Sprint Dropped the ball.

**sYnOnYx** · 07-08-2010, 12:20 PM

I came from the Pre to the EVO. I loved the Pre, but some how it just didn't vibe to all the consumers well. I still think the Pre beats out an Iphone 3G.

I must say, I am a happy customer of Sprint. Cheap plans, great 3G & 4G service where I am at and never any major issues.

When I heard the EVO was dropping on Sprint, I thought for sure they would nail it this time unlike the Pre. I waited 3 weeks on a waiting list at 3 stores before one called me to come get my Pre. They even said the were "Ramping up production" to not have a situation like the Pre. Alot of want, not enough stock.

Well Sprint, you failed on delivering again. I went and picked my EVO up the morning of launch, got there at 6am and waited it out to be 2nd in line. They had just over 100 EVO's according to the rep and they were gone by 5pm-6pm With 40 of them being sold the first hour.

Now, A few of my friends love my device, and want in on the action. Some of them have been waiting a month now. They have gone to sprint, BB, and RS with no luck. They refuse to order online(sigh).

How many others maybe sitting in this boat ? Sprint has new customers out there that want in on the EVO action but they are lagging !

Just imagine, how huge of a launch the EVO could have had, if say Sprint were to have a Million on stock the day of launch ? I know its a bit risky, but they should show some faith ! !

well, atleast we dont have to worry about holding our EVO's a certain way

**pwnst_r** · 07-08-2010, 12:22 PM

Don't you think that's an HTC fail, and not solely a Sprint fail?

**dekcufi** · 07-08-2010, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by pwnst_r

Don't you think that's an HTC fail, and not solely a Sprint fail?

sprint represents the Htc device they are selling....... If sprint wanted it to have less issues and be a better product they would have pushed for that to happen or not rushed it to the market just to get it here b4 the idont! And yes i think htc is capable of making a better product, however they more then likely make it to sprints specs

**Gekko** · 07-08-2010, 12:28 PM

if you snooze you lose.

**Jerzyiroc** · 07-08-2010, 12:33 PM

I think HTC made a VERY good product. Not everybody had the light leakage problem. Not everyone had the screen separation problem. I will agree that maybe they should have waited another month or so until they got the stock size up and took care of the small light issues but overall they made a VERY good product.

**klbjr** · 07-08-2010, 12:37 PM

Granted waiting a month or so would have built up stock but they released it at a crucial time...Pre iPhone 4 release. They had to beat iPhone 4 to the stores. That was the reaason they sort of rushed it out. Plus with the Galaxy S brand of phones due out soon and the Droid X later this month Sprint had to stake their flag first.

**sYnOnYx** · 07-08-2010, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by klbjr

Granted waiting a month or so would have built up stock but they released it at a crucial time...Pre iPhone 4 release. They had to beat iPhone 4 to the stores. That was the reaason they sort of rushed it out. Plus with the Galaxy S brand of phones due out soon and the Droid X later this month Sprint had to stake their flag first.

Agreed, but I'm sure sprint only ordered so many of them. Like I said a million on launch day would have prolly covered quite a bit.

I would be interested to know how many they have sold to date.

**HYDE** · 07-08-2010, 12:44 PM

I have a feeling that Sprint/HTC has a little more business savvy than the typical forum online quarterback. I think they looked at all scenarios and released the phone at the best possible time.

**sYnOnYx** · 07-08-2010, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by HYDE

I have a feeling that Sprint/HTC has a little more business savvy than the typical forum online quarterback. I think they looked at all scenarios and released the phone at the best possible time.

I agree, best possible time ever. But not enough stock. Someone who might have swayed from a iP4 to the EVO, may have said screw it cause they cant get one.

**Gekko** · 07-08-2010, 01:01 PM

your friends are the ones that dropped the ball and they are SOL as a result.

**SilverZero** · 07-08-2010, 01:27 PM

Do people really think that Sprint just had some guy sit down and guess at how many devices they'd order for launch day? People get graduate degrees just to get jobs to solve these sorts of problems. There's more to it than just buying as many as you can fit in the trucks and crossing your fingers.

**meyerweb** · 07-08-2010, 01:51 PM

Whine, whine, whine.

I'm sure Sprint ordered every EVO they could get. HTC seems overtaxed right now. They can't deliver the Incredible, either.

As far as waiting, I called Sprint telesales a week after release, and my phone shipped the next day. Yes, there have been shortages, but there have also been many people who found the phones at Sprint stores, Sprint online, BB and Radio Shack.

**Crimson** · 07-08-2010, 02:03 PM

Ordered online, had mine next day. Whats the problem? Shipping is free, activation is free.

**MissJennell#IM** · 07-08-2010, 02:12 PM

I bought mine at a sprint store a week after launch. Wasn't hard to find one.

**milominderbinde** · 07-08-2010, 03:12 PM

Sprint.com is sold out again. Best Buy, Radio Shack, and the local Sprint stores are all on allocation only getting about 20 EVO's a week. But do that math: 20 times 27,000 is 54,000 EVO's a week plus the online and direct sales as well as the account sales. A stores get more, B and C stores get less.

Plus the 320,000 estimated the first day. One rumor is that HTC is close to a million EVO's.

Next up is the Sampsung Epic 4G with the same size but a slide-out keyboard.

One way you build demand is to make your product a little scarce. Right now any of us would say that if you find an EVO anywhere, buy it on the spot. Debeers is said to be holding back enough diamonds to cover the next 25 year's worth of demand. If they released them a diamond would be worth almost nothing.

So maybe Sprint totally underestimated the EVO market. But maybe Sprint is as smart as Debeers.

**beaker77** · 07-08-2010, 03:27 PM

Selling out and having shortages creates a buzz around a device too. I think they borrowed that from Apple.

**stolirocks** · 07-08-2010, 03:43 PM

Preorder. Like me. End of thread. You snooze you lose.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

**GenericMusings** · 07-08-2010, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by HYDE

I have a feeling that Sprint/HTC has a little more business savvy than the typical forum online quarterback. I think they looked at all scenarios and released the phone at the best possible time.

The release of the EVO coincided nicely with the one year anniversary for anyone who purchased their Palm Pre on or around it's original launch day. I am fairly certain that this was their plan as Sprint was working to hold onto as many people due an upgrade as possible while pulling in as much new blood as they could before the new iPhone was released.

**Kevin O'Quinn** · 07-08-2010, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by sYnOnYx

I agree, best possible time ever. But not enough stock. Someone who might have swayed from a iP4 to the EVO, may have said screw it cause they cant get one.

Can't get iphone 4's, either.

**sYnOnYx** · 07-08-2010, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by iamlilysdad

Can't get iphone 4's, either.

no not now, but it gave them time to anticipate the pre-order and make something happen.

The friends I have shown the device to, didn't know a thing about it before it was released. All they have known is the kool-aid from Apple. I'll tell you what though its priceless seeing them in awe over what the EVO can do.

Today my coworker was able to snag one by walking into a Sprint store, funny thing is he was on the list at that same store. He is a new activation though, so maybe they have some in reserve for new activations. 1 person has one, 3 left to find one.

**AndroidOne** · 07-08-2010, 07:38 PM

I guess I was lucky; did not pre-order (was not considering the Evo at the time), just walked to my local RS on June 4th, saw all the activity and asked for and got one on the spot. They had an extra 20 Evos beyond the number that were pre-ordered.

**kchase731** · 07-08-2010, 07:43 PM

I also came from the pre. and on many levels i like my pre more then the evo. but on some i like the evo so much better, i plan to keep it.

i think sprint did well with the launch. i asked my local dealer to hold one for me, he did. he didnt even ask for a deposit. i worked on i forget if it was friday launch or saturday...but i didnt get there to pick it up until the next afternoon. he saved it for me. i got to know him well, as i i bought a pre from him, and then about 6 months later my pre stopped working. after that i got a new pre every 3-5 weeks for 6 months.

more to the point. sprint wanted to make me happy, they did. my device does suffer from a little light leak at the bottom. but its so minor that i dont care. i put up with apple and att for 2 years before i moved to the pre, and after the crappy service and expensive plans a small amount of light leak that i only see if i hold the phone at a certain angle in the dark is not a big deal.

im happy with the service, the lack of dropped calls, and the price. if HTC hit a home run with the device and selss them faster than they can build them....good for them. if it was apple with a supply problem people would pay $2k on ebay, or just wait. thats how it is.

**slimshady** · 07-08-2010, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by milominderbinder

Sprint.com is sold out again. Best Buy, Radio Shack, and the local Sprint stores are all on allocation only getting about 20 EVO's a week. But do that math: 20 times 27,000 is 54,000 EVO's a week plus the online and direct sales as well as the account sales. A stores get more, B and C stores get less.

Plus the 320,000 estimated the first day. One rumor is that HTC is close to a million EVO's.

Next up is the Sampsung Epic 4G with the same size but a slide-out keyboard.

One way you build demand is to make your product a little scarce. Right now any of us would say that if you find an EVO anywhere, buy it on the spot. Debeers is said to be holding back enough diamonds to cover the next 25 year's worth of demand. If they released them a diamond would be worth almost nothing.

So maybe Sprint totally underestimated the EVO market. But maybe Sprint is as smart as Debeers.

20 times 27,000 is 54,000??????? maybe you should do the math lol

**Clipp** · 07-08-2010, 07:48 PM

Eh, i've been hearing the same sentiment a lot, but honestly, i don't blame Sprint. It's not like it's been sold out since launch. It has sold out on multiple outlets (Best Buy, Sprint stores, Sprint online, Amazon, etc) 2 or 3 times, so that means they did restock. You have to remember that it's Sprint we're talking about. ATT has a huge share of phone customers because of the iPhone, Verizon is known as the better CDMA network with a larger customer base, T-mobile is for people looking for a bargain. So what do you expect? Sprint, with their struggling business, to risk making way too many orders? They have to make batches before they release them... give it another week.

**sYnOnYx** · 07-08-2010, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by milominderbinder

Debeers is said to be holding back enough diamonds to cover the next 25 year's worth of demand. If they released them a diamond would be worth almost nothing.

So maybe Sprint totally underestimated the EVO market. But maybe Sprint is as smart as Debeers.

I don't think that quote really works here.

Diamonds aren't as easy to come by as a cell phone. You gotta sell em while they are hot. In android terms, by December their will be something better out and that will be the new hotness that everyone will want.