Stolen Thunder

[JimiDiGriz]

I watched the Wp8 launch yesterday (mainly hoping for some 7.8 news as I am one of the contract locked crowd) and was quite impressed if not blown away by what I saw. Obviously a lot of what was said was already known and there wasn't a 'killer' feature to plaster on a headline for the casual observer. But all the same I was impressed with the OS and the commitment from MS and third parties.

Came into work this morning and clocked news article about the Nexus launch on the BBC website... then I saw the prices.

I think WP8 might be a bit screwed. Don't get me wrong, I think the 920 and 8X are top notch phones with features that no other phones have (in terms of the 920) however I cannot believe the prices they are selling the Nexus at with that spec. Even with the usual U.K. pricing rip off, to be able to get a brand new quad core phone for under ?300 is phenomenal. Android is known and established, WP8 isn't and is trying to get elbow their way into the party. If I was wandering into a shop casually looking for a new smartphone and had no alliegiance to a particular OS there's no way I'd pay ?100s more for a WP8 I'd probably never heard of before when there's spanking new Google (known brand) Android (known brand) phone for that price. Even with the Nokia name... If the 920 was at that price I'd buy it outright and retire my 800, can't justify ?400+ though.

 

[SnailUK]

I think WP8 might be a bit screwed.

WP8 will always lose on price. There are numerous Android devices that better everything on WP8 on price.

The whole point of the Nexus line, is that they are only available off contract, therefore have to be cheap. Android is now at the sort of critical mass, that a phone doesn't necessarily need carrier endorsement to sell.

Having seen the low memory and lack of SD card (unless we are talking about a different phone), i think the price is nice, but the very people that would buy the phone, are the people that will moan about the memory/SD card issues.

 

[X0LARIUM]

Was on the phone with a very good friend and she is totally buying a WP. She asked me the very same thing the OP is asking and hence I agree with the OP.

The pricing should be a bait for everyone. You know what WP is, I know what WP is, the mass, the people don't know what WP is.

Doing research is a very good thing/habit before investing a good sum of money in anything, but most people don't do that.

I know all the features like the back of my hand. So do most of the people here on the forums. But ask a layman and they just stare. And show them a BIG price tag like that and they just walk away.


At least for the smaller markets, the price should be a little more considerate, IMHO.

PS: Didn't get the title of the thread though..who stole who's thunder? :lol:

 

[JimiDiGriz]

I'd agree if they were tech savvy and didn't like the cloud however even the 16gb phone is nicely priced. For the non tech savvy person who doesn't follow these blogs or other tech sites, I'd say they are going to see one phone priced at sub ?300 with a name they know and another phone priced at ?400+ with a name they don't. And the cheaper one will sell.

 

[AngryNil]

Google is being incredibly aggressive with the pricing of the Nexus 4. It's got good hardware, a fantastic chipset and is cheap enough that I can't see myself justifying the price tags of an unlocked Windows Phone.

 

[JimiDiGriz]

Was on the phone with a very good friend and she is totally buying a WP. She asked me the very same thing the OP is asking and hence I agree with the OP.

The pricing should be a bait for everyone. You know what WP is, I know what WP is, the mass, the people don't know what WP is.

Doing research is a very good thing/habit before investing a good sum of money in anything, but most people don't do that.

I know all the features like the back of my hand. So do most of the people here on the forums. But ask a layman and they just stare. And show them a BIG price tag like that and they just walk away.


At least for the smaller markets, the price should be a little more considerate, IMHO.

PS: Didn't get the title of the thread though..who stole who's thunder? :lol:

Sorry, poor title, I meant Google have stolen WP8 thunder on launch day...even without the launch. Price tag will make waves.

 

[JimiDiGriz]

Google is being incredibly aggressive with the pricing of the Nexus 4. It's got good hardware, a fantastic chipset and is cheap enough that I can't see myself justifying the price tags of an unlocked Windows Phone.

I agree, as I said, I'm locked into a contract with my 800 (which I love) however if the 920 or 820 were in that impulse buy price range of sub ?300 I'd talk myself into buying one rather than wait until early 2014 for an upgrade on my contract. If the 920 is nudging ?500 then no chance I'll take the plunge.

 

[SnailUK]

I'd say they are going to see one phone priced at sub ?300 with a name they know and another phone priced at ?400+ with a name they don't. And the cheaper one will sell.

The whole point of the nexus line, is that they sell sim-free. Will the average consumer be buying SIM free?

 

[AngryNil]

It has stolen the thunder where it initially matters - the media and the power users. You'd have to be a pretty big hater of Android to rule the Nexus 4 out of the equation when recommending a phone for the holiday season. I'm sure the average Lumia 920 buyer will not be pissed at its price, and particularly in the US it seems the unlocked price really doesn't matter.

 

[TheNerdlyKnight]

I don't know how it is in the UK but LG's view has been greatly diminished here stateside over the last few years with some really horrible phones and poor support post launch. I honestly think this may be one of the lower selling Nexus phones we've seen here in the US. Then again this could totally revamp their image and popularity here as well if it turns out to be a strong phone without the issues.

As far as the price point goes I'm still a bit shocked myself by the low price. Google is getting extremely aggressive and I guarantee you they must be letting LG take a hit while comping then for it. I still remember the Nexus S at it's $529 launch price buying it from Google or Best Buy....

 

[JimiDiGriz]

Under ?300 for a quad core phone... I'm almost tempted myself. Much as I love my Lumia 800, 2014 seems an awfully long way away for a contract upgrade. I can't see the 920 being less than ?450 sim free. I hope 7.8 has some more goodness than just the start screen. As things ramp with aggressive marketing for WP8 I suspect sooner rather than later focus for big name/new app releases will move away from WP7 users.

 

[TechAbstract]

Don't think this has LTE and microsd.

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

Unfortunately, in this regard we're going to need all the support we can get. There's only me and my cousin that I know of that are tech-heads and love WP (he's been in it since HD7, I joined in with the TITAN).

All of my other tech friends despise MS with a royal passion. I wonder how many UK peeps are going to say it's rubbish just because it runs Windows Phone. Which doesn't automatically make it rubbish. I wouldn't call WP7 rubbish but it was lacking. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Now, if only I could get a job so I can get the Lumia 820. Of course being a tech-head that's got my friends saying "No, you need the 920" just because it's the latest and greatest. When the Lumia 820 is actually the perfect phone for me as I don't really care for Carl Zeiss and I really do not care for a HD screen.

 

[cckgz4]

The problem is google is competing with themselves. Ever heard of the xiaomi phone? I believe the specs are on par with this and is priced about the same. So android is going to be at every price point and windows phone or any other competitors won't be able to beat it


Sent from something AMAZING using my pinkie

 

[brmiller1976]

Nexus, plus the mess the OEMs are making of the launch, show why Microsoft needs to get the Surface Phone out ASAP.

 

[cgk]

The whole point of the nexus line, is that they sell sim-free. Will the average consumer be buying SIM free?

Except in the UK where the OP is talking about (and where I assume you are from) - the Nexus 4 is going to be sold on contract by 02 for a month (exclusive) and then other networks afterwards - compare that to the availability of the 920 only on premium contracts only with EE.

 

[JimiDiGriz]

Phones 4U are reportedly going to carry the 920 for ?459 sim free.

Lumia 920 to come sim-free at Phones4u for ?459. Officially confirmed to be available at 3G Orange and T-Mobile. ? Nokiapoweruser

Compare that to ?279 for the 16gb Nexus 4. If you walked in off the street which would you go for (bearing in mind limited awareness in the general public around WP8).

What's the nearest WP phone to that price point? Think the 900 still costs more.

BTW, just to reiterate I'm not knocking the 920 as a phone at all, I'm a WP owner and I like the OS. I just think with money being tight for lots of people these days and with MS trying to break into the Android/Apple duopoly in a meaningful way, the price points are going to hinder matters, especially with a new trumpeted flagship phone from Google at such a staggeringly low price.

 

[SnailUK]

Phones 4U are reportedly going to carry the 920 for ?459 sim free.

Compare that to ?279 for the 16gb Nexus 4.

Its a price war Microsoft will never win, so why bother?

Samsung will be the only winners on Android, as they make the money manufacturing most of the parts. Leaving all the Android OEMs fighting over pennies on the phones.

If Microsoft can create a platform where OEMs can make money, and can afford to spend the time innovating, rather than penny pinching, then they will have a winner on their hands.

 

[Getintothegame]

Nexus, plus the mess the OEMs are making of the launch, show why Microsoft needs to get the Surface Phone out ASAP.

This is exactly what needs to be done. Sell incredibly aggressive. Price like you mean it.

 

[JimiDiGriz]

Surely it would have been worth their while taking a hit at launch and subsidising the manufacturers to an extent to deliver WP8 all guns blazing at an aggressive price. Play the long game and get people intrigued enough to move over to WP from a feature phone as well as other OS. Even if I was interested in WP enough to have a play with the phone in the shop, one look at the price tag compared to other (better known?) phones and I wouldn't make the leap. Why spend maybe ?200 more? I agree about the 'launch'. I've had to wait a couple of days and the trawl through some websites to get an indication of 920 price. Think the 8X came out early enough sim free but 920 and 820 seemed to not have their ducks in a row.