[cheadley1]

After my initial anger and frustration yesterday with the much later than expected US release date...I started looking at it more objectively

This question came up for me: Does the later date help BB because more apps might be ready and a few bugs fixed or does it give all those who might have jumped back to BB a chance to come up with reasons to stay where they are?

I can see this being true as America has been programmed to be app happy and crazy. It also gives time for more Buzz to be generated if things go well in the markets that get it immediately. BB would have to have some things up their sleaves to keep interest peeked for over a month with no customers to spread the word and show off phones..if they can do that, then the March date might work out just fine

On the other hand...hardcore BB users who have waited over a year will for the most part wait it out, no surprise there, but those who have been thinking of coming back and were excited and were kinda watching with hopefulness that they would have a phone to come home to, I think the delay gives them more than enough time to get rumors of the next Iphone and for sure the Samsung Galaxy S4...this is where I think the late date hurts them the most...I think there would have been thousands maybe hundreds of thousands of people that would have gone out today or sometime this week and come back home to BB...I am not sure that same sentiment will be there 4 weeks or more from now...

[anon(3310921)]

The release dates at this point are now up to the carriers. . .it is interesting to see that the places where BlackBerry has a relatively bigger market share are getting the devices earlier than others *cough* every where but the U.S. *cough* . . .it shows that these carriers (and by extension their users) in these places are way more excited for the devices than in the states. . .it only makes sense I guess. . . what I hope this little "experiment" shows is that dominance in the U.S. market is not necessary for Blackberry to become profitable again. I really do hope our friends in Canada, the U.K , etc pick up tons of the devices before they even make it to the U.S. It would be an appropriate inflection point in a tune that has been way to US centered for way to long.

[montyl]

In answer to your question, RIM blew it. The main focus of their world release was in New York, this weekend they have Super Bowl ad. Between those 2 events they have spent a ton of marketing money to get people hyped about it, so now next week the average consumer goes into their local VZW, ATT, Sprint, Tmobile store looking to upgrade/buy, what does the salesperson say? "Sorry, we dont have that one available." "When will it be available? Sorry we dont have an availablity date. But we do have the iPhone 5 and the Samsung G3, Note 2 in stock, and since you are eleigble for an upgrade we can get you into one today, let me show it to you here..... blah blah blah." What do you think is going to happen?

[cheadley1]

Not exactly sure that just because other markets didn't embrace the newer technology that is somehow the US's fault...

I am not upset that other countries get it first or whatever...I am past that and it was mostly disappointment and frustration after waiting over a year to only hear wait some more...

As far as the question I posed, you didn't answer it...I was talking about US converts or people returning back to BB....and sorry to say but the US in not the only market but it sure is an important market...and I was just curious as to other people's thoughts on the delay being good or bad for BB in the US Market (which does in turn affect BB, a lot)

So please...take your the US got what it deserved foolishness somewhere else...that isn't even what this post was about.

[Cale M]

In answer to your question, RIM blew it. The main focus of their world release was in New York, this weekend they have Super Bowl ad. Between those 2 events they have spent a ton of marketing money to get people hyped about it, so now next week the average consumer goes into their local VZW, ATT, Sprint, Tmobile store looking to upgrade/buy, what does the salesperson say? "Sorry, we dont have that one available." "When will it be available? Sorry we dont have an availablity date. But we do have the iPhone 5 and the Samsung G3, Note 2 in stock, and since you are eleigble for an upgrade we can get you into one today, let me show it to you here..... blah blah blah." What do you think is going to happen?

Yeah. Too many of us dumb Americans were on the fence. I don't care who's to blame, the Z10 fervor will have died long before the device hits our market as the prime consumers will have opted for what's available.

It wasn't just the NYC launch or Superbowl ad, either. They spent a lot of time getting BBs into the hands of our celebrities as a way of generating attention. And here I was so excited to see my white Torch being used by a co-starring character on Bunheads.

Ah well.

[ilikebacon]

I don't know if it'll hurt or not, but I just won't make too much noise at work about BB10, until it's closer to when I can get my grubby little paws on one.

[cgk]

Impossible to say - if the launch is soft overseas, we might see carriers reduce the promotional push they are willing to give before the launch actually happens.

[bordway46]

I expected as much. Having seen nothing from Verizon leading up to yesterday, it was obvious that availability was still down the road. This should be good from a reliability standpoint if carriers put it through rigorous testing though.

[RECOOL]

not really some apps are still being built so no.THere's still an 10.1 update coming so no.

[taz323]

I want the Z10, I am angry, but I am also a BB fan and will waite but for how long I don't know.

[njblackberry]

If early sales and word of mouth are positive, BlackBerry will ride through the delay.
If they use the time wisely and get the bugs out and get fixes made, it will work out fine.

Most people I spoke to shrugged and said "another delay" and went back to using whatever device they had.

RIM er BlackBerry knows they have a tough road ahead in the US, and they need to reclaim the territory. Won't be easy.

[taz323]

If early sales and word of mouth are positive, BlackBerry will ride through the delay.
If they use the time wisely and get the bugs out and get fixes made, it will work out fine.

Most people I spoke to shrugged and said "another delay" and went back to using whatever device they had.

RIM er BlackBerry knows they have a tough road ahead in the US, and they need to reclaim the territory. Won't be easy.

that's not gonna happen when carriers are choosing to carry only one of the two devices so it won't interfer with sales for another company's device

[walt63]

The release dates at this point are now up to the carriers. . .it is interesting to see that the places where BlackBerry has a relatively bigger market share are getting the devices earlier than others *cough* every where but the U.S. *cough* . . .it shows that these carriers (and by extension their users) in these places are way more excited for the devices than in the states. . .it only makes sense I guess. . . what I hope this little "experiment" shows is that dominance in the U.S. market is not necessary for Blackberry to become profitable again. I really do hope our friends in Canada, the U.K , etc pick up tons of the devices before they even make it to the U.S. It would be an appropriate inflection point in a tune that has been way to US centered for way to long.

I've been preaching the same message.

[Bsavvy]

It's all strategic

[DJM626]

Personally on one hand I think if BB is hurting and not profitable in the US market share, it kind of would have made more sense to release it here first to try to regain a little of what had been lost. On the other hand, some of the quirks and issues may be ironed out and things might be improved upon before it hits the US in hopes of gaining back some of what they lost, or get some people back that made the switch long ago. When a car is released for the coming year, it's out five or six months before the new year. They don't wait until after the fact. That is my only disappointment, is the waiting. By the time it comes out it is going to be close to a year or more of waiting. If there is any hope of an Aristo, I would say well into next year, when people are going to be carrying around TV screens as phones. LOL. Just trying to throw a little humor in here to pass the time

[Tre Lawrence]

I think more immediate availability would have been a bit more optimal.

[.pinkberry]

I trust that Frank Boulben will figure out a way around this and somehow turn this into an opportunity.

[cbvinh]

Converts are either looking for the next "cool thing" or found that their present device lacking in some fashion. I think the delay will help since I wasn't impressed with the promises of major apps and not the actual availability of said apps.

The launch execution, at least for the U.S., was somewhere between the old RIM and the new BlackBerry. Some things were delivered as expected (new BlackBerry), but some things were listed/shown without a clear release date (old RIM).

[fedakd]

Agreed. He seems to be brilliant.

I trust that Frank Boulben will figure out a way around this and somehow turn this into an opportunity.

[ccbs]

Major apps development and investment are sill centered in US. Without US market and mind share, can the platform grow and be competitive? I have my doubt.

[8lackberry8]

Setting the US release date 1 month after UK/Canada release dates isn't the issue. Setting the US release date 1 month after the Superbowl commercial and Jan 30th NY unveiling is the issue. Any momentum of the product and interest in BB10 that's been generated by the press and all of the reviews published now will have diminished quite significantly by March. Those of you who are into cars may get this - but this is similar to the way GM handled the Cadillac ATS's launch - huge campaign during the summer Olympics, NDAs are lifted, reviews are published....and the release of the car is...when? Didn't happen until the winter - 4-5 months after there's awareness of the product and mindshare is carved. Mindshare is not permanent - it's fleeting. Capture the mindshare and drive the customers in to buy it. Well, the Superbowl commercial will definitely capture mindshare, and to ask this audience to wait another month+ isn't right. This brings to mind the Playbook launch - luckily, we're not looking at a 5 month gap, but rather a potentially 8 week gap that still hurts. If BlackBerry had launched this the way Samsung launched their Galaxy S2 phone, it would've been better. Samsung made that phone available in Europe and Asia first, then quietly released it in the US by the time it had gathered positive press and feedback abroad. The previous poster is right in that the avg consumer walking into their local phone store excited to get the BB10 after watching the Superbowl commercial will be disappointed and may purchase another phone because they don't want to leave empty handed after building up excitement about getting a new phone. What's more troubling is the fact that this release time-frame is viewed as a delay by some of the casual observers - further deteriorating BlackBerry's ability to execute properly. One of the things that impresses me about Apple is their announcement/release date arrangements. Announce the product to the world, make it available on a specific date soon after nationwide. True, BlackBerry doesn't have the luxury of having their own direct to consumer distribution channel and have to depend on their carrier partners but this month gap is a poor decision (if it was one, rather then something they had no control over). Of course, none of this is true if you're in the UK, Canada or UAE. Sucks. BUT..bright side - kinks are worked out, other major app devs get an additional month to work on their apps and by the US release, Netflix and others are available - then it'd be all good.

[lnichols]

Pushing back to March, when T-Mo might be getting the iPhone5, the Galaxy S4 release in April and leeks will be rampant on that device, may hurt them with a higher sell price in the US. If they had gotten it out now then it would be two months of nothing new, with late March they will be just before or during a lot of other noise from the competition.

[CHIP72]

The launch execution, at least for the U.S., was somewhere between the old RIM and the new BlackBerry. Some things were delivered as expected (new BlackBerry), but some things were listed/shown without a clear release date (old RIM).

Considering the "new Blackberry" doesn't have much of a track record yet, I think the U.S. launch execution IS indicative of the new Blackberry, at least at this point in time. The "new Blackberry" could definitely change for the better, but IMO the new Blackberry got started on the wrong foot and sadly its start has a lot of similarities with the "old RIM/Blackberry".

[randall2580]

The more I think about this the more I am puzzled about it all. We were told "the carriers" were encouraging of the move to release the phones in Q1 2013 because there is less "noise" at this time of the year and it's spot on there is time now between the phones released for the holidays, and the new phones that will come from MWC. In Canada and the UK right now the Z10 is the noise with nothing else close by. By pushing off the Z10 until March and the Q10 until April they will be smack dab in the middle of the "noise" about the new Android phones and possible new iProducts.