Shortages of Phone Hindering Sprint 4G (Wall Street Journal)

[AldousSnow]

Sprint Nextel Corp.'s big bet on its super-fast 4G network is running into stronger-than-expected head winds, Chief Executive Dan Hesse said in an interview.

Sprint is still the only U.S. carrier with a 4G network, which offers users faster speeds for data and video. The carrier, the nation's third-largest by subscribers, hopes the network will give it an advantage in attracting customers from rivals. But shortages of its maiden 4G phone are limiting potential sales, and rival carriers are getting closer to launching their own 4G networks

Read the rest here:

Sprint May Flub Its 4G Lead - WSJ.com

 

[eagle63]

Raise your hand if you're surprised that Sprint would blow this. To be fair though, I don't think being the first 4G network means much to the vast majority of Americans. At least not enough to switch carriers.

 

[Raptor]

When I preordered my Evo in mid May the sales guy at RS said that Sprint had ordered 7 million Evo's from HTC so there would not be any shortages. I guess he was wrong!

I think Sprint needs other 4G phones as well as one phone will not please all customers. There are many folks that crave tiny/petite/girly phones and the Evo aint girly.


Brian

 

[AldousSnow]

I'm watching the Droid X release to see how it contrasts with Sprint's Evo release. Form what I understand, there are already 500,000 Droid X in stock, excluding the 80 to 100 the corporate outlets are suppose to get each.

One manufactuer providing to one carrier and I think they won't be caught by surprise like HTC.

 

[pwnst_r]

They won't blow it like Sprint/HTC.

 

[meyerweb#CB]

htc is a victim of its own success, I'm afraid. It's making so many different handsets, under it's own name and the names of other vendors, it can't seem to keep up with demand.

Sprint will have another 4G handset soon, the Samsung Epic.

 

[johnner1999]

They won't blow it like Sprint/HTC.

Not sure you can blame Sprint, as much as HTC - look at Verizon and the Incred same boat as the Evo.

I think Moto will make sure they have stock of the X

I just signed up with Sprint (from an iPhone) and I'd cancel thn jump to the X - if it wasn't for the great deal Sprint offers on its monthly service plans.

 

[Dan1400]

I know the online store doesn't have them in stock. But I went to a corporate store a few days ago to see if I could get one as an upgrade. I asked if they had any EVOs in stock and they said no. Then the sales rep. asked me if I was upgrading or a new customer. I told him it would be for an upgrade and he smiled and told me "sorry, I can't help you". So it looks like sprint is holding on to some of the EVOs for new customers. This rubs me the wrong way a little bit, but I understand why they would do that. Sprint needs the Epic to come out fast.

Duo

 

[joek1971]

I think it is HTC that is the problem here not Sprint since Sprint does not make these phones, HTC under estimated the demand for this. Now they are running around trying to make these phones fast. This is something like with iPhone 4 to many orders, if HTC is thinking of playing the same as Apple HTC will loose and so will Sprint. HTC needs to vamp up these orders and get them out the door and in to peoples hands.

 

[Raptor]

It will be difficult for HTC to significantly ramp (not vamp) up production in there sweat shops because modern Asian production models are based on throwing more labor at a problem -- he**, they have billions to throw at it, but you can't easily add 100,000 workers to make more Evo's, iPhone's, etc.

Production of anything that goes from zero units to millions of units overnight is an impossible challenge.


Brian

 

[xorg]

Raise your hand if you're surprised that Sprint would blow this. To be fair though, I don't think being the first 4G network means much to the vast majority of Americans. At least not enough to switch carriers.

It's not Sprint it's HTC supply.

HTC probably makes too many models to be able to supply any in mass quantities. Palm was capable of producing about 500K Pres a month and it wasn't exactly a hot phone. EVO is the first phone the media compares to iPhone yet HTC can only product 300K so far. That's not much of a supply. Sprint needs to get the Sammy Epic out ASAP.

 

[hampstenj]

+1 on it's HTC's fault not sprint. notice where all the problems on supply is coming from... Incredible, EVO, heck even the Eris for a while.. who makes these Devices you ask???? HTC! i'm sorry HTC may have a good UI in it's sense, but anyone else think Samsung will run out of Epic 4g's and wont be able to fufill orders for weeks???? I don't!

 

[bobvanjr]

My brother got one at Wal Mart yesterday.

 

[Lorak]

Pretty sure this is HTC's fault. From what I gather they are having problems getting thier touch screens from samsung.