[weiberry]

Probably my speculation is totally baseless. But it just came to me that BlackBerry might have developed a strategy to rebrand and twist some phones in the market and make it a BlackBerry phone. For example:

- Priv AKA Galaxy 6/7
- Neon AKA Idol 4

If it is the case, personally I think it might work. BlackBerry will outsource the future device, twist it with security, PKB and BlackBerry touch and rebrand it to a BlackBerry phone.

The challenge is how to make it a little bit premium than original. Remember Porsche Design BlackBerry? It could be fun boys' dream device and legend, if you do it right.

If it is the case, my humble suggestion is to start with next generation of Priv. Can the team sit down and listen to how Porsche Design team came up with P9981? Don't forget a cool name, too. Give your baby a cool name.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Alright....

[nohope4me]

The incentive there is that Alcatel can sell enough "base" devices to cover the design and manufacturing expenses and then the companies using that model start to see return on investment. High volume philosophy, probably not going to work well in the wealthier markets as people is willing to pay more for a more unique/higher specd devices. Good idea for developing countries, unfortunately margins are smaller there as well.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

With BlackBerry's "root of trust", no sure that they are saving as much as you would assume they would. They seem to indicate that there is something special about the chips, so you lose on the economy of scale by having to order a special batch of chipsets. You loses when a production run has to be customized for just BlackBerry devcies with those chips, and you loses when BlackBerry must guess at how many chips need to be ordered and how many phones need to be produced at one time.

Changing out a cover and reflashing the phones is not too be of a cost... but custom hardware will lose them much of the savings that buying off the shelf should have earned them. But with sales where they are, even just saving of the design work might be a big chunk for Chen.

[donnation]

Why would Blackberry want to associate anything they do moving forward with the Porsche designed phones? They were a hug rip off and didn't do anything to help Blackberry. Not to mention they were ugly as hell.

[stlabrat]

(1) status symbol (2) beauty - design taste is based on individual. initial sold out at HK of course were not your group. Personally, like the design without kb. the clock is amazing design - software few tweak made difference. not only hardware. the smart hide up behind dev with pw access was tasteful with a mind teasing - just look at the few days crazy on crackberry try to get the Porsche clock - tell me who would want one.. (3) price is different issue - of course you have cover the cost. It is based on "willingness to pay" and perceived value. Someone would pay to be differential from the others - not the masses. if Porsche intend to target that market, as long as volume is set up correctly (production cost of small volume is high by default)... if you lower the price and/or you increase volume, the perceived value of the device will change (just look at the Christie auction house for painting...) and someone will feel rip off (different than the rip off you feel... tell me if Porsche design Z10 just 50+ to the Z10 price at the time, you don't want one? give me a break ;-).
Personally, I do like Porsche design of Z10, "metallic" finishing feel like "rich", edge chamfer at bottom differentiate from other device - UN-mistakenably (either from iphone or droid at the time). Back feels nice. Audio - don't like it. Prefer 9860 3 speakers true full range sound coverage - yes. I am very picky. === nick named Ms Piggy when I was ages ago... Battery was insufficient. but the ram are nice - just for the ram, I would pay for additional 50.00. No comment on the kb version... but I thought in the crackberry board, someone mentioned you see a rather few in middle eastern kingdom.... with gold color... not my cup of tea (however, deep gold with true black accent might won me over... "I like black until someone invent something darker"... nano material prevent scatter of light might be the future black for me... personal preference). off the topic here. IMHO, if good design come back to BB, Porsche or Ariel Atom (my favorite car), as long as priced and volume correctly, it will take over the market (both hardware and software plus security - unique pin? not sure about that). ;-)

[early2bed]

Porsche design is the polar opposite marketing strategy to what they have now. Porsche design was luxury appearance with generic functionality. Blackberrys secure phones are about improved functionality with a generic appearance.

[stlabrat]

why you need polar opposite? can't you have both (of course, the "luxury" appearance with improved functionality... not the generic functionality and appearance...)? As long as not cost prohibitive, why not? Unless the luxury appearance that impede some functionality (true, the metallic backing door will prevent the near field communication for example). But otherwise, why? I thought industry design is intend to be attractive (to majority of the aesthetics taste, universal language. symmetric, ratio, weight balance, etc. and touch and feel).

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

why you need polar opposite? can't you have both (of course, the "luxury" appearance with improved functionality... not the generic functionality and appearance...)? As long as not cost prohibitive, why not? Unless the luxury appearance that impede some functionality (true, the metallic backing door will prevent the near field communication for example). But otherwise, why? I thought industry design is intend to be attractive (to majority of the aesthetics taste, universal language. symmetric, ratio, weight balance, etc. and touch and feel).

Problem is the whole "cost prohibitive" part of this....

They used an Idol 4 to save cost... If they wen't out and used different hardware and redesigned the case and used high end finishes... they would loses all the savings that using a existing design gave them.

I'm not sure some here understand just how close BlackBerry is to getting their hardware business "above water" and Chen thus keeping hardware alive. If things improve and they start making money and rebuilding the brand... then who knows what flexibility they'll have to "create". But right now it's about pinching pennies and seeing if they can make things work for as little cost as possible.... WHICH IS A VERY BIG IF.

[stlabrat]

agree. that is why platform design is so important: apple didn't change format for long, long, long time. reuse of a good format aesthetic design would not only save money, but also provide brand unique appearance... however, it is provide challenges for hardware designer try to cramp more function in the same space - not easy (can't be lazy on layout... possibly grow few white hair or lost some).

[Nine54]

Problem is the whole "cost prohibitive" part of this....

They used an Idol 4 to save cost... If they wen't out and used different hardware and redesigned the case and used high end finishes... they would loses all the savings that using a existing design gave them.

I'm not sure some here understand just how close BlackBerry is to getting their hardware business "above water" and Chen thus keeping hardware alive. If things improve and they start making money and rebuilding the brand... then who knows what flexibility they'll have to "create". But right now it's about pinching pennies and seeing if they can make things work for as little cost as possible.... WHICH IS A VERY BIG IF.

But is this strategy keeping hardware alive or is it accelerating the decline? Chen wanted to make the hardware division profitable. But this has resulted in making uninspired, undifferentiated devices (OK, the Priv is somewhat differentiated) that no one wants to buy doesn't seem like a good strategy. Perhaps Blackberry should make devices that folks want to buy and then worry about increasing margins.

Although software sales are increasing, in other areas, Blackberry is trying to increase profitability on decreasing revenue. Perhaps it should focus on increasing revenue first. Not every aspect of the business needs to have software-like margins.

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