- Jan 19, 2012
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While this is ridiculous, with it being rumored to be GSM, we will be able to just pick one up at a Microsoft Store and go, correct?
I truly believe and sincerely hope that Microsoft is going to double down on Factory Unlocked phones and 3rd party distribution.
For the health of the platform.
Carriers don't care about the platform and seem to actively block its success and availability.
You probably have several of those payment plans already. They are the little plastic cards in your wallet with raised numbers imprinted on them.This is probably true, the only problem is that most people buy their phones from the carrier. I have never met anyone who has gone out of their way to buy an unlocked phone. Especially with the phone subsidies from carriers. I would love to have the 950XL, but unless MSFT has some sort of payment plan similar to Next, I will probably be stuck with the 950.
I have never met anyone who has gone out of their way to buy an unlocked phone.
You probably have several of those payment plans already. They are the little plastic cards in your wallet with raised numbers imprinted on them.
Hi. My name is RumoredNow, nice to meet you. I, and many others on all the phone forums, do exactly that on a regular basis.
Just because you don't look at it does not mean it does not exist. Outside of the US it quite normal to buy your phone independent of your service. In recent years it is a growing market right here in the US.
Either way, if this Windows Phone thing is going to fly, they have to offer in store and with the carriers. They can't make it a chore to get these things. The great majority aren't going to do homework and run all over to get these things. The only ones who will are the die hard fans and that is not the majority you are trying to sell to. They have to be offered with the carrier, with Microsoft, and all the options have to be available. And it wont matter if it is being sold with the carrier if their hq allows their employees to sit and tell everyone that comes in, that Windows Phone sucks.
And it wont matter if it is being sold with the carrier if their hq allows their employees to sit and tell everyone that comes in, that Windows Phone sucks.
Hi. My name is RumoredNow, nice to meet you. I, and many others on all the phone forums, do exactly that on a regular basis.
Just because you don't look at it does not mean it does not exist. Outside of the US it quite normal to buy your phone independent of your service. In recent years it is a growing market right here in the US.
I was just stating that it still doesn't make up for it not being offered, subsidized, through a carrier.
No it doesn't. But staying exclusively with the old model is not working either.
If A&T gets the 950 as an exclusive in the US, then that is just as bad for others who are NOT on AT&T as AT&T walking away from the phone.
I'm not saying the carries can't have the phones. I'm saying Microsoft can't afford to continue allowing the carriers to control availability. Whether or not someone goes off carrier to get a phone doesn't hurt a carrier loyalist. However, carrier loyalists fighting to have their carrier be "the one" hurts the wider field of consumers and has crippled Microsoft's mobile efforts in the US.
As for the norm outside of the US... Is it not possible that there is a better way and AT&T doesn't have the only path to obtaining a phone?
I don't want to limit your phone choice. I simply want to be more enabled to pursue my choice.
AT&T's monthly service is expensive because there is a subsidy built in to the regular service price. If you pay full price for a phone on your own, you're pretty much paying the rate of a subsidy without getting subsidized.
Then add the $15 BYOD fee...
The way I understand it, the XL will work on AT&T. So you'll just need to acquire it through a 3rd party or possibly the MS Store.
I'm sorry for off-topic, but wow you guys in the US sure are getting shafted with those prices! Here in Sweden where I live you can get a plan from one of the big carriers with 20gb for the equivalent of $35. Pretty much all plans with all carriers are unlimited calls/text, you only choose how much data you want. These prices are without a phone, you can add a phone with a added monthly cost with pretty much all carriers, but it's often just cheaper to buy a phone from somewhere else than straight from the carrier. All big electronics stores and on-line retailers compete for business so they almost always have financing plans with 0% interest for 6-12 months, if you don't wanna pay upfront for a phone.AT&T used to work this way, but it doesn't anymore. At least not on the no-contract plans. It isn't cheap by any means, but it is cheaper if you bring your own phone. I currently pay $150 for two lines with 15GB shared data. Once my 1520 is paid off next week, my bill will drop to $120 a month.
EDIT: This price isn't what a new customer would get. I get a $15/month employer discount and AT&T upgraded me from 10gb to 15gb for free last month. So I'm only paying the 10gb price, but getting 15gb. I'm not sure why, but I'm not questioning it until they try to start charging me for it.![]()