Quasi-rant about AT&T exclusive

[Koltrane]

I beg forgiveness on the front end should I offend anyone.

First off, I am not a current WP user. I have had iOS and Android devices and currently carry a Galaxy S running a less than stellar port of 2.3 I affectionately call Gingerbastard. I am on contract with a smaller regional carrier (the main cause of the terrible Android build) with whom I am reasonably pleased. They are CDMA and have good nationwide coverage. I'm up for renewal in November.

My interest in WP has been growing for many reasons, and the power of WP8 really intrigued me. When Nokia announced the 920, however, I was sold.

I've never been one to get all giddy over a device. You won't find me waiting in line with the urban slacker class to buy an Apple phone, nor will I drive 3 hours to get a Nexus because I can't wait for shipment. To me, a phone's a phone. I like new features and use mine for many things, but I'm not a ****** or a bigot toward or against any major platform/model.

Nokia changed that. After the announcement, I scoured the web for any scrap of information about the device. Who would have it, how much would it cost, when would it be available, etc. I waded through the morass of iPhone 5 announcement sludge to find any nugget of Lumia 920 news.

I watched a video, captivated as a guy manipulated the 920 screen with boxing gloves (something I'll never do). I got excited about Nokia Music and Nokia Maps and City Lens. I was jazzed about the bright colors, planning on red. I pored over accessory offerings such as the color coordinated Monster headphones and the wireless charge deck. I planned ways to use the PureView camera and the NFC. I had quickly come to be obsessed.

When HTC announced the 8X, I looked it over. Nice, I thought. Slim design, Beats audio, cool features, but it's not the 920. If it were my only option I'd take it and be happy, but I'd still be disappointed that I wasn't carrying a Lumia.

As far as my local carrier (C Spire, if anyone is interested), I called and asked them about their Windows Mobile 8 plans. "I don't have any information sir, but we have the iPhone 5!" C Spire is enamored with the latest Apple iPhone and the Samsung G3, both of which they are pushing assiduously. Their only WP offering is the HTC 7 Pro, a phone they bury deep on their website. Despite my satisfaction with their coverage and service, I was ready to change my carrier just to get the phone I wanted.

So I have continued to investigate Verizon and AT&T and Sprint to determine which carrier would be best for my needs. AT&T's 4G rollout is anemic at best. Even C Spire is ahead of them. I had decided that Verizon was the carrier that would work best for me.

Throughout all this I have been frustrated beyond description at the dearth of solid information from Nokia and Microsoft about specifics. I'm not due to change until November, so I made peace with waiting until then as all signs were that everything would be ready by that time, but I was still upset. I wanted to make my plans and get prepared.

Then the word comes that Nokia is suiciding with AT&T. AT&T doesn't even list my town on their 4G Coming Soon list. My friends with AT&T hate them. When I had them prior to going with C Spire, I had trouble getting a solid signal in my house. AT&T was my dead last choice as a carrier.

Now here I am, faced with either changing to a carrier I do not like or going without a phone I have had my heart set on. Nokia has decided that limiting its customers options is the way to go...that putting it's flagship handset out of reach of 50% of the US market is bingo.

Maybe it's a short exclusive. Maybe VZW or someone else will have a model by November. Maybe this maybe that. There's a lot I don't know, so it's extremely frustrating when the only thing I DO know is that the one phone that has excited me like no other is hanging me with a poor carrier.

I don't know how much the geniuses at NOK make, but unless they surprise the devil out of us all and sell a million 820/920s, they should be fired. Damn them for getting me excited about a product they never intended to widely offer.

I still want this phone. Badly. And I may move to AT&T to get it, even though I won't have 4G, but I'm bitterly disappointed. Nokia, make your phones widely available. Please.

Here endeth the rant.

 

[PappesHartley]

You do know that there are more areas that don't have LTE than ones that do right? I don't have LTE where I live but that's not going stop me from getting this phone. I do however have hspa+ so it's still good.

 

[1jaxstate1]

Seriously though. We all are gadget freaks, but getting a cell phone shouldn't require such deep thought. Look at the specs and OS, and if you like it, get it. If it's not available for ur carrier get the next best thing. Again, I'm picky about which cell phone i use, but still, there got to be a stopping point.

I'm just saying.

 

[jmshub]

This is all the excitement building in all of us, hearing about wp8 since June, knowing the details of the Nokia phones since September. We have all been tracking this thing for too long and it feels like the finish line is within site.

But all the cards still are not on the table. MSFT is still leaving some secrets for their official release at the end of October. At&t threw around the word exclusive with the 920, but still didn't tell us the whole story.

As Andy Dufrane says in shawshank redemptions, "if you've come this far, perhaps you'd be willing to go a little further". The official date when all will be revealed is 23 days away.

Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express

 

[Reflexx]

In the US, product availability announcements are normally up to the carriers. Well, anything that has any sort hype.

We can all hope that we hear something from Verizon about getting the phone a month or two after AT&T.

However, if not, you can always pick up whatever is the best option at your carrier.

A 2-yr contract is long in tech terms, but it's not an eternity. At the end of it there will be some devices available that make the 920 look average.

 

[lancguy]

I beg forgiveness on the front end should I offend anyone.

First off, I am not a current WP user. I have had iOS and Android devices and currently carry a Galaxy S running a less than stellar port of 2.3 I affectionately call Gingerbastard. I am on contract with a smaller regional carrier (the main cause of the terrible Android build) with whom I am reasonably pleased. They are CDMA and have good nationwide coverage. I'm up for renewal in November.

My interest in WP has been growing for many reasons, and the power of WP8 really intrigued me. When Nokia announced the 920, however, I was sold.

I've never been one to get all giddy over a device. You won't find me waiting in line with the urban slacker class to buy an Apple phone, nor will I drive 3 hours to get a Nexus because I can't wait for shipment. To me, a phone's a phone. I like new features and use mine for many things, but I'm not a ****** or a bigot toward or against any major platform/model.

Nokia changed that. After the announcement, I scoured the web for any scrap of information about the device. Who would have it, how much would it cost, when would it be available, etc. I waded through the morass of iPhone 5 announcement sludge to find any nugget of Lumia 920 news.

I watched a video, captivated as a guy manipulated the 920 screen with boxing gloves (something I'll never do). I got excited about Nokia Music and Nokia Maps and City Lens. I was jazzed about the bright colors, planning on red. I pored over accessory offerings such as the color coordinated Monster headphones and the wireless charge deck. I planned ways to use the PureView camera and the NFC. I had quickly come to be obsessed.

When HTC announced the 8X, I looked it over. Nice, I thought. Slim design, Beats audio, cool features, but it's not the 920. If it were my only option I'd take it and be happy, but I'd still be disappointed that I wasn't carrying a Lumia.

As far as my local carrier (C Spire, if anyone is interested), I called and asked them about their Windows Mobile 8 plans. "I don't have any information sir, but we have the iPhone 5!" C Spire is enamored with the latest Apple iPhone and the Samsung G3, both of which they are pushing assiduously. Their only WP offering is the HTC 7 Pro, a phone they bury deep on their website. Despite my satisfaction with their coverage and service, I was ready to change my carrier just to get the phone I wanted.

So I have continued to investigate Verizon and AT&T and Sprint to determine which carrier would be best for my needs. AT&T's 4G rollout is anemic at best. Even C Spire is ahead of them. I had decided that Verizon was the carrier that would work best for me.

Throughout all this I have been frustrated beyond description at the dearth of solid information from Nokia and Microsoft about specifics. I'm not due to change until November, so I made peace with waiting until then as all signs were that everything would be ready by that time, but I was still upset. I wanted to make my plans and get prepared.

Then the word comes that Nokia is suiciding with AT&T. AT&T doesn't even list my town on their 4G Coming Soon list. My friends with AT&T hate them. When I had them prior to going with C Spire, I had trouble getting a solid signal in my house. AT&T was my dead last choice as a carrier.

Now here I am, faced with either changing to a carrier I do not like or going without a phone I have had my heart set on. Nokia has decided that limiting its customers options is the way to go...that putting it's flagship handset out of reach of 50% of the US market is bingo.

Maybe it's a short exclusive. Maybe VZW or someone else will have a model by November. Maybe this maybe that. There's a lot I don't know, so it's extremely frustrating when the only thing I DO know is that the one phone that has excited me like no other is hanging me with a poor carrier.

I don't know how much the geniuses at NOK make, but unless they surprise the devil out of us all and sell a million 820/920s, they should be fired. Damn them for getting me excited about a product they never intended to widely offer.

I still want this phone. Badly. And I may move to AT&T to get it, even though I won't have 4G, but I'm bitterly disappointed. Nokia, make your phones widely available. Please.

Here endeth the rant.

I am very much onboard with OP, I passed on WP7 and 7.5 because the release timiming was nowhere near my upgrade date. But now I'm dedicated to getting a WP8. I'm sold on the L920, the features are exactly what I want in a phone. I don't care for the smaller screen on the 820 and I really want the wireless charging without having to buy another back plate. I knew I'd have to change carriers, but I simply refuse to go with AT&T. Had a very bad experience with them in the past and simply won't go down that road again. I have a great deal with verizon because of my employer but it ends in December. So, while I can wait 30 days, I can't wait 45 or 90 days. I was crushed when I saw the exclusive deal with AT&T.

I'd settle for the 8X, but it's not where my heart is, and I'll know it doesn't have all the features that matter to me, and it's only 16gb. I'm also not thrilled with my current G2 from HTC. It's a great phone, but it keeps resetting on it's own. I'm not interested in the 820 at all. I don't care for the smaller screen, the add on fire the wireless charging, and less memory (even though it suports a card). The Samsung looks interesting, I like the large screen and batter, but I'm no fan of Samsung phones and it doesn't have wireless charging. No matter what I get, I'd feel like I was settling for second best when that shouldn't be the case. IMO Nokia is just doing bad business.

 

[corn13read]

Nokia just ruined their chances being an american phone producer at any level.

/thread

 

[Laura Knotek]

Nokia just ruined their chances being an american phone producer at any level.



/thread

Nokia is a Finnish company.

 

[corn13read]

Nokia is a Finnish company.

And they're trying to increase their stock valuation. Therefore having a strong US launch of their flagship phone would have been a good thing, right?

 

[Laura Knotek]

And they're trying to increase their stock valuation. Therefore having a strong US launch of their flagship phone would have been a good thing, right?

Yes, but that does not make Nokia "an american phone producer". It has never been an American company, nor has it ever manufactured phones in the US.

 

[Villain]

I was excited when nokia went with wp7, got excited for the lumia 900, got excited for the lumia 920 BUT all those excitements were a bust... even bought a lumia 900 online BUT wasn't unlockable and contacted Nokia and the reply was "oh sorry to hear that. what you should do is go to a local AT&T store and sign up"... I'm canadian lol


all that being said... Im still excited for WP8 and excited to get my hands on the 8X.

 

[pjs37]

I have to say I understand the frustrations of wanting a device and not having it available on your carrier. That being said, I have to say this anger at Nokia seems unwarranted to a degree. While they had to make the decision to go with AT&T exclusivity one has to look at the whole picture:

So ideas on why it happened-

1) AT&T was the one who carried and advertised the Lumia 900 and probably with the knowledge it was soon to be made obsolete. I wouldn't be shocked if at the time part of the agreement was for AT&T to get exclusive rights to its successor as part of the price since they were making a large marketing investment in Windows Phone while Verizon was decidedly not.

2) AT&T has historically been very aggressive with device exclusivity, they made a killing on the iPhone exclusive agreement and certainly wants another scenario like that.

3) For all we know Verizon may not have been willing to carry the Lumia 920 without exclusive rights to it, in terms that may have been even worse than AT&T's during negotiation.

4) Verizon may not even really wanted a Nokia phone and was unwilling to do more than simply carry the device which was far less than Nokia wanted for their flagship phone.

5) Maybe Nokia couldn't justify the creation of a CDMA version of the 620 just for the Verizon US market place.

There can be any number of scenarios I can think of outside of "The Nokia/MS executives are dumb and really should bring this to all carriers" a lot more goes into these decisions than that, though I am, admittingly, surprised that T-Mobile isn't getting the 820 given their earlier support of the platform and Nokia in general.