View Poll Results: Did you buy shares ?

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  • Yes, I'm acting now !

    702 62.18%
  • No

    427 37.82%
  1. Corbu's Avatar
    BlackBerry Ltd releases premium DTEK60 smartphone for $650, the company?s third Android attempt | Financial Post

    TORONTO — BlackBerry Ltd.’s hardware business isn’t dead yet.

    The Waterloo, Ont. mobile company Tuesday released its third Android powered smartphone, a higher-end touchscreen device that was already in the works before BlackBerry announced in September it would ditch its money-losing hardware development to focus on software.

    The DTEK60 is an amped-up version of the DTEK50, a mid-range device billed as the “world’s most secure Android phone” upon its release three months ago. It will sell in Canada for $650 and in the U.S. for US$499.

    Executives hope the DTEK60 will be just right for consumers who ignored BlackBerry’s first and second attempts at selling Android devices. CEO John Chen blamed disappointing sales for the Priv, the first Android BlackBerry released last fall, on its expensive price of US$699 at launch.

    It’s not exactly clear how well the DTEK50 is selling (it’s priced at $429 and US$299) — it launched only weeks before the hardware division’s fate was sealed when it failed to break even on sales of 400,000 devices — but it appears security alone isn’t enough to spur sales. In a Monday interview, BlackBerry’s senior vice-president of global device sales Alex Thurber focused more on the DTEK60’s “market leading” specifications.

    “The problem with selling security is when it works, nothing happens,” Thurber said. “At the end of the day we’re all consumers, and as exciting as the phone might be to a security person, the individual user has to want to use it as well.”

    Like the DTEK50, the DTEK60 was built using a reference design from China’s TCL Corp. combined with BlackBerry’s software. Still, it’s just as secure as the DTEK50, Thurber said, pointing to the rapid security patching.

    “They’re both the most secure,” he said, adding the main difference between the phones is the hardware, notably a fingerprint sensor and upgrades to the camera, screen and battery life. “It really is a slick phone.”

    Thurber expects the DTEK60 will appeal to executives and “prosumers” compared to the DTEK50, which is more of a fleet device that major companies around the world are testing for their employees.

    “I’m actually really excited about the price on this phone… I think that makes it even more attractive to our users,” he said.

    Thurber contends the DTEK60 compares very favourably to other high-end devices on the market, especially in the Android ecosystem. He said the timing of the launch has nothing to do with Samsung’s problems with the Galaxy Note 7, subject to a mass recall due to its propensity to catch fire.

    “We were planning October all along,” Thurber said. “Certainly, the Samsung issues have raised the concerns about safety, something we’re absolutely focused on at BlackBerry.”

    For those confused by the release of another BlackBerry despite the highly publicized death of its hardware business, Thurber said it’s all part of its transition to software. In the future, BlackBerry will license its brand to put on devices designed and made by other companies. (Thurber emphasized strict safety clauses in contracts with manufacturers.)

    “What we announced really was getting out of the supply-chain business, but not at all out of the software business. At the end of the day, it’s the software that powers the phone,” he said.

    There is still one more BlackBerry designed phone in the works — and the final one has a keyboard. Earlier this month Thurber told the BBC the keyboard model would be released within six months, but he declined to comment on unreleased products.

    “We know that there is a huge customer base and lots of interest in our physical keyboard phones. We definitely are aware of that and keeping that in mind, but we’re not releasing more information on our roadmap.”
    10-25-16 07:36 AM
  2. Corbu's Avatar
    FWIW:
    10-25-16 07:38 AM
  3. Corbu's Avatar
    BlackBerry Unveils Last Phone in Pipeline - WSJ

    Once-dominant smartphone maker now ceding handset development to third-party manufacturers as it focuses on software

    BlackBerry Ltd. unveiled a new Android-powered phone on Tuesday, marking the end of an era for the once-dominant smartphone maker as it cedes handset development to third-party manufacturers to focus on software.

    BlackBerry said its new phone, called the DTEK60, offers a 5.5-inch screen and all-touch keyboard, and will retail for $499. Much like its successor, the DTEK50, the new device is loaded with proprietary encryption technology that protects against cyberattacks and privacy violations.

    The new phone stands up to the hardware packed into Apple Inc.’s iPhone 7 Plus phone and the newly launched Google Pixel XL with additional security features, said BlackBerry Chief Operating Officer Marty Beard in an interview.

    “We have a very strong entrant,” said Mr. Beard. “We market [the DTEK series] as the world’s most secure phones.”

    The new device uses a unique feature called “hardware root of trust” to add security keys that prevent it from being counterfeited, the company said. It also offers a fingerprint sensor on the back.

    BlackBerry said at the end of last month, in conjunction with second-quarter results, that it would stop making devices to focus on software.

    While the company will no longer control end-to-end development, BlackBerry-branded devices will continue to be released by third-party developers, Mr. Beard said. The company already announced a joint venture with an affiliate of PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk, the country’s largest wireless carrier, to produce, promote and distribute all Blackberry-brand devices in Indonesia.

    Analysts had been expecting BlackBerry to give up on its hardware business for some time as device sales weighed on the company’s bottom line. The company sold 400,000 devices in its fiscal second quarter, down from 500,000 in its first quarter and 600,000 the quarter before that.

    BlackBerry had fiscal second-quarter revenue of $334 million, down 32% from a year earlier. Revenue from its mobility solutions division, which includes device sales, was $105 million, down from $206 million a year earlier.

    “We’re still very much in the smartphone business, but we’re now focused on the ’smart’ in the phone,” Mr. Beard said.

    The latest device, the company’s third Android-powered phone, will be available in North America and Europe on Tuesday through BlackBerry’s e-commerce sites. The company is working with a number of distributors in other countries to make the device available world-wide, Mr. Beard said.

    While the company announced plans in July to stop making its Classic smartphone, another physical keyboard-equipped device isn’t off the table. Mr. Beard said the company may soon help develop a keyboard-equipped phone depending on market demand. BlackBerry is also working on an update to its BB10 operating system and the company remains committed to its proprietary operating system, Mr. Beard said.
    rarsen, sidhuk, Greened and 1 others like this.
    10-25-16 07:40 AM
  4. cgk's Avatar

    Is it actually the last? We know they have been testing the Mercury but Chen was unclear if he was going ahead or not - has that changed?
    10-25-16 08:00 AM
  5. Corbu's Avatar
    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bl...-idUSKCN12P1K1
    BlackBerry launches its third Android-based phone

    BlackBerry Ltd (BB.TO)(BBRY.O) launched its third Android-based phone on Tuesday, opting to price the device cheaper than competing products like Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) iPhone 7 and Android-maker Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Pixel.

    The Canadian smartphone pioneer, which has lost most of the market to Apple and others, last month said it planned to outsource the development of its smartphones to focus on its more profitable business of software and managing mobile devices.

    That means the Android-based DTEK60 will be the last phone for which BlackBerry buys components itself, which carries a heavier risk if it does not sell well.

    "This one is our phone," BlackBerry Chief Operating Officer Marty Beard said in an interview. "This is fully our responsibility."

    The device, which has a 5.5 inch touchscreen, will be priced at $499. Apple's iPhone 7 with the same screen size starts at $769, while the equivalent version of Google's Pixel starts at $649.

    "If you look at feature by feature by feature, and you're looking at dimensions and weight and the display and the memory and the camera, the battery, it is a very strong comp to both those devices," Beard said.

    Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry does not have any distribution deals with telecom companies that typically offer devices along with connections to their communications networks.

    Instead, it is pitching the phone directly to companies, governments and other large organizations, as well as selling it on its own websites in the United States, Canada, and several major European countries.

    "It's not necessarily an anti-carrier strategy," Beard said. "It's more that we see this as the most efficient and most cost-effective way to get to that customer base."

    The DTEK60 is based on a reference design from manufacturer TCL Corp (000100.SZ), a Chinese electronics company that makes phones as well as televisions, air conditioners and other household appliances.

    BlackBerry launched its first Android device, the high-end Priv, in November last year and followed it with the much cheaper DTEK50 in July.

    The company last month wrote down $137 million of inventory and supply commitments in the six months to the end of August due to limited demand for phones launched prior to the DTEK50.
    10-25-16 08:06 AM
  6. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    BlackBerry launches its third Android-based phone | Reuters
    BlackBerry launches its third Android-based phone
    If only this had been what they launched a year ago.....
    TGIS likes this.
    10-25-16 09:33 AM
  7. Corbu's Avatar
    10-25-16 10:28 AM
  8. Superfly_FR's Avatar
    FWIW:
    Thanks Corbu !
    As stated By Bla1ze in the blog, seems pretty responsive and fast, that's nice.
    Some pics for you (click, they are bigger) :

    The BBRY Café.  [Formerly: I support BBRY and I buy shares!]-dtek60_angle2_onwhite.jpg
    The BBRY Café.  [Formerly: I support BBRY and I buy shares!]-dtek60_back.jpg
    The BBRY Café.  [Formerly: I support BBRY and I buy shares!]-dtek60-rightangle.jpg
    morganplus8, Corbu, rarsen and 3 others like this.
    10-25-16 10:38 AM
  9. Superfly_FR's Avatar
    6 months ago
    The Street : " Stop making devices"
    BlackBerry: "Well, we can't right now"
    SP down

    1 Month ago
    The Street : "[muted]"
    BlackBerry : "Well, we've heard and won't be building devices anymore, only licensing them (and we have a 15pages white book to explain what it means)
    SP down

    Today
    The Street : "What did they say ?"
    BlackBerry : "Hurray, here's the DTEK60 !"
    SP Down.

    morganplus8, Corbu, rarsen and 7 others like this.
    10-25-16 10:45 AM
  10. early2bed's Avatar
    6 months ago
    The Street : " Stop making devices"
    BlackBerry: "Well, we can't right now"
    SP down

    1 Month ago
    The Street : "[muted]"
    BlackBerry : "Well, we've heard and won't be building devices anymore, only licensing them (and we have a 15pages white book to explain what it means)
    SP down

    Today
    The Street : "What did they say ?"
    BlackBerry : "Hurray, here's the DTEK60 !"
    SP Down.

    Perhaps it's because the share price has nothing to do with phones.
    cgk and Dunt Dunt Dunt like this.
    10-25-16 11:01 AM
  11. Corbu's Avatar
    10-25-16 11:06 AM
  12. Superfly_FR's Avatar
    Now if someone has better English skills than I do an can translate into practical strategy ...
    [please read the article for extended infos about valuation, licensing duration and so on]

    https://blog.bbm.com/2016/10/25/emte...th-blackberry/

    BBM “ownership”
    Second, some media outlets reported that BBM is 100% owned by Indonesia. While it’s true that Emtek has licensed the BBM software and intellectual property (IP), and will operate the platform globally and develop it for the consumer market, BlackBerry will continue to advance the platform for enterprise with BBM Protected.

    We are energized by this long-term partnership. BBM is the most popular messaging application in Indonesia. Now we have the chance to build it up as a mobile platform that will empower e-commerce and other businesses. Many small businesses in Indonesia use BBM to keep in touch with their customers. Once we add payment capabilities, the sky is the limit. BBM will become an even more useful tool for offline merchants like restaurants and hospitals, allowing them to handle appointments, reservations, payments and a lot of other things.
    Having BBM at the center of the mobile world makes a lot of sense. Our vision is to help consumers connect to each other and to merchants, but also to combine the data warehouse and simultaneously enhance the app’s artificial intelligence (AI) capability to better serve content to BBM users. This is about creating a mobile ecosystem. That won’t happen overnight, which is why we’re committed for the long term.
    10-25-16 11:52 AM
  13. Corbu's Avatar
    10-25-16 11:53 AM
  14. Superfly_FR's Avatar
    Perhaps it's because the share price has nothing to do with phones.
    We've been told otherwise for near 2 years ...
    10-25-16 11:57 AM
  15. world traveler and former ceo's Avatar
    6 months ago
    The Street : " Stop making devices"
    BlackBerry: "Well, we can't right now"
    SP down

    1 Month ago
    The Street : "[muted]"
    BlackBerry : "Well, we've heard and won't be building devices anymore, only licensing them (and we have a 15pages white book to explain what it means)
    SP down

    Today
    The Street : "What did they say ?"
    BlackBerry : "Hurray, here's the DTEK60 !"
    SP Down.

    Between Nasdak and TSE, there are like 80 million shorts...yes, even at this ridiculously low SP....
    ... big MM'S still control the stock... and manipulate it accordingly... it's not in their interest to see it go up..
    .... any "positive" BlackBerry news is irrelevant to them unless there is: 1) actual offer or serious rumors that BlackBerry will be sold for serious $$$$, or 2) they see via financial performance and guidance, that revenues HAVE turned around, from their continual quarter after quarter declines, and that the company IS profitable and growing their market share ..

    Stock is down because Shorts don't fear anything from BlackBerry....phones or no phones...

    ...next move is Chen's....



    Posted via CB10
    10-25-16 12:42 PM
  16. Corbu's Avatar
    10-25-16 01:16 PM
  17. W Hoa's Avatar
    BlackBerry's Surprisingly Speedy Return To The Smartphone Market - Forbes

    What BlackBerry offers the enterprise market is that level of security right now, and the ability to stay on top of security issues for the lifetime of a device. The DTEK60, with a touch more power and potential than the DTEK50, is aimed at the enterprise market as a corporate device.

    The DTEK60 is available to individual users, but you should be aware of the reference design nature of the handset. The value in this handset is in the software and being part of the company�s cloud-based product. BlackBerry�s historical prowess as a manufacturer gives it the edge when software and hardware is combined, but be in no doubt the DTEK60 transitions the user and the company from hardware-first to software-first.
    10-25-16 01:52 PM
  18. bbjdog's Avatar
    10-25-16 02:32 PM
  19. Corbu's Avatar
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...kberry-country
    Apple Said to Develop Car Operating System in BlackBerry Country
    rarsen likes this.
    10-25-16 02:34 PM
  20. cjcampbell's Avatar
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...kberry-country
    Apple Said to Develop Car Operating System in BlackBerry Country
    Sigh.... rehashing old news. Wonder what the media would do if the general populous had any sort of memory?

    Posted via CB10
    10-25-16 03:02 PM
  21. kadakn01's Avatar
    Short interest update
    As of 9/30-------------- 57.26M
    As of 10/14------------ 62.2M

    Increase of 5M shares
    10-25-16 03:14 PM
  22. _dimi_'s Avatar
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...kberry-country
    Apple Said to Develop Car Operating System in BlackBerry Country
    I really think they need to become more aggresive on the IoT front. Their enterprise offering (EMM) seems solid now. But on the IoT front, there will be more QNX experts working outside of the company than within, which bothers me if a competitor could implement the technology at a minimal cost.

    Perhaps a major acquisition within the IoT domain would not only accelerate growth, but also get this share price going UP! So stock compensation finally starts paying off for some of their talents.

    Posted via CB10
    morganplus8, sidhuk, Corbu and 3 others like this.
    10-25-16 03:16 PM
  23. world traveler and former ceo's Avatar
    Short interest update
    As of 9/30-------------- 57.26M
    As of 10/14------------ 62.2M

    Increase of 5M shares
    Wow!!! Explains the direction of the stock since last Earnings... depressing.... CEO Chen needs to hit one out of the park....

    Posted via CB10
    10-25-16 03:19 PM
  24. early2bed's Avatar
    We've been told otherwise for near 2 years ...
    My understanding is that the hardware operations have been valued at zero for more than two years. Therefore, I wouldn't expect the stock price to go up or down upon discontinuation of the hardware program. If the stock is going down, I would attribute it to investors actually looking at what's left and wondering if BlackBerry really has any core technology that is worth investing in or if they are destined to be an also-ran in everything that they do going forward.

    One has to think that the company would have benefited more if the hardware operations could have been sold as was rumored years ago.
    10-25-16 03:23 PM
  25. world traveler and former ceo's Avatar
    I really think they need to become more aggresive on the IoT front. Their enterprise offering (EMM) seems solid now. But on the IoT front, there will be more QNX experts working outside of the company than within, which bothers me if a competitor could implement the technology at a minimal cost.

    Perhaps a major acquisition within the IoT domain would not only accelerate growth, but also get this share price going UP! So stock compensation finally starts paying off for some of their talents.

    Posted via CB10
    I'd like to see them sell the asset or license it to a big player or consortium for serious $$$$s ... JMO.....or, . will it turn two or three years from now into another BBM?. I just don't know their critical mass capabilities to scale up and monetize...or will they be usurped by the deep pocketed big players?.... doesn't take much for big players to steel your top talent if you are not leading the way and growing... enough... and BlackBerry SP or Options or other forms of compensation not competitive....to retain talent. BlackBerry has always historically been late to react.... to timing things well.

    .. we need a "Nokia /Microsoft" moment


    Posted via CB10
    Last edited by world traveler and former ceo; 10-25-16 at 03:51 PM.
    10-25-16 03:40 PM
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