After reading our previous post Sprint Answers Apple With $199 Samsung Instinct
our readers may be led to believe that the sudden $199 price announcement for the Sprint Samsung Instinct is in direct reprisal to Apple’s announcement that the iPhone 3G will sell for the rock bottom price of $199 next month. According to Sprint, we couldn’t be further from the truth.
We were able to speak with a Sprint marketing rep who had this to say:
Actually, the price was determined several weeks ago. We have not yet confirmed anything as we are waiting for final approvals on the device. – Michelle Leff Mermelstein, APR Public Relations Manager – Consumer Devices at Sprint
Based on timing alone, It will be difficult to get people to believe that statement. Sure, you could take it for face value and assume that as part of the campaign, Sprint and Samsung worked the price point out weeks ago, only dropping the ball by not announcing before Apple did. Or… you could just disagree and rant away that Sprint is copying the game plan. One thing that is good about both the iPhone 3G and Instinct price is that the customers win in the end. Both devices are great pickups at $200 each.
Hopefully, we can expect Google Android phones to have a similar price point since the OS is free and 20% is expected to be sliced off manufacturing OEM costs.
Could we see the HTC phone dropping out of the sky at $199 later this year? Or are we all just dreaming?
You Tell Us
Did Sprint have this price in mind all along or was it trying to steal Apple’s thunder?
