Windows Phone Continues to Wow

[groq]

Hi Verizon, 3 years ago I bought into the windows phone stream and have been thoroughly satisfied with the product. My biggest issues with it have been with you as a carrier, delaying updates and limiting options to buy. But seriously, this is only a detriment to you. I'm a business owner with 3 companies spread out in the Midwest and having a solid way to communicate and share information with my managers is important to me. Windows is the only company making this truly possible and streamlined without working across 2-3 operating systems/ecosystems to edit documents, share important files and photographs, organize data, and run outlook (the only truly functional enterprise level mail client available). When I show colleagues and other owners what functionality I have with Windows phone (and I'm on the 822) I consistently turn heads. I've been holding out for a truly high-end level windows phone which the 950 provides.

Two days ago would have been a great time to blow up airwaves announcing you'll carry the phone, and you missed a huge opportunity. But there's still time, be the first to really get behind this, their midlevel phones outperform iPhone offerings for business users and android still looks like childsplay. You have an opportunity here. The carrier that throws in on this train will win mine and my business' loyalty. Companies that sit fat and happy on what they've done without looking forward into what could be leave a chink open in their armor for their competitors. You may feel like Windows is something to wait on, but you have the resources and capability to keep an edge here and earn some loyalty, Apple doesn't give a rip anymore and Android is a joke for 15 year olds. Throw in see what happens!

[primortal]

I too want this phone just as bad but I don't VZW is at fault here but Microsoft.  All the buzz on the internet is that Microsoft got into bed with AT&T for some reason and left the other carriers in the dust.  We will never no the true story here but hopefully in the coming months the phone will start appearing on other carriers or Microsoft will truly unlock the phones for all carriers upon release.

We have to wait till November to see what networks the unlocked phone can connect to.  Right now there is just a ton of speculation with no real answers.

[SickFreak]

And the other remote possibility is other OEMs might be making announcements very soon about their own WM10 devices.

[hazlgrnguy]

primortal I fault Verizon more than Microsoft in this case.  Verizon has never been a great supporter of Microsoft.  Have they carried the phones?  Sure, some of them, but they one they have don't get the updates in a timely manner.  Also, many of the stores didn't/don't display them, don't train their employees on them, and have employees that actively push people away from MS.  So MS likely made a decision, now that they have a phone where their superior OS isn't the only reason people want them.  Whether it was to award a company that doesn't treat their phones like second class citizens, or to get people who want them on Verizon (or Sprint) to drive the demand to encourage VZ to approach MS, I don't know.  It could also be to save some money because getting them certified CDMA is rigorous and expensive, and why spend that time and effort to get them on a carrier that actively pushes customers away from them?  So again, Microsoft is not at fault.  How many times do you keep going back to a business partner that actively pushes their customers to another product?  It's true that we will never get the true story, but VZ is not innocent in this.  I venture to say that had they actively pushed MS phones, they would be the exclusive carrier.

And they have released the specifications for the unlocked versions of both the 950 and the 950XL.  They do not support CDMA (or WCDMA).  However, their chipset does support it, so I believe that all MS would need to do is get them certified and update their firmware to be able to be used on VZ (and Sprint) networks.  Hopefully with all the demand, VZ and MS can work things out so we  can have the phones we want.  If not, I know I will be going to AT&T, and pretty much every other Windows Phone owner will be going there (or T-Mobile) as well.  I don't want to leave Verizon, I have no problem with their service, but they need to offer the phone I want as well.

[Tidbits]

CDMA and WCDMA are two different techs. WCDMA will never work on a CDMA network as WCDMA(UMTS) was meant for GSM. Verizon aand Sprint uses EVDO for their 3Google technology.

AT&T and T-Mobile switched their 3G (faux 4G) from WCDMA to HSPA+.

[Tidbits]

3G not 3Google lol auto correct.

[vzw_customer_support]

Having the latest and greatest devices are always exciting groq. I am happy to hear what a great experince you are having with your current device. At this time we do not have any information regarding the relesase of new Windows devices. However, you may feel free to register for alerts on new products and services by clicking, http://bit.ly/qDhvBY

Thank You,
MichelleS_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[Timlovesbikes]

Incorrect Answer

[etphoto]

I agree with the OP.  I've been with Verizon since my first mobile device, around 2000 sometime.  It looks like I might be leaving Verizon when its time for a new phone.  I read nothing but bad experiences when Windows' phone users recount their visits to Verizon stores and can relate because I went in wanting a Windows HTC M8 and the employee that assisted me tried to talk me out of it and switch to an Android M8.  Its sad because Windows phones are so smooth, fluid and fast and I have nothing but good experiences with the platform.  With Windows 10 mobile just around the corner I'm sure Verizon will lose a few customers.  Too bad it won't be enough to make them take notice.  I hope AT&T has good service in my area (Cincinnati).

[dexman]

If the new phone is designed to work on Verizon Wireless's network...try purchasing an unlocked version at a retailer...such as Best Buy...take it to Verizon Wireless and have them activate it on the spot. That way sales people can't push iOS and Android if you have a phone already in your possession.  🐵

[hazlgrnguy]

The unlocked versions of the 950 and the 950XL have the Verizon (and Sprint) frequency bands disabled in the firmware (likely due to Verizon's unwillingness to work with them if you believe the recent reports).  So you wouldn't be able to take an unlocked phone to anywhere but T-Mobile or AT&T unless MS releases one without those bands disabled.

[Tidbits]

the recent reports are wrong...  It's someone speculation and believed to be fact when the information out there disproves what he said and people are gobbling it up.

[hazlgrnguy]

The recent reports about what are wrong?  Why MS disabled all the Verizon's frequency bands in the firmware?  I agree that it is speculation, but it makes sense.  Will we ever get a straight answer out of VZ or MS about the decision?  Probably not.  Either way, the phones won't work on VZ unless MS releases the phone(s) with those Verizon's frequencies enabled.  The ones that are currently on MS's website will not.

[Tidbits]

Because of block C rules. Verizon can't stop any device that supports the spectrum to work on Verizon. If they do they could lose their spectrum license they spent billions on and would have to spend billions to redo their LTE network, not to mention the amount they'll be fined. That is no speculation and is a fact which all recent reports have not stated.

Also the authentication system isn't CDMA anymore for LTE devices which a lot of these recent reports take from one guy who USED  to work for Verizon long ago and not recently.

[hazlgrnguy]

@Tidbits I am certainly not an expert on the Block C rules, though I did read the clause regarding how VZ has to support devices that operate on that frequency.  Here is the million dollar question though; Does VZ have to allow every frequency that every phone that is compatible with 700 MHz Block C is equipped with? Or do they only have to allow it on that specific frequency?  If the latter is the case, well then the 950(XL) would only work on the towers equipped with the 700 MHz Block C equipment, which considering it is brand new, a very small number of towers.  So that basically means that the phones will not work on VZ unless it is near one of the Block C towers.

[Tidbits]

It's every frequency, and you can ask the FCC about this.

Keep in mind the Nexus 6 prior to Motorola handing off the ECIDs to Verizon you could connect to the network and use the device. You couldn't activate the sims however. If Verizon did it the CDMA way like what the guy said the Nexus 6 would have never been able to connect to the network and Verizon would be in violation of block C rules.

There are device and carrier agnostic articles which say it is MS is the reason why it doesn't work on Verizon. Fact of the matter they could have done the 3rd party testing(Qualcomm), and got the rest of the frequencies to work on Verizon. They did not and there is not one thing Verizon could do to stop it due to the rules.

[hazlgrnguy]

Oh, I trust you.  I don't need to ask the FCC.  LOL  We will probably never know why MS disabled VZ's frequencies in the firmware.  Was it to drum up demand for it from VZ's customers to create some leverage for themselves?  I could see that.  Was it because they didn't think it made fiscal sense?  I doubt this one considering how much money MS has spent on developing Windows 10 Mobile and the phone itself.  I am sure QUALCOMM validation is a small cost comparatively.  Was it an F-U to VZ for how poorly they have treated Windows phones?  Maybe.  Either way, going back to the original question I was responding to.  You can't just buy one unlocked and take it to VZ for them to activate.

[Tidbits]

Actually it does make sense in terms of costs.

Would you be willing to pay up to $100 more for the same device? Relative speaking depending how many they expect to be sold would affect the cost of the device. No company is going to like taking a loss. Doesn't matter how much they spent to develop it. They are not paying any licensing fees to themselves so cost is relative.

If they think they'll sell 50M units then the price difference may be $20 from current pricing, but if they think 10M units it could cost $100 more than current pricing. They could make a CDMA only but they'd make a carrier pay those fees as part of an agreement so they don't have to pay it out of pocket in some other agreement like exclusivity for example.

[dexman]

There has to be more to it than that.

If it was strictly a cost issue, then what was the reason the 4G/LTE Surface 3 never made it to VZW stores despite the fact that the unit supports VZW's bands straight out of the box?

[Tidbits]

Supports 700C? Remember 700 is split up into 4 parts and are not mutually inclusive.

Remember AT&T and T-Mobile both use 700 as well.

There are 4 blocks to the 700 spectrum. Band 12 and Band 17(I believed) are what is generally listed. Back 13 is what Verizon paid to use. Just because it says 700 it might not be the right 700.

[Tidbits]

Verizon doesn't have to sell it to be supported. If it has the spectrum and can be used then it has to be allowed regardless of Verizon wants to sell it or not.

Also it's a surface branding. Like I speculated before. MS is more than likely going with that branding and where they'll put their efforts into.