Sprint Touch Pro 2 - Official Price $349.99 (100 rebate - 2 yr commit DS) - 9-8-2009 - Page 7

monkeyboy · #61 (**permalink**) 09-02-2009, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mclife

Sprint isn't going to sell that many Touch Pro 2s, just like they didn't sell that many other HTC winmo phones. Its a smaller market, hence my original point that they can't subsidize something that they aren't selling in high volume and not requiring pricey plans.

I don't disagree with what you're saying... except for an issue of horse/chicken, cart/egg...

You say that Sprint won't sell many TP2's, I suppose that is in contrast to? Pre's? Instinct's? (actually Sprint probably sold as many TP's as Instinct's... at least within a factor of two...)

So what's the diff between Instinct's and TP2's? *requiring pricey plans* makes a device sell LESS, not more. So then is it that Instinct's were offered at $129? (and Pre's at $200)? If so, then why not price TP2's at $200? then they will sell more and, according to what you say above, will be able to afford to subsidize it more...

The other obvious factor is that *some*, but only *some* people believe/know that WM phones are harder to use, hence, less popular/not for the average Joe? Is that really true? maybe, but how much is perception and how much is reality? I don't think it is all that much harder to bring up the TP/TP2's web browser and get FAR, FAR better results than the Instinct's crappy browser. And out of the box, the Instinct required so many updates and fixes to get it to be useable that it is fair to ask if the Instinct was a phone for the "average Joe"...

What I'm really saying is that a BIG part of why the TP2 is being funneled into the $350, not pricey plans, won't sell many category has to do with market perceptions on the part of BOTH Sprint and its customers, and has little to do with the actual device and reality... which means that it COULD be the other way around (i.e. the TP2 COULD sell a lot more, if Sprint would only let it...)(through the right marketing and product positioning...)

mclife · #62 (**permalink**) 09-02-2009, 07:03 PM

I am pretty sure the Instinct sales completely obliterated the Touch Pro sales. It set all kinds of records.

I agree with you that Sprint doesn't think the average Joe is ready for WinMo, but I actually agree with Sprint on this one. People are lost when they grab my phone (Diamond). There's a major learning curve. Things go wrong and average Joe has no clue how to fix it. Sprint doesn't spend any money on advertising for WinMo devices (in comparison to Pre and Instinct) and they don't market them to people that can't handle them because all of average Joes' complaints and confusion would reflect poorly on Sprint itself. The Pre and Instinct are way more user friendly. WinMo phones are simply not as intuitive. Instinct's issues requiring constant updates etc were all due to poor execution on Sprint and Sammy's end.

If Sprint sold a ton of TP2s, they'd spend a ton right back in customer service costs teaching average Joe how to place a call or save a new contact. Its kind of convenient that only enthusiasts even know that these HTC winmo phones exist. They're the only ones that can really handle them without pulling their hair out and complaining every 5 seconds it that it takes 5 seconds just to open a damn window (which even some of us do every now and then).

monkeyboy · #63 (**permalink**) 09-02-2009, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mclife

I am pretty sure the Instinct sales completely obliterated the Touch Pro sales. It set all kinds of records...

No... the Instinct broke Sprint's FIRST WEEK sales records... sold about 70K. But afterwards, when people found out that it was not even CLOSE to being an iPhone killer and the browser, for example, was horrid... sales plummeted...
The estimates are of Instinct sales in the 300-500K range, probably closer to 300K (and many returns).

The TP, don't know for sure, but one source said that it plateau'd at 15K/month, so perhaps it sold 200K? 300k? In other words, within a factor of two of the Instinct...

The Instinct was a total disaster, not only because it sold so few, but because Hesse spent $100mil on its marketing... which comes out to be more than $200 per Instinct sold... note how much less was obviously spent on the Pre's marketing even though it is clearly the superior device... Hesse learnt his lesson... It isn't called the In-Stink for no reason...

as far as ease of use for the TP/TP2? I'd say that with HTC's TouchFlo that it is fair to say that it at least "meets you half way"... it really isn't THAT hard to make calls and keep contacts using TouchFlo... and the stability of the device wasn't/isn't any worse than the initial stability of the Instinct... at least half of all this is perception...

BenC · #64 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 02:53 AM

Lost? I wonder about that. I was a Palm user for years and went WM 3 times then back to Palm OS and finally stuck with WM when the 800W came out. My complaint each time was not with the learning curve, it was with application availability and general performance. Heck, I found the most difficult thing was finding the start icon. I eventually decided to quit being so picky and to get on with my desire for a multi-tasking OS and device. WM meets my needs better than any other platform out there.

**brownhornet** · #65 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 11:22 AM

Actually we sold nowhere near as many TP's as we did instincts...

Spiderman313 · #66 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 01:20 PM

If you try to keep your Sero plan no rebate.

mclife · #67 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenC

Lost? I wonder about that. I was a Palm user for years and went WM 3 times then back to Palm OS and finally stuck with WM when the 800W came out. My complaint each time was not with the learning curve, it was with application availability and general performance. Heck, I found the most difficult thing was finding the start icon. I eventually decided to quit being so picky and to get on with my desire for a multi-tasking OS and device. WM meets my needs better than any other platform out there.

But you were a smartphone user already, and clearly an enthusiast switching around from phone to phone. I think you're more savvy than average Joe coming from a Nokia candybar or Samsung flip phone to a full blown PPC.

TouchFlo3D has come a long way though, and thanks to HTC, WinMo is way more user friendly than it was just a few years ago. And if Sense comes to WinMo too in an official capacity, maybe a Whitestone like device could be ready to make a big splash for Sprint like the Pre did.

drdjdesi · #68 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 11:08 PM

Im a bit annoyed at Sprint (RANT). Ive been with Sprint for JUST under 10 years. So, I called and simply asked if I can buy the touch pro 2 at the new customer price. Essentially, they were ok with me cancelling rather than let me get the phone for the new customer price.

Question: If I get it through best buy, can I get it for the new customer price and simple extend my contract? I must have this phone!

basilray · #69 (**permalink**) 09-04-2009, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drdjdesi

Im a bit annoyed at Sprint (RANT). Ive been with Sprint for JUST under 10 years. So, I called and simply asked if I can buy the touch pro 2 at the new customer price. Essentially, they were ok with me cancelling rather than let me get the phone for the new customer price.

Question: If I get it through best buy, can I get it for the new customer price and simple extend my contract? I must have this phone!

If you're up for your upgrade credit...it will be the $350 price OUT THE DOOR!

Assuming they get it...I haven't seen any info on it yet, nor have I contacted my local Best Buys :/

DomSim · #70 (**permalink**) 09-04-2009, 06:58 PM

well after about an hour and a half being on the phone i am getting the tp2 for the low low price of trading in my tp1! called and talked to a rep telling him i am having issues with my tp1 again (im on my 4th or 5th one, dont remember) {i really do have a problem, battery is bad!} and i need to have it exchanged. i told the rep that i had gone to a sprint store to set up an advanced exchange and the rep had told me that the tp2 had just came out but i had to call sprint directly to get it (i didnt really go to a store, i just told the rep i did) now something that i think helped me happened, the rep was an ASSH0LE! he said he couldnt do anything for me and i had to buy the phone outright. i asked to talk to a sup and for his id number and he refused! he argued with me that im pretty much SOL. at this moment i told him i am willing to WALK and i need to talk to someone else, i mentioned retentions, he aggreed. i asked again for his info before transfering but he refused and instead told me there was no reason to do so. So i told him he has been exceptionally rude and i need his info to report to his sup. at this point assh0le hung up on me!

i immediately called back, got a much more helpful woman who i explained what happened to. she found the reps info, talked to a sup transfered me to advance exchange, the set it up, and are sending me my tp2 in an advance exchange box which i should have by monday or tuesday!. the key here, was to get leverage! i didnt have much before other than i had exchanged my phone several times before. so that plus the assh0le was enough.

it is of note, i have only been a sprint subscriber since the tp1 came out, i am a premier member, and am on the sprint playmaker plan of 20 bucks a month for 3k minutes, unlim text, data, mms included teether blah blah blah so i think this may be totally repeatable by others no matter what plan you have or how long you have been a subscriber. just dont be rude, dont yell, state your case as sell them on the importance of NOT switching again for the tp1. something like, you need conferencing, speaker phone, full keyboard, wm - this leaves you pretty much with only the tp2. if you are convincing enough you may succeed