Come the end of the month, we’ll be live from Las Vegas, for complete wall-to-wall coverage of CTIA Wireless 2008. Post in the comments and questions you’d like us ask the industry, things you’d like to see, and people you’d like to hear from.
We’ll do our best to mix all your questions, comments, and suggestions into our coverage, starting March 31st.
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Christopher Price is the Founding Editor of PhoneNews.com. He's been campaigning for a more consumer-friendly cell phone since 2003. You can visit his personal blog at ChristopherPrice.net.
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We removed a couple of comments that weren’t related to the topic.
To be clear, we’re asking what you want to see from us… PhoneNews.com… in coverage.
What do you want us to ask the industry about, and what do you want us to see…
This is something I’ve wanted to ask phone manufacturers for a long time:
Instead of releasing lower quality new models, why not just reduce the cost of a higher quality, former high/mid-range phone that now has features considered low end?
Honestly, I don’t see much point in R&Ding new low end phones, especially when the results are so often much worse than prior existing phones. It would be better to keep producing the older model and sell it at a lower price than to release a lower production quality new model.
It is not up to the manufacturer to set pricing and selection details. That is solely up to the carrier that launched the phone. However you do bring up a good point.
It’s a good question, and one I’ve asked in the past to many. There’s no clear-cut answer, but there are a few things that have emerged over the years.
Top-selling phones do gradually decline, when it makes sense. The Motorola RAZR is a perfect example of this. The V3 RAZR is still sold, and Motorola has responded by re-tooling its internals without affecting the feature set.
That addressed the main reason: carriers wanted improvements in build quality over time. However, the norm is still to replace handsets after 6-9 months.
Why, you ask? A few reasons. One, software. Carriers want updated software. They want to add new features all the time. Manufacturers want to sell new phones, all the time.
So, the manufacturer adds the software to new hardware. New hardware is less likely to be on the used market, it’s less likely to be confused with older (buggier) models. It improves the image of the company, those old “buggy” phones you used three years ago from Manufacturer X are a thing of the past.
It has to do with marketing, price points, software, and the conflicting nature of what manufacturers want versus what carriers want.
This is a huge reason why we push for things like firmware over-the-air, and our upcoming Update Your Phone Day. The industry needs to realize customers are willing to accept new software, in the confines of existing devices. That will take a huge step towards reducing the trigger-happy nature of releasing new hardware, just to toss new software in the mix.
Now, I’m not saying that’s the only reason. People want more megapixels, they want thinner phones, they want more RAM, and they want to ditch their stylus for their finger. Technology will always keep pace with consumer demands, and that means new models all the time. A carrier cannot have an infinite number of phones in their lineup, so old ones have to eventually be discontinued.
I am most interested in the QChat and WiMAX devices that may or may not be on display. I’d also like to know if Boost is going to offer CDMA devices.
I would like to know about all the new phones that will be there. Really like to see if any info on the new Samsung SPH-M800 for sprint.
I would like to know about the Samsung M800 also. And what’s the next hype form factor of phone. What’s beyond the touch interface style of phone.
I would like to know why Sprint disables MMS on their PDA/Smartphone line up and when they are going to stop doing it.
Fing out more information about XOHM (WiMax from Sprint)
I think it would be interesting to hear about the advancement/progresss/reality of the nano technology.
http://www.phonenews.com/nokias-nanotechnology-concept-phone-the-morph-2815/
Also perhaps how the heavy hitters of the smart phones (RIM-Palm-Etc) plan to out do the other & what the newer players are planning to catch up. Love technology.
I’ve heard that Boost Mobile is going to offer several new CDMA handsets in April. Can you confirm that?
what is new for baby boomers? don’t like phones with buttons on the side as I inadvertently activate something and for the little amount of texting I do the keys are too small
Eric
I heard a rumor that Sanyo is going to come out with a dual slider kind of like the helio ocean.The name Sanyo Elite was tossed around. any info on that or any other non-smartphone with EVDO and a full qwerty for Sprint would be awesome. Thanks.
I would also like to know more about the Samsung M800 for Sprint. Any specifics or details about the phone.