A missed Opportunity. Windows Phone and LTE

[jdevenberg]

Today AT&T launched its first two LTE phones, one by Samsung and the other by HTC. Both are Android powered as it is the only OS which supports LTE right now. AT&T also launched the Focus S and Focus Flash today. Windows Phone 7 has been a critical success, especially since Mango, but it struggles for mindshare. So today, a customer walks into an AT&T store and asks, "What are your newest smart phones?" They would (should I guess) be shown The Focuses and the Galaxy S 2 Skyrocket and the HTC Vivid, both of which support LTE. In these customers minds, Windows Phone 7 will be "behind" Android because their new high end devices don't support LTE and Android's do. If Microsoft had built LTE support into Mango, Windows Phone would have been at the heart of AT&T's LTE ad blitz, right alongside Android. They could have pushed HTC to build LTE into the Titan and Samsung to put it into the Focus S and push them to launch both today. Then AT&T customers have their choice of HTC or Samsung running either Windows Phone 7 or Android. I know LTE is in very few markets right now, but when we buy these phones we sign two year contracts or drop hundreds of dollars off contract. If I am locking into a two year contract or dropping $500 on a phone, I don't want it to be outdated in 8 months or a year. I want it to be mid-range. If Windows Phone supported LTE I would be at an AT&T store today picking up my LTE Samsung Focus S. Two of them in fact, one for me one for my wife. Instead I will be buying 2 Focuses on Craigslist to get my by until LTE is supported by my favorite OS. But not everyone is as anti-Android as me. Not everyone will wait. Many will just pick up the Vivid or the Skyrocket. Microsoft should have been part of this launch and made Apple look like the one behind the times instead of making Android look ahead of the curve.

 

[based_graham]

Microsoft is aiming for the low - mid range price points so far so good. LTE for next year Apollo should be able to compete with IOS 5 and Android head on.

I am going to guess whatever you see in the Win8 tablets is what you get with Apollo

 

[DanSmithKY]

Windows Phone could still be a part of AT&T's LTE advertising blitz, because it won't happen for a while. If the next iPhone doesn't have LTE and Apollo phones do, then MS and the manufacturers will have the opportunity to capitalize. Of course the LTE Android handsets will keep on coming in the meantime, though.

 

[scottcraft]

Looks to me like AT&T's lte network is too small at this time for it to be a big deal. When Verizon gets another WP7 I think it should be 4G because they have most of the big markets covered.

Sent from my Windows 7 phone using Board Express

 

[jimski]

Ok, lets take this to the next step. So the AT&T rep shows me these shiny new LTE phones, and I ask, "what's LTE anyway". And the rep explains, with it you can download stuff five times faster. Cool I say. "So I am using 1.6GB a month on my 2GB data plan now. Are you going to allow me to download 5 times as much data". No sorry, the rep explains, "you are stuck with your 2GB, probably use it up in less than a week, but it will be fast". "Thanks for that", I say. "What else do yo have to show me today".

Sent from my HTC Surround using Board Express

 

[icstars989]

Ok, lets take this to the next step. So the AT&T rep shows me these shiny new LTE phones, and I ask, "what's LTE anyway". And the rep explains, with it you can download stuff five times faster. Cool I say. "So I am using 1.6GB a month on my 2GB data plan now. Are you going to allow me to download 5 times as much data". No sorry, the rep explains, "you are stuck with your 2GB, probably use it up in less than a week, but it will be fast". "Thanks for that", I say. "What else do yo have to show me today".

Sent from my HTC Surround using Board Express

Why you would download 5 times more data just because you can download it faster? I definitely do feel like the 2GB allotment they allow you is way too small, especially with everything streaming and going to the cloud. Verizon has a promo where if you buy a 4G phone they'll bump you up to 4GB at the 2GB price.

That said, my next phone will be LTE. I've had coverage since VZW launched it and I'm definitely itching to finally use it!

 

[Umm Yeah]

Ok, lets take this to the next step. So the AT&T rep shows me these shiny new LTE phones, and I ask, "what's LTE anyway". And the rep explains, with it you can download stuff five times faster. Cool I say. "So I am using 1.6GB a month on my 2GB data plan now. Are you going to allow me to download 5 times as much data". No sorry, the rep explains, "you are stuck with your 2GB, probably use it up in less than a week, but it will be fast". "Thanks for that", I say. "What else do yo have to show me today".

Sent from my HTC Surround using Board Express

I feel the same way about LTE. It's great that it's so fast but with the caps they have in place, I'll have to use WiFi primarily to avoid excess usage charges anyway. Add to the fact that I'm stuck with Verizon, and they'll most likely charge their typical $100 surcharge on any LTE-capable device. What really sucks, is that I'm reading a lot online that Verizon might be announcing their second generation WP7 devices at CES and I bet they'll be LTE-capable and available post-Tango. I don't want to pay that premium but I may have to anyway.

 

[scottcraft]

I feel the same way about LTE. It's great that it's so fast but with the caps they have in place, I'll have to use WiFi primarily to avoid excess usage charges anyway. Add to the fact that I'm stuck with Verizon, and they'll most likely charge their typical $100 surcharge on any LTE-capable device. What really sucks, is that I'm reading a lot online that Verizon might be announcing their second generation WP7 devices at CES and I bet they'll be LTE-capable and available post-Tango. I don't want to pay that premium but I may have to anyway.

Very interesting!

Sent from my Windows 7 phone using Board Express

 

[icstars989]

I feel the same way about LTE. It's great that it's so fast but with the caps they have in place, I'll have to use WiFi primarily to avoid excess usage charges anyway. Add to the fact that I'm stuck with Verizon, and they'll most likely charge their typical $100 surcharge on any LTE-capable device. What really sucks, is that I'm reading a lot online that Verizon might be announcing their second generation WP7 devices at CES and I bet they'll be LTE-capable and available post-Tango. I don't want to pay that premium but I may have to anyway.

Great find! I wasn't aware that Mango was LTE ready, I thought that was gonna be included in Tango..Definitely can't wait now! I hope they release the Lumia 800 on VZ, I'll even take a 900!

 

[jdevenberg]

Why you would download 5 times more data just because you can download it faster? I definitely do feel like the 2GB allotment they allow you is way too small, especially with everything streaming and going to the cloud. Verizon has a promo where if you buy a 4G phone they'll bump you up to 4GB at the 2GB price.

That said, my next phone will be LTE. I've had coverage since VZW launched it and I'm definitely itching to finally use it!

I agree that just cause I'm downloading 5x faster doesn't mean I'll use 5x as much. I'm on wifi when I'm at home and work anyway, so thats not a big deal to me. My main thing is I would like is for maps to download faster, videos I want to watch to buffer quicker, and web pages to load faster when I am away from WiFi. I'll use the internet for the same things whether I'm on 3G or 4G, I'll just get it done quicker with 4G.

 

[jdevenberg]

Great find! I wasn't aware that Mango was LTE ready, I thought that was gonna be included in Tango..Definitely can't wait now! I hope they release the Lumia 800 on VZ, I'll even take a 900!

It sounds like there is an LTE capable build of Mango that is different than the current build. Like 7.5.1 or something.

And Greg Sullivan, who that article sites as having said an LTE version of Mango exists, is the Group Product Manager of Windows Phone, so if this article is accurately interpreting what he said, we could be seeing LTE as early as, well, any time.