[Bfalcon1]

So far only Sprint has confirmed they will carry the KEYone. When do you think an announcement will come from Attached, Verizon and T Mobile?

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Sometime between now and never......

Maybe 31st when the unlocked version goes on sale, they'll mention more about what carriers later this summer really means. Maybe in June at BlackBerry meeting with shareholders (but think Chen will distance himself - it's BlackBerry Mobile and TCL game).

Some are saying later this summer means September... others think it means just later on so late June/July.

[bb10adopter111]

Sometime between now and never......

Maybe 31st when the unlocked version goes on sale, they'll mention more about what carriers later this summer really means. Maybe in June at BlackBerry meeting with shareholders (but think Chen will distance himself - it's BlackBerry Mobile and TCL game).

Some are saying later this summer means September... others think it means just later on so late June/July.

Carriers will be most interested in it at the end of the summer, midway between the S8 launch and the annual iPhone releases. That's when an interesting niche product could best drive incremental sales.

Posted with my trusty Z10

[tnewton3]

We need to ask BlackBerry Mobile through their social outlets as much as possible. I'm bummed we haven't heard anything beyond the May 18th pre-order for Canada and May 31st availability for USA.

[Bfalcon1]

It would be nice if these carriers announced their intentions either way. I prefer to get my phones through the carrier for my company pays 100%.

[ltoncb]

Carriers will be most interested in it at the end of the summer, midway between the S8 launch and the annual iPhone releases. That's when an interesting niche product could best drive incremental sales.

Posted with my trusty Z10

Really.... That seems like bad timing. When the iPhone 7s/8 launch in mid-Sept-early Oct. Apple is going to cut the price of the then "old' iPhone 7 down $50-100. That's going to put it really near the KeyOne's $549. Samsung is going to undercut that new iPhone 7 price with more cuts to the S7. Those two are going to be having a price war right around the KeyOne's price point.

The second problem have is that the Qualcomm 630 phones are coming.....
"... The Snapdragon 660 is available to partners now and should appear in devices during the second quarter, while the Snapdragon 630 will become available at the end of May and is expected to appear in devices during the third quarter. ..."
Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 660 & 630 Mobile Platforms: Better Connectivity, Camera, & Compute at 14nm

3rd quarter is the "end of Summer". So phones just under the KeyOne price point with equally as long battery life are gong to be next generation.

Waiting until "end of Summer" to really get going is waiting until there is a much more competitive environment. They my want to sell them alongside iPhone 7 , S7 , and late summer SD630's , but that is not necessarily an attempt to maximize KeyOne sales.

I think most carriers don't want to be in a bidding war over the KeyOne limited supply and that is more so driving later in the Summer. Waiting to see so can buy 'just enough' instead of paying too much for too many.

[Bfalcon1]

Really.... That seems like bad timing. When the iPhone 7s/8 launch in mid-Sept-early Oct. Apple is going to cut the price of the then "old' iPhone 7 down $50-100. That's going to put it really near the KeyOne's $549. Samsung is going to undercut that new iPhone 7 price with more cuts to the S7. Those two are going to be having a price war right around the KeyOne's price point.

The second problem have is that the Qualcomm 630 phones are coming.....
"... The Snapdragon 660 is available to partners now and should appear in devices during the second quarter, while the Snapdragon 630 will become available at the end of May and is expected to appear in devices during the third quarter. ..."
Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 660 & 630 Mobile Platforms: Better Connectivity, Camera, & Compute at 14nm

3rd quarter is the "end of Summer". So phones just under the KeyOne price point with equally as long battery life are gong to be next generation.

Waiting until "end of Summer" to really get going is waiting until there is a much more competitive environment. They my want to sell them alongside iPhone 7 , S7 , and late summer SD630's , but that is not necessarily an attempt to maximize KeyOne sales.

I think most carriers don't want to be in a bidding war over the KeyOne limited supply and that is more so driving later in the Summer. Waiting to see so can buy 'just enough' instead of paying too much for too many.

If a carrier besides Sprint decides to carry the KEYone it should have been announced by now. Even Sprint is later this summer. In my opinion this rollout/announcements have been total bush league.

[consv93]

If a carrier besides Sprint decides to carry the KEYone it should have been announced by now. Even Sprint is later this summer. In my opinion this rollout/announcements have been total bush league.

That's not merely an opinion, it's a fact.

[JMillionNYC]

I been using it unlocked with T-Mobile since late April. no issues.

[bb10adopter111]

If a carrier besides Sprint decides to carry the KEYone it should have been announced by now. Even Sprint is later this summer. In my opinion this rollout/announcements have been total bush league.

I'm sure TCL would love to announce universal carrier support in the US like they have in Canada, but they obviously can't control what carriers decide to support. No carrier would ever give a hard "no" so I bet it's safe to assume that discussions will continue with no determined outcome.

If TCL gets a widespread carrier release for a BlackBerry in the US it will likely be with a different model. The CEO has said they are in this for the long run.

Posted with my trusty Z10

[thurask]

I looked into the KEYone autoloader that BlackBerry Mobile put up, there's models for Sprint, AT&T and Verizon, but not T-Mobile. Best case, they will sell the exact same device as unlocked.

There is also some evidence for a China model, but that's the first I've seen of it.

[o4liberty]

With past bad sales carrier's might opt out of this one. Blackberry is no where near the sales of the top devices and God knows how well the Keyone Will sell this time around. Hopefully Blackberry has a better marketing campaign for the Keyone's rollout.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I'm sure TCL would love to announce universal carrier support in the US like they have in Canada, but they obviously can't control what carriers decide to support. No carrier would ever give a hard "no" so I bet it's safe to assume that discussions will continue with no determined outcome.

If TCL gets a widespread carrier release for a BlackBerry in the US it will likely be with a different model. The CEO has said they are in this for the long run.

Posted with my trusty Z10

That's about as comforting as "we are committed to BB10".

TCL has to repair the brand and build up confidence that this new BlackBerry isn't going to be like the last three (BlackBerry's own attempt at Android - EOL, BB10 - EOL, and BBOS - EOL). Enterprise doesn't want products with short life spans.

So make no mistake.... the long run, could be cut short if goals are not met early on. And it's going to be really hard to sell enterprise in the US, without support from the Carrier's that they buy from. Might not be too big of an issue if the KEYone is snubbed, as I expect Enterprise see that form factor as less appealing also. But if the other two devices later this year don't make it on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. Because Enterprise still get big discounts and subsidies on hardware bought through a Carrier - one reason that Apple does so well in Enterprise.

[bb10adopter111]

That's about as comforting as "we are committed to BB10".

TCL has to repair the brand and build up confidence that this new BlackBerry isn't going to be like the last three (BlackBerry's own attempt at Android - EOL, BB10 - EOL, and BBOS - EOL). Enterprise doesn't want products with short life spans.

So make no mistake.... the long run, could be cut short if goals are not met early on. And it's going to be really hard to sell enterprise in the US, without support from the Carrier's that they buy from. Might not be too big of an issue if the KEYone is snubbed, as I expect Enterprise see that form factor as less appealing also. But if the other two devices later this year don't make it on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. Because Enterprise still get big discounts and subsidies on hardware bought through a Carrier - one reason that Apple does so well in Enterprise.

TCL has had decent relationships with carriers. But the demand for the phone has to be proven before carriers will line up. There's no quick fix possible. TCL will need to release a series of great devices over time to build interest, credibility and market share. They say that's their plan, and they have the deep pockets to do that if they choose.

Time will tell, but I just don't see the KEYone selling more than 1-2 m units in the first year, due to both the limited market for a PKB and the distribution challenges we're seeing.

Posted with my trusty Z10

[Bfalcon1]

I know buying a phone is not life or death but the delays just discourage people to move on. People want to know when, where and how much. Ease of purchase as well. Not stating anything just gives people a reason to buy somewhere else. I sell to retail so I know how the mind of a consumer thinks.

[bb10adopter111]

I know buying a phone is not life or death but the delays just discourage people to move on. People want to know when, where and how much. Ease of purchase as well. Not stating anything just gives people a reason to buy somewhere else. I sell to retail so I know how the mind of a consumer thinks.

That's why, I believe, we've seen so little marketing in advance of the general release of the KEYone. Most consumers don't know that the release date was pushed back because they don't watch videos from MWC. The number of lost sales between the originally announced release "sometime in April" and the actual May release is unlikely to be more than a few thousand, or possibly a few hundred, units. Outside of these forums, there just weren't many people even aware that the KEYone was being developed.

Posted with my trusty Z10

[crackberry_geek]

Little johnny is probably, via his licensing schemes, requiring the same anti-carrier lunacy as his own misguided notions.

[bb10adopter111]

Little johnny is probably, via his licensing schemes, requiring the same anti-carrier lunacy as his own misguided notions.

Are you seriously asserting that lack.of carrier support was Blackberry's preference? LOL

Posted with my trusty Z10

[Bfalcon1]

That's why, I believe, we've seen so little marketing in advance of the general release of the KEYone. Most consumers don't know that the release date was pushed back because they don't watch videos from MWC. The number of lost sales between the originally announced release "sometime in April" and the actual May release is unlikely to be more than a few thousand, or possibly a few hundred, units. Outside of these forums, there just weren't many people even aware that the KEYone was being developed.

Posted with my trusty Z10

You bring up an excellent point. Outside the Crackberry community nobody knows about this phone.

[consv93]

You bring up an excellent point. Outside the Crackberry community nobody knows about this phone.

Same tired line. There are millions of views of K1 videos on YouTube and I'm sure millions of hits on the Web articles, but people keep trotting out this excuse.

[Bfalcon1]

Same tired line. There are millions of views of K1 videos on YouTube and I'm sure millions of hits on the Web articles, but people keep trotting out this excuse.

Yeah and the Priv got like 2 million views on You Tube...that phone sold very welll!

[bb10adopter111]

If there's a market for the K1 form factor, it will sell. If there isn't, it won't. The issues with the rollout are tactical, not strategic, and won't make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful product.

Posted with my trusty Z10

[khalbleib]

Anyone been using the unlocked keyone on Tmobile and using the WIFI calling. Also have Wifi on with any issues sending or receiving text with or without pictures.

Posted via CB10

[Mike-Mike]

I hope T-Mobile gets a carrier version so I can JoD

[consv93]

Yeah and the Priv got like 2 million views on You Tube...that phone sold very welll!

The argument is that no one is aware of the phone. The views say otherwise. Sales have nothing to do with it.