Nokia Lumia 928 currently FREE! Is it not selling well?

[coip]

I came across this article today that says the Lumia 928 (as well as the HTC 8X) on Verizon are currently free. Free! The author of the article says it is because the Lumia 928 is selling poorly. Is it? I have not seen any sales numbers announced, but if you go by the number of customer reviews on the site, you'll see that the 928 has 308 reviews right now, compared to 335 reviews for the Galaxy S4 (which launched about the same time: May 2013). Perhaps 928 users are just that much more excited about the phone (4.7 average score for 928 vs. 4.1 for the S4 somewhat intimates this) and, thus, write more reviews, but if we expect users to write reviews at a similar rate for any given smartphone, this would suggest the 928 isn't that far behind the S4.

Anyway, I think it is a travesty any time anyone would pass this phone up at $99 for an overpriced Galaxy or iPhone, but if this device is really $0 at Verizon (Verizon's website says it is), it would be absolutely absurd for anyone to walk into a Verizon store and get any other phone but this one. I think it's the best phone on Verizon, and now it's several hundred dollars cheaper than its closest competitors. If Verizon employees aren't automatically steering every customer towards the 928 as soon as they walk in the door, they should be fired because they don't know jack **** about cell phones.

 

[gsquared]

Well, when the carrier states publically they don't really give a dam about the platform (WP) they likely will not be doing much to push the devices.

 

[hopmedic]

Well, when the carrier states publically they don't really give a dam about the platform (WP) they likely will not be doing much to push the devices.

Funny how they've publicly said just the opposite....

 

[GardSec]

When you go into a Verizon store and say you want a 928 they immediately try to talk you into buying an Android or Apple. Happened with my wife and I. She wound up with the S3 and I ordered my 928 from Amazon.

 

[jonathanrn]

There have been articles about carriers doing this.. There is pretty-much a guaranteed price reduction for all phones except iPhones within the first few months of release.

 

[maevinj]

They were free back in June. Just Vzw trying to push up sale #s for the 928

 

[Aaron Bateman]

It is all about moving units strapped to contracts. They do not care what phone is on the end of it, just that 2 year contract.

 

[hopmedic]

Yup - it's the contract that makes the money. As for the sales folks pushing Apple/Android, yes. That's a problem. That's what you see in stores. The story from the corporate end is that they want Windows Phone to do well. But when you're dealing with fanbois selling phones, it's going to take a while to turn the culture in the stores.

 

[11B1P]

When you go into a Verizon store and say you want a 928 they immediately try to talk you into buying an Android or Apple. Happened with my wife and I. She wound up with the S3 and I ordered my 928 from Amazon.

I went in to look at the 928 and the salesman never mentioned another phone. Just went and got one for me.

 

[gsquared]

Funny how they've publicly said just the opposite....

Rewind by about a year and see what they were saying then. VZ had no love for WP. This was directly from the CEO's mouth. Not store lackies.

 

[GardSec]

The store employee told my wife "you will not be happy with that Windows Phone. Get the Android." And later added "I don't know much about Windows Phone." This happened at the Myrtle Beach corporate store.

I went in to look at the 928 and the salesman never mentioned another phone. Just went and got one for me.

 

[odin09]

I am not surprised at all that employees would try and push iPhones and androids. Those are probably the phones they use and are more comfortable with. I don't think it is fair to say this as a blanket statement though. When I purchased my trophy at the Westfield NJ store the employee said that that was the phone that he personally used and highly recommended it. When I went to the same store to look at the 822 and later the 928 no one tried to sway me. I think I knew more about the phones than them but they were nothing but helpful. WP needs to gain the credibility among public mindshare so that it is viewed as at least an equal alternative.

 

[rkin92]

In response to the ****** salespeople...

I had tthe opposite happen when I was looking at the 822.

This was a store in downtown Chicago mind you... the salesperson I got actually pushed me away from Android to WP8 (he had a 822 and loves it).

Didnt get the 822 in the end... eventually made my way to a 521 after breaking my VZW contract, moving to a Nokia 700 and now onto T-mobile.

 

[lancepr]

When I got my 928 the salesman was also using a 928, the store had a big windows phone section, same size as the apple.

 

[m98custom1212]

I was thinking about getting an S4 until I started reading around about windows phone. I wanted something different, sick of the typical android, ios systems. I was looking at the 928 or 8X. After, alot of reading I decided to get the 928. I went to the Verizon store a few days ago picked up the 928.. The problem wasn't trying to get me different phone. All stupid overprice accessories they try to push.

Then, my girlfriend is looking at new phone. She wanted something different from her Iphone. She wanted the S4 but didn't to spend the money. She end picking the same phone as me but again the stupid accessories they to push upon everyone.

 

[coip]

When I got my 928 the salespeople didn't try to talk me out of it probably because it was clear I knew what I wanted (I walked in the doors on launch day the second they opened and said, "I'm here for the Nokia Lumia 928"). But, in the two times I was in Verizon stores since then I watched two salespeople try to talk several customers out of getting the 928. It was clear the customers were really excited about the phone and any smart salesperson would've went off their enthusiasm and made them feel good about the purchase. Instead, they kept bringing up doubt, "Are you sure you want that? You've spent a lot of time playing around with it, right? Personally, I'd get the Galaxy S4" to the point that it was clear the customers were becoming worried that they'd regret buying the 928, which is a pity as it's the best phone on Verizon by a long shot. Verizon needs to use more secret shoppers to ensure this crap doesn't happen. Especially now that the 928 is being offered free. There is no reason for 99% of Verizon customers to walk in a store and not have the salespeople recommend the 928 to them.

 

[hopmedic]

Rewind by about a year and see what they were saying then. VZ had no love for WP. This was directly from the CEO's mouth. Not store lackies.

You'll need to rewind by a lot more than a year to find the attitude you describe. It was 2010. Verizon CEO: Windows Phone 7 isn’t an innovative, leading edge product | Mobile | Geek.com It probably bled into 2011, as well. But by 2012 that attitude was gone, and in April 2012 they made their support of Windows Phone clear, from the top, even saying that Windows Phone would play a crucial role:
Verizon CEO: Windows Phone will play a crucial role in the mobile industry - GeekWire
Verizon Backing Microsoft In Smartphone War

You're going on old news and not accepting that people's attitudes can change.

In response to the ****** salespeople...

I had tthe opposite happen when I was looking at the 822.

By no means am I saying that this is the case with every salesperson. Just that there are quite a few fanbois out there who will do whatever it takes to sell their preferred platform.

 

[reversalagent]

I have really been debating picking one up and trying windows phone out. I even thought of joining up with the developer program since it is quite cheap and I have always had an interest in programming, even did some way back. I check, occasionally, to see if the prices change from Verizon and as of this morning, it says it is out of stock.

 

[stmav]

It could just be out of stock for pickup in your zip code. It says available for shipping only. But with my zip code listed, there are many options in stock for store pickup.


Edit to add it shows out of stock for white here as well. And the white version is what's in your screen shot. So a black 928 might still be available.

 

[prjkthack]

Prices change all the time, for every phone. Just because the price changes does not mean that it is selling poorly or selling well. Its just the way things work. They may be pushing the phone hard, so they drop the price, or maybe they are running a special promotion.

Really, to the carrier, the price of phone does not matter whether its Free or $200. They just want you to get in on the contract. That is where they make all their money.

I know places where the price of the GS4 has dropped dramatically, and the iPhone 5 has also dropped in price considerably recently, and I'm sure we're all aware that both those phones sell extremely well.