WP lacks a solid mid-end contender

bilzkh

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I think there's a serious gap between the Lumia 5xx and Lumia 9xx/1020/1520. Not everyone seeking an affordable phone has a budget-restriction of $100, I can go up to $350 off-contract, yet there's nothing compelling (besides last year's Lumia 920) in that price-bracket.

I reckon that there are a lot of people willing to spend a reasonable amount (i.e. $300-400) provided that they get value, and as was the case with L520 providing immense value at the low-end, Windows Phone can win in value at the mid-end.

The platform lacks a solid mid-end competitor, i.e. a phone touching the $350-mark.

My suggestion here would be to take the Lumia 720 and load it with the Moto G's specs, i.e. quad-core Snapdragon S400 CPU, an HD screen and 1GB of RAM. In addition, equip it with LTE and an improved version of the Lumia 920's PureView sensor with the PureView branding.

Offer this phone (e.g. 'Lumia 730') in an array of different colours, translucent or dual-colour Qi-charging shells, multiple memory options (16GB or 32GB), etc. and range it out from $350 to $400 off-contract. Not only would this device open up Windows Phone to a potentially bigger customer base, i.e. those looking for a premium phone without having to pay $700+, but it'll also build appreciation towards Windows Phone's hardware features. People will become accustomed to having PureView, Clear Black, PureMotion HD+, etc. and may seek to invest in that through high-end WP devices later.

Finally, the marketing opportunities around such a device are promising. You can use the PureView camera, Qi shells, different phone colours, etc. as a means to sell the Lumia 730 as something that speaks to the user's tastes and needs, as opposed to the off-the-belt Galaxys and iPhones. "It's the camera designed for your night out. It's the Instagram/Vine made for capturing those moments the way you saw them. It's Friday and we're going out, I'm going to take the Lumia [which is sitting beside a Galaxy]" Microsoft can also corner iPhone in the market it's aiming to carve out using the iPhone 5C as well as keep up with the momentum set up by Motorola/Google.

Better yet, if designed around Windows Phone 8.1 Microsoft then has a chance to really reign it in on the market. A $350 phone that gives you a taste of premium and the latest features, i.e. Cortana, will be of interest to everyone, even those tied into the iOS/Android market. I can see my brothers (iOS users) buying a Lumia 730 for the sake of having a Lumia 730, because it's cool and offers something without an inaccessible barrier-to-entry.
 

Ashish Saraf1

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I think there's a serious gap between the Lumia 5xx and Lumia 9xx/1020/1520. Not everyone seeking an affordable phone has a budget-restriction of $100, I can go up to $350 off-contract, yet there's nothing compelling (besides last year's Lumia 920) in that price-bracket.

I reckon that there are a lot of people willing to spend a reasonable amount (i.e. $300-400) provided that they get value, and as was the case with L520 providing immense value at the low-end, Windows Phone can win in value at the mid-end.

The platform lacks a solid mid-end competitor, i.e. a phone touching the $350-mark.

My suggestion here would be to take the Lumia 720 and load it with the Moto G's specs, i.e. quad-core Snapdragon S400 CPU, an HD screen and 1GB of RAM. In addition, equip it with LTE and an improved version of the Lumia 920's PureView sensor with the PureView branding.

Offer this phone (e.g. 'Lumia 730') in an array of different colours, translucent or dual-colour Qi-charging shells, multiple memory options (16GB or 32GB), etc. and range it out from $350 to $400 off-contract. Not only would this device open up Windows Phone to a potentially bigger customer base, i.e. those looking for a premium phone without having to pay $700+, but it'll also build appreciation towards Windows Phone's hardware features. People will become accustomed to having PureView, Clear Black, PureMotion HD+, etc. and may seek to invest in that through high-end WP devices later.

Finally, the marketing opportunities around such a device are promising. You can use the PureView camera, Qi shells, different phone colours, etc. as a means to sell the Lumia 730 as something that speaks to the user's tastes and needs, as opposed to the off-the-belt Galaxys and iPhones. "It's the camera designed for your night out. It's the Instagram/Vine made for capturing those moments the way you saw them. It's Friday and we're going out, I'm going to take the Lumia [which is sitting beside a Galaxy]" Microsoft can also corner iPhone in the market it's aiming to carve out using the iPhone 5C as well as keep up with the momentum set up by Motorola/Google.

Better yet, if designed around Windows Phone 8.1 Microsoft then has a chance to really reign it in on the market. A $350 phone that gives you a taste of premium and the latest features, i.e. Cortana, will be of interest to everyone, even those tied into the iOS/Android market. I can see my brothers (iOS users) buying a Lumia 730 for the sake of having a Lumia 730, because it's cool and offers something without an inaccessible barrier-to-entry.

Exactly what i want !!

sent either from my Nokia Lumia 820 or HTC Desire HD
 

HeyCori

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My suggestion here would be to take the Lumia 720 and load it with the Moto G's specs, i.e. quad-core Snapdragon S400 CPU, an HD screen and 1GB of RAM. In addition, equip it with LTE

You essentially just described the Lumia 1320 which is supposed to cost around $339. Granted it's a massive 6 inch screen and not at all pocket friendly. Still, it's a reasonable price, IMO. The real question is why isn't this phone available in the US and other parts of the world already? Furthermore, why even bother with the 525 if it isn't readily available all over the world?

I'm not sure who's to blame but I doubt Nokia is against selling more phones. My first guess would be carriers that like to handpick which devices they'll support.
 

bilzkh

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You essentially just described the Lumia 1320 which is supposed to cost around $339. Granted it's a massive 6 inch screen and not at all pocket friendly. Still, it's a reasonable price, IMO. The real question is why isn't this phone available in the US and other parts of the world already? Furthermore, why even bother with the 525 if it isn't readily available all over the world?

I'm not sure who's to blame but I doubt Nokia is against selling more phones. My first guess would be carriers that like to handpick which devices they'll support.
Yep the 1320 is pretty close, but it lacks PureView, and I'm saying we need a mid-end device with lots of buzz and story. We're not hearing much about the 1320 from Nokia, especially in the area of accessories/options. If Microsoft/Nokia can come up with a device and build some momentum and excitement around it, the carriers may be disposed to pick it up. In a way, what I suggested above might benefit the carriers. The main competition is the Moto G coming in at $200 and Nexus 5, the 'Lumia 730' would be $350-400 for the same core specs, just a better camera and LTE. I think it'd provide a comfortable fit between the liberal nature of the Moto G/Nexus and the rigidness of the iPhone.
 

Chris_Kez

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Wouldn't this seriously undercut the market for the 8xx/9xx/1xxx series devices? Aside from the 1020's sensor, and the presence of 2GB of RAM, what could a $500-$700 Nokia "flagship" device offer as incentive to trade up? You have to remember they're not just competing with the Moto G, they need to have differentiation across their whole line.
 

Mafiatounes

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I think there will be a few revamps of current 720/8xx phones to empower the WP mid-end, Nokia/MS will announce them in the first quarter, i hope they will announce a 5" 1520 as well to have top end specs. If the rumors are correct and MS makes the WP license for free we will see more brands with WP devices like LG, HTC, Samsung, Huawei etc. That will be a big boost in choice.
 

bilzkh

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Wouldn't this seriously undercut the market for the 8xx/9xx/1xxx series devices? Aside from the 1020's sensor, and the presence of 2GB of RAM, what could a $500-$700 Nokia "flagship" device offer as incentive to trade up? You have to remember they're not just competing with the Moto G, they need to have differentiation across their whole line.
Possibly, but it isn't as if the 9xx/1xxx series of phones are taking the market by storm.

IMO there is a market out there of people looking for a very good product, but at a reasonable rate, i.e. under $400. As it stands today Windows Phone is not catering towards that market, hence it is losing out and is beginning to depend on the Lumia 5xx. A hypothetical Lumia 730 could be a way to lessen that dependence on 5xx and broaden Windows Phone's user base to include a higher price-bracket. We want to aim prospective iPhone and Galaxy users, hence undercut the competition more than our own products.

As for Lumia 8xx/9xx/1xxx. True, some potential users may settle for a 7xx phone, agreed. However, many others may also become acclimatized to the PureView technology and branding and understand its benefits from a practical and experiential perspective. Here are people with money ($350-400 is still a lot) who now "get" what Lumia cameras and experiences are all about, why not step it up the next time around by buying a Lumia 10xx device? We want to get PureView and Clear Back into the minds of more people.
 

worldspy99

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I agree, there needs to be something from Nokia that slots between the Moto G and the Nexus phones. An updated 8xx phone could do the trick.
 

mrpuny

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OMG yes! Even at the $200 price point, it's hard to stay with WP in the US. I have a Lumia 521 bought just after it was released, and while I love it, I am seriously lusting after a Moto G. It's definitely a step up from the Lumia 521 and it's getting official updates (at least it's gone from 4.3 to 4.4), and overall the package looks like such an improvement over the 521, especially since MS is supporting so many of their services on Android.
 

jomarr

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I disagree, I think the 9xx series is a solid mid range series.

Pretty sure the 9xx series is still flagship material. Not everyone likes big phones like the 1320 and the 1520.

It's like Samsung, they have two flagship series, the Galaxy S and the Galaxy Note.

The S4 and the Note 3 are their current flagship models as to Nokia's Lumia 925 & the rumored Verizon Exclusive 929 and Lumia 1520.

Lumia 520, 521, 620 & 625, Huawei W1, HTC 8S = Galaxy Y and the bunch of other Galaxy low end models
Lumia 820, 822, 810 = Galaxy S4 Mini, HTC One Mini
Lumia 1320 = Galaxy Grand, Mega etc etc
Lumia 1520 = Galaxy Note 3, HTC One Max
Lumia 920, 925, HTC 8X (although I consider this as a Midrange device now but it was a flagship so let's put it here), Ativ S, Ativ S Neo = HTC One, S4, The LG Flagship, iPhone 5s

I don't know where to put 720 as it is somewhere between the mid range and low end, definitely a spectacular phone lacking RAM.
Same as iPhone 5C, it's marketed by Apple as a "mid range" device but with that price, it's somewhere between mid range and flagship

The 1020 is definitely a niche device with no other counterparts.

Right now, the 820 is a solid mid range device sans the display.

I think the next generation Lumia devices have the minimum basic specs of:

Low-end = 1gb ram, 5 MP Camera, WVGA Display 4'' minimum, 16 gb storage (minimum)
Mid range = 2gb ram, 8 MP Camera, 720p Display 4.3'' minimum, 16 gb storage (minimum)
High end = 2gb ram (min., maybe 4 gb for "future proofing" ), 13 MP Camera (at the very least), 1080p display, 4.7'' minimum (32 gb storage, minimum)

Ann all should have SD card slots. A must. Also better batteries perhaps?

Just my thoughts
 

Sport Driver

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For highend is now 20MP camera.
Anyway, I also think Nokia has problem with their mid range phones. Nokia Lumia 820 is the oldest of all Nokia WP8 phones ( L920 not counted because it recived replacement/upgrade). It was great phone year ago, better than all Android Midrangers but now it is not realy comperable with Android midrangers. Still i do have current phone and not something old :D.
 

Chris_Kez

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Agree the mid-range needs some attention right now, and I love the idea of a really solid 720 update priced at $199 to compete with the Moto G. I really hope MS realizes this is a prime target for 2014, but I can totally see them continuing to fight last year's battle at the low end.

Of course I'd like to also see a strong $299-$349 option to replace the 820 as well, but I'm not sure anyone can realistically expect a device at this price to match the specs of a Google-subsidized Nexus 5/6.

As for Pureview, I really think they should continue to reserve that for only their top of the line devices. Otherwise you really risk devaluing it as a mark of distinction. Remember, folks were already wondering whether the low-light advances of the 920 were worthy of the Pureview moniker. Having seen the 1020 and the 1520, and as a 920 owner myself, I would have no problem if Nokia somehow retroactively removed the Pureview tag from the 92x series.

As for Clearblack, I'd be less concerned about moving that down into an 820 replacement (with a resolution of 720p). I'm still not convinced you need a 1080p screen on normal size non-flagship devices, except for some kind of spec-war pissing match.

Looking back at 2013, I think Nokia really nailed the low-end and the high-end. Let's hope MS firms up that soft middle in 2014.
 

bilzkh

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Agree the mid-range needs some attention right now, and I love the idea of a really solid 720 update priced at $199 to compete with the Moto G. I really hope MS realizes this is a prime target for 2014, but I can totally see them continuing to fight last year's battle at the low end.

Of course I'd like to also see a strong $299-$349 option to replace the 820 as well, but I'm not sure anyone can realistically expect a device at this price to match the specs of a Google-subsidized Nexus 5/6.

As for Pureview, I really think they should continue to reserve that for only their top of the line devices. Otherwise you really risk devaluing it as a mark of distinction. Remember, folks were already wondering whether the low-light advances of the 920 were worthy of the Pureview moniker. Having seen the 1020 and the 1520, and as a 920 owner myself, I would have no problem if Nokia somehow retroactively removed the Pureview tag from the 92x series.

As for Clearblack, I'd be less concerned about moving that down into an 820 replacement (with a resolution of 720p). I'm still not convinced you need a 1080p screen on normal size non-flagship devices, except for some kind of spec-war pissing match.

Looking back at 2013, I think Nokia really nailed the low-end and the high-end. Let's hope MS firms up that soft middle in 2014.
The way I see it, PureView should be there in competitive market-segments, i.e. mid-end all the way through to the high-end. The Lumia 720 already has the PureView branding, it should simply denote a fantastic camera (relative to competitors in the class). Luxury should be Zeiss branding, and perhaps other things such as Dolby or Bose audio, perhaps metallic chassis as opposed to polycarbonate, etc.

I envisioned the Lumia 730 as a device that has the same core specs as the $200 Moto G, but with the added benefit of PureView (7-8MP) and LTE, and thus a much higher price point of $300-350. While it's high, it's still reasonable for many people and offers an opening towards the prospective iPhone/Galaxy buyer.

As for the Lumia 8xx series, I'd give it specs similar to the Nexus 5, i.e. S600 or S800 CPU, 2GB RAM, 1080p screen, etc, but with 9-10MP PureView. Price this unit at $400-500 (depending on storage). This is still higher than the Nexus 5 but it offers a clearly superior camera, and thus, a more meaningful experience to the end-user at a marginally higher cost.

Regarding Lumia 9xx. This would be a high-end phone, i.e. S800 CPU, 2GB RAM, 1080p screen as well as a 20MP (or higher) sensor as well as new technology, e.g. a chip that makes hand-free Cortana use possible, maybe a fingerprint scanner, chassis built out of metal and/or glass, air gesture support, etc. This should be a $550-650 device.

The Lumia 10xx and 15xx on the other hand, these should be niche devices. The Lumia 10xx series can be the 40+ MP sensor unit, i.e. a phone designed for photography (as well as the new technology founded in the 9xx). The Lumia 15xx should be a true mobile tablet, i.e. have an active digitizer as well as a suite of exclusive applications suitable for the professional phone-tablet user. Both of these devices should be in the $650-700+ range.
 

techiez

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I think there's a serious gap between the Lumia 5xx and Lumia 9xx/1020/1520. Not everyone seeking an affordable phone has a budget-restriction of $100, I can go up to $350 off-contract, yet there's nothing compelling (besides last year's Lumia 920) in that price-bracket.

I reckon that there are a lot of people willing to spend a reasonable amount (i.e. $300-400) provided that they get value, and as was the case with L520 providing immense value at the low-end, Windows Phone can win in value at the mid-end.

The platform lacks a solid mid-end competitor, i.e. a phone touching the $350-mark.

My suggestion here would be to take the Lumia 720 and load it with the Moto G's specs, i.e. quad-core Snapdragon S400 CPU, an HD screen and 1GB of RAM. In addition, equip it with LTE and an improved version of the Lumia 920's PureView sensor with the PureView branding.

Offer this phone (e.g. 'Lumia 730') in an array of different colours, translucent or dual-colour Qi-charging shells, multiple memory options (16GB or 32GB), etc. and range it out from $350 to $400 off-contract. Not only would this device open up Windows Phone to a potentially bigger customer base, i.e. those looking for a premium phone without having to pay $700+, but it'll also build appreciation towards Windows Phone's hardware features. People will become accustomed to having PureView, Clear Black, PureMotion HD+, etc. and may seek to invest in that through high-end WP devices later.

Finally, the marketing opportunities around such a device are promising. You can use the PureView camera, Qi shells, different phone colours, etc. as a means to sell the Lumia 730 as something that speaks to the user's tastes and needs, as opposed to the off-the-belt Galaxys and iPhones. "It's the camera designed for your night out. It's the Instagram/Vine made for capturing those moments the way you saw them. It's Friday and we're going out, I'm going to take the Lumia [which is sitting beside a Galaxy]" Microsoft can also corner iPhone in the market it's aiming to carve out using the iPhone 5C as well as keep up with the momentum set up by Motorola/Google.

Better yet, if designed around Windows Phone 8.1 Microsoft then has a chance to really reign it in on the market. A $350 phone that gives you a taste of premium and the latest features, i.e. Cortana, will be of interest to everyone, even those tied into the iOS/Android market. I can see my brothers (iOS users) buying a Lumia 730 for the sake of having a Lumia 730, because it's cool and offers something without an inaccessible barrier-to-entry.

720 with 1GB ram is the answer, dont know when 725 will surface. Nokia is just concentrating on more n more niche devices, 1020, 1520, 1320(due to large screen), 525 was really late n we still are missing 725 & 825
 

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