No Premium WP8 phones?

[scottcraft]

I know you guys feel defensive because you like these phones a lot. Still, the devices so far with WP8 weigh more, are thicker, and cheaper than the top phones.

Aside from the label 'premium' and arguing what is/isn't premium, can we agree that manufacturers have failed to deliver on progressive hardware, and is pushing out outdated dimension/weight specs and 'me too' speed specs?

Well I guess you can consider the Verizon 8X to be premium since it's supposed to be $199 for a 16Gb phone, same as the iPhone.

 

[Squachy]

the Galaxy Nexus 4 cannot be premium because it costs less than 400 bux outright unlocked.....
Even though it has a quad core processor....2gb of ram....4.7(?) inch screen....
Its not premium cuz its cheaper than anything else you can get unlocked out here.

If the Ativ S is NOT considered premium, then the Galaxy S3 cannot be a premium device as well since the two are virtual clones of each other.

 

[rajkumr]

If you want premium WP8 phones, then you can buy any of the phones unlocked at full price, like us in the middles east and Asia!

 

[jabtano]

L920 is premium "exclusive"
ATIVs is premium " not coming state side"
8x high end mid-range.

 

[TaliZorah]

Are people seriously arguing over a few grams, a few tenths of an inch and a few dollars here?

This is the difference between premium and non-premium? Really?

 

[keizka]

OP being obvious troll here.

If OP had researched anything, he'd find out Lumia 920 commands a price of 600 euros in Europe (that being 768 dollars with today's rate), and 8X can be had for 550 euros (that's 705 dollars with today's rate).

So... Premium enough, or still not understanding subsidies?

 

[Old_Cus]

......so goes the entertainment for today

 

[wormy6]

OP being obvious troll here.

If OP had researched anything, he'd find out Lumia 920 commands a price of 600 euros in Europe (that being 768 dollars with today's rate), and 8X can be had for 550 euros (that's 705 dollars with today's rate).

So... Premium enough, or still not understanding subsidies?

Subsidies don't matter to the consumer. We go to the store, we see the iphone selling for $200-$400 with contract, we see windows phone going for $100 and $150 with contract. We look at devices and see one is the thinnest, they have equal power, its camera is arguably better (920 obviously takes it for night shots and video thou), the thinnest weighs less and is smaller, it also has the best battery power. It has better hardware... It cost more... it is the premium, and that plays a huge role in creating the brand.

 

[wormy6]

And again, I love the OS and the ecosystem, but we need to demand better hardware. That is what is missing here.

 

[Landsharkk]

wormy6 have you used a Windows Phone 7x device (or a Windows Phone 8 device)?

I don't think better hardware is going to do much, the OS is buttery smooth and extremely quick, on part if not faster than the iPhone and Android flagship phones.

I do understand that expensive can make people think it's better quality (cars are a good example here), but Microsoft with their Windows Phones are not in a position to price their phones near the same cost as the competition. With only 4% of the market those not already familiar with Windows Phone won't even bother looking at it if priced the same as an iPhone 5, for example.

They need to turn heads and pricing the Lumia 920 (for example) with a free wireless charging pad is going to turn some heads. That's arguably the first thing people notice when looking at phones - the price. Then they see 'new tech' with the wireless charging and will start to ask questions about it. From that point forward it's up to the salesperson or friend/word-of-mouth to make the final sale of the phone.

 

[zolgi]

Back when Windows Phone 7 looked pretty cool, everyone was saying how they were cheap because WP7 'didn't support the hardware' yet and that with WP8 we would get more powerful and premium phones.

So here comes WP8, and I read this...
AT&T Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC 8X Both A Steal At Just $100 - Mobile Magazine

$100 for the flagship WP8 phones? Where is a premium WP8 phone? WP8 is the best OS, but it will always be looked down on if it doesn't have a handset that can compete with apple and android's newest phones. The manufacturers really dropped the ball, in my opinion. Cheap phones can help WP8 gain marketshare but there needs to be premium phones too to help build the brand and hype.

I think HTC and nokia looked at the iphone and said: "If we make a $200 phone we won't be able to make it as small, as fast, light, or as good battery power as the iphone. Lets just go for the cheaper market so they can't compare our phones to premium ones."

I really hope we see a surface phone from microsoft. I don't think these other manufacturers have the tech or balls to release a phone thinner and more powerful than their competitors. Surface has already proven it can take on the ipad both spec and feature wise, and now it's going to have to do the mobile market too.

These are funny. $100 and you get a phone... In Finland EVERY phone is 0?.

 

[brmiller1976]

Well, OP has totally convinced me. We are doomed. I'm off to Sprint to pickup a Samsung Reclaim!

 

[wormy6]

I don't think better hardware is going to do much, the OS is buttery smooth and extremely quick, on part if not faster than the iPhone and Android flagship phones.

I do understand that expensive can make people think it's better quality (cars are a good example here), but Microsoft with their Windows Phones are not in a position to price their phones near the same cost as the competition. With only 4% of the market those not already familiar with Windows Phone won't even bother looking at it if priced the same as an iPhone 5, for example.

They need to turn heads and pricing the Lumia 920 (for example) with a free wireless charging pad is going to turn some heads. That's arguably the first thing people notice when looking at phones - the price. Then they see 'new tech' with the wireless charging and will start to ask questions about it. From that point forward it's up to the salesperson or friend/word-of-mouth to make the final sale of the phone.

I agree with everything you are saying. People do notice the price first, and a lower price will definitely steer the majority towards those devices, helping marketshare.

This does not detract from the key point I am making about it being important to have some really impressive WP8 devices:

Building a brand is also important, especially when people are first seeing a big new brand like WP8. Some people look at the prices, and they are looking for high end, expensive phones. A lot of the time these are the (shallow) people who are setting the example for the rest of society. These people are looking for hardware that they are comfortable with. Young women, especially ones who find themselves out at night without pockets or a purse (see: single, beautiful), look for the smallest, lightest high-end phone possible. Men go where the women are. Phones have become a status symbol the same way cars were decades ago. What are the 2 top clothing/accessories a woman uses to judge a man's appearance? Shoes & phone. Again, this is about branding not marketshare. It is not about how things should be, this is just how things are. This is how iSheep are born/how pop culture works. This is why advertising is always directed to 20-35 year olds; they steer the market.

And on a slightly more personal note, I am sick of seeing iphones beat android and wp devices on camera reviews across the net. Over and over. In more recent reviews, 8X pictures are blurry and desaturated compared to the iphone. Ugh! Why cant they get it right? I know the galaxy S3 and lumia 920 both have good cameras, and they are tempting. So large though.

 

[keizka]

My honest guess? Some of those reviewers don't know how to use two-stage camera button. I still remember vividly the Nokia N8 camera review by then Engadget writer Vlad Savov. It was beyond silly. He somehow managed to make the pictures look so bad that iP4 was competition to N8.

 

[Squachy]

Subsidies don't matter to the consumer. We go to the store, we see the iphone selling for $200-$400 with contract, we see windows phone going for $100 and $150 with contract. We look at devices and see one is the thinnest, they have equal power, its camera is arguably better (920 obviously takes it for night shots and video thou), the thinnest weighs less and is smaller, it also has the best battery power. It has better hardware... It cost more... it is the premium, and that plays a huge role in creating the brand.

you need to define your definition of 'premium'......

apple overprices everything because they CAN, everything they make costs more than non-apple products by 100-200. It has nothing to do with premium and everything to do with 'they can get away with it because theres people willing to pay for it'

you ever notice how a similar product to an apple product always costs way less than the apple product?

 

[mparker]

One other point to make about the subsidized price. With WP8 the carrier gets a slice of the app/music store revenue. I don't think this is the case with either android or iphone. Not sure how much it helps, but it sure gives the carriers an incentive to make WP a big hit, if only to give them leverage to force google and apple into the same sort of deal.

 

[brmiller1976]

So, if I understood OP's point correctly, the Pantech Breeze would be a premium phone if they sold if for $300 because it would then be expensive, thin and light?

 

[Winterfang]

I understand a little of TC's frustration, while the 8X and ATIV S are nice devices, once you compared them to the Note 2 and J Butterfly, they end up looking a bit Mid-ranged. The prices certainly reflect that.

I myself don't mind that as I'm waiting for the next batch of devices.

 

[wormy6]

That is sort of the situation I have put myself into, WinterFang. I went ahead and got a iphone 5, which is good device although I do not like the software nearly as much as windows phone software, and apple customer support is terrible and overpriced. I am happy enough with it though for now, and hopefully when it is time to get a new phone there will be a WP8 phone that has the 'wow' effect as far as thinness and weight goes. I have been reading about the WP8 phone with a aluminum exterior instead of plastic, which sounds pretty premium too, so that is nice.

 

[peacefulberry]

Though, this thread is older, I think the op misinterpreted the ad...the price advertised was not the retail value of the phone. Most phones in contact are subsidized...you pay less up front if you agree to a 2 yr or more contact with your carrier. It has nothing to do with the phones overall value.

The HTC 8x, Lumia 920, and Samsung Ativ s are all considered premium windows phone devices. In my opinion, "premium" means advanced features, not higher price. So, the advanced features of these phones include front facing cameras, advanced photographic lenses, turn by turn voice navigation, NFC, wireless charging, solid design build, and much more.

With that being said...if any of the abovementioned phones really were less than $200 as a retail, non-contract price, I don't think there would be any left in stock! Lol! They would still be premium phones with the best value in the entire smartphone market!