ubuntu-phone team mailing list archive

[Josh Leverette <coder543@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hmm. Ok. I use Verizon too, but I would switch to Straight Talk (uses
AT&T's network) for this phone. Here's why this phone cannot possibly come
to Verizon.

With CDMA networks, the carrier has complete control over every phone that
tries to connect to the network. They check the device ID and decide
whether it is authorized to connect, then they compare the device ID to the
service plan you've selected and decide whether your service plan allows
that phone to be used. They claim that this is all for "quality control",
and that's the reasoning they'll stick to. The reality for end users is
that any phone they want to use on that network has to go through months of
*very *expensive testing in the carrier's own labs and field personnel.
With a GSM network like Straight Talk, you pop your SIM card in and go.
Canonical would have to ship several Ubuntu Edge phones to Verizon, and
then Verizon would have to eventually decide that they approve it. But
wait, what if someone uses Sprint? or one of Japan's CDMA networks? They
have to send handsets to each of these to each one to approve the phone for
their network. So, for a 40,000 phone production run, they've just sent off
between 10 and 100 of the devices to carriers *just for the chance* of
being accepted. Oh, and since we're now making CDMA and GSM phones, the
production costs are significantly higher now that we're no longer
producing 40,000 of one design. We're now making 35,000 of one and *only
5,000* of the other. A 5,000 device run would not be affordable.

As you said, what if we made it a GSM/CDMA combo phone? well, that means
that the majority of your customers now pay for a CDMA antenna that they're
never going to use. But, it also wouldn't be pioneering anything. The
Motorola Razr M is a CDMA/GSM combo device with 4G LTE. You still wouldn't
be able to jump to any carrier you can imagine, because of how restrictive
CDMA networks are.

Furthermore, Verizon (and any other CDMA carrier) would want *full* control
of the phone. This is how they screwed the Galaxy Nexus for Verizon (the
phone I currently have). My GNex is months behind the GSM GNex phones in
terms of updates, because Verizon took over that, which went against
everything Google and Verizon agreed to. Verizon also installed bloatware
on the CDMA GNex. They made a pure phone like a Nexus device into a very
dirty device. Canonical would have to give up everything that is noble
about this campaign to get Verizon to let those phones to connect to their
network.

It cannot happen, and it will not happen. Verizon has great infrastructure,
but their customer experience has been very unsatisfactory for me.

Do no GSM carriers service your area? AT&T has really redoubled their
infrastructure efforts over the last couple of years, from what I've seen.


On Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 9:21 AM, Daniel Clem <clem11388@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Agreed. And here in USA the "Modern American Mentality” has taken over and
> people don't realized that high quality products come at a price. They are
> used to 2 year contracts that get them "latest hardware” at 200 to 300. But
> this device being 3 times the power and quality, but not 3 times the price
> goes over Kant's heads.
>
> I am very low income, but I can save up $830 in 3 to 4 weeks. But again, I
> NEED Verizon because I, as many others also, live in a rural area.
> Eventually we will have LTE, but not for 2 to 4 years.
>
> Since these won't be manufactured till months after the fund ends.
> Requesting 1 or 2 thousand CDMA should be that hard. Or since this is
> flagged as a "Open Device ” why not pioneer the first LTE capable Combo
> phone? CDMA+GSM. Only using the one you need. So later if you wish you can
> jump to any carrier you can imagine. Making it Truly Open.
>
> Just some thoughts. God Bless
>
> Josh Leverette <coder543@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> Stores and resellers were not purchasing from indiegogo yesterday. There
>> might have been one or two, but that's simply not what happened. This whole
>> campaign is all about individuals buying these phones. I don't want to see
>> this campaign fail anymore than you do. People will either buy them at
>> $830, or they won't.
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 9:02 AM, Omar B. <estelar57@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> >So implementing possibilities to "buy" a smartphone with less specs isn't
>>> compatible with the goal of this campaign.
>>>
>>> A little less specs Not being compatible is your opinion.
>>>
>>> The only fact I see is that they set a goal and would much prefer for it to be be reached. Am sure they have months or years planning it and waiting for the right moment.
>>>
>>>
>>> It's not so positive if the campaign gets stuck at like 10 or 13 million, there's not much impact about that.
>>>
>>> Even with less specs the phone will be a top tier phone. But what really makes the phone is not the hardware, but the software combination and possibilities. So it will still do things that many others wont. Getting ubuntu to more users and developers hands has always been a primary goal.
>>>
>>> Anyway many resellers got into the 600 promo, but that is over. There's no deal or perk for them anymore, so they left. For Stores and resellers, 40k limited time phones is not that much if you got them, but they don't want to pay full price, because they need to make some returns, so they need now perks that give them discounts for a higher quantity purchase.
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Sincerely,
>>     Josh
>>
>> --
>> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone
>>
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>>
>>


-- 
Sincerely,
    Josh