Poll: Did Sprint drop the ball on pricing??

**Phone#IM** · 08-11-2010, 11:49 PM

Now that the release has been announced what do you think about how Sprint did in regards to pricing??

I will be buying one on release day but I worry about this phone being a flop for sprint due to the $250 price tag.

Thoughts?

**mbkowns** · 08-11-2010, 11:52 PM

Charged us more and didn't give us a movie or game.

Sprint branded sims would of made epic ... epic

avatar would of been cool also.

I would have gladly liked a lower price of 150 for those two items gone but to charge more without and only demo crap.

f u epic.

2nd

then you charge 10$ data plan to a user who lives in an area without

f u epic.

**Andrew Ruffolo** · 08-11-2010, 11:57 PM

nope, its better than the phone thats $50 less. Plus, I don't have to worry about long lines now

**drizek** · 08-12-2010, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by rufflez

nope, its better than the phone thats $50 less. Plus, I don't have to worry about long lines now

Or custom ROMs or accessories, or any of the other nice things that come with a phone that people actually buy.

The EPIC is a good enough phone that people might have actually switched to Sprint for it. The extra $50 is just an extra thing stopping people from coming over. All Sprint gets in return is the satisfaction of pissing off their existing customers.

As far as I'm concerned, they should be giving these 4G phones away on contract. They cover the cost of the phone on the standard contract anyway, but now they get the extra $10/mo from 4G. It is a great way to get people to sign up for 4G service.

**hampstenj** · 08-12-2010, 12:03 AM

ummm asphalt 5 isn't a game?????

anyway yes I feel that the extra $50 WILL hurt Sprint BIG TIME. it's a damn good phone that people IMO would go to Sprint over the Droid 2 at VZW, but people will see it cheaper there and go, bingo there's my phone.

**Andrew Ruffolo** · 08-12-2010, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by drizek

Or custom ROMs or accessories, or any of the other nice things that come with a phone that people actually buy.

The EPIC is a good enough phone that people might have actually switched to Sprint for it. The extra $50 is just an extra thing stopping people from coming over. All Sprint gets in return is the satisfaction of pissing off their existing customers.

As far as I'm concerned, they should be giving these 4G phones away on contract. They cover the cost of the phone on the standard contract anyway, but now they get the extra $10/mo from 4G. It is a great way to get people to sign up for 4G service.

Accessories: they are already out there (at least the ones I would buy) and it doesn't need a custom ROM to be functional, which is the reason its replacing my Hero. Considering the GPU still beats the the dual-core Snapdragon's, I find it worth it. Its perfect for me.

**BrianFX** · 08-12-2010, 12:10 AM

I suspected $250.

Everyone who is upset with the price needs to think of the financials for Sprint/Samsung. They're including extra hardware features (QWERTY, front-facing cam, rear flash) that the Vibrant & Captivate don't have, all the while serviced on cheaper plans. You can't hit the margins on both sides of the equation (higher spec'd phone & cheaper plans) and expect the phone to be the same price as their competitors.

As soon as I saw that Sprint's Galaxy S would be a QWERTY slider, I knew there would be a price differential relative to the other 3 carriers' Galaxy S models. When it retained the front-facing cam and added a rear flash, it was obvious.

**Phone#IM** · 08-12-2010, 12:12 AM

Originally Posted by BrianFX

I suspected $250.

Everyone who is upset with the price needs to think of the financials for Sprint/Samsung. They're including extra hardware features (QWERTY, front-facing cam, rear flash) that the Vibrant & Captivate don't have, all the while serviced on cheaper plans. You can't hit the margins on both sides of the equation (higher spec'd phone & cheaper plans) and expect the phone to be the same price as their competitors.

As soon as I saw that Sprint's Galaxy S would be a QWERTY slider, I knew there would be a price differential relative to the other 3 carriers' Galaxy S models. When it retained the front-facing cam and added a rear flash, it was obvious.

Good point

All the Galaxy S phones previously had been priced at 200

The Epic is clearly the best out of them all feature wise so it would only make sense to cost more.

**cary328is** · 08-12-2010, 12:12 AM

Super AMOLED with 16.5 million colors, faster CPU and GPU, keyboard...nope. I'm fine with paying $50 more.

**drizek** · 08-12-2010, 12:19 AM

Originally Posted by rufflez

Accessories: they are already out there (at least the ones I would buy) and it doesn't need a custom ROM to be functional, which is the reason its replacing my Hero. Considering the GPU still beats the the dual-core Snapdragon's, I find it worth it. Its perfect for me.

That still doesn't justify the price. The bottom line is that Sprint is ripping us off. I like to get a new phone every year, but if the prices keep creeping up it stops being so easy to justify it. I'm going to buy it anyway, but I still think it is a rip off. It's like my iPad, it shouldn't cost more than $350 or so, but I love it and would buy it again for 500.

The EPIC costs samsung, at most, $10 more to manufacture than a Captivate. Keep in mind that they are gimping the ROM from 16GB down to just 1GB. Cutting the memory easily covers the cost of the 4G chip. The LED on the back probably costs somewhere between 0.9 cents and 1.3 cents, the camera on the front is probably a dollar. The keyboard rounds out the rest of the 10 dollars, and I'm being generous. Keep in mind that the Epic is made out of cheaper materials than the metal on the captivate, with that cool sliding battery cover.

**Andrew Ruffolo** · 08-12-2010, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by drizek

That still doesn't justify the price. The bottom line is that Sprint is ripping us off. I like to get a new phone every year, but if the prices keep creeping up it stops being so easy to justify it. I'm going to buy it anyway, but I still think it is a rip off. It's like my iPad, it shouldn't cost more than $350 or so, but I love it and would buy it again for 500.

The EPIC costs samsung, at most, $10 more to manufacture than a Captivate. Keep in mind that they are gimping the ROM from 16GB down to just 1GB.

Then don't buy it. Like I said, I'm happy, and also since I have already pre-ordered it, I don't have to wait in line at 6am for a device. I'm no apple fan (despite using a macbook, which I loathe)

**drizek** · 08-12-2010, 12:24 AM

How did you preorder?

**Andrew Ruffolo** · 08-12-2010, 12:27 AM

You're welcome

Thanks Bliger241
I've already received my confirmation e-mail.

**cr3amy** · 08-12-2010, 12:32 AM

Originally Posted by BrianFX

I suspected $250.

Everyone who is upset with the price needs to think of the financials for Sprint/Samsung. They're including extra hardware features (QWERTY, front-facing cam, rear flash) that the Vibrant & Captivate don't have, all the while serviced on cheaper plans. You can't hit the margins on both sides of the equation (higher spec'd phone & cheaper plans) and expect the phone to be the same price as their competitors.

As soon as I saw that Sprint's Galaxy S would be a QWERTY slider, I knew there would be a price differential relative to the other 3 carriers' Galaxy S models. When it retained the front-facing cam and added a rear flash, it was obvious.

Originally Posted by cary328is

Super AMOLED with 16.5 million colors, faster CPU and GPU, keyboard...nope. I'm fine with paying $50 more.

Thanked. And quoted for good measure.

**campbell** · 08-12-2010, 12:33 AM

Originally Posted by BrianFX

I suspected $250.

Everyone who is upset with the price needs to think of the financials for Sprint/Samsung. They're including extra hardware features (QWERTY, front-facing cam, rear flash) that the Vibrant & Captivate don't have, all the while serviced on cheaper plans. You can't hit the margins on both sides of the equation (higher spec'd phone & cheaper plans) and expect the phone to be the same price as their competitors.

As soon as I saw that Sprint's Galaxy S would be a QWERTY slider, I knew there would be a price differential relative to the other 3 carriers' Galaxy S models. When it retained the front-facing cam and added a rear flash, it was obvious.

I agree 250%. $50 more i dont care. If it were $299 I would have something to say......after I bought it.

**drizek** · 08-12-2010, 12:35 AM

Thanks, reserved.

My upgrade date is September 1st, and thankfully they will hold it until then. I'm going to try and get it from Best Buy though, I don't want to deal with the rebate, and hopefully Best Buy will have the good sense to price match the iPhone, Droid X and EVO, or at hte very least the $229 price for the Vibrant and Captivate.

**Andrew Ruffolo** · 08-12-2010, 12:35 AM

Originally Posted by campbell

I agree 250%. $50 more i dont care. If it were $299 I would have something to say......after I bought it.

lol, me too. I'm still on the fence on wether I'll buy it on contract or pay it outright. I have a some time to make that decision.

**marisdaman** · 08-12-2010, 12:36 AM

I'm Fine with paying more but as a business owner I think the strategy is far from smart the extra $50 makes new (not upgrade) customer think twice about switching. With the EVO you see your new subscriber growth is up and this is from a great phone at a common high end phone price $199. But instead of building on that you make a decision that people will really question. Your looking at $350 w/tax $375ish up front(damn now that i"m looking at it I question it) for a phone. Maybe If you dont wanna take the price down do instant rebate and do 250 upfront no mail in needed, that will satisfy current and new customers and put you higher is customer satisfaction and the recognition that a major cell company a instant rebate on a flagship phone. Sprint Holla at me if you need some marketing strategies..FOR REAL

**drizek** · 08-12-2010, 12:37 AM

Originally Posted by rufflez

lol, me too. I'm still on the fence on wether I'll buy it on contract or pay it outright. I have a some time to make that decision.

It actually makes more sense to buy outright than any other phone. The off cotnract price for the Droid X is something like $700.

Of course, you can get it on contract and then cancel it, for a total cost of $450.

**Andrew Ruffolo** · 08-12-2010, 12:47 AM

Originally Posted by drizek

It actually makes more sense to buy outright than any other phone. The off cotnract price for the Droid X is something like $700.

Of course, you can get it on contract and then cancel it, for a total cost of $450.

That and I'm only required to pay 120 extra over the remaining length of my contract (technically 110 as my upgrade was this month).

**hampstenj** · 08-12-2010, 12:48 AM

i think off-contract will be more like $500 than $450,

**drizek** · 08-12-2010, 12:53 AM

Add a line, buy it for $250, then pay the $200 ETF. That gets it for you at $450.

I'm tempted to just keep my Samsung Intercept and then just get a Captivate for $50 and pay the ETF and get it for basically the on-contract price of the Epic.

Edit: Ouch. AT&T jacked their ETF up to $350. That makes the Captivate come out to $400. The iPhone 4 would be $550. Ridiculous. That is more than an iPad. At this point I am kinda glad I am on Sprint, but only because ATT and Verizon are just so damn horrible.

**Nightfury82** · 08-12-2010, 01:19 AM

This went from a day one buy to a wait for reviews buy. $50 is a big deal to me. We were going to get two Epics on our family plan...but one being $250 and the other being $500 is more than we expected. Plus, the $10 tax. Might just go cheaper and get an Intercept...

**caliskimmer** · 08-12-2010, 01:22 AM

Ah shoot! Here we go with the Instinct again (249.99 price)! Instead of a homebrew app store, who wants to start the homebrew movie store that's promised and will probably never come out? Where is killerbeagle when you need him?

**JERAVICIOUS** · 08-12-2010, 01:24 AM

Samsung is known to have high price tags on their devices (especially high end devices) when they go on sprint. Remember the instink hd?? That was 250 -300 dollars i think when it was released. It was much more expensive than the pre too.

nope, its better than the phone thats $50 less. Plus, I don't have to worry about long lines now

I do not think it is better than the phone that's 50 bucks less. There are a lot of pros and cons to both and each can be a deal breaker with either or. Don't let Sprint's video and hype fool ya.

I still think this phone will sell because it is the new device coming and with the marketing that Samsung is doing for their galaxy S line, a lot of people will take notice.