Re: ICS 4.0.5 Coming in March to Nexus S 4G
So why would Sprint wait? I'm not getting this. So people buy the GN? Or they can get the S4G for cheap now.... what's the difference to Sprint from a profit maximizing perspective?
Work with me basic assumptions here.
The GN is what a $700 phone? You pay $200... a $500 loss on Sprints end.
The S4G is $400 phone and you pay nothing now. $400 loss for Sprint.
Given the assumption of the same plan for LTE and WiMax... Sprint would make more money off S4G sales.
Now include a exogenous variable such as ICS (which is mostly exclusive) on a free phone , this would boost contract plans even more for Sprint.
Sprint's CEOs are smarter than that. The delay has nothing to do with the GN, at least from a profit maximizing perspective, which is Sprint's ultimate goal.
It's not really that hard.
If you want ICS on your NS4G, and Sprint pushes it out BEFORE the Galaxy Nexus, you can just update the NS4G now and skip the new phone.
If they DON'T, you can buy out your contract, pay your ETF, then sign up again, get charged the setup fee (which is no longer being waived, I believe), and possibly have to repay the up to $100 deposit if you have one, then you're set for another 2 years with Sprint earlier than you normally would. Your new date for a contract would be 2 years from now, which is in 2014.
If you got ICS now, you would have your contract up in 2013 and there's a chance you could decide not to stick with Sprint and leave. If you got the GNex, you'd be forced into another 2 years (and they'd still get money off of you).
It's the same reason why Google wasn't going to put ICS on the Nexus S on the same day the GNex hit. It'd affect the sales of the new phone if you could just keep your old one. Again, why buy the Galaxy Nexus when you can just buy a cheaper phone with ICS?
The Nexus S 4G is currently free right now, and usually $100-$150 when it's not (not to mention you can buy it used cheaper). The Galaxy Nexus will be about $200 to $250. Sprint gets more money from you killing your contract early and buying the GNex + the 2 year contract rather than the free NS4G + the 2 year contract.
We don't know for sure what the delay is, but it only makes actual business sense (even if it's $50-100 extra to them, money is money) to assume that it's the Galaxy Nexus' upcoming release.
Sprint has control over when these updates come, Google just makes them but Sprint MUST approve them first, that's kinda how CDMA works. If they don't want it out before then, then it just won't be out until they want it out.