[W Hoa]

Sold out on Amazon???

[bigbadben10]

http://live.blackberry.events/

Posted with my gorgeous Z30

[jake simmons3]

Ugh I hate this, what was there initial stock 200? .

Posted via CB10

[Corbu]

With Passport launch, BlackBerry Ltd looks for balance in old smartphone glory and new enterprise ambitions | Financial Post

It was a palpably patriotic play by BlackBerry Ltd. to win back its Canadian home base, launching its unconventional square-screen Passport smartphone at a Toronto hockey bar on Wednesday, bringing Wayne Gretzky to the stage for a Canuck celebrity endorsement.

John Chen, president and chief executive of the Waterloo, Ont.-based smartphone maker, said BlackBerry is trying to get Canada to �rally behind us� as it moves out of the restructuring phase.

�We are determined to win our home country back,� Mr. Chen said Wednesday, at the BlackBerry Passport launch in Toronto, held simultaneously alongside events in London and Dubai. �This is one of the first moves.�

It was a relatively humble goal, given BlackBerry�s former glory as a global technology pioneer which set the standard for smartphones with its early keyboard-enabled devices.

Since the company�s heyday, BlackBerry�s international smartphone market share has been gobbled up by Apple Inc.�s iPhones, and Samsung Electronics Co.�s devices based on Google�s Android operating system, forcing the firm to undergo a restructuring process over the past three years.

National ambitions might not have suited BlackBerry when it led the whole world, but it now makes sense to focus on key geographical areas, such as Canada, where it still has strong brand recognition, said Brian Colello, equity analyst for Morningstar Securities in Chicago.

�It shouldn�t be a surprise that BlackBerry is desperate to get customers to jump start its handset business in any way that it can,� he said.

BlackBerry is only partly a device-maker anymore. The smaller Toronto venue, the Canadian patriotism, the regional-market emphasis � they all gave the appearance of changing perceptions of BlackBerry from a one-time rival of Apple�s to the leaner, more focused technology player it is working to become. And a manifestation of the tricky balance BlackBerry faces: developing new smartphones � the new Passport and the upcoming Classic, expected later this year � that bring profits, rather than losses, while also investing towards its long-term vision based on revenue from software and enterprise clients.

BlackBerry must appeal to the masses to regain some of the market share it has lost, yet tailor its offerings to cater to a core base of business professionals that gravitate to its products.

BlackBerry, which reports its second-quarter results Friday, has shed thousands of employees and cut divisions to shore up its balance sheet, and simply doesn�t have the deep pockets of Google or Apple to spread its funds as widely across different priorities, said Mr. Colello.

�The more that BlackBerry shrinks, the more challenging it becomes,� said Mr. Colello.

Still, BlackBerry has made adjustments such as outsourcing production of some handsets to Taiwanese handset maker Foxconn, reducing the number of models it produces, and striking a deal with Amazon to provide apps for its handsets, he added.

Mr. Chen said Wednesday that the company�s restructuring is �behind us� and thanked his team for their work on the Passport and upcoming device launches during �extreme turmoil� at the company.

�This is the result, and I am sure we are on our way back,� he said.

The Passport, which has a 4.5-inch square screen and a three-row touch-enabled QWERTY keyboard, is targeted towards what BlackBerry calls �power professionals,� such as medical workers looking at X-rays, or finance executives dealing with large amounts of data on a bigger display.

The smartphone will cost $699 in Canada without subsidies, and US$599 in the States, for a limited time, BlackBerry says. When taking into account the current exchange rate, the price discrepancy between Canada and the U.S. is about $40.

Mr. Chen said the $599 price point would likely stick until its exclusive carrier AT&T begins selling the Passport in the U.S. Also, in Canada, BlackBerry �wanted to make at least some [margin] room for the carrier too� At the same time we want [the price] to be lower than others. So that was the best compromise.�

It�s a device likely to appeal only to high-end corporate users, a small market that is already being taken on by other players, said Ehud Gelblum, a Citi Research analyst based in New York.

He said in a note to clients this market is �simply too small (and getting smaller)� to �target with such an expensive device, and we believe the Passport does little to change the direction of the company.�

But BlackBerry Blend, an app which allows a user to securely share messages, data and files between their smartphone, laptop and tablet, will make the company�s hardware more attractive to enterprise clients, said Maynard Um, equity analyst with Wells Fargo in New York, in a note to clients.

Mr. Chen has said if BlackBerry sells more than 10 million smartphones in a given year, its handset division will be profitable. By comparison, Apple sold 10 million units of its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus this past weekend alone.

BlackBerry has �high hopes� for the Passport to connect with professionals who it says comprise 30% of the market, but it is the Classic model that will have a broader appeal, Mr. Chen said.

�On a volume basis, I think the Classic will do more,� he told reporters.

In the end, BlackBerry needs to score with just one smartphone, says Mr. Colello.

�If the Passport is a flop, but the Classic is a hit, it won�t matter one bit,� he said. �The handset business needs one hit product. They�re going to try a couple of shapes and sizes to get that one hit.�

[W Hoa]

Ugh I hate this, what was there initial stock 200? .

Posted via CB10

Number 1 best seller might suggest more than that. No point beating yourself up over it. We BlackBerry supporters live for the moment

[jake simmons3]

Number 1 best seller might suggest more than that. No point beating yourself up over it. We BlackBerry supporters live for the moment

Agreed but even then, I remember the z10 was on the amazon vest selling smartphone list but look how that turned out

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[Shanerredflag]

Even then, sales where available in USA but not Canada. Not that $100 makes a significant difference but is still frustrating.

Posted via CB10

Justa thought but...perhaps that price reflects a minimum contractual price threshold?? Not to mention taxes....gotta love Canadian taxes!

[awindsr]

Thanks. LoL.
I ordered from BlackBerry this morning before the Telus guy showed up at the passport launching stage and said it is available.
So picked one up for my son from Telus cause his phone is with Telus.
One benefit I found with Telus was that they offered me a $99 two year (apple care) kind of warranty including two incidents of screen shattered or water damages with $50 deductible.
They also knocked off 25% previous device remaining balance.
We just tested Blend and it is great.


BlackBerry Z30. The best smart phone.

I bet if i ran every word you typed here through a text / emotional conversion app, a picture of you with a perma-grin would appear on the screen.
Well done!

[Shanerredflag]

Anyone know when Rogers gets it?

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Sorry...no, I called my Bell store today to buy a couple and she couldn't answer a single question I had...got frustrated and ordered off Shop BlackBerry.

[Shanerredflag]

Have a listen to this Benjamin:

[bspence87]

Agreed but even then, I remember the z10 was on the amazon vest selling smartphone list but look how that turned out

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The Z10 got off to a great start. The problem was the underdeveloped OS (lack of apps, features, UI appeal) caused many returns and, ultimately, negative reviews.

Let's hope the impression is more positive this time!

[Shanerredflag]

Just want to say thanks to all the great people who contribute here...best thread on the Web!! Truly appreciate all the effort from everyone so that those of us that cant take part in real time get a chance to catch up and feel informed...thx

[jake simmons3]

The Z10 got off to a great start. The problem was the underdeveloped OS (lack of apps, features, UI appeal) caused many returns and, ultimately, negative reviews.

Let's hope the impression is more positive this time!

Let's just the passport is the start of the beginning for the new BlackBerry. I just can't wait for the stock to start moving. Once we show qtr over qtr improvement we can see that PE go pretty high as we will be a growth play

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[sidhuk]

Just incase if I hear one hand or two hand argument again.






And for the record has no problem getting in to pants pockets.
Next BS?

BlackBerry Z30. The best smart phone.

[jake simmons3]

How does the keyboard feel, i really need to go to Telus and try the demo.

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[sidhuk]

How does the keyboard feel, i really need to go to Telus and try the demo.

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Prepare for first 5 mins form factor shock. On top of that, sales person bragging about square. Look at the new big iphones and notes etc. Then passport will look just fine. Keyboard is fine to me.

BlackBerry Z30. The best smart phone.

[jake simmons3]

Prepare for first 5 mins form factor shock. On top of that, sales person bragging about square. Look at the new big iphones and notes etc. Then passport will look just fine. Keyboard is fine to me.

BlackBerry Z30. The best smart phone.

I do have to admit you have big hands lol, looking at your pics your thumb reaches the q while using a passport as a kind my thumb would reach the w at best. So for some people this won't be a 1 hander

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[95aero]

Just ordered mine on BlackBerry Shop Garmany. 649?, tax included.

Posted with my great BB Q10

[95aero]

"?" is "Euros"

Posted with my great BB Q10

[jake simmons3]

I would like to know how BlackBerry plans on monetizing blend? Anyone have thoughts??

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[chrysaurora]

I would like to know how BlackBerry plans on monetizing blend? Anyone have thoughts??

Posted via CB10

I think Blend gives BlackBerry ability to directly and indirectly monetize.

Indirectly - it should help them sell more devices as it's a compelling feature that differentiates them from Android phones and iPhone owners who don't have a Mac (iPhone + Mac combination does a lot of what Blend does, already. Can reply to iMessage, emails, SMS from Mac computer). Selling more devices is a form of monetization.

Directly - they may add some compelling enterprise related features to Blend and charge a fee to enterprises or maybe build it into BES license fee.

Every feature you develop is not for direct, outright monetization. I mean, you won't go and say, "I see BlackBerry supports multiple email accounts. How do they monetize it?" It's an essential feature of their device, without that feature, device won't sell. Period. Similarly, I think, we should look at Blend that way. It's going to become part of BlackBerry experience and it's monetization is indirect - helping sell BlackBerry devices , helping differentiate BlackBerry devices from competitors.

[jake simmons3]

I think Blend gives BlackBerry ability to directly and indirectly monetize.

Indirectly - it should help them sell more devices as it's a compelling feature that differentiates them from Android phones and iPhone owners who don't have a Mac (iPhone + Mac combination does a lot of what Blend does, already. Can reply to iMessage, emails, SMS from Mac computer). Selling more devices is a form of monetization.

Directly - they may add some compelling enterprise related features to Blend and charge a fee to enterprises or maybe build it into BES license fee.

Every feature you develop is not for direct, outright monetization. I mean, you won't go and say, "I see BlackBerry supports multiple email accounts. How do they monetize it?" It's an essential feature of their device, without that feature, device won't sell. Period. Similarly, I think, we should look at Blend that way. It's going to become part of BlackBerry experience and it's monetization is indirect - helping sell BlackBerry devices , helping differentiate BlackBerry devices from competitors.

What I'm trying to say is that BlackBerry s making a lot of innovation but the market needs things that add to the bottom line, clear cut. I'm sure friday will paint a good picture of how things are going

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[chrysaurora]

What I'm trying to say is that BlackBerry s making a lot of innovation but the market needs things that add to the bottom line, clear cut. I'm sure friday will paint a good picture of how things are going

Posted via CB10

no, no, I completely understand what you are saying. All I am saying is that - BlackBerry can push more devices only by coming up with compelling features that users want. It has not been able to catch up in app-space but by creating features like Blend, BlackBerry is just trying to create a set of features that will help push device sales and hence increase bottomline.



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[Komoto]

I think chrys is looking at this the right way.

I have been thinking about this.

It will be a compelling feature for the average consumer, so they will most likely not charge. It will help to shift units and differentiate BlackBerry 10 from other OSes.

For BES subscribers, it will have the work section accessible. I think in the demo he mentioned that some things would only be available on BES.

This will be viewed as a value add, something which the competition does not have and will be baked into the subscription fee.

This was the natural evolution of blackberry bridge. I have to say I much prefer it to cloud solutions, which I have been reluctant to use to date.

I handle some pretty sensitive documents and feel much more comfortable knowing they exist on my phone and not in some cloud.

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[Superfly_FR]

What I'm trying to say is that BlackBerry s making a lot of innovation but the market needs things that add to the bottom line, clear cut. I'm sure friday will paint a good picture of how things are going

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Had a similar reaction at first. Then we had our "Elite debrief" and asked about it.
Blend is Free, either for individuals (and I believe it'll remain free) and for companies, just add a "for now" afterwards.
Didn't get anymore details, but just remember, folks that it means there's no need anymore for VPNs ... for many small/mid companies, this is huge both for ease and expenses (VPN licences).

Blend just opened the "mobile computing" scheme we've heard about since Thorsten.
The path is still the same, and it is an occasion for me to nail it again. While we can discuss - cough, cough - about the execution, the "vision" remains the same with a more narrow target, the one that emerges as the most prolific. Never throw the baby with the bucket water.

Now, I've just finished installing blend. And my wow wasn't enough. It deserves a full WOW page alone.
My best pick, right now ? Notifications ! Yes, you read it right, when you receive a BBM for instance, you've got the BB10 style notification on screen. Whant to answer ? Click it ... "BBM desktop" is here, embedded.

Gang, I'm dancing, as many of my friends (ITs, mobile experts, lawyers) are already jumping on me for details ...

1 picture for 1K words ?
Here ya go get 2Ks !!!!