Carrier exclusivity doesn't necessarily equate to more sales/exposure...

[Mystictrust]

Nokia, Samsung, and any manufacturer of Windows Phones in the future better be paying attention to sales/activation data if they are ever to consider a carrier exclusive - they don't seem to work! Good on HTC for bringing that 8X everywhere!

Verizon, with one windows phone, actually has the most activations out of all US carriers!! T-Mobile, with three windows phones, has the second most activations. But AT&T, with 5+ windows phones and carrier exclusive on the Lumia 900? Their sliver of windows phone activations is barely discernible.

With Verizon rumored to be getting all three of the "hero" windows phones, this could be VERY GOOD for the platform

Source: TmoNews via AllThingsD

 

[1jaxstate1]

I don't think AT&T does it to help the OS. They do it to help them. "If you want this phone, you have to switch to us". Sorta like how XBOX and PS3 does exclusives. Wanna play halo, get a xbox. Wanna play god of war, come buy a ps3.

 

[Mystictrust]

I don't think AT&T does it to help the OS. They do it to help them. "If you want this phone, you have to switch to us".

I certainly don't expect any carrier to sell a phone for any reason other than to help their own business out, but I would hope that manufacturers would look at this and say, "Hmm, the next time AT&T offers us a boatload of cash to offer exclusively with them, I think we should weigh our options and try to get all the carriers on board"

 

[1jaxstate1]

Let's say they do turn down that cash, but still have similar sales. That cash is hard to pass up.

I certainly don't expect any carrier to sell a phone for any reason other than to help their own business out, but I would hope that manufacturers would look at this and say, "Hmm, the next time AT&T offers us a boatload of cash to offer exclusively with them, I think we should weigh our options and try to get all the carriers on board"

I agree, I hate the exclusivity crap.

 

[Winterfang]

If it wasn't for exclusivity, I wouldn't had this terrible LG Optimus phone =(.

 

[aubreyq]

If it wasn't for exclusivity, I wouldn't had this terrible LG Optimus phone =(.

LOL well that's an interesting way to look at it.

 

[TJWINS]

Yeah this exclusive contract stuff almost seems like it violates anti-trust laws by forcing consumers to switch to other carriers to get a specific phone. I'm not a lawyer though and I'm probably saying something stupid lol!

 

[Agent-P]

I hate the exclusivity thing. I want all three of the hero WP8 devices to come to all the major carriers (except Sprint because they refuse to support WP right now) so that no matter what carrier you have, you can pick whichever of the three devices you like best. I applaud HTC for bringing the 8X to AT&T/T-Mobile/Verizon.

 

[Villain]

If it wasn't for exclusivity, I wouldn't had this terrible LG Optimus phone =(.

LOL was thinking the same thing.


Lumia 900 flopped bad in canada due to being rogers only (looks to be the same for the 920).

 

[SnailUK]

I bet if you back over the last 5 years, it would show very different patterns.

When the iPhone was exclusive to a single carrier, and the best phone by miles, I bet it was a very different proposition.

As a consumer you want every phone on every network, but if that's the case why would a carrier ever advertise a phone?

 

[BellaRed]

If the 920 was going to be the one and only wp8 phone any exclusivity deal may have had some success. Where alternative wp8 phones can be had elsewhere maybe it's not such a good idea.

The iPhone maybe got away with it because it was so different from anything else at the time.

 

[Mystictrust]

As a consumer you want every phone on every network, but if that's the case why would a carrier ever advertise a phone?

The Galaxy S III is on every network and I still see carrier advertisements for it. In an advertisement, not only does the carrier get their name out there, but they also show that they carry a popular phone. And on a commercial direct from Samsung, they might be able to put every carrier's logo at the end of the commercial. That could reduce churn... "Well, why leave for carrier X's exclusive when this awesome device is available here instead?"

iPhone was its own beast when first released, but the landscape really seems to have changed these days. Every network has multiple powerful phones that cater to what people want.

 

[cgk]

This is why it all gets a bit murky - often the big players will provide funds for carrier adverts in the same way they provide incentives for sales staff - it is something that is generally not discussed in public.

 

[GoodThings2Life]

The reason why Samsung is outselling Apple 2.5-to-1 is simple... availability on ALL carriers. Exclusivity is a hindrance to adoption. Apple did it to gain exposure and build desire, but it was limiting to them too, and you'll notice they didn't take the same approach with the iPad.

If Nokia and HTC avoid that trap with the Windows Phone 8, then marketing efforts can actually work in their favoring.

 

[brmiller1976]

That survey wasn't a very good one, since it didn't have significant sample size for several of the carriers in question.

The other thing that makes it suspicious is the distribution of Windows Phone carriers. Does anyone really believe that Verizon is activating about 2X as many Trophies as AT&T is of ALL their WP devices combined?