msmobiles.com/f

[msmobiles.com_robot]

Fujitsu-Siemens proudly announces what it will be presenting during this year's CeBIT. One of highlights of Fujitsu-Siemens' presence at CeBIT will be their new Pocket PC phones...

Read more at http://www.msmobiles.com/news.php/4936.html

[ghl]

...of a product that is "available" if you read the stories, but "not available before July 2006" if you really try to investigate the details (in specific this is the case with the Pocket Look T830) ?

What is the practical sense of such a misleading company policy ???

Same with the Mio A701, which was "presented" last fall, then postponed to Christmas '05, then February 2006 and there is still no trace of it on the market.

Can companies today really make money from presenting their products rather than from selling them ?

Is this a new kind of economy ?

[EJR]

[ghl]

OK.

I agree that is what the INTEND to achieve.

I am though skeptical, not to say doubt at all that this weird goal will be achieved.

Why ?

Who will buy a 500+ EUR phone with the most current features ?
Who actively is looking for articles about such devices on www.msmobiles.com (or similar sites) ?

Surely not John Smith, who just wants to make phone calls and get the cheapest rates (yes, contrary to many analysts' reports still voice is the main revenue generator).

It is people like us, who are prepared to pay more for a cute "killer phone" and - as dedicated hobbyists (is some cases even opinion multipliers, very good for the manufactorers !!! ) prepared to pay more for a *Smart*phone.

Out of experience I do no longer believe in such rediculous announcement policies, I guess you neither and many if not most of your readers (many surely being some kind of opinion multipliers) do not either.

So what is the effectiveness of this policy and what are the goals of these manufacturers ?

Wouldn't it be a thousand times more effective to make available at least a small series of pre-release devices of those announced models, give or sell them to these "opinion multiplying groups" (some of them even prepared to pay a higher "introduction price" if they only get hands on their device of desire) and let them be part of your real market strategy ?

I know these groups could threaten your sales in case they find out that there are severe bugs.

But anyway a postponed launch itself won't heal bugs (and nobody can tell me that device launches are just heavily postponed because of bug fixing, would be too good to believe...) and people, who are "allowed" to get devices earlier than others (or are made believe in this won't absolutely condemn a device if it is not 100% free from bugs. (Don't bite the hand that feeds you...

So what is it ?

Only a game that is played by all sides, signalling us: "If we say a device is launched in May, just add 5+ months and you will get October as the real date - the others do just the same" ???

I can only conclude that - disregard of all complaints of economic recession - manufactures still are not afraid to lose customers or speed up weird processes.

Unless the devices shown on the Cebit are filled with concrete their design should be fairly finished and starting the assembly lines only a (small) logistic effort. (Of course I assume that there is no shortage of assembly lines

So where are the Pocket Loox T830 and Mio A701 ?