Nokia, you have too much on the market.

[vish2801]

It will mean more exposure to reviewers/critics/wp experts, but for the kind of audience that buys the 520 or 521 (Usually don't care about specs, variant codes, etc), they will just see all of the different numbers such as 520,620,720,etc and just think... WTF.

No, people see the model and buy and what's your point here ?? Nokia should stop targeting different price points ?? WP will die if it continues to target only one price point ?? This is typical Nokia with numbers and I'm glad it's not gonna change its strategy.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[sdc1]

What's the issue here? Nokia have always numbered their models in this way. The more of the market they capture the better for Nokia, WP and us. Keep pumping the phones out Nokia.

 

[Letros]

I disagree, having a wide variety of phones will give them a better idea on what will get the non-smart phone customers to upgrade.

 

[pantsaregood]

I understand that, sort of like the iPhone 5S for example. The strange part comes into play when these "New takes" aren't distributed to ALL of the carriers to minimize confusion.

The case of the iPhone is a bit different. The iPhone 3GS and 4S are externally (nearly) identical to the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 4, but their internals are upgraded by substantial amounts. This isn't the case with Nokia's variants/refreshes. Apple's "S" models aren't really refreshes - they're new generations of phones.

Nokia can't really afford to push the same model to all carriers - American carriers don't like doing that. Verizon and AT&T only market Nokia's devices so prominently because they create "exclusive" phones, even though they're actually just variants of other devices. Take a look back to when Samsung was rising to prominence with the SGS2: every carrier that carried the device had a unique version.

 

[Andre o Botelho]

the difference this year is that nokia stopped to produce tens of symbian models(what made symbian grow) and changed to tens of WP models, the same strategie with new OS, it worked before and will work again. If some guy buy a lumia 520, there's high possibility that he will buy a 920, but hardly someone will buy a 920 if everyone is talking about Galaxy SIII(theyre same price range) and no-one knows WP.

 

[Curtieson]

So, instead of saying there is a:

Lumia 920
Lumia 925
Lumia 928

...it is suggested they say there is a:

AT&T Lumia 9 (2nd Generation)
T-Mobile Lumia 9 (1st Generation, but same specs as the AT&T 2nd Generation)
Verizon Lumia 9 (1st Generation, but same specs as the AT&T 2nd Generation)

And that is easier?

Digit 1 (or two for 1020) is the price point they are shooting for.
Digit 2 is the generation equivalent.
Digit 3 is a key identifier, or unique model number identifier.

Nothing is to say one is better than the next. This is all VERY similar to graphics cards. A GTX 560 is actually better than a GTX 650 because of the markets they were intended for when they were released.

 

[xandros9]

I don't think so at all. I think they have a healthy amount, and each device has its own price-point/feature-set to not really step on the other's toes too much. Do know that some are not available everywhere.

Samsung however, hasn't it released somewhere about 40-something Galaxy phones in the past year? Now THEY should cut things down a bit. Galaxy Neo, Prevail, S4 Mini whatever. It's insane.

But I do think they should tweak the naming scheme a bit.
Naming the T-Mo 820 the 810 was kinda dumb for me, because it sounds like a last-gen WP7. (you know, like the 510, 610, 710?)

Maybe they could adopt a three digit code that serves a purpose. First number is tier (5-10), second is generation (2), and third is variant. (maybe 0 for base GSM models, and changing it as variants appear, maybe to easily tell what the carrier is.

EDIT: curtieson beat me to the punch

 

[Curtieson]

Maybe they could adopt a three digit code that serves a purpose. First number is tier (5-10), second is generation (2), and third is variant. (maybe 0 for base GSM models, and changing it as variants appear, maybe to easily tell what the carrier is.

EDIT: curtieson beat me to the punch

Hahaha, I was reading this and thought...um...I JUST said that

Agreed their scheme was messed up pre-920. They had the 900 and 710 and 800 all out at the same time. Why weren't they all X00s? Why weren't they all X10s? It was just trying to get into the swing of it all...but I think now on out they will increment a little better....

HAVING SAID THAT...the 625 and 620 just confuses me...don't get why it wasn't a 630. Not just a different size screen...but faster processor, loses NFC, gains 4G LTE...

http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=5147&idPhone2=5438#results

 

[pantsaregood]

Hahaha, I was reading this and thought...um...I JUST said that

Agreed their scheme was messed up pre-920. They had the 900 and 710 and 800 all out at the same time. Why weren't they all X00s? Why weren't they all X10s? It was just trying to get into the swing of it all...but I think now on out they will increment a little better....

HAVING SAID THAT...the 625 and 620 just confuses me...don't get why it wasn't a 630. Not just a different size screen...but faster processor, loses NFC, gains 4G LTE...

Nokia Lumia 620 vs. Nokia Lumia 625 - GSMArena.com

It is priced at the same point as the Lumia 620 and certainly doesn't justify a new generation. New generations of Windows Phones have always been released concurrently with major revisions of the OS. The next generation of devices will likely be Lumia x3x, x4x, or x5x. On this note, Nokia kind of screwed up in naming the Lumia 810 - the T-Mobile variant of the 820.

 

[Huime]

The variant code is confusing, makes the 521 sound better then the 520, but it's the same.

Whats so confused about? 52X is within the same gen. Is either a refresh or a different flavor of the same value.

Not to be rude, have you been outside of your home country? In many parts of the world, Nokia only pushes 1 model for each generation of each price point at a time. For example, in the US everyone knows 521 but only a few aware of the international 520. And in some countries the 620 is still fresh and 520 is "coming soon".

Same goes to 928 for Verizon. You cant even see any mention in PR outside of US.

920 been six month and 925 arrived as a refresh. Now 920 is doing big sale everywhere and the middle of the Nokia store is the new shinny 925. You cant even see a 1020 poster in them yet. The point is, those who follow the latest news are those that can differentiate the differences. Those that relied on mass media you can just manipulate them the way you want. That's how you run a campaign in real life.

 

[lippidp]

So, instead of saying there is a:

Lumia 920
Lumia 925
Lumia 928

...it is suggested they say there is a:

AT&T Lumia 9 (2nd Generation)
T-Mobile Lumia 9 (1st Generation, but same specs as the AT&T 2nd Generation)
Verizon Lumia 9 (1st Generation, but same specs as the AT&T 2nd Generation)

And that is easier?

Digit 1 (or two for 1020) is the price point they are shooting for.
Digit 2 is the generation equivalent.
Digit 3 is a key identifier, or unique model number identifier.

Nothing is to say one is better than the next. This is all VERY similar to graphics cards. A GTX 560 is actually better than a GTX 650 because of the markets they were intended for when they were released.

This is it. It is only confusing if you look at all devices. Market research, however, has shown that most US consumers choose their carrier first, then the device second. So, once you know your carrier you will see only 2-3 WP choices on that carrier.

 

[hary536]

Not all models are available in all markets. For example: 521 is not available outside US AFAIK. Similarly 821 is not available in US. 920,925 and 928 are for different carriers. So how can you get confused if you are shopping for a phone for your carrier.

The Lumia 1020,928,925,920,820,720,620,625,521,520... Even as an avid fan of WP this confuses me. And it will confuse the average customer even more. As an average customer, I would think that the higher the number, the better the phone. But look at the 925, it's a VARIANT of the 920, it's not better. Therefore, Nokia needs to condense the options that are available when buying one of their phones...

We could do something like this...


-- Lumia 10 (Previously the 1020)

-- Lumia 9 (Take 925,920 off market, then make variants of the 928 for Tmob, Verizon, and ATT. Call all of the variants the Lumia 9, as celluar bands are the only difference)

--Lumia 8 (Lumia 820/821). Once again one of those would be taken off the market

-- Lumia 7 (720)

-- Lumia 6 (Lumia 625, 620 off market)

-- Lumia 5 (520, Make the only difference between the 520 and 521 the celluar bands, then call them both the Lumia 5)

 

[montsa007]

The Lumia 1020,928,925,920,820,720,620,625,521,520... Even as an avid fan of WP this confuses me. And it will confuse the average customer even more. As an average customer, I would think that the higher the number, the better the phone. But look at the 925, it's a VARIANT of the 920, it's not better. Therefore, Nokia needs to condense the options that are available when buying one of their phones...

We could do something like this...


-- Lumia 10 (Previously the 1020)

-- Lumia 9 (Take 925,920 off market, then make variants of the 928 for Tmob, Verizon, and ATT. Call all of the variants the Lumia 9, as celluar bands are the only difference)

--Lumia 8 (Lumia 820/821). Once again one of those would be taken off the market

-- Lumia 7 (720)

-- Lumia 6 (Lumia 625, 620 off market)

-- Lumia 5 (520, Make the only difference between the 520 and 521 the celluar bands, then call them both the Lumia 5)

I am not sure if you have seen Samsung's Android portfolio :/, growing every weekend with some random model popping in, worst part is that each of them has the exact same design, the only difference is the size.
If what Nokia has is too much, what Samsung has is way too much!

 

[montsa007]

Not all models are available in all markets. For example: 521 is not available outside US AFAIK. Similarly 821 is not available in US. 920,925 and 928 are for different carriers. So how can you get confused if you are shopping for a phone for your carrier.

You are correct, am in India and we never saw the 521, 822, 821, 810.
Altough one can order one from Ebay India and enjoy the phone without any warranty.
They were specifically made for the local markets

 

[Chris_Kez]

Nokia absolutely needs to hit a range of price points to ensure they can reach every potential buyer. And as people have mentioned, most consumers will only see two or three series (and no variants) because they've limited themselves to a particular carrier. That said, Nokia needs to work with Microsoft to break carrier exclusives so they can get rid of the variants. I'm sorry but the carriers really couldn't be helping any less than they are now and there are two real drawbacks to supporting ten unique devices:

First, it forces the entire company from marketing and sales to manufacturing and engineering to divide up limited resources. You need to create a larger range of marketing materials, meaning you?re now putting time and effort into your seventh and eighth best ideas instead of focusing everything behind your top three or four. Even if the campaign, the buzz and the reviews are great, you never have a device that can reach every consumer. For example, Nokia might have hoped that they could string together a few base hits with the 920, 925 and 928 but there was never any realistic hope that they could the kind of home run that really creates momentum. Retooling the manufacturing line also means you reduce your opportunities to improve the process and maximize efficiency. Dividing up manufacturing resources also means lower yields and greater difficulties meeting orders to satisfy demand. Time spent tinkering on carrier-specific variants could be better spent solving a smaller set of core problems or developing innovations for the next line of products.

A second consequence of having ten different devices is that few of them will see any kind of accessory market develop around them. This is a critical component. Accessories are not merely conveniences for consumers, they are a high margin revenue source for manufacturers (see argument above about efficient production). Almost as important though is the 3rd party accessory market that provides validation of a device in the mind of consumers. When consumers are in a phone store or shopping in the mall and they see a large selection of accessories for a device they are getting a clear message: this device is popular and worth consideration. The size and health of a surrounding accessories market is a reflection of the health of that device. This is almost a direct corollary to the way that app availability signals health for a platform. Think about the message consumers receive every time they see those logos for the App Store and the Play Store- whether it is on a billboard, a subway sign, a website, an end cap, a promotional tri-fold or on the front door of a business. It provides a constant reminder of the platform. Same with accessories. If consumers see that they can get a range of accessories they are more likely to get a device. Restricting the number of devices to five or six would help concentrate sales so that each device could have a better selection.

I really hope that the 1020 (and whatever incremental updates they?ll roll out in the fall) will mark the end of carrier exclusivity. Whenever WP8.1 comes out I'd like to see global launch of a new flagship 930 along with a clear step-down 730. Then the following quarter they have another global launch for the 830 and the 630. Then shortly thereafter they wrap up with the 530 (and maybe the 1030 if they want to keep a niche camera-phone).

Keep the clear price point differentiation and kill the variants.

 

[Chris_Kez]

If what Nokia has is too much, what Samsung has is way too much!

It is too much, but their consumer base and revenue position give them a lot flexibility.

 

[psudotechzealot]

I don't know about that. They're nonexistent in the phablet market.

 

[Coolknight1968]

Apple has one phone on the maerket and they dominate the SMARTPHONE market. Plus, if you read the part about the new naming scheme, I'm keeping the Lumia lineup (From 10xx to 5xx) but getting rid of variants.

That is utterly untrue. Apple has 3 phones on the market, 4, 4S and 5. Only the iPhone5 is up to date and still a high end device. The high end market is 50% Samsung S4, 40% iPhone5 and 10% HTC One. Apple is no longer dominating anything. You see, only 52% of all iPhones were i5s during the last quarter. Note that as HTC One numbers are unsure, that 40% could be 35%.

 

[jfa1]

I don't know about that. They're nonexistent in the phablet market.

It appears that its quite possible that they already have a phablet in production and hopefully it will come out in the upcoming holiday season

 

[Awhispersecho]

Nokia is doing the right thing here. This is what WP needs to gain market and generate buzz. We need multiple phones at multiple price points from multiple makers. The 1st 2 of those is now covered by Nokia, but we still need a few more makers to release some models. Even if we could get just 2 phones on each carrier from Samsung, 2 phones from HTC and 2 phones from whoever else wants to jump on board. This is what Android did in the beginning, they overwhelmed the market. It is the only way WP will gain market share and press coverage. Those of us here know what we have with WP. But, imagine you are going to buy a new game console. You don't know too much about them so you go to the store to check each 1 out. 1 console has 100 games and 25 accessories, the other has 15 games and 5 accessories. I bet you, as someone who is not very informed about these things, will buy the 1 with more games available. It just makes it look like it's the better console. Same deal here. When the general consumer goes in and sees 50 androids and 2 WP's, the decision is made for them. (Apple is a different beast)

The real problem is the retailers, they just refuse to display and promote the phones. I can tell you that since WP8 came out, the Best Buy in my area has only ever displayed 1 model and that was the 8x and only for verizon. They have never displayed the 920 or any other model even to this day. Even AT&T, go into the stores around here and the WP's are in the back corner of the store. The only people who will ever see them are the ones looking for them or the people trying to get out of the way of everyone else. It's a huge problem and I don't understand why Microsoft can't or won't do anything about it. Not even sure if there is anything they can do about it but it needs to be addressed somehow. I am hoping that the new Microsoft areas opening in Best Buy will help a little. We will see.