vlad tepes2
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- Oct 5, 2015
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I heard a similar story about WP8 back in late 2013
I will buy either 950 or 950XL to replace Galaxy S5, if priced below $1,000.
I will most likely buy the 950XL at any price point.
That being said it may also be my last Windows phone if MS doesn't bring a better level of support to it and its app environment. Also the carrier issue may change that. If it's not on Verizon I'm not sure I would jump carriers to get it. I agree that a price point about $100 less than other flagship would help.
Because they don't look and act like flagship devices but more as "beta" devices for the upcoming wave of windows announcements and updates. (Rolling thunder????)
Selling at zero profit or less means MS would remove any and all profit potential from the WP hardware market. This would make MS the scourge of the industry and draw the ire of companies who rely on smartphone profits to survive. By killing the profit potential in the WP market, MS would also turn away any OEMs currently thinking of releasing a WP device. I personally don't find engagement by other OEMs important, but many others here do.
If MS wants other OEMs to engage, they must take the exact opposite approach, by asking well above average prices.
I actually question whether MS is earning any money on these at all, even at $700. There is no set price at which a phone is guaranteed to make a profit, as it must first recoup the hundreds of millions MS invests in software and hardware engineering. That means the only way to make a profit is by selling high-end devices, with high margins, in large numbers... something high-end Lumias don't typically do.
Assuming these won't sell in large numbers, it's safe to say these devices are already losing MS money at almost any price. IMHO the question is not whether MS should be prepared to lose money, but how much?
I do think they must come in below the price of an iPhone, but expecting MS to go much lower isn't fair either.
Either way, chasing market share is not W10M's goal. Even if it was, it would be far more reasonable to do that with low end devices.
For me, i can already say that if the 950 XL isn't cheap (cheaper than 400 unlocked). The lumia 735 i have now will be my last windows phone. I will probably wait out for a Nokia Android. (I've simply given up a bit over all these years of being a betatester).
Tell that to Apple, because that's how Apple sell Macs to iPhone users and why Mac sales are growing. Microsoft is just betting the other way - hoping Windows 10 desktop users would buy a W10M to accompany it. This strategy makes sense, and for once MS actually has a good footing to start with due to W10 desktop being well received, unlike W8 which had a terrible reputation which dragged down everything along with it. So yes you CAN indeed sell it to people the idea of a fully "in" ecosystem. The issue is going to be Microsoft's marketing effort, which we can all agree on is terrible, but MS does have a unique product experience in hand that cannot be full realised with a mixed environment. Yes you do get some of it, but it's not best.
It's okay that you mention it, but it's not okay to spin it as MS not caring about W10M.
So, we all know that Microsoft is coming out with new Lumia phones soon, the 950 and 950XL. Considering everything we know about these, from a hardware perspective they are great, but not really anything above what competitors have, or will have in a couple months.
So that leaves the OS. While those of us here who know Windows Phone, have (mostly) come to love it, we are a very small percentage. And, here we are for the third time with a major re-build of the phone platform from MSFT in 5 years (WinMo 6->Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8-> Windows Mobile 10).
Trying to get someone to move from their beloved iPhone, or the Android they've learned to live with to Windows 10 is going to be a hard sell. I mean MSTF has struggled with this, as evidenced by their ~3% market share.
And now that the USA is largely moving away from subsidized phones (hooray), people have to think about the cost of their phones when they upgrade. It isn't just an automatic anymore.
So, I think Microsoft should sell these new phones at either 0 profit, or even at a loss. If the phones could be $100 or more cheaper than the competitors, people might seriously consider them the next time upgrade. But seriously, if joe average is at the store, deciding on an upgrade, and he can get a new Android phone a new iPhone or a new Lumia all for roughly the same price, Microsoft will lose 98% of the time.
If on the other hand, the Lumia was $100 or more cheaper, that percentage is surely to go up. If Microsoft could do this for a couple years, and actually get a foothold in market share, and then start to really show off the integration of windows 10 on your PC with windows 10 on your phone, THEN they can afford to start making a profit.
We know Apple can't afford to discount their phones, it is their bread and butter. Samsung couldn't face their share holders with that message. Google probably could get away with it with the Nexus line, but they don't need to, they are winning. Microsoft could easily sell this idea to the share holders, IMHO.
Mr. Nadella, are you listening ????
Sincerely,
A Long-term Loyal Microsoft customer!
Then your 735i should be you last. You're smoking crack thinking the phone should be that cheap. Comparing the 950XL to iPhone 6s Pl($849.00 for 64G model) and galaxy S6+ edge9 ($749.00) . You're saying they should price it at basically half of current phones. I think if it comes in around 600-650 it'll be a steal.