What's up with Nokia WP8 phones being out of stock?!

Forums › Legacy mobile platforms (Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Web OS, Symbian, Meego, Blackberry) › What's up with Nokia WP8 phones being out of stock?!

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788 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#828054 29-May-2013 22:51

Handle9: So you're complaining that you can't buy a reasonably mid range device for an OS with negligible market share. Now you're not happy that there isn't lots of competition to sell a device with negligible market share to drive down prices.

I'm trying really hard to find a way that what you are asking makes sense for a retailer or telco...

I'd have agreed with you if I was looking to buy a handset running an obscure OS from an unknown manufacturer "Why can't I buy a mid-range Jolla mobile running Sailfish?! It's an awesome OS, I should be able to get a good deal on it from Dick Smith!" That would be just stupid.

But this isn't Meego. This is a Nokia WP8 device I am after. Was it too much to expect that at least one of the telcos would stock the 720 or the 620? How about retailers? Only the Warehouse Group has the 720 (but only at the Warehouse for some reason). That's it. No one even has the 620. The 720 was released with the 520, and the 620 was released back in February, so what's going on? WP8 isn't an obscure OS, Nokia isn't an unknown brand, and both MS and Nokia are pushing very hard to catch up with the play, and putting lots of resources behind development and marketing. So where are the phones?

You are suggesting that stocking them doesn't make sense for a retailer or a telco - but that is only the case if the supplier doesn't make the deal attractive enough for the stockist. And this seems to be just the case here, unless there is a purely technical reason for this lack of stock (like testing not yet being completed or simply not enough stock world wide). So my question goes back to MS/Nokia (as it has always been) - you have a very good OS, strong brand, well-received devices, and you are trying to recapture market share - so why can't you get stock on the shelves?!

Hello, Ground!

Kookoo

788 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#828055 29-May-2013 22:54

grant_k:

However, there are another 3 outlets for the 720 in NZ, and they weren't exactly hard to find:

http://pricespy.co.nz/product.php?p=1698492

The problem is that the employer isn't happy to contribute towards a parallel imported device. They want it from an official reseller. And frankly, I've had enough bad experiences with parallel imported Android devices to ever go that way again.

Hello, Ground!

ubergeeknz

3344 posts

Uber Geek

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Vocus

#828149 30-May-2013 09:29

Just because it's made by Nokia and Microsoft doesn't make it less obscure, sorry to say, or in any less demand in this market.

robax

162 posts

Master Geek

#829084 31-May-2013 23:29

Just noticed this thread and can add my experience to it...

I look for WP8 and Nokia devices every time I go into any shop that sells phones and the presence is just abysmal.

Today again... I was in a Warehouse Stationery in Wellington and there were no less than 4 stands of phone from different providers... one Samsung Ativ and one Lumia 710(!!) were the only WP devices. That's pretty typical for most places I look. How the fork is anyone supposed to buy these things?

I've said it in another thread.. their marketing depts. should just fire themselves and stay home.

urban

487 posts

Ultimate Geek

#830136 3-Jun-2013 17:43

Same issue while I was in Hong Kong, I only saw one retailer in Mongkok and the other being @ the airport that had the 620 and 920 in stock.

No Nokia presence what so ever over there, everyone I saw had either Sammy or Fruity phones.

+1 nokia/m$ marketing dept being fired.

robax

162 posts

Master Geek

#830148 3-Jun-2013 18:13

I had a chat with a guy in a Microsoft t-shirt at Harvey Norman yesterday. Seems Microsoft has hired some people to help potential buyers learn about Windows 8, which is all fine and good.

I did ask him if he was also meant to be covering the Windows Phones, but that was a no.

Harvey Norman seems to be the only place that keeps some current Windows phone devices on display and even in view of buyers, so that's a point in their favour.

But try and get a case or a charging pad, or some Nokia Monster head gear and that's a fail.

urban

487 posts

Ultimate Geek

#830579 4-Jun-2013 17:00

robax: I had a chat with a guy in a Microsoft t-shirt at Harvey Norman yesterday. Seems Microsoft has hired some people to help potential buyers learn about Windows 8, which is all fine and good.

I did ask him if he was also meant to be covering the Windows Phones, but that was a no.

Harvey Norman seems to be the only place that keeps some current Windows phone devices on display and even in view of buyers, so that's a point in their favour.

But try and get a case or a charging pad, or some Nokia Monster head gear and that's a fail.

+1 I had to go e to the bay for my nokia kit.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

Kookoo

788 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#840651 20-Jun-2013 22:14

And so, to the conclusion. I ended up going to Noel Leeming and getting a Nokia Lumia 520 for $279. At the end of the day, none of the features that the midrange Lumias had justified the additional expenditure from my perspective.
The ups - it's one hell of a phone for the price I paid.
The downs - there are no apps. People warned me about it, but I refused to believe it - "what do you mean, no apps? surely I'll find the ones I need for some mainstream use scenarios." I was wrong. There are no apps. So, if you are happy with what MS have to offer on this fantastic Nokia hardware - Lumia is for you. But if you want to do more than MS expect you to want to - you can forget about it.
Case closed.

Hello, Ground!

bigreddog

198 posts

Master Geek

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#840654 20-Jun-2013 22:20

What apps are you trying to find?

I've got all the apps I need and many more I don't need but have anyway on my Lumia920. Can't think of anything I'm missing?

Technofreak

6531 posts

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#840657 20-Jun-2013 22:30

bigreddog: What apps are you trying to find?

I've got all the apps I need and many more I don't need but have anyway on my Lumia920. Can't think of anything I'm missing?

I agree most of the important stuff is there and some really good stuff like Office. But when it comes to customisation apps compared to Android, or even Meego in some instances, there's not so much there.

One thing I really miss is there is no notification on the blank screen of emails, texts etc. It's not there out of the box and there's not after market app either.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

grant_k

3539 posts

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#840676 20-Jun-2013 23:16

Technofreak: ...
One thing I really miss is there is no notification on the blank screen of emails, texts etc. It's not there out of the box and there's not after market app either.

Unless your 520 is crippled in some way compared to my 720 I cannot understand this statement!

The standard apps which come with the phone provide email and text notifications via their Live Tiles, and the standard "People Hub" provides Facebook notifications. Then you can add the Facebook Beta app to get a much nicer interface to FB.

I've got around half of my Start screen covered in Live Tiles from various apps which provide all kinds of notifications from Weather to Prepay Credit, Currency Rates and more. Most of those mentioned can also show notifications on the "Lock Screen" which I guess is what you're referring to when you say "Blank Screen"?

From what I've seen so far, the WP8 app store is pretty good. Yesterday I installed the Bloomberg app, and that is an excellent source of news from the financial and commodity markets. Nothing important is missing so far as I'm concerned.

Kookoo

788 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#840684 20-Jun-2013 23:47

bigreddog: What apps are you trying to find?

I've got all the apps I need and many more I don't need but have anyway on my Lumia920. Can't think of anything I'm missing?

I miss the "free" or "ad-funded" apps.
I miss having the choice of thousands of apps.
I miss having thousands of votes and reviews to rely on when I choose an app. Now I have to rely on 1 or 2 votes. BTW, who is the idiot at MS who decided that ratings would be split by region? An app which had 3 votes from UK, 6 votes from US and no votes from NZ shows as "0 ratings" in the Store. Here is an example:
File Manager US
File Manager UK
File Manager NZ

I miss plenty of apps, and it's only been a few days:

a customised keyboard
a SAMBA client
a decent FTP client
a DLNA client / media player
a mail client that would allow me to automatically download graphics in my emails without asking permission every time
Dolphin and Firefox
VLC
Photo gallery
NavFree - HERE Drive is good, but its UI is driving me insane

Hello, Ground!

Technofreak

6531 posts

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#840861 21-Jun-2013 10:29

I mean the blank screen i.e. The black screen when the phone is "sleeping". My other phones show a notification on the "sleep" screen whenever there's a message waiting. With the 920 you have to unlock it to see if there's any messages.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

grant_k

3539 posts

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#840872 21-Jun-2013 10:43

Technofreak: I mean the blank screen i.e. The black screen when the phone is "sleeping". My other phones show a notification on the "sleep" screen whenever there's a message waiting. With the 920 you have to unlock it to see if there's any messages.

For my 720, the number of TXTs, emails and FB messages show on the lock screen, along with weather and various other stuff if you want it. To access this only takes a momentary press on the power button, NOT unlocking the phone. Does your 920 not have that?

Technofreak

6531 posts

Uber Geek

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#840904 21-Jun-2013 11:22

Yes it does do that. That's my point you have to do something to see notifications something not required on my other phones. You cannot glance at the phone to see what's waiting

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

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