Q Fans, Good News: It'll Cost $50 and Have UMTS by 2007

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/06/12/q-fans-good-news-itll-cost-50-and-have-umts-by-2007/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/06/12/q-fans-good-news-itll-cost-50-and-have-umts-by-2007/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"For those Q fans in the audience, we've got some good news (especially if you haven't made the jump yet because that $200 price point is still a little high, or because you just can't bear the thought of switching to Verizon). Apparently Ron Garriques, Moto's Executive Vice President, Mobile Devices Business, told Bear Sterns that the Q's sales performance can be compared to the steep, successful initial launch of the RAZR, and that they not only hope to drop the price to $50 after carrier subsidy by the end of 2006, but they'll be launching a UMTS version when Verizon's exclusivity contract on the device ends (as we've been expecting)."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Jerry-moto_q_sm.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />Speaking of the Q, it appears it will in fact be available to the rest of the world by the end of the year. I wanted to get one of these but in 6 months or more, I wonder if I will really care. By that time we will probably be getting pretty close to the next version of the Windows Mobile OS. I kind of doubt the Q will be upgradable but who knows. I'm still trying to figure out why Moto decided to go this route, making it only available with VZW.

[Mike Temporale]

I'm still trying to figure out why Moto decided to go this route, making it only available with VZW.

Easy, Verizon paid top dollar for the exclusive rights.

I'm trilled to hear that they expect a huge price drop over the course of the year. If they can get the device down to $50 and UMTS they're going to sell them by the truck load. :mrgreen: Here's hoping!

[Jerry Raia]

Easy, Verizon paid top dollar for the exclusive rights

Then they should have delivered it with push, not half baked. I swear no one is going to convince me the Moto, a giant, and VZW, another giant, couldn't pull that off. Ok that rant belongs on the other thread. (http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11417&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=) :lol:

[Janak Parekh]

I swear no one is going to convince me the Moto, a giant, and VZW, another giant, couldn't pull that off.
Don't forget Microsoft, the third giant. ;)

Anyway, I assert it is precisely because they are giants that they are so slow and obtuse about this. The recent MVNOs are doing a lot more innovative stuff with their phone platforms.

--janak

[Jerry Raia]

Anyway, I assert it is precisely because they are giants that they are so slow and obtuse about this. The recent MVNOs are doing a lot more innovative stuff with their phone platforms.

--janak

Yep, you are right. Remember IBM? :lol:

[Kris Kumar]

You can catch the Moto presentation over here:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=90829&amp;p=irol-index

I haven't heard the audio but I checked the slides. Nothing much in there. :-(

[Kris Kumar]

Easy, Verizon paid top dollar for the exclusive rights

Then they should have delivered it with push, not half baked. I swear no one is going to convince me the Moto, a giant, and VZW, another giant, couldn't pull that off. Ok that rant belongs on the other thread. (http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11417&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=) :lol:

I am sure Verizon paid top dollars. But regarding why they launched the Moto Q without MSFP. I have a hunch, and I am sure that is the case. Moto is on track to launch the UMTS version[I know it sounds too good to be true]. And the Verizon 6-month clamp down would have affected the UMTS launch. So they decided to launch it without the MSFP. Since they managed to get the Q out on Verizon in June, they are all set for the UMTS Q launch during the holiday season. Think ka-ching! I am sure Moto will make sure that the Q ships just before the holidays.

And I am sure that MSFP delay is partly because of Verizon being slow to certify the update or something.

[raulr]

hope to drop the price to $50 after carrier subsidy by the end of 2006

Get the CDMA version from Verizon for $99 (after rebate) now with any service plan (not just the expensive unlimited data plans).

http://www.inphonic.com/specialoffer.aspx?referringdomain=WireflyMoto&amp;oflag=specialoffer&amp;zipcode=60142&amp;refcode1=QEmail&amp;refcode2=&amp;eid=&amp;agent=&amp;cid=34207_141095a0d2844923b97699a8e38394e2&amp;carrierid=60&amp;phoneid=24336