their site now, since last night after the conference. Do you need to be reminded that WP8 was announced yesterday? Just because you're "in the know" and have known about the phones existence for a few months doesn't mean that AT&T have to give you all of their details on phone availability ahead of their own schedule. Chill out, it's going to be a week or two and you'll have your phones.

Huh? Yes, AT&T is entitled to do whatever it wants. The point is that Microsoft should have had this coordinated with the manufacturers and with the carriers before they scheduled the event.

As it stands now, the Lumia got almost none of the abundant free press and spotlight yesterday. The 8X is the device that reviewers have been given to evaluate Windows Phone, so the benefits of Nokia's contributions to the ecosystem (Drive, Camera Extras, etc.) weren't even considered in reviews.

We know training is still scrambling to happen in the US across carriers. That's going to be a problem as reps continually steer customers to what they know and what they can make a commission off of - Android. The Lumia's US software is still "pre-release" and "not final", yet the 8X's is finished? Products will dribble into stores across three US carriers from the 14th until December? Huge opportunity missed as lots of holiday contract renewals have already been snapped up by Galaxy S3, iPhone 5, and Galaxy Note II.

It's not just about the Lumia 920. It's about a relaunch that is clearly uncoordinated and sporadic. We've had four events for this OS, and there are STILL questions unanswered and specifics missing. That's a problem.

It dampens enthusiasm amongst the biggest fans of the platform, and every day this stuff isn't together is a day when a WP fan says "You know...I was all fired up, but now I'm just going to stick with WP 7.5 device for awhile and see what comes out next year." Sales lost.

 

[ncxcstud]

As long as my pre-order from best buy is honored I'm happy. I still expect that I'll be getting a L920 sometime between this Friday and next Friday.

Who knows, maybe they held back on news because a 3rd of the country might not hear it in time with Hurricane Sandy weaving its way through the northeast... Who knows.

It is frustrating though not hearing anything from ATT after they already said they were going to offer it in November and be the exclusive carrier.

 

[dmcneil330]

I dont think any case can be made for any company involved in the release if Windows Phone 8 in favor of how this is going.

You can't announce something for months and then never give concrete information. Although, at the event yesterday i think it is a bit outrageous to expect Microsoft to announce availability across carriers it would have been a very very very good move.

As it stands we are all sitting in limbo trying to figure out when these devices are going to be launched. All anyone has to go on are rumors and speculations. This is no way to release a product no matter how you look at it.

The analogy has been made previously but it is a good one. When Apple releases its newest update to iPhone you can order it almost immediately after. The same could be done with Windows Phone. It just takes coordination which none of the companies even tried to do.

Disappointing. Lucky for them id rather go back to a regular flip phone before migrating to iPhone or Android.

 

[dmcneil330]

This is Disappoing...

I dont think any case can be made for any company involved in the release if Windows Phone 8 in favor of how this is going.

You can't announce something for months and then never give concrete information. Although, at the event yesterday i think it is a bit outrageous to expect Microsoft to announce availability across carriers it would have been a very very very good move.

As it stands we are all sitting in limbo trying to figure out when these devices are going to be launched. All anyone has to go on are rumors and speculations. This is no way to release a product no matter how you look at it.

The analogy has been made previously but it is a good one. When Apple releases its newest update to iPhone you can order it almost immediately after. The same could be done with Windows Phone. It just takes coordination which none of the companies even tried to do.

Disappointing. Lucky for them id rather go back to a regular flip phone before migrating to iPhone or Android.

 

[DallasFann]

Well with ATT supposedly the premiere carrier in the US this is just another blow to WP. This was the chance to keep the buzz going and instead silence. Now I see more of the tech sites talking about the Nexus 4 instead of WP. Another failed WP launch by MS and its partners. MS is ALL IN? I don't think so.

 

[ncxcstud]

The analogy has been made previously but it is a good one. When Apple releases its newest update to iPhone you can order it almost immediately after. The same could be done with Windows Phone. It just takes coordination which none of the companies even tried to do.

I don't think its a very good analogy. Apple controls the release, the OS, the hardware, and the production line. They control everything. They have the clout to tell carriers - get ready this is when we're coming...

Microsoft controls the OS
Nokia, HTC, and Samsung control production lines and hardware
Carriers control release to their customers.

I'm not saying some elbow grease and handshakes wouldn't help in this matter, but it isn't like its an easy thing to accomplish either.

 

[theefman]

Well with ATT supposedly the premiere carrier in the US this is just another blow to WP. This was the chance to keep the buzz going and instead silence. Now I see more of the tech sites talking about the Nexus 4 instead of WP. Another failed WP launch by MS and its partners. MS is ALL IN? I don't think so.

I think the 8x is being pushed as the face of WP8, not the 920. And when you consider things like availability its not hard to see why. The 920 is probably the most sought after WP8 phone but will be the hardest to come by so really isn't a good choice for the WP flagship.

However, I think the launch was poor simply because there really isn't anything groundbreaking in WP8 and all the features have been leaked already, so there really wasn't anything for sites to talk about, so its no wonder they have moved on to their darling android. They weren't fans of WP to begin with, MS just gave them another reason to ignore it.

 

[Reeves]

I don't think its a very good analogy. Apple controls the release, the OS, the hardware, and the production line. They control everything. They have the clout to tell carriers - get ready this is when we're coming...

Microsoft controls the OS
Nokia, HTC, and Samsung control production lines and hardware
Carriers control release to their customers.

I'm not saying some elbow grease and handshakes wouldn't help in this matter, but it isn't like its an easy thing to accomplish either.

Ostensibly, this is why Microsoft finishes the OS and ships it off in early September, then schedules an announcement for late October. You know, so they could coordinate and get things nailed down?

As it stands, they just had an event yesterday for products that are anywhere between 2 (Lumia 810) and 9 weeks (Samsung Ativ Odyssey) away from being released in the US. No, the US is not the only phone market, but it's a huge one that is crucial for Microsoft to crack.

Best of all, they kept the SDK away from developers so that they could "blow us away with new features close to launch" according to Joe Belfiore. Almost all of the features leaked anyway, so now they have the worst of both worlds: a wet fart announcement that revealed very little new and the fact that developers are just getting their hands on the SDK now, so the WP8 software is likely to be anemic for the foreseeable future.

 

[taudilee]

Well it would make no sense for the developer of the firmware to be the one to reveal that.

well, MS announced for TMobile and Verizon. Apple and Amazon did the same thing. between IPhone 5 and 920, I finally decided to stick to 920. But the lack of this basic information again and again showed me Nokia's execution capability and not able to work things out with MS or ATT

 

[dmcneil330]

I don't think its a very good analogy. Apple controls the release, the OS, the hardware, and the production line. They control everything. They have the clout to tell carriers - get ready this is when we're coming...

Microsoft controls the OS
Nokia, HTC, and Samsung control production lines and hardware
Carriers control release to their customers.

I'm not saying some elbow grease and handshakes wouldn't help in this matter, but it isn't like its an easy thing to accomplish either.

Agreed. However, with the future of most of those companies in the mobile market (or on market at all) on the line you'd think they'd put more emphasis on coordination.

If they can't do that then i don't think balmer can say that this launch is "all-in".

Maybe my expectation are too high. So far the only company i think can even mention being "all-in" for launches is Apple (who still has to deal with carriers and manufacturing issues, even though they have a greater control).

 

[JUSTQUAN2]

I think one thing to consider for att is the galaxy note 2 is right around the corner, comes out on the 6th if I'm not mistaken. So the hold off may be because of that device. I figure let the fans of the note get their devices(which is quite a few) then push out the L920. Now it sucks for WP8 but how the game is played. I do have a feeling some android and ios users will pick one up for something different. I am!