Walked into my VZW store and they had a prominent WP8 display that included a Microsoft Surface. Had a lot of people looking at the phones and had two 822s and one 8X that were live and functional for people to play with. The staff also were aware of the features and talked to customers about things like Kids' Corner, the security of the phone, the Nokia exclusive apps, the amps in the 8X, etc. Could just be that your store isn't displaying like its supposed to or they had a problem getting the displays in. The first AT&T store I went to only had the shells of the 820 and 920 to look at and the reps inside had no knowledge of them. I had to go to a bigger store to find one that had a display with live phones. Even then that rep still had no clue. The Verizon people I talked to all knew a lot about WP8.
Samsung ATIV Odyssey for Verizon
- Thread starter PuckCowboy
- Start date
To be fair, it turns out the store that I went to was not actually a retail verizon store, but an affiliate:
Wireless Zone
I was thrown off by the fact that the storefront / signage is strictly Verizon Wireless...and those are the only devices they carry. That would at least explain why they didn't have any devices on hand but are expecting them in by the 27th. Still, this is a "Premium Retailer" according to Verizon so I would expect they would at least had devices on hand at launch.
Anyway...I will go to an actual verizon store today and see how I fare...
Wireless Zone
I was thrown off by the fact that the storefront / signage is strictly Verizon Wireless...and those are the only devices they carry. That would at least explain why they didn't have any devices on hand but are expecting them in by the 27th. Still, this is a "Premium Retailer" according to Verizon so I would expect they would at least had devices on hand at launch.
Anyway...I will go to an actual verizon store today and see how I fare...
jaethos
New member
Yeah, I picked up an 8X yesterday in store, they had a display with a surface, two working 822s, a working 8X and a dummy unit, a Nokia charging plate and the JBL powerup speaker. They were in a nice display with signage and loaded demo OSes and you could try out the NFC an bt and such. All of the employees were wearing WP8 shirts too.
They didn't actually have the charging plates in stock though, so bummer there.
They didn't actually have the charging plates in stock though, so bummer there.
I forgot about the shirts. Yeah, they were wearing the shirts and my store also had the JBL speaker and the charging plate. They were able to demonstrate the NFC function with the 822 to another customer. Should have seen their eyes open wide.
The AT&T guy at the store I went to had little knowledge about the WP8 devices. There was no special display, they were just in a row with all the other phones. No accessories on display. And the salesman outright lied to me when I said I was a Verizon customer concerning Verizon's data packages and Verizon's coverage (told me Verizon would force me to go with Share Everything if I upgraded, even though I am on a tiered package right now, not unlimited (not true, I can adjust my data packages on my old plan without unlimited calling, only the unlimited data would force a move) and said that AT&T had more LTE coverage than Verizon, then backtracked and said "4G" then backtracked again when I told him HSPA+ is not really 4G like LTE is, and then said Verizon wasn't going to have their whole network converted to LTE anytime soon, even though they had just announced that June was when their network would be fully LTE enable). I went to two AT&T stores and neither really has anything special set up for the Nokias.
Verizon seemed to be much more interested in Windows Phone just by their knowledge and the employees' willingness to show the devices. I hung out for about a half hour before talking to someone so I could play with the phones - and almost every customer that came in looking for a phone and asking for suggestions was shown the WP8s unless they already knew what they were looking for. And I think about three people ended up leaving with them - all 822s.
They seemed quite ready for the WP launch at my store. I think Verizon could steal AT&T's title as the premier WP carrier.
Verizon to offer free Windows Phone 8 smartphone before the end of the year | The Verge
I still do not understand why anyone thinks that Samsung will have two WP8 devices in December with Verizon. All the rumors / leaks and tidbits of official info that I read seem to indicate ONE new device in December. And I'm betting it is the "freebie". Likely what Mr Macphisto refers to as code name Marco. Maybe it will officially be named Odyssey....maybe something else. This will cover 3 different price points for verizon using three different manufacturers.
Unfortunately....none of them is actually what I would consider a true high end device. The only WP8 devices that I would qualify as high end would be a lumia 920 (or variant) or a Samsung ATIV S (or variant). Verizon needs one of those phones in their lineup. I doubt we'll see any such device until well into next year...but I would love to be proved wrong.
The court documents that came out during the Apple trial indicated two WP8 devices at the end of the year. The Odyssey with a 4.65" HD AMOLED display and the Marco with a 4" SD AMOLED.
The ATIV S does not fit the description as it is a 4.8" Super AMOLED.
But the documents released to the court indicate these items. The Odyssey is a high end device. The Marco is entry level.
And how long ago were those court documents actually put together? As we know...things change. All I know is, at the official WP8 launch event only one Samsung device was named...so that's all I'm expecting to see. I'm still holding out a little hope that it will be a premium device, but I am not confident. At this point all we can do is wait.
At least my wife was happy enough with the 822 and she will be getting that...at least once either Wallmart or Best Buy gets them in stock in white so we can pick it up for free.
We almost picked one up at the Verizon store for $100 just so she didn't have to wait....but when they told me there was an additional $30 "upgrade charge" I walked out on principle.
Is this a Verizon only thing, or are all carriers charging an "upgrade fee" and when did this practice start happening?
Verizon was one of the last carriers to add on an upgrade free and they are the second lowest, IIRC. Sprint and AT&T have a $36 upgrade fee. T-Mobile is the lowest at $18.
Why would Microsoft highlight a low end phone? Why would Verizon even have them announce the low end phone? They just tend to release those, not make sure the partner says something about it to drive up expectations only to disappoint people. Verizon's people are not stupid. The free phone is unannounced. They will make a bigger deal of the Odyssey's launch, but you'll look at their site and see that a second, free phone also went live. That's how they roll.
kyderr
New member
Upgrade fee. A "Permission to do business fee" they should just charge you for permission to go into the store and bask in the glory!
My cellular costs are approaching my mortgage, it's cheaper to buy a car, and they keep adding fees. But it's a drug, and I'm hooked. I am still awaiting a decent windows phone. 8x is only ok for me. 822 seems to be a better balance of feature / price. But if the rumors hold out, might be better to wait. I have a feeling that they are holding back the details of the new devices because they want people to buy what's currently offered, and not wait. But the spec's are known. They must be, manufacturing would have already begun...
My cellular costs are approaching my mortgage, it's cheaper to buy a car, and they keep adding fees. But it's a drug, and I'm hooked. I am still awaiting a decent windows phone. 8x is only ok for me. 822 seems to be a better balance of feature / price. But if the rumors hold out, might be better to wait. I have a feeling that they are holding back the details of the new devices because they want people to buy what's currently offered, and not wait. But the spec's are known. They must be, manufacturing would have already begun...
Because the ATIV S was not built with CDMA in mind, from what I understand. There's also some extra features I don't know about that were requested by Verizon.
Only thing is, we haven't seen evidence of a second Samsung for Verizon in the FCC yet, and if its going to be released before Christmas they are running out of time.
It's not easy to find things in the FCC database. And the FCC is not the only route to certify a phone. They can use a TCB to do so and have less of a trail of breadcrumbs in the process. A TCB can usually do a certification in less than two weeks, allowing a quick route to market. So they can wait until the last week of November to do cert and have the phone able to be sold by December 13 - and we won't see the FCC's approval if this process is used.
That's just it. They Didn't highlight the phone at all. All they gave us was a name and that's it. If Verizon had a premiere phone to compete against the lumia 920 and ATIV S, why wouldn't Verizon want to announced it more specifically to entice people to wait instead of trying out the lumia 920? Microsoft simply mentioned every WP8 device that was launching by year end. Is there one phone due out by year end the MS did not mention?
Right...and how exactly is stating the NAME of the device...no specs...no pictures....driving up expectations? It's obviously having the exact opposite impact on me. I have zero expectations for the Odyssey. Precisely because all they did was mention its name.
It looks to me like Verizon rolls by designing custom phone chassis where I can only assume the primary goal is "how can we maximize the size and placement of our hideous logo?"
Possibly - we just don't know. The 822 was not mentioned at Nokia's launch either. Verizon does not tend to let out much until the launch is darn close to imminent. They would not want Microsoft to even mention a cheap phone that would cause backlash. They are not stupid. Even announcing the 822 just a few weeks out is odd for them, though they had intended to launch earlier but Sandy did throw them off a bit.
Couple that in with the fact that the Odyssey name matches the name reported in court documents that included specs - dual core 1.5GHZ snapdragon and HD AMOLED screen with a 4.65" display. I'm sure the name is just a coincidence - just like Verizon calling the HTC 8X the Accord - it's development code name.
I am very sure the Odyssey is a high end device. In fact, there have been some hints that it will be the highest end device released for WP8, surpassing the 920. The buzz inside VZW is that there are some secret killer features. I don't know what they are, but Samsung and Verizon both worked on this one spec wise.
The Marco is the ultimate budget phone.
A lot of people (including me) just assumed it was the ATIV S. Mentioning a name does create an expectation. They prefer not to have any mention if they can help it, but the rumor mills are always abuzz out there. They usually hate dates being assigned to because of the expectation there too - they have had many premiere phones delayed over the years.
They do like the branding, but they tend to prefer to make sure a phone functions well on the network with minimal signal loss. Their to priority is to make sure their customers are able the talk, text, and use the web about as flawlessly as possible. They spend a lot of money checking how their network and their competitor's function every year to make sure their network functions well and that they are always better than their competition. They understand the appeal of the phones, but they find the phones worthless if the network is no good or even mediocre. Their customers agree. They have the highest degree of customer loyalty in the business and have maintained high rates of growth without expensive exclusive phones.
Case in point was when I was using a friends' iPhone 5. They are AT&T. Here in the heart of Tampa Bay I was using the LTE connection and it dropped down to EDGE while I was sitting in a static location. It was jumping between EDGE, HSPA, and LTE. No consistency in a place they apparently have great coverage. Same place and my brother's Razr Maxx had full LTE bars from Verizon the whole way. This has not been isolated in my experience. When I was playing with a 920 at an AT&T store, it was not able to get LTE coverage and also dropped down to EDGE. I've talked to a lot of AT&T customers who say this is a much more frequent occurrence for them than it should be.
Yet my old Trophy for VZW never loses the 3G signal unless it loses everything when I'm out in the middle of nowhere - and even then it usually gets a signal.
That's how Verizon rolls. Network first. Don't go crazy hyping phones. Make sure the focus stays on the network and not on the phones. Whenever they display the superiority of their network in simple terms, they end up getting huge customer booms from people dissatisfied with their competitors.
All that said, the Odyssey will be a high end phone with a HD display.
Mr. MacPhisto,
I am a long time Blackberry user looking to make the move to WP. Very interested in the high end "rumored" Samsung (Odyssey) phone. Curious to know how you get your information and how you are so confident that Verizon will have this high end phone in December.
Convince me a Samsung high end WP will release on Verizon in December.
The Nokia 822 and HTC 8X just don't do it for me but would be willing to pull the trigger (with reservations) on one of them.
Thank you sir.
I am a long time Blackberry user looking to make the move to WP. Very interested in the high end "rumored" Samsung (Odyssey) phone. Curious to know how you get your information and how you are so confident that Verizon will have this high end phone in December.
Convince me a Samsung high end WP will release on Verizon in December.
The Nokia 822 and HTC 8X just don't do it for me but would be willing to pull the trigger (with reservations) on one of them.
Thank you sir.
heh...I'm still rocking a Storm2 that has been off contract for about 5 months now. I specifically avoided upgrading when my contract was up so I can evaluate the Win Phone 8 devices. Even if the Odyssey is released in December and it's a premium device, i've decided to stick it out an additional month to see what BB10 will bring. The BB10 launch is Jan 30th...but no word yet on when devices will actually be available.
Contact in corporate sales that has given me info in the past pertaining Verizon's roadmap.
When the Odyssey was announced at the WP8 rollout, my source and many in the corporate sales end at VZW were surprised and they instantly thought it was a rebranded ATIV S. They knew they were supposed to be getting a high end Samsung device for WP8 and a low end one.
So then the FCC tests and the leaked image came out. The Verizon people made it known down the line to the corporate sales people that the leaked image was not the Odyssey but was the Marco, the entry level phone that is scheduled to be released at around the same time.
Both the Odyssey and Marco were mentioned in court documents Samsung filed in the Apple case. The Odyssey was spec'ed at 4.65" with HD AMOLED while the Marco was 4" SD AMOLED.
The leaked image and measured size are consistent with the description of the Samsung Marco. My source also has said that it is the Marco, likely to be offered as a free WP8 device. The Odyssey is something different. Talk inside VZW is that there are a few bells and whistles that may surprise but it is not known what they are. It also sounds like it is being tested by a third party (as is allowed by the FCC) to hide some of the info on it.
The date I was told was December 13. Release dates are very fluid, however. The launch WP8 devices had been scheduled to launch earlier initially. This is why Verizon tends to avoid announcing much more than a week out. The 822 was a bit different due to the WP8 launch event, but most of the time they prefer to give a week's notice, wanting the phone in their possession before they announce it.
Thank you for your insight. I plan to wait to see what the Samsung device has to offer. Please, should you hear any other information, post it as you have been doing. Thanks again.
Similar threads
Trending Posts
-
Quake 2, State of Decay 2, and more get mouse and keyboard support on Xbox Cloud Gaming
- Started by Windows Central
- Replies: 0
-
Did the Fallout TV show just make a Fallout 4 ending canon?
- Started by Windows Central
- Replies: 3
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram