Nokia and Microsoft really f-ing blew it.

[Jack Lewis]

A month to ensure Nokia's pre-installed apps and services were fully compatible with Windows Phone 8? To optimise the PureView imaging with the final software? To do carrier customisations (including the installation of apps, network setup, etc)?

Nokia and HTC had the hardware essentially ready months ago.

I do accept that Nokia probably hasn't made enough phones. But it may be that carriers around the world underestimated demand (an exclusive device, with dropping sales of the 800 and/or 900).

Microsoft can and should be blamed for this, just as much as Nokia.

 

[jabtano]

Sales of the Nokia WP8 devices are in high demand hence the growing stock value. Now how more of a demand, and how many more device would they have sold if they didn't make the L920 so exclusive? But then looking at Nokia production perhaps it's why they did that. Knowing they could never keep up with the demand.

 

[CheekyTaurus]

[deleted - wrong thread]

 

[CheekyTaurus]

Who buys a phone on Black Friday? Seriously.

I did, on November 26, 2010. It was a Samsung Focus. I gave up my iPhone for it. Had it not been in stock, I might still be an iPhone user.

 

[Thryon]

I am not sure who screwed up, but when you have an official phone launch, there should be phones available to be had. I was lucky enough to get my Lumia 920 only a couple weeks after Rogers launched the phone in Canada. I had to switch carriers to get one and I had to settle for black, but I have one. Likewise my wife had to switch carriers to get the final HTC 8X that was available in the store as our normal carrier did not even know what a Windows Phone was or when to expect one, this also after their well publicized official launch. She had any choice of colour as long as it was blue.

I will not even start talking about the lack of accessories.

 

[inteller]

recent anecdote. I picked up a sg3 for a friend on cl (returning a favor) when he came to get it I got to see both it and the 920 side by side in the wild for the first time (store comparisons just don't cut it). Now having used WP i can say ICS is a hot mess UI wise, but his gf who was with him was equally intrigued with both not having used them. For just someone representing the just off the street casual consumer shopping, I'm pretty sure she would have picked either one based in looks alone. Had one or the other not been in stock at the time, the one in stock would have been just fine.

 

[Reflexx]

Aren't black and white 920's pretty much in stock everywhere now?

 

[independentvolume]

Aren't black and white 920's pretty much in stock everywhere now?

Amazon can get you a black or white one on January 5th. The at&t store had one 920 and it was white. White is definitely the worst color. Looks super cheap and toy like. Should of went matte.

 

[Reflexx]

I wonder if AT&T is holding their stock for BF.

I kept hearing that new shipments were coming in all the time for the stores. Maybe it's just my area in Southern California that has black as well as white in stock.

Amazon may show a long backorder, but AT&T doesn't for the black, white, or even red. The yellow and cyan show 7-14 days though.

I wouldn't be surprised if AT&T has dibs on all the BF units.

 

[as147]

If you believe more than 10% of that stuff (especially from those highly biased rags) then you are fooling yourself.
Yes he was a driven person and excluded parts of the organisation from his work but that was due to his focus. All this crap about need MS to be more collaborative is clearly just a PR line.

No other time in MS' history has it been able to unify tablets, phones and desktops and at the same time bring out new hardware, a new version of the OS on ARM and still have the same UI. Tell me how that is not unifying !?

Did he kill projects and solutions that might have been beneficial to MS? Yes
Did he exclude people? Yes
But was he able to keep secrets and generate for the first time in recent MS history a real buzz (Surface) ? YES YES YES
Would he have been a good CEO ? We will never know
However he was acting like one, being the place where all the tough decisions got made (what was cut and what wasn't, telling people what was going to happen and never missing the mark once on a mission).
Will MS suffer because of his departure? Perhaps as you need strong people who are willing to make the tough calls.

Without his approach do you think MS could have kept half of the IP about the Surface secret!? Anyone who thinks its good to share need to look at Apple.
What happens when everyone knows what you are releasing before the announcement !
A company needs to keep its' IP close to its chest, also it slows down the copycat competition and gives you more of a head start. Releasing lots of information in this market generally only benefits the bloggers and they can all go to you know where because most of the time they earn money through negative click bait stories bashing you and your technology.

 

[as147]

I am sorry but it doesn't matter how much spin you put on this and comparing the iPhone 5 stock level issues to Nokia's is in no way the same.
The iPhone has a massive and ardent following who WILL wait. The Windows Phone users barely exist in comparison and this release is trying to seed those users.

Marketing million$ have been spent, launches and momentum have been going all to fall flat within a few days (and in some cases a few hours) of shipping devices!

Whatever way you paint it this, it is a big mistake & someone should be held accountable.

What is the point of getting almost all the other things lined up to fail at the most critical part - execution!

So once Nokia get enough stock into the channels do you think they should start all the marketing again!?

The fact is most people wanting a phone will go into the store for that phone and most users who don't find that phone will go for the one proposed by the salesperson (i.e. one that is in stock).
I visited several large stores in Melbourne and there was nothing available and little knowledge as to when they would arrive! Ain't no average customer waiting indefinately for a new phone platform unless they are a ******. There aren't enough fanboys to keep Nokia and WP8 afloat yet.

p.s. This stocking issue is the same problem with Windows 8, only two touch based tablets in stock in all stores for a touch centred OS. Again the store doesn't know when they are coming in. So the Windows 8 launch is a muckup in the execution stage.

 

[brmiller1976]

"Microsoft needs to be more collaborative," say all the journalists who worshipped the command-and-control business model of Apple, where "Steve decides what to build and everyone else builds it."

 

[Simon Tupper]

"Microsoft needs to be more collaborative," say all the journalists who worshipped the command-and-control business model of Apple, where "Steve decides what to build and everyone else builds it."

Except that Steve was a marketing guy which means that he was not the guy who designed anything, but rather the guy who sold the products.

 

[brmiller1976]

Steve was "the decider." No "collaboration."

If you disagreed with Steve, you were fired on the spot.

 

[Lyme]

I blame Nokia themselves. They talk the game that they want to get the phones out there so people can buy them, then they do completely asinine things such as giving the Lumia 920 exclusively to Rogers in Canada, and then ONLY IN BLACK, and no accessories are to be found ANYWHERE! it is also backordered.

All I wanted was to give Nokia my money for a Red Lumia 920, and they are doing everything in their power to drive me and tons of other Canadians away.

 

[brmiller1976]

I must admit that I find the "where is my color" thing interesting. I want a blue one, but I bought black... No big deal. I wouldn't storm off in a huff to an iPhone or (shudders) Android just because they don't have my first choice in colors available. Why not just get the black one?

 

[mlm1950]

I must admit that I find the "where is my color" thing interesting. I want a blue one, but I bought black... No big deal. I wouldn't storm off in a huff to an iPhone or (shudders) Android just because they don't have my first choice in colors available. Why not just get the black one?

Black phones are pass?. Why should someone settle for black if they want a color?

 

[Reflexx]

Black phones are pass?. Why should someone settle for black if they want a color?

Yet, we're supposed to believe that the store scenario goes like this...

Customer: "Do you have the Lumia 920 in red? That's the phone I want."

Salesman: "No. But we do have it in black and white."

Customer: "Black or white? This is outrageous! I need to have it in red, and I need it NOW. If I can't have it in red, then I'm not getting it at all. Give me the Samsung Galaxy SIII."

Salesman: "In what color?"

Customer: "Black or white is fine."

 

[brmiller1976]

I kinda have to agree with Winning Guy. If I had a blue phone on the spot, I'd have bought that. But I wanted the phone more than the color... it's a minor thing at best.

It's a bit like being at the Acura dealer, and saying "I want a BLUE TL. You have NO blue TLs? FINE! I am going to Buick and buying a LaCrosse to demonstrate my annoyance!"

(Although, to be fair, the GS 3 is in BLUE and white... except when it crashes. Then it's black and blue.)

 

[sentimentGX4]

Maybe because of this, if the Nexus 4 will be released before them then I might stay with Android. As much as I love the hardware of Nokia with all their features but it's taking them forever.

The Nexus 4 is in insanely short supply; even in heavy focus nations such as the United States. People who have ordered their phones successfully day 1 (Nov. 13) are still waiting on them with NO updates or shipping confirmation. You're extremely unlikely going to find a Nexus 4 before a Lumia. The Nexus is a phone with low/no profit margin that Google and LG are in absolutely no hurry to meet demand.