Samsung Focus price drop looks PERMANENT

OGCF · Jan 4, 2011

If you haven't heard already, AT&T's website shows a change in price for the Focus which was originally $199 and is now $99 on contract. I was assuming this was just a random New Year's sale but now I'm not so sure.

Yesterday on Gizmodo, I noticed that Microsoft was advertising WP7 and the Focus but those banners had been there for a while. Then I realized it was also advertising the $99 price and I don't remember AT&T advertising many of their sales before.

Today my cousin needed to return a router to AT&T so I went to the local store in Southern California and I decided to check out the price. There it was on the sign: "$99 on contract". That rules out a web-only sale too. So after my cousin had returned the router. I asked one of the employees there about the phone's price. He said they just got word of the new pricing last night and changed it in-store this morning. I asked him if it was permanent and he replied, "I'm not completely sure. Like I said, we only just got the message yesterday and it just said to change the price."

If it were a sale, then AT&T would probably be screaming about it from the rooftops and make their employees tell customers it was a limited time only...but that's not the case. So it looks like the Focus has officially dropped to $99 on contract.

Now the real question is: why? Seems convenient for the price to drop the week of CES so maybe thats a hint that AT&T will be getting some new smartphones in their lineup soon, maybe even more WP7s. Another thing to consider is that AT&T is trying to rope in as many customers as it possibly can before Verizon gets the iPhone 4, which is rumored and has some evidence to support it happening a couple of weeks after CES. Take it as you will, but a great cutting-edge smartphone is now $100 and thats pretty sweet if you ask me.

FishFaceMcGee · Jan 4, 2011

Well, assuming the Surround and Quantum haven't dropped too, the Focus is the only 8GB WP7, and the 8GB iPhone is $99. It could be Samsung/Microsoft/AT&T wanted that price lower so the Focus was clearly a better choice.

GrayWolf · Jan 4, 2011

@FishFace - Both the Samsung Focus and the LG Quantum are getting the $100-pricepoint-treatment.

wwwDOTwpcentralDOTcom/ATT-lowers-price-quantum-and-focus

OGCF · Jan 4, 2011

GrayWolf said:
@FishFace - Both the Samsung Focus and the LG Quantum are getting the $100-pricepoint-treatment.

www.wpcentral.com/ATT-lowers-price-quantum-and-focus

That's what is so odd. Why are only the Quantum and the Focus getting the price drop?

My only theory right now is that AT&T wanted all three at the $100 price point but HTC declined while LG & Samsung both agreed. I'm sticking with my master theory that AT&T wants as many people as humanly possible to come to AT&T before Verizon's iPhone is announced as this also makes sense with AT&T offering early upgrades for people interested in buying the iPhone 4.

foxbat121 · Jan 4, 2011

$99 on contract price is so so as most online dealers already sold them for $49 or free. However, the biggest story in this price reduction is that both Focus and Quantum now sell for $399 off contract. That's a very attractive price for me w/o (not even possible right now) sign up two more years of contract.

I suspect the HTC doesn't sell as well as the other two. And also this move is in anticipation of WP7 phones will be released to Verizon and Sprint soon, not iPhone. iPhone itself has the price drop as well at the same time.

PaullikesWINMO · Jan 5, 2011

iphone4 is not the threat. It would be the iPhone5 ! Or even WP8 !

And the strategy to go to a $100 now is brilliant. I mean how many smartphones that are really worth buying are at this price point? Seems to me that they have found a great price point and will sell millions of them. They proabably get some kind of rebate from Microsoft for selling so many units and Microsoft will benefit from increased users buying Apps or XboxLive games.

No different than a Toyota Corolla. Make a good car and sell it at a great price point and they sold LOTS of them. Build up a huge customer base and when the customer is ready to replace the Corolla, then they up sell to the Camry or to the Lexus., or sell them another Corolla. Eitherway they have huge following.

markgamber · Jan 5, 2011

HTC doesn't know how to make a reasonably priced phone. Well, they know how to make a phone that should be reasonably priced, that's all they make, but they don't price them according to what they're actually worth.

Lewisham · Jan 5, 2011

In case you guys are interested, Amazon Wireless is selling the Focus for $0.01 today. Stock is definitely on the move. I'm guessing a Focus 2 with Super AMOLED Plus might be on the way.

kponti · Jan 5, 2011

Pretty simple, ATT is the only company presently that has a Galaxy S windows7 phone, my guess is the rest of the cell companies are about to get their versions too, much like they all did with Android.
If the Focus is priced $100 cheaper than tmobile, verizon, sprint galaxy S versions, they hope it will take the steam out of their fanfare.

Only reason there isnt a Windows7 phone in my house currently is cos I only have tmobile and sprint.
EDIT: And no galaxy S with the hummingbird or SAMOLED screen

PaullikesWINMO · Jan 6, 2011

kponti said:
Only reason there isnt a Windows7 phone in my house currently is cos I only have tmobile and sprint.

T-Mobile has the HTC HD7 ! And yes it's a Windows 7 phone.

Darn nice phone. I had it but could not tether with or get 3G with it on FIDO (Canada). I'm sure there are many more models to come.

arrrgh · Jan 6, 2011

Lewisham said:
In case you guys are interested, Amazon Wireless is selling the Focus for $0.01 today. Stock is definitely on the move. I'm guessing a Focus 2 with Super AMOLED Plus might be on the way.

Very unlikely I think, if they had a new Focus coming out it would have been announced at CES. And Focus is still a very new phone and apparently selling very well (no wonder, it's amazing).

kponti · Jan 6, 2011

PaullikesWINMO said:
T-Mobile has the HTC HD7 ! And yes it's a Windows 7 phone.

Darn nice phone. I had it but could not tether with or get 3G with it on FIDO (Canada). I'm sure there are many more models to come.

Yes but too big and heavy, not to mention my Samsungs have consistently had better reception than my HTCs inside buildings where I use the phone 90% of the time

Syst3m · Jan 7, 2011

Just bought one off Amazon for $0.01. Friend got one through AT&T for the same price after he told them about the Amazon offer.

ATT told me that most likely its because its a 3g phone and they're in the process of rolling out the 4g network. Whatever, I got the phone for 0.01...Including shipping!

kulet78 · Jan 8, 2011

It says in the website that it can be as upgrade to an existing line. My question is, what if your line is not eligible for upgrade yet. Will your bill show up with the list price after a month or two? Has anyone encounter this yet?

foxbat121 · Jan 8, 2011

If you are not yet qualified, you have to pay full out of contact price which is $399 if you go to an AT&T store or $499 from 3rd party online.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

phoneguy 4567 · Jan 8, 2011

Syst3m said:
Just bought one off Amazon for $0.01. Friend got one through AT&T for the same price after he told them about the Amazon offer.

ATT told me that most likely its because its a 3g phone and they're in the process of rolling out the 4g network. Whatever, I got the phone for 0.01...Including shipping!

Could be but somehow I doubt it has anything to do with 4G, since the average consumer I don't think knows about 4G or cares at this point. The fact that they are willing to give you the phone for free tells you they know they will make their money back by the end of the contract, with a sizable profit

.

Syst3m · Jan 10, 2011

phoneguy 4567 said:
Could be but somehow I doubt it has anything to do with 4G, since the average consumer I don't think knows about 4G or cares at this point. The fact that they are willing to give you the phone for free tells you they know they will make their money back by the end of the contract, with a sizable profit .

Thats what I feel too. The other thought is trying to get people to Att network before the iPhone comes to Verizon or whatever.

It says in the website that it can be as upgrade to an existing line. My question is, what if your line is not eligible for upgrade yet. Will your bill show up with the list price after a month or two? Has anyone encounter this yet?

i had 10 months left in my contract, and 2 separate phone calls by me (and one by a friend who got the same deal) said that my old contract was being ended, and they would create a new one that started the day the phone was activated. They know if you're eligible for an upgrade - they ask for your phone # and last name. My friend who called had 3 months left on his contract, and was unable to get the deal at first. When he called AT&T, they cleared his contract and he checked on their again -and it was eligible. He ended up buying through ATT because they said they'd match the same deal.

Anchorite · Jan 13, 2011

Syst3m said:
Just bought one off Amazon for $0.01. Friend got one through AT&T for the same price after he told them about the Amazon offer.

ATT told me that most likely its because its a 3g phone and they're in the process of rolling out the 4g network. Whatever, I got the phone for 0.01...Including shipping!

Could you ask him how he got it through AT&T? I just asked a branch store and they said they could not offer the $0.01 deal...

apine · Jan 14, 2011

I'm thinking of getting one off contract for $400. (don't wanna get locked in to Rogers - $400 voice cancellation + $100 data cancellation, 3 yr contract).

What have your experiences been like with unlocking? I heard ATT is refusing to unlock, and unlock codes go for up to $40 online...

mcorrie1121 · Jan 14, 2011

When I was in-store the other day, I'm pretty sure the sale price on the Focus said until 1/31. I think it's only good for a couple more weeks, but we'll see.

Samsung Focus price drop looks PERMANENT

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