[hoopitz]

Just listened to the interview with Marty Beard and noticed that when asked about a keyboard device, all he said was that if the market demands it, which he thinks is "highly likely", we'll see another keyboard device. WTF does that mean?! Is he just being careful not to say anything, or are they really planning on scrapping the Mercury?

[howarmat]

I think BB is still up in the air about it. They have been sending mixed message in every interview. I think i saw Marty say that he is confident that one of their partners was going to produce one or something like that. Chen said he already had it on his desk but wasnt sure he wanted to release it in the earnings call. So sometime in Jan or Feb we will know for sure

[JeepBB]

The Mercury is dead. It will never be built by BlackBerry. I don't think Marty B could have been clearer when he said that the DTEK60 was the last phone to be built by BlackBerry. BlackBerry aren't "planning on scrapping the Mercury"... it's done!

That's said, there is a continuing narrative from Thurber and now Beard that a PKB phone is coming, and I believe them!

Note: Thurber, and Beard have all said "PKB phone" ... none of them have ever mentioned the Mercury as coming. Equating the PKB phone to the Mercury is pure CB invention because folk want it to be true.

I think it highly likely that a PKB phone will be built by the sole licensee for the Indonesian market which will be designed and built for the Indonesian market by the Indonesian licensee. BlackBerry will have nothing to do with the Hardware as was made clear by Chen in the ER, and Beard in yesterday's webinar. BB's sole contribution to the Indonesian phones will be to licence the use of the BB logo, and to provide the Android software.

I'm guessing that it'll be something like a Classic running Android. We'll see if I'm right within the next 6-months, because I believe that part of Thurber's statement too.

It's not going to be the Mercury. Even if the Mercury hadn't been scrapped by BB, I doubt the design would be given to the Indonesians for free, and I doubt they'd be willing to pay for a phone design that is unlikely to be a fit for the sort of local market they're chasing.

No psychic powers have been used to construct this post. All that is necessary is to listen to what BB Execs say!

TL, DR; Mercury is Dead, PKB phone coming to Indonesia within 6-months.

[hoopitz]

The Mercury is dead. It will never be built by BlackBerry. I don't think Marty B could have been clearer when he said that the DTEK60 was the last phone to be built by BlackBerry. BlackBerry aren't "planning on scrapping the Mercury"... it's done!

That's said, there is a continuing narrative from Thurber and now Beard that a PKB phone is coming, and I believe them!

Note: Thurber, and Beard have all said "PKB phone" ... none of them have ever mentioned the Mercury as coming. Equating the PKB phone to the Mercury is pure CB invention because folk want it to be true.

I think it highly likely that a PKB phone will be built by the sole licensee for the Indonesian market which will be designed and built for the Indonesian market by the Indonesian licensee. BlackBerry will have nothing to do with the Hardware as was made clear by Chen in the ER, and Beard in yesterday's webinar. BB's sole contribution to the Indonesian phones will be to licence the use of the BB logo, and to provide the Android software.

I'm guessing that it'll be something like a Classic running Android. We'll see if I'm right within the next 6-months, because I believe that part of Thurber's statement too.

It's not going to be the Mercury. Even if the Mercury hadn't been scrapped by BB, I doubt the design would be given to the Indonesians for free, and I doubt they'd be willing to pay for a phone design that is unlikely to be a fit for the sort of local market they're chasing.

No psychic powers have been used to construct this post. All that is necessary is to listen to what BB Execs say!

TL, DR; Mercury is Dead, PKB phone coming to Indonesia within 6-months.

I agree with most of what you've said, but "listening to what BB execs say" is pretty tough these days, when none of them seem to be on the same page. Chen drops little hints at what they've got going on, and then everyone else pretends nothing was ever said.

I don't really care WHO builds a PKB phone, but to me, it seems that Beard was very clearly saying that nothing is in the works right now.

[anon(9607753)]

Anything and everything said about a "future" BlackBerry device is pure invention at this point. Now that BlackBerry is officially out of the device business, the next logical step for them is to slowly phase out support for their Android OS and apps, just like they have done with BB10 OS and devices.

BlackBerry is pinning it's hopes on the survival of BlackBerry Android on licensing deals in the exact same way it pinned it's hopes on BB10 in 2013.

[app_Developer]

They've said recently that a licensing partner would have to make the device. So minus the spin we know there will be another keyboard device if and only if a partner thinks it would be a good idea.

[conite]

They've said recently that a licensing partner would have to make the device. So minus the spin we know there will be another keyboard device if and only if a partner thinks it would be a good idea.

And I would suggest that something is already in the works with a licensee to warrant the "highly likely" statement.

But I too believe the Mercury program will not go farther than the prototype phase.

[ray689]

And I would suggest that something is already in the works with a licensee to warrant the "highly likely" statement.

But I too believe the Mercury program will not go farther than the prototype phase.

Who is to say that if there is a partner, they don't just take over the Mercury project? Some people in this thread are speaking with absolute certainty that the device will be Indonesian partner only. Nobody knows what is really going on.

[conite]

BlackBerry is pinning it's hopes on the survival of BlackBerry Android on licensing deals in the exact same way it pinned it's hopes on BB10 in 2013.

Except Indonesia is still a big market for BlackBerry. I see a few low cost devices doing very well there for some time to come.

BlackBerry should also have a niche following in Enterprise. At least I hope so.

[app_Developer]

And I would suggest that something is already in the works with a licensee to warrant the "highly likely" statement.

But I too believe the Mercury program will not go farther than the prototype phase.

I don't know. He said it's highly likely the market will demand it. That sounds a little like a salesman still trying to sell this idea to partners.

We'll see what happens. That's the fun of still watching this company.

[conite]

We'll see what happens. That's the fun of still watching this company.

Isn't that the truth.

[anon(9607753)]

They've said recently that a licensing partner would have to make the device. So minus the spin we know there will be another keyboard device if and only if a partner thinks it would be a good idea.

We don't know that at all. People are simply combining the keyboard promises with the Indonesia deal and making assumptions.

[ray689]

We don't know that at all. People are simply combining the keyboard promises with the Indonesia deal and making assumptions.

Exactly this. Except it's more then assumption it's declarations.

[EchuOkan1]

Just listened to the interview with Marty Beard and noticed that when asked about a keyboard device, all he said was that if the market demands it, which he thinks is "highly likely", we'll see another keyboard device. WTF does that mean?! Is he just being careful not to say anything, or are they really planning on scrapping the Mercury?

When mentions "the market,' he is not talking about the less than 1% of BB loyal.

[EchuOkan1]

I think BB is still up in the air about it. They have been sending mixed message in every interview. I think i saw Marty say that he is confident that one of their partners was going to produce one or something like that. Chen said he already had it on his desk but wasnt sure he wanted to release it in the earnings call. So sometime in Jan or Feb we will know for sure

My advise is not to hold your breath on it since you may die!

[anon(9607753)]

Except Indonesia is still a big market for BlackBerry. I see a few low cost devices doing very well there for some time to come.

BlackBerry should also have a niche following in Enterprise. At least I hope so.

BlackBerry will take a very small share in these licensing deals. With BB10 they kept every cent and they had many million more customers. And yet BB10 was still a colossal failure.

I'm not convinced the revenues under the new proposed licensing scheme will be sufficient to generate profitability. With lack of customers, low royalties, and low device sales...that puts the entire BlackBerry Android proposition on very shaky ground indeed.

[conite]

BlackBerry will take a very small share in these licensing deals. With BB10 they kept every cent and they had many million more customers. And yet BB10 was still a colossal failure.

Except BB10 cost billions. They were 100 light years from profitability. Design, manufacture, inventory management, marketing, distribution, sales support, technical support, advertising, and full blown OS development.

BlackBerry Android going forward is a small room full of developers to work with Google to harden the OS, apply the monthly patches, and maintain the app suite. That's it.

[Bbnivende]

News article suggests cheap PKB device for the Indonesia market not a Mercury premium phone.

https://e27.co/will-indonesia-accept...used-20161003/

[anon(9607753)]

Except BB10 cost billions. They were 100 light years from profitability. Design, manufacture, inventory management, marketing, distribution, sales support, technical support, advertising, and full blown OS development.

BlackBerry Android going forward is a small room full of developers to work with Google to harden the OS, apply the monthly patches, and maintain the app suite. That's it.

A loss is still a loss. Their costs may be less, but the profitability of the venture is no more convincing. Given BlackBerry's track record with BB10, inability to sell their own Android devices, etc...I can't see how you can honestly think they stand a chance of convincing many others to invest millions in Android Blackberry products.

[JeepBB]

I agree with most of what you've said, but "listening to what BB execs say" is pretty tough these days, when none of them seem to be on the same page. Chen drops little hints at what they've got going on, and then everyone else pretends nothing was ever said.

I don't really care WHO builds a PKB phone, but to me, it seems that Beard was very clearly saying that nothing is in the works right now.

Heh-heh, it can sometimes be a little tricky, but there's quite a bit of agreement between the statements.

You have to throw away the spin and fluff, and sometimes find (like that "I wouldn't be surprised if BB10 was licenced" nonsense) that there is nothing left!

Chen is a terrible communicator. However, he's normally also brutally honest, especially when talking at ERs where his words carry legal weight. So he provides lots of information, sometimes inadvertently LOL

Thurber and Beard are much better communicators, and have passed the same message, there *will* be a PKB phone, but it *won't* be built by BB themselves. The design and manufacture will be down to the licensee and will be to suit their local market. The Indonesian deal has clearly been in play for a while now, Chen wouldn't have announced what he did at the ER unless the licencing discussions were well advanced.

If I were Chen, I wouldn't allow BB's name to be used on just anything... so I'd be sure to ask what phone they were planning to build... and I'm sure other Execs would also know if the planned phone was going to be a PKB device. Their public statements seem to strongly suggest that they *are* in the loop, and it *will* be a PKB phone.

A further consequence of the licencing arrangements, explicitly stated by Chen in the ER, is that while BB *could* choose to distribute and sell any phone carrying the BB name built by a local licensee, they probably wouldn't do that. So, unless you happen to live in Indonesia, or unless a licensee turns up for your region and decides to build a PKB phone, you are probably out of luck.

[Slash82]

I agree with most of what you've said, but "listening to what BB execs say" is pretty tough these days, when none of them seem to be on the same page. Chen drops little hints at what they've got going on, and then everyone else pretends nothing was ever said.

I don't really care WHO builds a PKB phone, but to me, it seems that Beard was very clearly saying that nothing is in the works right now.

I think because they don't know what to do next!

They have no visions or proper ideas how to use the technology they have.
That software business is "straight forward", you don't have to have visions - "just" concentrate to solve problems.
People can say about Mike Lazaridis what they want, but that guy was visionary - only problem, he was not able to execute...

The most advanced technology is nothing with a board BlackBerry has.
To me the only revolutionary OS10 devices were: Z10 and Passport.
The rest were mix-ups of existing things!
And that is the best they were able to offer with a platform like OS10 / QNX.


Posted via CB10

[conite]

I think because they don't know what to do next!

They have no visions or proper ideas how to use the technology they have.
That software business is "straight forward", you don't have to have visions - "just" concentrate to solve problems.
People can say about Mike Lazaridis what they want, but that guy was visionary - only problem, he was not able to execute...

The most advanced technology is nothing with a board BlackBerry has.
To me the only revolutionary OS10 devices were: Z10 and Passport.
The rest were mix-ups of existing things!
And that is the best they were able to offer with a platform like OS10 / QNX.


Posted via CB10

Again, this is a device-centric argument. BlackBerry is very clear on its corporate direction, and everything they have done reinforces that objective.

We see supposed missteps on the device front only because we care about it, and BlackBerry doesn't.

[playbookster]

Anything and everything said about a "future" BlackBerry device is pure invention at this point. Now that BlackBerry is officially out of the device business, the next logical step for them is to slowly phase out support for their Android OS and apps, just like they have done with BB10 OS and devices.

BlackBerry is pinning it's hopes on the survival of BlackBerry Android on licensing deals in the exact same way it pinned it's hopes on BB10 in 2013.

what? lol That is the least logical thing they could do.

[cgk]

I think because they don't know what to do next!

I think it's not that - it's that they don't have the contracts in place - so it feels to me that they are maybe in talks with a company to license for a device that could be a keyboard phone and they are fairly confident that deal is happening but until the paperwork is done they don't want to confirm it.

I notice when they do mention partners, they stick very closely to this idea that it's china or india, they have never suggested or even hinted at a North America partner or even a European partner. So at present, on the very slim information we have, if it's not in Indonesian, it relies on a deal with china or India.

[cgk]

what? lol That is the least logical thing they could do.

I'm half convinced that is what people are actually licensing (besides the name) - the apps but the versions that run on any version of android rather than a fully blown tweaked Android like we see on Dtek50 and dtek60. Then you only need the software team for the apps and can get rid of the rest and cut the expense down to the bone.