Verizon doesn't need WP7

[Icepick]

http://www.ppcgeeks.com/2011/02/17/verizon-wireless-doesnt-need-windows-phone-7/

Wow, what a slap in the face to Microsoft. Verizon's CEO made a public statement that they have no intention of introducing WP7 to their lineup anytime soon. Based on his comment, he doesn't seem to have a lot of faith in the new OS.

“I do want a stronger third OS out there,” Melone told CNET. “It gives the carriers more flexibility and balances the interests of all the parties. But I still have doubts whether Microsoft will get the traction they are hoping for with Windows Phone 7. I don’t think Verizon needs the Nokia and Microsoft relationship,” he said. “Right now the three OS players we see for our network are Android, Apple, and (BlackBerry).”

Edit: here's the actual source of the news:
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft...s&utm_medium=Twitter&utm_source=SNS.analytics

 

[rockyct]

Well, they killed the Kin by not offering a special data plan for it, I guess they want to kill the rest of Microsoft's phones. In any case, money talks. Verizon said they didn't need the iPhone and now they are practically worshiping Apple.

 

[zerocool84]

Well, they killed the Kin by not offering a special data plan for it, I guess they want to kill the rest of Microsoft's phones. In any case, money talks. Verizon said they didn't need the iPhone and now they are practically worshiping Apple.

Yup, Verizon doesn't like anything they can't control and that's the reason why they turned away the iPhone in the first place. They figure they can't control WP7 so it's not for them but when it becomes a much larger player in the mobile world, they'll advertise them more.

 

[boomhower]

Yup, Verizon doesn't like anything they can't control and that's the reason why they turned away the iPhone in the first place. They figure they can't control WP7 so it's not for them but when it becomes a much larger player in the mobile world, they'll advertise them more.

Verizon didn't turn away from anything. They were never in the running for it to start with, Apple wanted GSM. Both sides have said this.

 

[zerocool84]

Verizon didn't turn away from anything. They were never in the running for it to start with, Apple wanted GSM. Both sides have said this.

It's nothing new that Verizon turned down the iPhone in the beginning. Verizon didn't want to give a handset maker that much control over their devices so they turned them down.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-01-28-verizon-iphone_x.htm

 

[gsaldivar]

Ouch...

After being burned by the Kin, it looks like Verizon is losing its appetite for Microsoft's phones. They probably figure they are doing fine with Android, iOS and Blackberry phones flying off the shelves. So why confuse consumers with an extra choice they don't need, right?

 

[Genx87]

It's nothing new that Verizon turned down the iPhone in the beginning. Verizon didn't want to give a handset maker that much control over their devices so they turned them down.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-01-28-verizon-iphone_x.htm

Sounds more like a financial decision.

 

[rockyct]

Ouch...

After being burned by the Kin, it looks like Verizon is losing its appetite for Microsoft's phones. They probably figure they are doing fine with Android, iOS and Blackberry phones flying off the shelves. So why confuse consumers with an extra choice they don't need, right?

The problem with the Kin was not Microsoft, it was Verizon. People loved the phones but they could only be used with the full $30 data plan. For a while before it was released, they said there was going to be a light data plan for the Kin because obviously the phone isn't going to be using much data. That didn't happen. The phone was not supposed to be a full featured smart phone, but Verizon priced it as such.

 

[gsaldivar]

The problem with the Kin was not Microsoft, it was Verizon. People loved the phones but they could only be used with the full $30 data plan. For a while before it was released, they said there was going to be a light data plan for the Kin because obviously the phone isn't going to be using much data. That didn't happen. The phone was not supposed to be a full featured smart phone, but Verizon priced it as such.

I've heard this one repeated often here on AT and I'm not sure its entirely fair to put all the blame on pricing for this one. There are many wildly successful devices (including the iPhone) that started out being priced way above market.

With all of their major product revisions, as well as new products, Microsoft typically needs a series (2 or 3) of failures before they are able to pull off a "hit". Maybe WP7 is that hit? It's still far too early to tell for sure, but I'm rooting for them! Competition keeps prices low and innovation fresh - and that benefits everyone...

 

[TheStu]

I've heard this one repeated often here on AT and I'm not sure its entirely fair to put all the blame on pricing for this one. There are many wildly successful devices (including the iPhone) that started out being priced way above market.

With all of their major product revisions, as well as new products, Microsoft typically needs a series (2 or 3) of failures before they are able to pull off a "hit". Maybe WP7 is that hit? It's still far too early to tell for sure, but I'm rooting for them! Competition keeps prices low and innovation fresh - and that benefits everyone...

The original iPhone, although priced at $600 at the getgo, the data plan was cheaper and came with 200 texts. Conversely, the Kins were priced a little high for what they were, feature phones+, plus the expensive data plans.

 

[zerocool84]

I've heard this one repeated often here on AT and I'm not sure its entirely fair to put all the blame on pricing for this one. There are many wildly successful devices (including the iPhone) that started out being priced way above market.

With all of their major product revisions, as well as new products, Microsoft typically needs a series (2 or 3) of failures before they are able to pull off a "hit". Maybe WP7 is that hit? It's still far too early to tell for sure, but I'm rooting for them! Competition keeps prices low and innovation fresh - and that benefits everyone...

Well the iPhone was always priced similarly as all the other top-end smartphones but the Kin didn't have all the features of a top-end smartphone or even a low-end smartphone but the data plan was priced that way. If they had given it a feature phone data plan price, I think it might have fared better but obviously we'll never know.

 

[rockyct]

I've heard this one repeated often here on AT and I'm not sure its entirely fair to put all the blame on pricing for this one. There are many wildly successful devices (including the iPhone) that started out being priced way above market.

With all of their major product revisions, as well as new products, Microsoft typically needs a series (2 or 3) of failures before they are able to pull off a "hit". Maybe WP7 is that hit? It's still far too early to tell for sure, but I'm rooting for them! Competition keeps prices low and innovation fresh - and that benefits everyone...

I think if they had done a $10 facebook/twitter only data plan, it would have taken off. The real cost is the cost of the data plan unless you're talking about a non-contract phone and if you're paying $30 a month for a smartphone data plan, just buy a real smartphone, and that's what people did. It was DOA because of the data plan even though it was actually a very good feature phone.

 

[tdawg]

Ouch...

After being burned by the Kin, it looks like Verizon is losing its appetite for Microsoft's phones. They probably figure they are doing fine with Android, iOS and Blackberry phones flying off the shelves. So why confuse consumers with an extra choice they don't need, right?

This is one of the big problems with carriers and the telecom industry. Why should the carrier dictate what the consumer wants by licensing a device to work on their network and to make shelf space to sell them? Put the devices on the shelves and let the consumer decide what OS they want to use, don't force them to only use what you want them to use.

This train of thought will eventually lead to the downfall of the carrier-centric model of control we have now; hopefully in the next decade we will move toward carriers just being dumb pipes so consumers can shop around for the best service and use whatever device they want to use with that service.

 

[theeedude]

Basically what Verizon is saying "SHOW ME THE MONEY!" MS is going to have to pay up if they want in. Remember that MS is paying Verizon to put Bing on Android phones. So it stands to reason that Verizon will also want to get that fee to sell WP7 phones that have Bing integrated.

 

[Deeko]

I responded to this in another thread, but basically...this is what Verizon does. They passively badmouth things that they don't have. They did it with the iPhone too - talked about how much they don't need it because their Android lineup was so strong...but now they <3 their iPhone.

I'm sure there will be WP7 on the Verizon shelves, and once there is, I'm sure they'll drastically change their attitude.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

thats the same company that thought iphone wouldnt catch on

wp7 is a solid os and will be even better after they update it. it is comparable to ios or android and way more functional and modern than bb. if verizon had wp7 id definitely get one. i cant believe anyone would choose blackberry over wp7

 

[MrX8503]

I've heard this one repeated often here on AT and I'm not sure its entirely fair to put all the blame on pricing for this one. There are many wildly successful devices (including the iPhone) that started out being priced way above market.

With all of their major product revisions, as well as new products, Microsoft typically needs a series (2 or 3) of failures before they are able to pull off a "hit". Maybe WP7 is that hit? It's still far too early to tell for sure, but I'm rooting for them! Competition keeps prices low and innovation fresh - and that benefits everyone...

Except the iPhone is a smartphone with a smartphone dataplan.

The Kin was NOT a smartphone with a smartphone dataplan. This is a big difference.

Sounds more like a financial decision.

Verizon wanted the the original iPhone, but wanted more control. Apple didn't give this to them so Verizon passed on it. Everyone knows this.

 

[Narmer]

The problem with the Kin was not Microsoft, it was Verizon. People loved the phones but they could only be used with the full $30 data plan. For a while before it was released, they said there was going to be a light data plan for the Kin because obviously the phone isn't going to be using much data. That didn't happen. The phone was not supposed to be a full featured smart phone, but Verizon priced it as such.

It was Microsoft. There were people within Microsoft that wanted the Kin to fail because they wanted to focus on WP7. The Kin ended up being delayed long enough to annoy Verizon so Verizon reneged on their special data plan for it.

 

[gsaldivar]

It was Microsoft. There were people within Microsoft that wanted the Kin to fail because they wanted to focus on WP7. The Kin ended up being delayed long enough to annoy Verizon so Verizon reneged on their special data plan for it.

Correct.

In this case, with data service inappropriately priced, Microsoft should have pulled the product before it went to market. Apple would have done this. But Microsoft didn't.

At the end of the day, what counts is that it was a Microsoft phone that failed. By allowing that phone to go to market, Microsoft burned both Verizon and the consumers who bought into a platform that was abandoned by its maker mere weeks after launch.

It's only common sense that Verizon would now think twice before putting their brand name on another Microsoft phone.

Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice...

 

[rockyct]

It was Microsoft. There were people within Microsoft that wanted the Kin to fail because they wanted to focus on WP7. The Kin ended up being delayed long enough to annoy Verizon so Verizon reneged on their special data plan for it.

Very true. Yeah, I've heard about execs within Microsoft killing any project that could step onto their turf. I guess what I mean is that the Kin was not a failure of quality. It was a nice phone that worked well and the few people who used it, really liked it. People like to equate the failure of the Kin as evidence that WP7 is going to fail hard. That's just not the case and with their new partnership with Nokia, Nokia is now completely dependent on WP7 to do well. It still may fail for many reasons, but it's not going to be for the same reasons as the Kin.