Will Verizon be carrying the new Windows Lumia 950 and the 950 XL in October?
Not likely, unconfirmed leaks say ATT & T-mobile, but no one knows for sure until Microsoft and Verizon says they are or are not. We will know more from Microsoft's announcement on October 6.
I sincerely hope so.. I responded on a previous Lumia 950/950XL question that I (and my other 4 lines) will likely leave Verizon if they don't offer flagship phones with the Windows OS. There are probably over 1 million Windows phone users on Verizon alone, and I think whoever is using Windows OS phones uses it because they love it, despite the lack of sales support they get from Verizon and despite all the droid and Apple fanboys bashing it because it is a great operating system (and therefore a threat).
Agreed! I will be ordering a 950XL and Band2 ASAP after October 6th. Although I currently have 7 lines on Verizon, if they won't allow me to activate the 950XL on Verizon, I will definitely switch to AT&T under my Parent's plan.
I honestly doubt they are going to carry it. It seems like VZW is not a big fan of Windows Phone... Their management made it pretty clear that they didn't think windows phone was going to make it since day one. I doubt they are going to proof themselves wrong. Lumia Icon is a good example. A windows flagship barely made any appearances on most VZW retail stores, and their staff tried to talk me out of it every time I asked for it. Why even carry it if they are not going to sell it.
I for one will switch carrier if I can't get 950 XL here. Of course, I doubt VZW is going to care if a few of us leave.
Here's another thought... Why charge early termination fee, if every company is paying each other's ETF?
Another tell-tale sign is that Verizon Wireless will not allow the 4G/LTE iteration of the Microsoft Surface 3 directly onto it's network. A surrogate device like a smartphone or a Jetpack is needed.
Watch for VZW to not allow the new Lumia phones to be brought onto the network either.
It looks like Microsoft and VZW will be parting company by the end of the year.
Tablet and phones are different. If the device supports the 700 spectrum it'll work no matter where you bought it from. If it doesn't it's not Verizons problem but MS problem for not supporting said spectrum.
Look at Nexus 6, iPhone 6, and Moto X 2015. They support the spectrum so they can't be blocked from using.
Verizon Wireless advised that simply inserting a SIM card into a Microsoft Surface 3 isn't enough to bring the device online. There needs to be a product code for the S3 built to assign/associate to the SIM card.
As of now, there is no code for the S3 in the system...and with the sour relationship between Microsoft and VZW, I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for that to change.
That's for activations
See Nexus 6, iPhone 6, and 6S not purchased through Verizon. They do not activate Sims but they work. When Verizon gets the IMEI at that point they can do activations.
Food for thought.
I think that those devices are/were available from VZW so they should be easy to bring up.
With the S3...VZW requires the use of a surrogate device. It isn't looking very good for people wanting to purchase a new Windows Mobile unit and turn it up on VZW.
Look back in November fir the Nexus 6. Motorola admitted the didn't give Verizon the IMEI. The could not activate. If the sim was activated already the phones worked fine. Same goes for the devices listed and the Moto X 2015 model.
Motorola and VZW have a workable relationship. That really cannot be said of VZW and Microsoft. The Lumia 735 has been around for almost a year and VZW just added it to the catalog a few months ago.
VZW has a reputation of not being overly supportive of Windows products...at least when compared to at&t and T-Mobile. I went to a local VZW store a while back to look at the 735. The rep tried to steer me over towards an iPhone.
VZW was named early on as one of the carriers of the 4G S3 as at&t was the exclusive vendor of the 4G S2. The was no mention of at&t. Today at&t and T-Mobile offer the S3. Not a peep out of VZW.
The current situation doesn't bode well for anyone wishing to activate a 4G S3 on the VZW network.
Last time I am going to say this.
Relationship doesn't matter. BLOCK C regulations matter. If the device supports the block C spectrum it has to work end of discussion. If it doesn't the Verizon is in violation and will be fined, and then forced to make it work or they could lose the block C licensing. If it doesn't activate a Sim card that's not part of block C. So it's up to Microsoft to make it work on Verizon and they don't need help my Verizon to do it, and Verizon can't stop them.
In order to put this to rest...within the next few days...I will visit the local Microsoft Store, obtain the 4G/LTE S3's product code, enter it into VZW's compatibility tool to see if it is eligible for activation on VZW's network and report my finding here.
As it stands, VZW does NOT include Windows OS as an option in the drop down menu for helping to locate the product code. There are only 2 choices....iOS and Android. Windows IS a choice in the smartphone drop down menu...but NOT in the tablet drop down menu.
Block C rules = It will work. If it doesn't a simple complaint to the FCC = fines, and potentially losing their billions of dollars investment into the Block C spectrum.
Like I said activating a sim card it will NOT be able to do, but if you ALREADY have an activated sim card it will work.
Verizon's network needs to know what type of device the SIM card is plugged into. How can it correctly identify a Microsoft Surface 3 when no code for such a device exists in the system? Simply pulling a SIM card out of an Android tablet, slapping it into an S3 (assuming that the SIM card is correct for both devices) going to cause a conflict....because Verizon's system will still associate the SIM with an Android tablet as opposed to a Windows tablet.
Either way...we will see what VZW has to say later this week.
Here do this... Ask the FCC and they'll tell you what I told you. Doesn't matter you switch to a tablet plan it will just say unknown device. You just can't activate a dead sim and that's what the IMEI is for. If MS makes it work Verizon can't stop it. Just like the Motorola phones when the Nexus 6 came out. Couldn't activate the sim and if you looked at My Verizon it said unknown device, but it worked without a hitch.
If VZW can block the use of a cell phone or a smartphone, it can block the use of an "unknown" tablet device. Ma Bell did this pre-divestiture if landlines didn't test correctly due to the connection of unauthorized telephones.
VZW has disclaimers as to what is acceptable under BYOD. All it has to do is prove that the S3 fails to meet some aspect of what is deemed acceptable for use.
Just because something "works" doesn't mean that it will be that way the next week or month.
Either way, my next entry will be after speaking to VZW.
The facts are quite clear. Like I told you. The FCC will tell you what I just said. It's up to Microsoft.
Ok...I finally was able to get back to a VZW store.
The following is what I was told THIS TIME.....
Even if you have an active SIM card, stores cannot update VZW's database with the code. Supposedly, one can contact VZW Customer Service and they should be able to key the code. HOWEVER....much like the disclaimer that the functionality of unlocked phones that are not sold by VZW....which are brought over for activation....cannot be guaranteed to work flawlessly....the same holds true for tablets.
So...yes...an unlocked S3 can be brought onto VZW's network. The company will not guarantee if it will work flawlessly.
Side note...VZW has a disclaimer in the BYOD compatibility tool that says that Windows Mobile devices are not eligible for activation. I'm guessing that that would include the 950 and 950XL. That may change in the future, but right now, its no go.
Activation is activating the sim card and not actually working on the network.
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