No Lumia 930 in the US

[Mark Kaplan]

I was really disappointed to learn that its not coming to the states.

 

[mrdoubleb]

It's already there for 6 months, it's called the Lumia Icon. I know it's exclusive for 1 carrier, but so are other phones around the world - that doesn't justify saying they are not available in the entire country.

 

[DJCBS]

It's already there for 6 months, it's called the Lumia Icon. I know it's exclusive for 1 carrier, but so are other phones around the world - that doesn't justify saying they are not available in the entire country.

Actually the USA is the only country I know that has "exclusive phones".

 

[JamesPTao]

I was really disappointed to learn that its not coming to the states.

It is coming to the states. It is a GSM phone meaning it will work on At&t with no issues. At&t will get it.

 

[Mark Kaplan]

The Icon is not the 930. Its a 929. The 930 is an improved model.

 

[DJCBS]

The Icon is not the 930. Its a 929. The 930 is an improved model.

No. It's not. It's EXACTLY THE SAME phone. The only thing the 930 will have that the Icon doesn't have yet is the 5.1 Dolby sound but that WILL COME to the Icon as well as the 1520 as it's part of a software update. Apart from that the Icon and the 930 are exactly the same phone. I've already explained why on the other post.
So don't be disappointed because there's absolutely no reason for it. Unless you're on AT&T or T-Mobile or Sprint, in which case you can change carriers since apparently that's the only way to do it in the US.

 

[mrdoubleb]

Actually the USA is the only country I know that has "exclusive phones".

Nope. What you may have differently on the US is that your carrier gets a different sub version (521, 929/icon), but just because you don't have that in Europe doesn't mean all carriers get/offer all phones. Eg I couldn't get the 1020 as my carrier was the only one not having it in my country and i did not want to pay ?600 sim free.

 

[Harry Wild]

The exclusivity is a big turn off for me trying to support Window Phones. I have no upgrade path unless I switch carriers? That not going to happen! The marketing strategy is killing Windows Phone users off! I have been looking hard at the upcoming iPhone 6 and Moto X + 1! They both going to be available unlocked, have all the LTE and GSEM bands for the U.S. carriers built-in and sold through their respected websites!

 

[mrdoubleb]

The exclusivity is a big turn off for me trying to support Window Phones. I have no upgrade path unless I switch carriers? That not going to happen! The marketing strategy is killing Windows Phone users off! I have been looking hard at the upcoming iPhone 6 and Moto X + 1! They both going to be available unlocked, have all the LTE and GSEM bands for the U.S. carriers built-in and sold through their respected websites!

It's not a marketing strategy. It's reality. The Iphone, the latest Galaxy S - no carrier can afford nit to sell them. Everyone else fighting to get into the carrier's good graces. If they don subsidize your device or put it in a higher price bracket, no one will buy it. But to have them pay up half the price and commit marketing dollars, train staff to push your device over an iPhone you have to give them something - exclusivity.

 

[Zapella Tiago]

I just love how phones are sold around here (Brazil) ... You can buy your phone on your Carrier (locked) or any other retail store (unlocked) if you want to.
Doesn't exist such a thing about "exclusivity".

 

[Mark Kaplan]

No. It's not. It's EXACTLY THE SAME phone. The only thing the 930 will have that the Icon doesn't have yet is the 5.1 Dolby sound but that WILL COME to the Icon as well as the 1520 as it's part of a software update. Apart from that the Icon and the 930 are exactly the same phone. I've already explained why on the other post.
So don't be disappointed because there's absolutely no reason for it. Unless you're on AT&T or T-Mobile or Sprint, in which case you can change carriers since apparently that's the only way to do it in the US.

There is one documented difference.
"The 930 for instance, touts the Sensor Core motion processor for tracking steps and movement while sleeping, whereas the Icon and 1520 do not."

Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/nokia-lumia-930-vs-nokia-lumia-1520-spec-showdown/#ixzz33CituH75

 

[b23h]

It is coming to the states. It is a GSM phone meaning it will work on At&t with no issues. At&t will get it.

I am going to guess that there's a strong possibility that the 930 will not be picked up by US carriers. If it is picked up it will be picked up only by those carriers which cannot get Goldfinger. I bet AT&T will get Goldfinger and will not want to pick up the 930 as well.

I think that a "historical" judgment on the Icon/930 will say it was a great phone that was marred by the lack of SD Card support and the lack of Glance support. I think overall the Icon/930 will not have anything like the market penetration and length of time on the market as the 920 as the Icon/930 will be overshadowed by the release of Goldfinger. I am assuming that Goldfinger will be approximately the same form factor as the Icon/930 and will have an SD Card Slot. If it does not, then MM will have failed at hitting the most critical features of a flagship at this point.

 

[DJCBS]

There is one documented difference.
"The 930 for instance, touts the Sensor Core motion processor for tracking steps and movement while sleeping, whereas the Icon and 1520 do not."

Read more: Lumia 930 vs. Lumia 1520 vs. Lumia Icon: Spec Comparison | Digital Trends

True. Though that's so insignificant I disregarded it. But if that's a core feature for you, import the phone. I'd live well without such gimmick but a microSD card instead

 

[DJCBS]

Nope. What you may have differently on the US is that your carrier gets a different sub version (521, 929/icon), but just because you don't have that in Europe doesn't mean all carriers get/offer all phones. Eg I couldn't get the 1020 as my carrier was the only one not having it in my country and i did not want to pay ?600 sim free.

No. In the US you have the phones in the carriers, period. Unlike Europe, as far as I know, you don't buy phones outside the carriers as we do in Europe.
In Europe you have carriers with certain phones, but if you really want the phone, you buy it on a tech store and be done with it. Plus, in Europe the majority of us DON'T buy phones on contracts. We buy them at full price. We can do it on a carrier or outside one. In the US, people buy phones with contracts. And when they don't, they're still forced to buy the phone through a carrier because they don't use the same bands on AT&T and Verizon.

 

[mrdoubleb]

No. In the US you have the phones in the carriers, period. Unlike Europe, as far as I know, you don't buy phones outside the carriers as we do in Europe.
In Europe you have carriers with certain phones, but if you really want the phone, you buy it on a tech store and be done with it. Plus, in Europe the majority of us DON'T buy phones on contracts. We buy them at full price. We can do it on a carrier or outside one. In the US, people buy phones with contracts. And when they don't, they're still forced to buy the phone through a carrier because they don't use the same bands on AT&T and Verizon.

I would seriously disagree with this. OR rather, this may be true in wealthier countries, but only a very few have 5-600 Euros off contract for a phone where I live. You can get many phones for free or at a nominal fee and pay small increments to your carrier over 2 years - most everyone does that excpet for us geeks who really want something not available at our carrier.

 

[DJCBS]

I would seriously disagree with this. OR rather, this may be true in wealthier countries, but only a very few have 5-600 Euros off contract for a phone where I live. You can get many phones for free or at a nominal fee and pay small increments to your carrier over 2 years - most everyone does that excpet for us geeks who really want something not available at our carrier.

Well that's how it works normally within the EU. Most people buy phones at full price but also most people don't change phones every year.
But, out of curiosity, where are you from?

 

[mrdoubleb]

Well that's how it works normally within the EU. Most people buy phones at full price but also most people don't change phones every year.
But, out of curiosity, where are you from?

I've tried to find some numbers on this, but all I found was how sloppy the language in most articles is. A news piece claimed 50% of phones are sold without carrier subsidies in Europe, but it turns out they used pre-paid and off contract interchangeably - which is not true, a pre-paid phone may still be locked and subsidized, just to a lesser extent. Another one said 35-40% of iPhones were sold unlocked in Europe, but it turned out their data was really about jailbroken phones.

BTW, I am from Hungary. Here an unlocked Galaxy S5 16Gb costs €730/$970 at MediaMarkt or €550/$700 on the "grey market". It is available from €140/$190 from carriers (most expensive monthly subscription fee). The national average monthly net salary is about €500/$660.

So as you can imagine, not many people spend a month of net salary on a phone...

 

[Mark Kaplan]

Well I've made the switch to Verizon and LOVE my new Icon!

 

[DJCBS]

I've tried to find some numbers on this, but all I found was how sloppy the language in most articles is. A news piece claimed 50% of phones are sold without carrier subsidies in Europe, but it turns out they used pre-paid and off contract interchangeably - which is not true, a pre-paid phone may still be locked and subsidized, just to a lesser extent. Another one said 35-40% of iPhones were sold unlocked in Europe, but it turned out their data was really about jailbroken phones.

BTW, I am from Hungary. Here an unlocked Galaxy S5 16Gb costs €730/$970 at MediaMarkt or €550/$700 on the "grey market". It is available from €140/$190 from carriers (most expensive monthly subscription fee). The national average monthly net salary is about €500/$660.

So as you can imagine, not many people spend a month of net salary on a phone...

I've talked with several carrier representatives and salesmen around here and the iPhone is the phone that sells more on contracts because of the ridiculously high price they cost in Europe.

Other phones are sold at full price, regardless of if you buy them to a carrier or not. The only difference between a carrier off-contract phone and an unlocked phone is normally less than 50€ and so people tend to avoid being stuck with a software locked phone anyway.
However, this is Portugal. In the likes of Germany, Belgium etc, phones are sold unlocked even by the carriers.

Over here the minimum wage is 480€ and more than half the population is earning that nowadays (specially young people). Yet they still buy the latest iPhones and Galaxies when they come out.

Well I've made the switch to Verizon and LOVE my new Icon!

Enjoy your new L930 in disguise ;D

 

[JamesPTao]

No. In the US you have the phones in the carriers, period. Unlike Europe, as far as I know, you don't buy phones outside the carriers as we do in Europe.
In Europe you have carriers with certain phones, but if you really want the phone, you buy it on a tech store and be done with it. Plus, in Europe the majority of us DON'T buy phones on contracts. We buy them at full price. We can do it on a carrier or outside one. In the US, people buy phones with contracts. And when they don't, they're still forced to buy the phone through a carrier because they don't use the same bands on AT&T and Verizon.

True most in the us buy through contract, I prefer buying outright. But if you use at&t as I do you can still but outright online and the phone works fine. I have done this with many phones. Not as easy with verizon or sprint since they don't use the same system as pretty much the rest of the world. Unfortunately until recently most haven't done this because us carriers charged you the same whether subsidizing a contract phone or bringing your own. At&t finally gives you a discount now for being off contract (about time).