[xxjavaxx2001]

With all these positive feedback going around. Do you guys think if BlackBerry released this phone and not licensed the Brand instead it could have been more beneficial for them? I mean what if they released this phone together with the Priv. One would have been high end and the other Mid end. Im just throwing you guys some thoughts. I cant help but think this could have been the savior phone BlackBerry needed from way way back.

Your Thoughts?

[ikeloyalBB]

It's a clear sign that our beloved company, I'm talking real BlackBerry is in clear trouble (BlackBerry the software company). They are trying to make as much money as possible (obvious statement, but look at the prices of Dtek 50, 60 and Priv). John Chen said that the Priv was overpriced. Might a reason why TCL/TCT have priced the KEYone the way they have.

[AmritD]

With all these positive feedback going around. Do you guys think if BlackBerry released this phone and not licensed the Brand instead it could have been more beneficial for them? I mean what if they released this phone together with the Priv. One would have been high end and the other Mid end. Im just throwing you guys some thoughts. I cant help but think this could have been the savior phone BlackBerry needed from way way back.

Your Thoughts?

Tbh, I don't think BlackBerry would have been able to launch the phone with so much fanfare and press. They wouldn't have spent so much. Just my 2 cents

Posted via CB10

[ikeloyalBB]

They were trying to make money on the overpriced Priv before giving us the phone we all wanted. If they released KEYone before the Priv, Dtek 50 and Dtek 60. The PKB fans would have bought the Key not the others. By switching around, we were "forced" to buy one of the other 3. Does anybody agree?
Backlash is that after Passport and Classic, some of the hardcore fans went to Apple or Samsung.

In a way, I understand why BlackBerry took this avenue. But as a fan, I would have preferred the Mercury/KEYone back in 2015!

[th.1977]

They were trying to make money on the overpriced Priv before giving us the phone we all wanted. If they released KEYone before the Priv, Dtek 50 and Dtek 60. The PKB fans would have bought the Key not the others. By switching around, we were "forced" to buy one of the other 3. Does anybody agree?
Backlash is that after Passport and Classic, some of the hardcore fans went to Apple or Samsung.

In a way, I understand why BlackBerry took this avenue. But as a fan, I would have preferred the Mercury/KEYone back in 2015!

I agree.long time blackberry fan here . But rocking a Samsung . Had they released the key first I would likely be using that now.

[Ulferini Schusterotti]

With all these positive feedback going around. Do you guys think if BlackBerry released this phone and not licensed the Brand instead it could have been more beneficial for them? I mean what if they released this phone together with the Priv. One would have been high end and the other Mid end. Im just throwing you guys some thoughts. I cant help but think this could have been the savior phone BlackBerry needed from way way back.

Your Thoughts?

BlackBerry totally failed with the PRIV, doing ZERO marketing, creating ZERO buzz. They totally failed introducing this awesome piece of hardware! I feel really sorry for the product designers who put maybe years of effort in it and then BlackBerry's non-existent marketing screwed up everything.

With the KEYone it was perfect. Teasing a mysterious nameless BlackBerry at CES and then releasing it on MWC was the best what could happen to the KEYone and its popularity.

Well done TCL!!

[crackbb10]

BlackBerry doesn't have the money to take this risk. Whether the new devices sell well or not, BlackBerry made the right choice by exiting hardware. They won't make as much on devices, but at least they won't loose a penny on it. Let's hope they sell well and bring in money for both development and profits.

Posted via CB10

[ToniCipriani]

With all these positive feedback going around. Do you guys think if BlackBerry released this phone and not licensed the Brand instead it could have been more beneficial for them? I mean what if they released this phone together with the Priv. One would have been high end and the other Mid end. Im just throwing you guys some thoughts. I cant help but think this could have been the savior phone BlackBerry needed from way way back.

Your Thoughts?

Because positive reviews does not translate to sales.

[ToniCipriani]

BlackBerry totally failed with the PRIV, doing ZERO marketing, creating ZERO buzz. They totally failed introducing this awesome piece of hardware! I feel really sorry for the product designers who put maybe years of effort in it and then BlackBerry's non-existent marketing screwed up everything.

With the KEYone it was perfect. Teasing a mysterious nameless BlackBerry at CES and then releasing it on MWC was the best what could happen to the KEYone and its popularity.

Well done TCL!!

No they didn't. Both still overpriced both, overvalued the "security" and keyboard.

[th.1977]

No they didn't. Both still overpriced both, overvalued the "security" and keyboard.

I think your right . Key one is slightly over priced ,priv was way over priced . I think the key one should be 50 to 100 bucks cheaper imo . If for no other reason but to add a little extra value against something like the motor z play . Once blackberry mobile get a little more market share then bump the price . The goal right now should be to get ppl to try it once they do blackberry has a better change for sales on their next phone.

[ray689]

Because regardless what Chen said for two years about valuing hardware, he didn't care. His goal seems to have always been to pass it off to someone else and he was just going through the motions till he could make it happen. The effort (or lack there of) they put into it is proof of that.

[PantherBlitz]

Launching the Priv as the sole Android device was the tragic last straw that broke hardware.

[TheBirdDog]

Launching the Priv as the sole Android device was the tragic last straw that broke hardware.

Well, hardware is still going... just not the same way it used to be. And, in a sense, things might be better than ever for that.

I don't disagree that the Priv was probably not their best entry into Android. The KEYone is the best Android phone they will have released so far - the biggest reason being that it combines the form that people identify BlackBerry (familiar PKB) as, with the functionality that they want (Android), as well as adding some nifty innovations keeping them relevant (capacitive keyboard with finger print scanner hidden in the spacebar; hell yes!!)

However, when I look at how things went, I'm not entirely convinced that the Priv was always planned to be released as an Android device. I think that the pivotal decision to move into Android was made without much consideration for "which device to launch with" and rather a "we basically need to do this move now or we're dead." The Priv was just the next device in their pipeline.

On a positive note, however, they have been refining their Android software for a while now. They have beefed it up quite considerably and when the KEYone is released, it will be pretty smooth for everyone to jump in on. Yeah, it probably would have made a better 'hardware' entry into Android but it would have suffered with the 'software' side if it had played out that way. Now that many of the kinks have been worked out, the KEYone will be all the better for it. There actually IS a bright side if you can look at it a bit differently!

[conite]

Had BlackBerry released it, it would have been $100 more expensive ($649), as a result of necessity.

[jakie55]

AS much as I wish BlackBerry was still a market leader in hardware, I believe they really haven't marketed anything to any great degree since the Z10 / Q10 launch. One of the best BB10 phones arguably was the Z 30, and there was NO buzz about it. Basically just a press release. The PassPort had more of a launch, but by then, it was the last hurrah. I feel the Classic was a panic move, trying to gain the BBOS crowd, with the tool belt, to no avail. The PRIV and the two DTEKs were the attempts to go the direction some in the company wanted since 2013, but with no resources to properly market. ( BlackBerry has been abysmal at marketing. Period.

[Tre Lawrence]

Because positive reviews does not translate to sales.

This.

Memories might be short, but we go through this almost every release. Folks gravitate to the positive feedback.

Plus, the mobile landscape is littered with "well-received" phones that didn't sell well. Ask HTC.

[Dmd74]

It's a clear sign that our beloved company, I'm talking real BlackBerry is in clear trouble (BlackBerry the software company). They are trying to make as much money as possible (obvious statement, but look at the prices of Dtek 50, 60 and Priv). John Chen said that the Priv was overpriced. Might a reason why TCL/TCT have priced the KEYone the way they have.

I disagree in that this is a clear sign that BlackBerry is in trouble. I don't see when how you get to this point. Profits, especially in their S&S, have greatly improved. I would say that BlackBerry the company is on the rise. As far as BlackBerry's involvement with the design and build of a cell phone, I do not see a way in which BlackBerry could be as successful releasing a phone as TCL would be. TCL is firmly entrenched in the cell phone, amongst other electronics. TCL has the ability to produce and manufacture devices much more cost effectively than BlackBerry could.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

This.

Memories might be short, but we go through this almost every release. Folks gravitate to the positive feedback.

Plus, the mobile landscape is littered with "well-received" phones that didn't sell well. Ask HTC.

They also tend to see web content based on what they look at to began with. Most people aren't seeing anything on BlackBerry, because the never visit sites like CrackBerry or do searches for BlackBerry products or click on links to BlackBerry related news.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I disagree in that this is a clear sign that BlackBerry is in trouble. I don't see when how you get to this point. Profits, especially in their S&S, have greatly improved. I would say that BlackBerry the company is on the rise. As far as BlackBerry's involvement with the design and build of a cell phone, I do not see a way in which BlackBerry could be as successful releasing a phone as TCL would be. TCL is firmly entrenched in the cell phone, amongst other electronics. TCL has the ability to produce and manufacture devices much more cost effectively than BlackBerry could.

I wold not say TCL is firmly entrenched... sales are down 34% in their mobile division YOY. They are about where BlackBerry was about five years ago... selling around 4 Million units a quarter with a steady decline. Now those numbers are a combination of Dumb Phone, Smart Phone, Tablets, Smart Bands and some Smart Home products. So I'm not sure what of those 4 Million device a quarter really are smartphones.

TCL desperately needs a new market and one where they can increase their margins. They are hoping that they can bring BlackBerry to Enterprise and Alcatel to Consumers here in western markets. They really want to repeat their successes in the TV market in the mobile device market.

[Dmd74]

I wold not say TCL is firmly entrenched... sales are down 34% in their mobile division YOY. They are about where BlackBerry was about five years ago... selling around 4 Million units a quarter with a steady decline. Now those numbers are a combination of Dumb Phone, Smart Phone, Tablets, Smart Bands and some Smart Home products. So I'm not sure what of those 4 Million device a quarter really are smartphones.

TCL desperately needs a new market and one where they can increase their margins. They are hoping that they can bring BlackBerry to Enterprise and Alcatel to Consumers here in western markets. They really want to repeat their successes in the TV market in the mobile device market.

Well put. I understand what you are stating. I have just felt that TCL seems better prepared to leverage the market than BlackBerry.

[ikeloyalBB]

I disagree in that this is a clear sign that BlackBerry is in trouble. I don't see when how you get to this point. Profits, especially in their S&S, have greatly improved. I would say that BlackBerry the company is on the rise. As far as BlackBerry's involvement with the design and build of a cell phone, I do not see a way in which BlackBerry could be as successful releasing a phone as TCL would be. TCL is firmly entrenched in the cell phone, amongst other electronics. TCL has the ability to produce and manufacture devices much more cost effectively than BlackBerry could.

Today it's OK, because John Chen and the team done well.

But clearly they chose to release the PRIV over the "KEYone". Plus the priv was seriously overpriced. sign of frenetic action to make as much money as possible from the priv.

The hardware division was in trouble that's why he closed it down. Not just a the original BlackBerry, Sony is in trouble and Motorola invented the 1st ever phone but are " struggling" now

I think as a community we are all happy the KEYone is coming, I guess we are hoping the new phone will be immense. It should have come out the same time as the PRIV, but my argument is that they know if the KEYone and PRIV were released at the same time. The KEYone would have probably outsold the PRIV....

[consv93]

The Priv was "launched" via press release. They would have been too incompetent to get any buzz going about the K1.

[James Cowin]

BlackBerry may just be using the cash from these deals to keep them going, the software side of things is probably lucrative and QNX are market leaders. They seem to be doing a lot of work on there version of Android. Who knows when the current contracts with the two company's are up blackberry might step back in and make the killer device we all want. Let the others do the hard work of keeping it all going and blackberry take the final glory. In my point of view apple and Samsung can't go on forever at the top of the market. Everyone who has been at the top of the tree historically has fallen, Nokia, Motorola, blackberry. (Dreamers point of view)

[keyboardweeb]

By switching around, we were "forced" to buy one of the other 3. Does anybody agree?

I certainly wasn't forced to buy Priv or DTEK.

[ray689]

... selling around 4 Million units a quarter with a steady decline. Now those numbers are a combination of Dumb Phone, Smart Phone, Tablets, Smart Bands and some Smart Home products. So I'm not sure what of those 4 Million device a quarter really are smartphones.

This number is completely wrong and way off. You should probably do some research before making such claims. More Dunt Dunt Dunt facts? Similar to the "keyboard device is never coming and if it does it will be for Indonesia only" or "licencees won't be licencing everything from BlackBerry and can pick and choose so Indonesia will not licence the security software and just build a cheap Android phone with BlackBerry name on it" . How did those work out?