Sprint has announced pricing and launch details for the Motorola ES400 enterprise oriented Windows Mobile device, the the first rugged Windows Mobile 6.5.3 device to be subsidized and sold directly by a carrier.
The device features Windows Mobile 6.5.3, a 3.0 inch VGA resolution display, 3.2 megapixel camera with video recorder, GPS support via A-GPS and dedicated transceiver, 3-axis accelerometer, scanning of 1D and 2D bar codes, Wi-Fi radio with a/b/g support, and includes support for push-to-talk over VoIP via dedicated app. The bodyshell is also certified to MIL-STD 8210G drop specifications.
Pricing for the device is set at $499.99 for qualified business accounts, while consumers will also be able to purchase the device for $549.99 after new 2 year agreement at the end of October.
When you say the carrier subsidizes the price, is the price you referring to the actual sale price versus the MSRP?
The prices listed are with contract, subsidized. This phone is extremely expensive because it’s expected to be a low-volume seller.
The only people who really want this phone are either:
1) Those who love Windows Mobile 6.5 but hate Windows Phone 7 (no native code, etc).
2) Don’t find Android/webOS to be acceptable other options, or
3) Need Windows Mobile due to their employment.
Those three factors make for a very small niche, and thus, a high with-contract price.