News - Nokia's Windows Phone 8 devices may be carrier exclusive

[HEXUS]

Nokia looking to do an Apple for increased promotion.

Read more.

[miniyazz]

the firm is looking to strike operator exclusive deals for its upcoming Windows Phone 8 devices

I thought we'd moved beyond that

[chates]

I don't really understand these operator deals, I've been with Orange for a few years now so I have some very good loyalty bonuses, and if I change carrier there is no way I'll get as good a deal, so I would just not be able to get the phone if I wanted it. I wouldn't change just because of the handset so surely they're just limiting their potential customers? I can see the advantage for the network but not the manufacturer...

[crossy]

With the combination of Windows Phone 8, PureView and focused carrier support and PR, do you think Nokia's upcoming Windows Phone 8 devices will have what it takes to move the likes of iOS and Android?

Making the Lumia X (or whatever it's called) a carrier exclusive would be - imho of course - a major league bone headed move.

I've not heard of anyone moving carrier merely because some whizzy new device was at one rather than another, it's usually an incidental - the final straw that convinces. If the idea is to gain market share then surely you want as many outlets as possible selling your device, not less.

No, if NokiaSoft want the next gen Lumia's to be a sales hit, then make sure they're very competitively priced and do more advertising. The stores I've been in recently all have large iPhone displays, smaller Android (usually Samsung) ones, and tiny (as in stuck in a corner) for their Windows gear.

[cptwhite_uk]

1) I like the styling of the the lumia range...so they're got me interested
2) I like the general UI of Windows Phone 7, so I'm keen to see Windows Phone 8
3) I *really* like the PureView technology, this is a massive plus for me
4) I'm not really an "apps" man...I think they're generally overrated

Maybe I'm showing my age (31), but really all I'm really looking for on a phone are outstanding core features....excellent connection to:

Essentials:
GPS service / Maps / Directions
Gmail
Facebook
Camera / Gallery viewer
Excellent internet browsing experience
1080p video recording
Office document editing apps (almost a given...it's Microsoft!)

Nice to have:
Video playback of a wide range of file formats
PC Teethering to use phone for a wifi connection point
Wireless transfer of media file to PC (for displaying photos etc.)


There's one or two others things I use infequently, but really, I can do without them. If they can get the core features spot on, in a desirable form factor I'm very ready to jump the android ship, still I don't have a lot invested into android apps, so I'm not in the position of many people I suspect.

having said that my Galaxy S2 does all of the above already, so I'm relunctant to switch I suspect until it fails. It's also been dropped a couple of times, once onto a tiled fall from waist height, and it's not shattered like I suspect the iPhone 4 would have....there's something to be said for Gozilla glass and plastic body

[cameronlite]

Having said that my Galaxy S2 does all of the above already, so I'm relunctant to switch I suspect until it fails. It's also been dropped a couple of times, once onto a tiled fall from waist height, and it's not shattered like I suspect the iPhone 4 would have....there's something to be said for Gozilla glass and plastic body

Have you seen the video of the lumia 900 being used as a hammer?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf1fRu9YgfE&feature=player_embedded

[Brewster0101]

Yay - excellent idea

So at the Nokia / Microsoft board meeting it went a little like this :

A - What can we do to help our failing company and boost the presence of Windows OS

B - Lets make some new powerful handsets that look good and perform well.

A - Right, lets get R+D on that

R+D - We've go the perfect handset lined up - its going to be the best we've done

A - We need to now get the perfect software for it.

C - Windows 8 is ready to do battle.

A - Has it got Angry Birds

C - Urr No

A - No big deal, How do we sell these then?

B - Lets make our new super handset exclusive to one carrier , this will maximise our struggling sales

C - Urrr, really?

A - Your fired C

[cameronlite]

It's such a shame that such a good OS is let down by such abysmal advertising. I think the Lumia 900 is appearing in Hollyoaks soon as product placement as well as very large bus stop adverts (also Hollyoaks)...

[cameronlite]

Talking about promotion:
http://www.wpcentral.com/retail-expo...stfield-london

Sorry it's not from hexus!

[OilSheikh]

You can't plug in a MicrSD in a Nokia Lumia 800. Why, o why ?

[rm19]

I have an iPhone 4 with AT&T and some features that I really appreciate are the multiple alarms, screen capture, high-res screen, good speaker, camera and LED flashlight. I'm less picky about the email and social features as they've gotten those down pretty well now (hopefully). The new Windows Phone 8 metro interface is looking nice now so I'd seriously consider this if they make it available to me, but if not, no biggie.

[directhex]

You can't plug in a MicrSD in a Nokia Lumia 800. Why, o why ?

It makes a device more expensive and thicker, and makes an OS harder to write

It's a lovely power-user feature, but the market isn't really keen

[pp05]

It worked for Apple because it brought something completely different from the rest of the market. This will just be a touch screen phone, there are millions of them out there.

Whilst I can understand doing an exclusive for guaranteed x of sales, the market has moved from 12 month to 24 month contracts.

[OilSheikh]

It makes a device more expensive and thicker, and makes an OS harder to write

It's a lovely power-user feature, but the market isn't really keen

All the SD card is used for is storage. Simple plug and play ? Doing an Apple and locking handsets according to storage size is not cool.

[Brewster0101]

1) I like the styling of the the lumia range...so they're got me interested
2) I like the general UI of Windows Phone 7, so I'm keen to see Windows Phone 8
3) I *really* like the PureView technology, this is a massive plus for me
4) I'm not really an "apps" man...I think they're generally overrated

Maybe I'm showing my age (31), but really all I'm really looking for on a phone are outstanding core features....excellent connection to:

+ 1 (maybe it is a mature age thing - I'm 33)

[crossy]

It makes a device more expensive and thicker, and makes an OS harder to write. It's a lovely power-user feature, but the market isn't really keen

I've heard the "but supporting a microSD card makes the phone thicker" whine before. One example - HTC One X (no uSD) - 8.9mm thick; Samsung Galaxy S3 (with added uSD) - 8.6mm thick. Then again I'm not a big fan of the ninja-star school of phone design.

That said, you're right - uSD support is a power user feature, but that's no reason not to do it on a top-end device (Lumia XX?). And yes, it does add some complexity to the OS (and in-use too), but then again that's not necessarily a reason to go fixed memory only.

Fixed battery on the other hand, is heresy and I'd not buy a phone that was crippled in that manner - which is why I wouldn't look at the Lumia 900 for example.

Getting back to the article - if the Nokia WP8 Lumia announcement isn't a single device, but a range of devices, would people be more understanding if only the top device was carrier exclusive, but mid/low models were generally available?