Woah! Nokia Lumia 800 unlocked for £119.99! (Yes, this is no typo). Super Argos Promo! (Update: Pricing error?!)

| January 21, 2012 | 81 Replies

I thought this was a major typo but no. Vlad from TheVerge contacted Argos to check and it’s real.

The Nokia Lumia 800 can be bought for £119.99. The phone is not locked to a contract.  This is unlocked. Free delivery.

  • What’s the catch? Well, It’s only from Argos. Just from that store and also just from UK.
  • The main thing this promo is for is to get people signing up for an Argos card. I’m guessing if you just pay it all off, you won’t incur any interest. You might cancel your card afterwards (not sure what the policy is). If you already have an Argos card, that’s fine too, just pay with your card.

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500002951&langId=-1&searchTerms=NOKIA+LUMIA+800

The site is showing up errors for me now, it might be getting the TouchPad firesale rush crash that happened last year. The price of the Lumia 800 is still about £400 in other UK retailers who aren’t asking you to pay by their store credit card.

Still, as TheVerge said, shifting some old stock for new? :D

 

Update:

There’s reports from other users that the price might be wrong or that this offer is already finished (just limited). This is not a universal price drop. It is just a PROMOTION. If that.

Update 2:

I’m having lots of folks saying different things. Correct price but out of stock but more now saying it’s incorrectly priced and Argos made a mistake.

Source: Argos, via TheVerge via @@EverythingMS/@joaoluisc

Tags:

Category: Lumia, Nokia, Windows Phone

About the Author ()

Hey, thanks for reading my post. My name is Jay and I'm a medical student at the University of Manchester. When I can, I blog here at mynokiablog.com and tweet now and again @jaymontano. We also have a twitter and facebook accounts @mynokiablog and facebook.com/MyNokiaBlog. Contact us at tips(@)mynokiablog.com or email me directly on jay[at]mynokiablog.com

Comments (81)

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  1. Aliqudsi says:

    Yeah requires a UK CC in the first place okus a UK address meaning I can’t use my Shop’n'ship UK P.O. Box on this..

  2. Aliqudsi says:

    Oh and they’ve stopped all orders now.

  3. wtfiseveryonetalking about says:

    So it’s selling that bad huh…

    • Jay Montano says:

      Not necessarily. It’s not a universal price drop. It’s just an Argos promo and by the looks of how the site is handling it, a lot of people want it.

    • krustylicious says:

      Yup its selling worse than what the n8 did, and the lumina 800 is a volume product :O

      #luminaFail.

      • Jay Montano says:

        Where’d you get your sales numbers from? Q4 2011 results aren’t out yet.

        • arts says:

          eldar. Or tomi. Either one.

        • Black N9(wish it was 950) 16GB - waiting for the white one says:

          Microsoft’s numbers yesterday… They still aren’t giving out WP license numbers.. And the majority say Q4 2011 was disappointing even after Lumias got released..

          • arts says:

            so when the majority is behind something its automatically right? Wow. So Lumia is an awesome device then since the majority of the reviewers love it? And since the majority will trust experts who reviews handphones i suppose the same will hold true for the masses. Problem solved!

            • Black N9(wish it was 950) 16GB - waiting for the white one says:

              I’m not saying majority is right always.. But when it comes to balance sheets & numbers, it is usually correct.. MS’s numbers yesterday suggested disappointed WP performance..

              Reviews depend on the the reviewer and usually takes his\her taste.. So it maynot be completely neutral…

              • Mark says:

                So… a phone that’s been on sale for six weeks – the Nokia 800, one that wasn’t released until Q1 – the 710, and one that’s not due to Q2 – the 900 and you can make that judgement?

                Look, let’s be honest: the Q4 sales for Nokia’s WP range – which is the 800 only and only in half a dozen markets – will not be great. How could they be? It was only available from mid November and not generally until the start of December.

                There is little point in making any judgement until Q2 or, more realistically, Q3 whether or not WP is getting traction.

                However, what IS disappointing are the continuing negative comments from Symbian/MeeGo fanboys which appear in every bloody WP thread.

                • Black N9(wish it was 950) 16GB - waiting for the white one says:

                  First of all, I’m not a Symbian\MeeGo fan. I’m a Nokia fan and want Nokia to do well..

                  Nokia did expect to sell 2M WP devices in 5 or 6 markets it intended to release in Q4 2011. But by the end of the December, the number of markets have been doubled to 12. So that does indicate that the sales wasn’t satisfactory.

                  Which quarter which determine whether WP makes it or not will keep on shifting. Before Mango was released, WP fanboys said Q4 2011 will be that quarter. That one has gone and it didn’t make it. Now you guys say it is Q2\Q3 2012. Lets wait and see..

                  And regarding one set of fanboys saying negative about others, it applies to all of them. Not just one section..

                  • Jay Montano says:

                    That 2m figure was never a Nokia expected number. It’s what some analysts had expected from Nokia but not Nokia’s own target figures.

                    The aim of 2011 was just to get Lumias out. Before that, they had mentioned that they were not yet ready to ship them in volume which was coming in 2012.

                    • Black N9(wish it was 950) 16GB - waiting for the white one says:

                      It wasn’t the analysts figures. It was the number of units contracted for manufacturing.. Also, If they had sold reasonable number of devices, MS would have most likely to give out the number..

                      Anyways, Nokia’s results should be out soon. Eagerly awaiting…

                    • Mee says:

                      very bad excuse

                  • Mark says:

                    As Jay points out, the 2 million was not Nokia’s target, just the predictions of an analyst. You could, of course, have also mentioned that analysts estimates range from 500K to 2 million rather than the upper limit.

                    As for ‘shifting targets’, that’s untrue: I, and others, have always pointed out that we will not have an idea of whether or not Nokia’s transition to WP has been successful or not until at least Q2/Q3. Of course that won’t stop the usual naysayers proclaiming it a failure based on six weeks of sales for one model, will it?

                    • Black N9(wish it was 950) 16GB - waiting for the white one says:

                      Regarding the number units, check my reply to Jay above..

                      Regarding the “shifting targets”, I’m talking about WP in general and not Nokia’s transition.. In general, WP’s acceptance has been at a very low level and it didn’t change even after the release of Mango and spending another $100-odd Ms. That is my main worry for Nokia. Worried if this would take Nokia down when there is nothing else to keep it running. Symbian is doing that currently but this time next year, Symbian too wouldn’t be able to do that…

                    • Viipottaja says:

                      Ordering 2 million devices 1) not confirmed in my view in any reliable manner 2) does not mean they were all intended/expected to be sold in q4 – I mean how on earth did you jump into that conclusion?

                  • snoflake says:

                    @BlackN9 Excellent balanced point well made

                    • spacemodel says:

                      Indeed, we can discuss which fact is fact but after the Mango update in the US their marketshare didn’t explode, on the contrary.
                      And that last one is definitely a fact.
                      And to think that Nokia, which isn’t popular in the US at all, will bring WP to a turning point is very optimistic, or maybe an illusion is a better word.

                    • Mark says:

                      Like I said. It won’t stop the naysayers.

                • wtfiseveryonetalking about says:

                  Let’s be honest. iPhone 4S sales rocked in its release quarter when
                  only available in select markets.

                  Plus let’s not forget the 4S was nothing special? If the lumia was great. Sales would say it’s great.
                  Apparently people think the 4S is great.

                  Sales speak for themselves.

                  • Jay Montano says:

                    I’d say that was too simplistic a view, especially for iPhone.

                    The iPhone brand has been around since 2007. It is desirable regardless of what Apple puts in there. The iPhone 4S could have been an actual piece of cat poo with an apple logo and it would still sell.

                    Point is, that thing sells not just because of what it does. It it an iconic product that people are buying not because of its virtues. The iPhone affords that image. Some sort of superiority above other users. Some sort of ‘belonging’ with ‘more important people’. It’s not like that with everyone, but it’s very interesting watching how certain cultures view the iPhone and the status that comes with owning one.

                    Point: Lumia would probably sell a lot too if it had 4 years of being known, being desired, being iconic etc. It has its own merits too, but its reputation precedes it and sells more iPhones than the device’s capabilities itself.

                    Let’s swap ‘Lumia’ for ‘N9′. We know that is also a great device. But it is something new, and also pretty unknown. As awesome as it is, it would also sell more should it have had the same backstory as iPhone we’ve detailed. Just because it doesn’t sell as much as iPhone doesn’t mean it isn’t special.

                    Sales =/= special. Windows 7 has sold more than anything but there are plenty of critics that would say it’s not special. Or do rules change whenever there’s anything Microsoft related?

                  • wtfiseveryonetalking about says:

                    Also let’s not forget that those select markets the 800 was released in were markets where ms/wp was expected to have a lot of traction. They expected the 800 to sell best in these markets so lets not be blind to details here.

                    Facts are facts.

                    • Jay Montano says:

                      Declaring something as a fact does not make it a fact. Please read my earlier reply to you.

                      Also there were occasions where the Lumia did top the sales charts for individual networks and retailers. That never really happened though, did it? Just a figment of all our imaginations.

                  • Mark says:

                    So… how did those sales of the original iPhone go on release? Or the HTC G1?

                    Because that’s what you should be comparing it to.

        • krustylicious says:

          I had seen some data on either the reg/inquirer for the 800 and it does look bad.

          I think the horrible fact nobody(as in majority of consumers) wants a wp 7.5 phone hasn’t sunk into Microsoft’s head.

          Guess by the end of the year or 2013 another reboot of wp will happen . Microsoft can afford to do so Nokia can’t.

          Nokia should have worked with Microsoft to being a joint ecosystem on apps and gear not the wp platform .

          • Mark says:

            Then please link it to us. I suspect it was the analyst view that appeared over a month ago though.

          • Black N9(wish it was 950) 16GB - waiting for the white one says:

            Nokia’s deal with MS is at the ecosystem level if I’m recollecting the details properly. Nokia will replace Bing maps accross the ecosystem and not just the WP phones.. So will other services (not completely sure if Nokia Music is included but think it is)..

        • Mee says:

          So, prove the opposite

          • Mark says:

            Two points:

            1) The burden of proof is always on the person making the initial assertion.
            2) Read my previous comments. We won’t know if the strategy has worked or not until Q2/Q3. It may or it may not but until then we’re just speculating.

      • annoymous says:

        lumina? its lumia -_____-

  4. rock says:

    What does the Argos card tie me to? Can I just pay normally?

  5. Zhi says:

    Not future proof though without front facing camera (especially now that Skype belongs to Microsoft). I can still live without NFC.
    Are there no new leak models for the MWC next month? I’m so excited!

    • Jay Montano says:

      True. If you know you want almost the lumia but with FFC and might be tied down in terms of price/contract then wait for 800 successor. For many people it might be ok.

  6. kan says:

    This is not a price drop more a price slash and why would they do this if the phone is not selling well?

    Perhaps they have been informed by Nokia to get rid of old stock in preparation of new devices as it seems there has been a general price drop of the Lumia across the board – you can pick on up on a decent contract for about £16pcm over 2 years.

    The problem with this approach is it burns early adopters and replacing a phone within 3 months doesnt fill third party accessory suppliers with confidence.

    Looks like the old Nokia stratgy of killing one product before its established with another very soon afterwards is alive and kicking.

    • Jay Montano says:

      There’s reports from other users that the price might be wrong or that this offer is already finished (just limited).

      As I’ve mentioned above, it is not a universal price cut. It is a PROMOTION.

      • kan says:

        Could be a misprice I hope so as it doesnt send the right signal to the market. The Lumia is not a low end product.

        As to a promotion why the Lumia and why does Argos need a promotion its well known as it is. Also a promotion is tied to some marketing message but there is neither.

        • Jay Montano says:

          Maybe it’s a social media targeted thing? Seems to have worked. Created a bit of a buzz, they didn’t spend too much as they only took a small stock to that price and got all those as new Argos card users (who may be inclined to use them in future).

      • Mee says:

        Okay, okay we understand that it’s promotion

  7. kan says:

    Also if it was a promotion why not place it on the homepage? Why not build up demand by saying Argos will be selling the Lumia on xxx date and get people to swamp the internet with this information.

    If it was a promotion then its a strange one – you just cut the price and leave discovery up to the consumer – thats not how promotions are usually handled.

    • Jay Montano says:

      Argos and Amazon has tons of promotions and sales offers that aren’t on the homepage. It’s just left for the consumers to find.

      Perhaps it is just a limited scale thing.

  8. smartfonefan says:

    Tried ordering online but couldn’t due to system fault. Tried buying over the phone but not allowed. Called to local shop had 2 ordered took credit card out and…….guess what…out of stock.

    The Lumia 800 is old stock from previous catalogue and is now gone and isn’t in new catalogue. Girl in shop said that’s it no more in stock.

    I was close…so close….

  9. Sophiecat says:

    I ordered at 10 ish this morning. Shock horror.
    ‘Hello, this is an important message from Argos. You have placed an order today for the Nokia Lumia we identified that the pricing of the product was incorrect. While we try and ensure that all prices on our website are accurate, errors may occur. As a result of this we will be cancelling your order and you will receive your refund in 7 working days’.

    Lesson of the day. Rely on Argos as little as you can rely upon CPW.

  10. BellGo says:

    If a phone is being sold that much less than the original price quite soon after the release.. Well, lets put it this way, tell me one successful model which this has happened to.

    • Jay Montano says:

      Samsung Galaxy S? Samsung Galaxy S2? Either way, it seems you have missed the whole ‘limited’ thing and now it seems it’s turning out to be a pricing error. What do you have to say now?

      • arts says:

        chances are he/she will pretend this never happened. They come back on another post and troll away.

        • BellGo says:

          And please do explain how I was trolling.

          • arts says:

            when one retailer is throwing prices, its a falling product, ignoring other retailers, operators say its so popular that it sold out.

            Ok so maybe its not trolling, more like jumping to conclusions.

      • BellGo says:

        They went that low this fast? Really? Then I take it all back.

        Also if it was a pricing error, then obviously it was a pricing error and does not reflect the sales, so what do you want me to say?

      • wtfiseveryonetalking about says:

        I’m sure the samsung GS and S2 till this day don’t sell for 30% of the original price.

        Even if the S2 was a 550 pounds/euros product an now is a 400 it’s just good business. Trying to keep sales growing. It’s called strategy.

        Nokia sucks at it. So called ”tree horse strategy”

    • Punching Bag says:

      Bell-end

    • Mark says:

      Or it’s a pricing error and you’re just horribly negative.

  11. Rahms says:

    apparently it sold out at 10 am :’( i called customer services

  12. Rewes says:

    Wouldn’t be the first time that Argos has messed up the price. Didn’t they do this with the N8 as well?

  13. Tris clark says:

    Wouldnt be the first time argos have dropped the ball on pricing, even if it is genuine it seems they are out of stock. Even so, the lumia is available free on all uk networks anyway, mine even came with £100 cash back and a free galaxy s2 courtesy of phones4u’s upgrade offers.

  14. arts says:

    i like how most of the anti lumia troll have basically nothing to say now. AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEE.

  15. kan says:

    Looks like a pricing error. But nevertheless you can get some good deals on the Lumia. Its now priced very competitively on contract.

  16. ANGIE Nokia Fan Proud N8 Owner says:

    IT WAS A PRICING ERROR AND ALL THOSE WHO MANAGED TO PLACE AN ORDER BEFORE THE ERROR CODES CAME ON THE PAGE HAVE NOW RECEIVED EMAILS TO TELL THEM THEY AINT GETTING THE PHONE & WILL BE REFUNDED WITHIN 7 DAYS!!

  17. benjimola says:

    poor symbiam and meego fan boys… symbian/meego is dead… And wp 7 did not commit any murder… Get a life.

  18. Mee says:

    In few words

    Windows phone is NOT ACCEPTED; that’s the truth

    • Mark says:

      Or, as has been pointed out multiple times, it’s a pricing error and you have failed to comprehend that simple fact.

      Honestly, I don’t get you guys. I don’t go into N9 topics or ones about MeeGo to post multiple pointlessly negative comments about it because it doesn’t interest me. The fact that you guys feel the need to come into WP topics and behave like a bunch of spiteful toddlers is both rather amusing and rather sad and suggests that you actually have doubts about your own choices rather then those of others which, frankly, makes you come over as more than a little insecure.

      Just sayin’.

  19. BobHyde says:

    Let us all not get carried away.

    There is still a long way to go before determining if Nokia’s WP strategy was the right one.

    They may have a rocky start with WP7 but I think they still have another 11 months to turn things around.

    If S.Elop cannot get traction by then it will be all over and the his contract will not be renewed.

  20. uisin says:

    is some of the Nokia Lumia 800 with T-Mobile in Startlogo i would like to know i buz one internet. thank you

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