Speculation and Rumors on upcoming phones, part 2

[cookedgoose]

This! I wish they leaked more on things like this. I've been looking for an upgrade to my old Intercept.

That's partly my motivation for looking closely at the One V.

I'm starting to see some improvements in VM speeds. I used consistently clock somewhere between 80-150kbps. Now I'm finding that I'm sometimes getting as high as 800kbps. But on my TM plan, I'm finding ften than not that I'm actually surpassing my 100 min/month limit from time to time, which says a lot considering how I'm not much of a talker on the phone in the first place! Until I can get a guarantee of consistently clear calls on VOIP, Google Voice proxies aren't going to cut it for me.

I'd hate to admit it. But if VM was that girlfriend I ditched for a fling with TM, I might just have to crawl back to her...!

[Whyzor]

VM or any company has good reason to not announce upcoming products until they've commited and signed contracts with suppliers, even then, they probably still wouldn't want to announce anything early in case plans change or in case it obsoletes their own current products.

Right now they're likely fine with the speculations & rumors, it allows customers to stay on a bit longer with hopes of better phones, but if they keep disappointing, people will learn and leave eventually.

[cookedgoose]

VM or any company has good reason to not announce upcoming products until they've commited and signed contracts with suppliers, even then, they probably still wouldn't want to announce anything early in case plans change or in case it obsoletes their own current products.

Right now they're likely fine with the speculations & rumors, it allows customers to stay on a bit longer with hopes of better phones, but if they keep disappointing, people will learn and leave eventually.

You're not serious, are you? There's no hype really beyond whatever comes up on Howard forums and maybe even Android Central. I can understand why Verizon would play up the hype of incoming phones, but VM? When's the last time they updated their device lineup? I would hardly say the ZTE Venture did much for VM's reputation.

I wouldn't make too many assumptions about VM's ability to properly use hype.

[vmobi]

You're not serious, are you? There's no hype really beyond whatever comes up on Howard forums and maybe even Android Central. I can understand why Verizon would play up the hype of incoming phones, but VM? When's the last time they updated their device lineup? I would hardly say the ZTE Venture did much for VM's reputation.

I wouldn't make too many assumptions about VM's ability to properly use hype.

The lack of hype is a result of the Sprint acquisition.

It happened to Boost once they were acquires by Sprint (as part of the Nextel purchase), and now it is happening to Virgin Mobile.

Prior to the Sprint acquisition, any changes (new service options or new devices) would be leaked weeks in advance.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Virgi...9-109062.shtml

Now any changes seem to be introduced in the middle of the night. Little to no advance notice and without any build-up. billm261 is spot-on with his observation that Sprint is more concerned about their post paid product and not concerned about any prepaid success. If you are looking for prepaid service hype the only area that you might find it is with the mvno's. Both Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile produced some great results when they were independent entities and managed to create some excitement for their product and service offerings each time they updated them.

Now, not so much.

[Churner]

This! I wish they leaked more on things like this. I've been looking for an upgrade to my old Intercept.

I'd have gone crazy if I had put up with the Intercept for more than a year. Go with the Slider. It's 100x better than the Intercept. I doubt we'll see another QWERTY model before the 4th quarter.

[Joe12304]

I'd have gone crazy if I had put up with the Intercept for more than a year. Go with the Slider. It's 100x better than the Intercept. I doubt we'll see another QWERTY model before the 4th quarter.

You think go with the Slider over waiting for the V? And yes, I still haven't gotten used to the frozen screens and all the other "quirks."

[Churner]

You think go with the Slider over waiting for the V?

I suspect the One V is going to cost $299 or more. You can get the Slider for $180 and keep your QWERTY keyboard. For me, both of those tip the scales toward the Slider. If you've got $300 burning a hole in your pocket and not much need for the QWERTY keyboard, you might be happier with the One V.

I paid $81 for my Slider on Cyber Monday, so it was a no-brainer.

[cookedgoose]

The lack of hype is a result of the Sprint acquisition.

It happened to Boost once they were acquires by Sprint (as part of the Nextel purchase), and now it is happening to Virgin Mobile.

Prior to the Sprint acquisition, any changes (new service options or new devices) would be leaked weeks in advance.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Virgi...9-109062.shtml

Now any changes seem to be introduced in the middle of the night. Little to no advance notice and without any build-up. billm261 is spot-on with his observation that Sprint is more concerned about their post paid product and not concerned about any prepaid success. If you are looking for prepaid service hype the only area that you might find it is with the mvno's. Both Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile produced some great results when they were independent entities and managed to create some excitement for their product and service offerings each time they updated them.

Now, not so much.

That explains a lot. Common occurrence:

Step 1: Acquire company, provide a brief cash infusion via acquisition.

Step 2: Whore away the acquired company's expertise and assets, but fail to improve it or create additional shareholder value. Let it languish in the mean time.

Step 3: ???

Step 4: Stagnation


That's what happens to many acquires companies and could happen to VM. I'm not saying it's definitive, but we've all spoken of the risk, especially with the $35/month price tag not justifiable as being "budget."


That's why I'm laughing my arse off every time people here overestimate Virgin Mobile's branding power as a carrier and its nonexistent ability to create hype.


I've said it before and I'll say it again. Virgin Mobile is less-known prepaid carrier that's barely on the map in the minds of most Americans. No one among my circles of acquaintances is aware that it's a brand that also includes phone internet services, let alone that the American brand is licensed by Branson to Sprint. Verizon and AT&T benefit immensely from creating hype and capitalizing on leaked photos and info from inside sources. But VM USA doesn't.

[billm261]

billm261 is spot-on with his observation that Sprint is more concerned about their post paid product and not concerned about any prepaid success.

They need the higher arpu that only postpaid brings but I don't think it's they don't care about prepaid.

I think the love that's been shown to Boost is:

A. An effort to rebuild the brand by sending the better devices that way.

B. An effort to raise prepaid ARPU

Boost caused the prepaid explosion that we all enjoy with any prepaid service or MVNO.

Virgin Mobile was responsible for the supported smartphone entry into prepaid.

In both cases they led and were at the forefront but it's like they were the first horse out of the gate and are now slipping behind the pack.

We need phones that are not 2 years old on VM


Sent from my Infuse 4G

[Whyzor]

You're not serious, are you? There's no hype really beyond whatever comes up on Howard forums and maybe even Android Central. I can understand why Verizon would play up the hype of incoming phones, but VM? When's the last time they updated their device lineup? I would hardly say the ZTE Venture did much for VM's reputation.

I wouldn't make too many assumptions about VM's ability to properly use hype.

I never used the word "hype", that would give VM too much credit for doing nothing except keep a tight seal on upcoming phones. They have no reason to release or dispel any rumors, just saying they don't have anything to lose (& may even keep that straddling customer a bit longer) by any inaccurate rumors being propogated by the blogosphere.

[primetechv2]

Are inaccurate rumors really better than no rumors at all?

[leapoffaithmobi]

Back to topic everyone April 22nd it should be coming out on earth day for it's green materials

http://www.phonedog.com/2012/04/17/l...virgin-mobile/

[wsoul1]

Back to topic everyone April 22nd it should be coming out on earth day for it's green materials

http://www.phonedog.com/2012/04/17/l...virgin-mobile/

Nice to see some news but this will not get me to move on from my Optimus V. If the One V does come to VM with a $200 or less price tag, i may bite.

[dreamsINdigital]

If they announced the LG Optimus Elite now, how likely are they to announce another phone anytime soon (the HTC One V)?

[J_Fast]

does the lg optimus elite look to have a front facing camera and any idea on pricing?