Lumia, you make me sad.
Rant mode enabled.
I must admit, marketing is not my thing. So maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but I really just don't get Nokia's strategy here. Sounds like, as with the Lumia 900, the 920 will only be available from one carrier in each region. Here is in Canada, as with the 900 it appears as though Rogers will be that one carrier.
I get phone exclusivity to a degree, it can generate excitement and gives the carriers a reason to back the device as it differentiates their offerings. I also think, that with such a small line of phones the "right" way to do exclusivity is to offer the entire line through only one carrier. And I think you will see why as I continue. If Nokia had 4 or 5 phones with some duplication in a few different cost brackets then offering a phone from each bracket to an exclusive carrier might make sense to me. But having only 2 real offerings and making the higher end an exclusive... is a shot in the foot I think.
So, why do I think it a bad idea? Well, first of all like I said, it isn't the entire line that is exclusive. It is just the one phone. This might not bode terribly for the 920 as it is the high end device with all of the bells and whistles. But for the 820 it is horrible news and may ruin Nokia's name with other carriers and more importantly customers. And here is my reasoning. If the entire line were exclusive it would give the carrier with that line more reason to promote harder and to promote the entire Lumia brand. If the launch is successful, the other carriers will want whatever Nokia doles out next time. But, since the entire line isn't exclusive you can bet that most carriers will have at least one non Lumia 920 device. And for reasons I'm about to dive into, even if the 920 does well, the 820 is unlikely to and this is bound to ruin Nokia for both the other carriers and for end users.
So, why do I think the 820 will fail to win hearts? It is nothing special. In fact, it is less special than most devices on the market. In some ways it is even less spectacular than the Lumia 800. When trying to sell a smartphone you are typically trying to sell to someone who already owns a phone. They are already tied to a platform and already accustomed to the features and good qualities of their current devices. Many people own iPhones or higher end Android devices. Huge subsidies have helped get even the highest end Android phones into almost every set of hands not holding an iPhone. These devices have great cameras, Gorilla Glass screens sleek designs and are a part of much larger eco-systems. The 820 won't have a Gorilla Glass screen, the camera won't be able to boast the PureView technology design is a subjective thing, and the platform isn't as popular as the one they are likely coming from. Add to that, that the 820 if priced similarly to the 800 will still be one of the more expensive phones and you have no reason to leave your current platform, let alone dive into one that is still a relatively new contender.
The 920 has that amazing Gorilla Glass screen. It has the PureView technology. It has the more durable casing. You don't need a special shell for wireless charging. You have a larger battery. And you have what will be one of the top of the line phones so you can carry it with pride. If marketed right the 920 has the chance to be a success. But the 820 doesn't in my opinion.
By the way, I'm with a carrier that won't stock the 920 and will likely stock the 820. I currently own a Lumia 800. Being only 6 months into my current 3 year contract, I personally won't be willing to fork out the $400+ I need to buy out my current device to upgrade to one I feel is less well built and offers me only a marginally better camera and I'm already part of the Windows Phone ecosystem. If someone from Nokia is reading this... that should tell you something. If Telus ends up carrying the HTC 8X, I might consider that one. If not, I'll probably stick around until the next wave.
My point in the end... as a Lumia owner who loves his phone and has already bought into this eco-system. I'm already fairly sure I while I will likely still be a Windows Phone user, I will likely no longer be a Nokia customer with the purchase of my next cell phone. If your marketing will cause you to lose customers that already love your products... how do you expect to win customers who are currently loyal to both a different platform and a different handset maker?
I must admit, marketing is not my thing. So maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but I really just don't get Nokia's strategy here. Sounds like, as with the Lumia 900, the 920 will only be available from one carrier in each region. Here is in Canada, as with the 900 it appears as though Rogers will be that one carrier.
I get phone exclusivity to a degree, it can generate excitement and gives the carriers a reason to back the device as it differentiates their offerings. I also think, that with such a small line of phones the "right" way to do exclusivity is to offer the entire line through only one carrier. And I think you will see why as I continue. If Nokia had 4 or 5 phones with some duplication in a few different cost brackets then offering a phone from each bracket to an exclusive carrier might make sense to me. But having only 2 real offerings and making the higher end an exclusive... is a shot in the foot I think.
So, why do I think it a bad idea? Well, first of all like I said, it isn't the entire line that is exclusive. It is just the one phone. This might not bode terribly for the 920 as it is the high end device with all of the bells and whistles. But for the 820 it is horrible news and may ruin Nokia's name with other carriers and more importantly customers. And here is my reasoning. If the entire line were exclusive it would give the carrier with that line more reason to promote harder and to promote the entire Lumia brand. If the launch is successful, the other carriers will want whatever Nokia doles out next time. But, since the entire line isn't exclusive you can bet that most carriers will have at least one non Lumia 920 device. And for reasons I'm about to dive into, even if the 920 does well, the 820 is unlikely to and this is bound to ruin Nokia for both the other carriers and for end users.
So, why do I think the 820 will fail to win hearts? It is nothing special. In fact, it is less special than most devices on the market. In some ways it is even less spectacular than the Lumia 800. When trying to sell a smartphone you are typically trying to sell to someone who already owns a phone. They are already tied to a platform and already accustomed to the features and good qualities of their current devices. Many people own iPhones or higher end Android devices. Huge subsidies have helped get even the highest end Android phones into almost every set of hands not holding an iPhone. These devices have great cameras, Gorilla Glass screens sleek designs and are a part of much larger eco-systems. The 820 won't have a Gorilla Glass screen, the camera won't be able to boast the PureView technology design is a subjective thing, and the platform isn't as popular as the one they are likely coming from. Add to that, that the 820 if priced similarly to the 800 will still be one of the more expensive phones and you have no reason to leave your current platform, let alone dive into one that is still a relatively new contender.
The 920 has that amazing Gorilla Glass screen. It has the PureView technology. It has the more durable casing. You don't need a special shell for wireless charging. You have a larger battery. And you have what will be one of the top of the line phones so you can carry it with pride. If marketed right the 920 has the chance to be a success. But the 820 doesn't in my opinion.
By the way, I'm with a carrier that won't stock the 920 and will likely stock the 820. I currently own a Lumia 800. Being only 6 months into my current 3 year contract, I personally won't be willing to fork out the $400+ I need to buy out my current device to upgrade to one I feel is less well built and offers me only a marginally better camera and I'm already part of the Windows Phone ecosystem. If someone from Nokia is reading this... that should tell you something. If Telus ends up carrying the HTC 8X, I might consider that one. If not, I'll probably stick around until the next wave.
My point in the end... as a Lumia owner who loves his phone and has already bought into this eco-system. I'm already fairly sure I while I will likely still be a Windows Phone user, I will likely no longer be a Nokia customer with the purchase of my next cell phone. If your marketing will cause you to lose customers that already love your products... how do you expect to win customers who are currently loyal to both a different platform and a different handset maker?
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