What Is Microsoft's Plan For Lumia 950, 950 XL Carrier Availability?

[scolaner]

scolaner, our dialog is given a bit more color considering the article on Windows Central this afternoon that the preorder stock of Surface Books are sold out ... and the first to go, the highest end of the price range (without doubt, the fewest they built due to said cost but telling nonetheless). I think they are onto something here with the Surface brand. I don't think they (MS) are as sold on the 950/950XL but I am betting that if enough users get this in their hands and it is made of the liquid cooled pixie dust many of us think it is, then when they are ready to release the Surface Phone, there is a market for it. Not thinking we are talking anything that would scare Apple or Samsung, but combined with worldwide sales and feature phone saturation, they might have a real marketing strategy after all.

I am hopeful that the 950/950XL is the Surface Pro 2 stage of their phone play. It remains to be seen if they can make it all work. I think however those that wanted or expected an all-in-one fix to their smartphone market share gap are looking for a silver bullet in an industry that has precious few of them and rarely are they sustaining.

I'm always a little skeptical of "OMG our stock sold out" kinds of things--companies can always artificially limit the number of available products, and then they sell out and make a big deal out of it. (I'm not *accusing* MS of that in this case...it's just the kind of story I tend to stay away from.)

Anyway. I'm not sure if the Surface brand is strong enough to propel a Surface Phone. It certainly could be. Especially, maybe, in the business space, where things like the smartphone-as-PC could gain a lot of traction.

 

[Adam-dotNet]

scolaner, our dialog is given a bit more color considering the article on Windows Central this afternoon that the preorder stock of Surface Books are sold out ... and the first to go, the highest end of the price range (without doubt, the fewest they built due to said cost but telling nonetheless). I think they are onto something here with the Surface brand. I don't think they (MS) are as sold on the 950/950XL but I am betting that if enough users get this in their hands and it is made of the liquid cooled pixie dust many of us think it is, then when they are ready to release the Surface Phone, there is a market for it. Not thinking we are talking anything that would scare Apple or Samsung, but combined with worldwide sales and feature phone saturation, they might have a real marketing strategy after all.

I am hopeful that the 950/950XL is the Surface Pro 2 stage of their phone play. It remains to be seen if they can make it all work. I think however those that wanted or expected an all-in-one fix to their smartphone market share gap are looking for a silver bullet in an industry that has precious few of them and rarely are they sustaining.

I'm always a little skeptical of "OMG our stock sold out" kinds of things--companies can always artificially limit the number of available products, and then they sell out and make a big deal out of it. (I'm not *accusing* MS of that in this case...it's just the kind of story I tend to stay away from.)

Anyway. I'm not sure if the Surface brand is strong enough to propel a Surface Phone. It certainly could be. Especially, maybe, in the business space, where things like the smartphone-as-PC could gain a lot of traction.

If it was MS making the claim/PR shout, I'd agree with you. But they aren't in this case. Time will tell if the Surface is a brand they can leverage but as of right now, I think it's a good bet they will use it to try get a pry bar into the smartphone market. And no, the Surface brand isn't there today, but going back to my original squint, I can do so and see how they might manage this into something compelling. There is no example of someone coming into the mature phone market with a left for dying OS and became competitive - that they might be tacking to their own map seems like an improvement over where they've been

 

[Ugoboy]

Microsoft stores will NOT be carrying the 950, at least but anytime soon. I preordered the 950 only to be contacted the following day to be told that the store would not be carrying it. Huh? You're not carrying your own phone?!? That's about as stupid as it gets. Since dropping ATT and never looking back, I've had T-Mobile and have been super happy with my decision. No way I'd go back to ATT for a phone. Looks loke I'll be keeping T-Mobile and my iPhone 6. By the way, I bought my phone at the Apple Store. You see, the Apple Stores carries the products that Apple makes.

 

[Adam-dotNet]

Not sure it's a fact that MS stores won't carry the 950, they aren't carrying them today. I just pre-ordered a 950XL and am optioning to swap that to the 950 when they get them in.

It seems that a lot of what I am reading in the last few days as well as sentiment in the MS Store is that Verizon is the immovable object here, not Microsoft. And based on my years of watching Vz eschewing anything Windows phone (or at least putting a very short timebox around their support), I think it makes it an easy decision to move off of Vz and over to AT&T (in a non-contractual way - a la an unlocked GSM phone).

 

[scolaner]

Microsoft stores will NOT be carrying the 950, at least but anytime soon. I preordered the 950 only to be contacted the following day to be told that the store would not be carrying it. Huh? You're not carrying your own phone?!? That's about as stupid as it gets. Since dropping ATT and never looking back, I've had T-Mobile and have been super happy with my decision. No way I'd go back to ATT for a phone. Looks loke I'll be keeping T-Mobile and my iPhone 6. By the way, I bought my phone at the Apple Store. You see, the Apple Stores carries the products that Apple makes.

I asked Microsoft about this. Your store may simply not YET be carrying it -- MSFT told me that its stores in the U.S. and Canada will carry both the 950 and 950 XL, unlocked.

 

[Adam-dotNet]

Microsoft stores will NOT be carrying the 950, at least but anytime soon. I preordered the 950 only to be contacted the following day to be told that the store would not be carrying it. Huh? You're not carrying your own phone?!? That's about as stupid as it gets. Since dropping ATT and never looking back, I've had T-Mobile and have been super happy with my decision. No way I'd go back to ATT for a phone. Looks loke I'll be keeping T-Mobile and my iPhone 6. By the way, I bought my phone at the Apple Store. You see, the Apple Stores carries the products that Apple makes.

I asked Microsoft about this. Your store may simply not YET be carrying it -- MSFT told me that its stores in the U.S. and Canada will carry both the 950 and 950 XL, unlocked.

I heard the same from MS Store rep. She indicated that to her understanding Canada MS Stores already has the 950, the US will follow but she wasn't aware of when.

 

[g-unit1111]

Microsoft stores will NOT be carrying the 950, at least but anytime soon. I preordered the 950 only to be contacted the following day to be told that the store would not be carrying it. Huh? You're not carrying your own phone?!? That's about as stupid as it gets. Since dropping ATT and never looking back, I've had T-Mobile and have been super happy with my decision. No way I'd go back to ATT for a phone. Looks loke I'll be keeping T-Mobile and my iPhone 6. By the way, I bought my phone at the Apple Store. You see, the Apple Stores carries the products that Apple makes.

I asked Microsoft about this. Your store may simply not YET be carrying it -- MSFT told me that its stores in the U.S. and Canada will carry both the 950 and 950 XL, unlocked.

I'd be curious to know what carriers its' on. AT&T is a definite no for me, and I'm not switching carriers just to get a phone, I agree there. They should make a version that's compatible with Verizon and Sprint. That would be a big seller. Microsoft can't follow in Nokia's footsteps.