What does the Sprint article comments say about Windows Phone?

[Judge_Daniel]

I'm sure you've noticed the recent Sprint article on the blog part of this site. Before I start, I want to make it clear that I'm not starting this so people can start arguing on whether the Arrive is a terrible device or not. Instead, I want us to think about the amounts of comments the article has received. As of the time I'm writing this, the article has 74 comments. That speaks volumes!

There are a few things I could extrapolate from this. However, I'm really tired right now (and probably shouldn't be writing this right now to begin with), so I'll just put my first point tonight. I'll add more tomorrow.

First of all, there are plenty of people that are passionate about the success of Windows Phone. Of course, there aren't 74 commenters, but there are probably still more than 50 users that felt this issue is a big enough deal to voice their opinion on it. Sure, this article is on a Windows Phone site, but this article is about the third largest major carrier (with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon and AT&T's combined 208.4 miilion) in the United States--which is just one of the many countries where Windows Phones are sold!

Secondly, people think Sprint is being unfair. We all have to admit that the Arrive didn't sell well. According to ...I'm a WP7!, there are 1,877 people using the app from a Sprint (which means Arrive) phone. However, people still feel like the phone and its platform have been wronged. Of course, we have all seen the reasons (see the post directly below this one ), though, so I won't share them agian.

Third, people still want a new phone on the Sprint network, and they want it before August/September. I thought one of the strangest things was that Sprint's VP didn't say that they were going to cut off WP, but not try again until later this year, and yet people responded as if he had just cast the death penalty on the phone. As a frustrated Trophy user, I can relate to the pains of having a sub-par Windows Phone, though, and having a replacement would be nice.

What do you all think of this? Anything I missed?

Update: the article now has over 100 comments.

 

[HeyCori]

Sprint accomplished an amazing feat. They did even less promoting for Windows Phone than Verizon did. They even did Verizon one better by telling customers to trade-in their Arrive for an iPhone 4S. I've walked into several of their stores since WP launched and I don't remember ever seeing a working display in any of them. Sprint purposely hindered the success of their own phone. Their words mean nothing.

 

[jimski]

Btw, could be wrong, but I though T-Mobile, the Telco who just introduced the Nokia 710, is the smallest US Carrier. As long as Sprint chooses to stay "behind the curve" though, the cellar can't be far behind.

Sent from my HTC Surround using Board Express

 

[jrdatrackstar1223]

All I know is that I'm happy to be away from them ever since they put all their eggs in one basket for the iPhone. I loved my Arrive, but when my 3G was crap on both my Nexus S AND Arrive, I raised heck and let them know it until they let me out of my contract ETF free. T-Mobile's coverage isn't as good as Sprint, but their 2.5G is as fast as Sprint's 3G lots of times. On top of that, most of the time when my Arrive or Nexus would show 3G for me, the 3G just didn't even work (i.e. Walmart, Meijer, Walgreens, etc...). I knew it wasn't the phones because I had been through 3 Nexus devices and 2 Arrives.

I hate caps, but I've yet to even come close to my 2GB (which I can upgrade to 5GB for only $10 bucks more, making it actually cheaper than Sprint at like 73-75 bucks a month OUT OF CONTRACT). It is a bit of an adjustment to not just listen to Pandora as much (especially when driving) but if I do feel like I'm not able to maintain 2GB then I'll just bump it to 5GB. Plus, I can just unlock my phone to use an AT&T SIM in areas where I lose coverage (which is really rare, shockingly being GSM).

Point is, I've left Sprint because:

1. I knew they weren't going to get anymore Windows Phones due to the iPhone and Android (and really, how cocky they have started to become ever since they've been on the Android bandwagon and NOW the iPhone, despite the fact that they're still loosing a lot of money). T-Mobile AT LEAST took a chance with the Radar (despite rumors are that they're going to be sold by DT). I've even CONSIDERED AT&T now (would still have to take miracle device for me sign with them, and until NFC technology is in Windows Phone I'm not signing a contract with anyone because everyone released now are just recycled Android phones that aren't special IMHO).

2. T-Mobile's service (not coverage) is way better than Sprint's, and I actually get to USE my internet instead of watching a bar load for 3 minutes before giving up. To go with that, my plans are pretty much similar while being cheaper; I get unlimited talk, text, and nearly unlimited web (if I really pass 5GB then I need to change something in my life).

My point is, I think if enough people took a stand and LEFT Sprint that it would send them a message. How MANY people like Windows Phone outside of us techy bloggers is what the question is, and would there be enough people leaving Sprint because of lack of Windows Phones to even make them pay attention that AREN'T reading blogs.

 

[aubreyq]

...How MANY people like Windows Phone outside of us techy bloggers is what the question is, and would there be enough people leaving Sprint because of lack of Windows Phones to even make them pay attention that AREN'T reading blogs.

Honestly although us techies can be vocal, we still are a minority so Sprint will most likely shrug off our complaints. I would at least hope Microsoft voice their displeasure towards Mr. Owens' statement, but that's about as far as this incident will go. That said, when Windows Phone starts picking up steam thanks to Nokia's marketing push (yes, I'm optimistic about this), one would think people will come into a Sprint store asking if they sell Lumias. It will be at that point that Sprint will have to reconsider their cocky take on Windows Phone.

 

[Judge_Daniel]

There, I updated the article to reflect jimski's correction and I completed it, as well. Enjoy!

 

[Rico]

As has been said before, vote with your feet. Leave Sprint and tell them their lack of Windows Phone choices is part or the entirety of your reason. E-petitions generally do nothing but make the people that sign them feel a little better about themselves.

But to be fair, I really didn't find much wrong with the core of Sprint's reasoning as to why they won't have more Windows Phones soon. We can point at the lack of marketing or hero devices or whatever, but Windows Phones haven't been selling well. At this point, Sprint can easily sell even some of the more basic Android phones over a Windows Phone. And after webOS, I really don't think Sprint wants to put their weight behind a newcomer. After people warm up to the idea of owning a Windows Phone, I'm sure their tune will change.

 

[Reflexx]

I remember Sprint talking a lot of major crap about the iPhone for a while. Then they go and spend an insane amount of money on it. LoL

 

[kylej1050]

As much as I love my Arrive, I think I'll end up at AT&T for a Nokia 900. Sorry Sprint, it was a good 9 years.

 

[blehblehbleh]

But to be fair, I really didn't find much wrong with the core of Sprint's reasoning as to why they won't have more Windows Phones soon. We can point at the lack of marketing or hero devices or whatever, but Windows Phones haven't been selling well. At this point, Sprint can easily sell even some of the more basic Android phones over a Windows Phone. And after webOS, I really don't think Sprint wants to put their weight behind a newcomer. After people warm up to the idea of owning a Windows Phone, I'm sure their tune will change.

I agree with these sentiments. It's a total conservative move and absolutely understandable given their slow rise back up. For me the real question is whether this conservative move will pan out for them as much as they hope it will. Even conservative moves can be bad ones.

 

[Mike-Mike]

I don't care if it sold well, or if sprint hates it, I love my Arrive, best phone I've ever had