57 replies to this topic

[shad_uk]

It is likely the Skate will sell around the £200 mark.

Zte used penetration pricing with the Blade in order to establish itself in the UK market (setting the price low in order to attract customers and gain market share. The price will be raised later once this market share is gained).

Also, Orange risks damaging its relations with other manufacturers if it prices the Skate too low. The other manufacturers will simply shift their products to other networks, resulting in lost sales to Orange and ultimately market share. Orange was able to sell the Blade at a low price because Zte was unheard of and so the other manufacturers would not have taken much notice. This is no longer the case.

[flibblesan]

So just to add some information about the Skate. It's being launched on Orange first followed by other retailers at the end of the year. CPU has been updated to 1Ghz, exact type unknown. Price on Orange is less than £150.

[sane?]

flibblesan, on 14 July 2011 - 01:41 AM, said:

So just to add some information about the Skate. It's being launched on Orange first followed by other retailers at the end of the year. CPU has been updated to 1Ghz, exact type unknown. Price on Orange is less than £150.

I saw your twitter confirmation that it has a 1GHz processor. Now assuming its not a PR flunky giving a bad steer, that basically means an ARM7 processor, no? Unless ZTE are factory overclocking an MSM7227 turbo, there are no 1Ghz ARM6 alternatives.

So why would they be keeping this so silent?

It all seems a bit weird.

Unless its 800Ghz ARM6 with Orange, and 1Ghz ARM7 by Q4? Once they've retooled from missing the market expectations so.

Oh, and any idea if it will be as unlockable/modifiable as before? Orange have got to be a bit miffed that so many were sold, only to be moved to better providers immediately.

[hedgepigdaniel]

flibblesan, on 14 July 2011 - 01:41 AM, said:

So just to add some information about the Skate. It's being launched on Orange first followed by other retailers at the end of the year. CPU has been updated to 1Ghz, exact type unknown. Price on Orange is less than £150.

where did you hear that?

[Atomix86]

He went to visit zte with paul

[Lew247]

If the Skate has a 1Ghz cpu and is £150 or less then I'll definitely be buying one.

[Phaleg]

Probabily YES,
According to price I may buy a Skate and price I may sell my Blade ^^

[Banner]

Clove already have it listed -
http://www.clove.co.uk/zte-skate
as do handtec -
http://www.handtec.c...-free-unlocked-

[thomas01155]

Guess they have had to step it up a level with all the competition. Lots of new windows phones coming out soon and some of the current ones are going cheap and they have 1ghz.

[Lew247]

Banner, on 14 July 2011 - 09:09 AM, said:

Clove already have it listed -
as do handtec -

£222 and £227.99?  Are they having a laugh?

Around £150 and I'd snap it out of their hands, £180 and I'd seriously consider it but no guarantees, but £222?  No way on earth would I buy it at that price.

[k0zmic]

I think the processor will be this one: http://pdadb.net/ind...ualcomm_msm7230

[Banner]

Lew247, on 14 July 2011 - 01:05 PM, said:

<br />£222 and £227.99?  Are they having a laugh?<br /><br />Around £150 and I'd snap it out of their hands, £180 and I'd seriously consider it but no guarantees, but £222?  No way on earth would I buy it at that price.<br />

It could be that Clove are just expensive as they doing the Huawei u8800 for nearly £300!! <a href='http://www.clove.co....00-google-phone' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://www.clove.co....oogle-phone</a>

Edited by flibblesan, 15 July 2011 - 11:27 AM.

[sane?]

k0zmic, on 14 July 2011 - 01:30 PM, said:

I think the processor will be this one: http://pdadb.net/ind...ualcomm_msm7230

I think you might well be right. As I suggested above, a quick speed bump when they found the reaction to their 800Mhz ARM6 Skate in Feb was less than stellar would make sense. Qualcomm seem very unforthcoming with details of their chips, but it would make sense for them to repackage their MSM8xxx chip family with a MSM7xxx pin out for a drop in replacement option for phone companies with an old design. It would also make sense of the reference to the Adreno 205 that were mentioned back in Feb.

The Swedish prices, however, suggest a £50 premium over the 800Mhz model - are we on course for a £149/£199 set of price points, including subsidy? Too high in my opinion - £129/£159 would be more realistic for where the market is going.

Only time will tell.

[Atomix86]

Banner, on 14 July 2011 - 01:37 PM, said:

<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It could be that Clove are just expensive as they doing the Huawei u8800 for nearly £300!! <a href='http://www.clove.co....00-google-phone' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://www.clove.co....oogle-phone</a>

I noticed that too... thats one store I'll never be buying from !

[gwebb]

sane?, on 15 July 2011 - 02:40 AM, said:

I think you might well be right. As I suggested above, a quick speed bump when they found the reaction to their 800Mhz ARM6 Skate in Feb was less than stellar would make sense. Qualcomm seem very unforthcoming with details of their chips, but it would make sense for them to repackage their MSM8xxx chip family with a MSM7xxx pin out for a drop in replacement option for phone companies with an old design. It would also make sense of the reference to the Adreno 205 that were mentioned back in Feb.

Even changing the packaging I don't think any of the 8xxx series could be a drop in replacement, you would still have the issue of supported memory types and chipsets. Sadly for us the 7227 Turbo is the drop in replacement.

It's conceivable that the Skate has switched to the 7230, that would make sense, as it is the low-end Scorpion part.

One other chip on Qualcomm's roadmap is a slim possibility, the 7227A which uses Cortex-A5 (ARMv7, lower performance than an A9, but also much lower power). That chip will be coming to market soon but probably too late for the Skate.

Hopefully ZTE will soon explain what they have chosen to do.

[sane?]

gwebb, on 15 July 2011 - 09:17 AM, said:

Even changing the packaging I don't think any of the 8xxx series could be a drop in replacement, you would still have the issue of supported memory types and chipsets. Sadly for us the 7227 Turbo is the drop in replacement.

It's conceivable that the Skate has switched to the 7230, that would make sense, as it is the low-end Scorpion part.

Nope, the point I was making was the MSM7230 shares the guts of the MSM8xxx series, but given the designation it probably shares the pin out/external packaging of the MSM7xxx - making it a possible drop in replacement.

The 7227 turbo tops out at 800Mhz (at least at the moment), meaning its not likely to be the 1Ghz part in question.

Qualcomm is not exactly forthcoming to prove that, but it seems sensible.

[gwebb]

sane?, on 15 July 2011 - 09:30 AM, said:

Nope, the point I was making was the MSM7230 shares the guts of the MSM8xxx series, but given the designation it probably shares the pin out/external packaging of the MSM7xxx - making it a possible drop in replacement.

Unless something has changed the 7227 is a 560 pin 12x12 mm chip, the 7230 is a 904 pin 14x14mm chip.

[WilliamB]

Glad the processor has been upgraded.  I feel much more optimistic about the Skates future.

Think your probley right about the new processor being MSM7030,  hope it 's the second generation with adreno 205 rather than first gen with adreno 200. :-)

BTW clove have posted a hands on video of the 800mhz pre-production model on YouTube

Edited by WilliamB, 15 July 2011 - 10:46 AM.

[k0zmic]

I think the 7230 is used by the Ideos X5 which I've seen sell for around £170,  this was unlocked and without a network subsidy. It shows that the 7230 is a match for devices at the price point the Skate is targeting.

Perhaps subsidized it could cost maybe between £130-£160.

[ThermalDroid]

+ 1 For it being a MSM7230