[spiller]

So that 2MP front facing camera really pushed you over the edge?! What makes you think the quality of this camera (or the pics it produces) won't be in line with overall performance or quality of the device? Doesn't make much sense, does it?

Nobody in Europe believes that BlackBerry is any more dead than 2 years ago. On the contrary, sentiment is more bullish now with JC at the helm. Because of him, BlackBerry is now here to stay. It remains to be seen in what capacity that will be, but you can only blame previous management for staying all-in on SAF (BIS/BES) combined with hardware based on a non-competitive platform. The future for BlackBerry will be in secure devices and IoT. These markets will require some more years before we see it (and hopefully BlackBerry) gain traction. But when they do, it will happen rapidly.

If there's one thing that I like about JC, it's the clarity he brings to the table for shareholders. If the Priv doesn't sell, the future of their hardware division remains to be seen. I'd rather have him say this before the release than during the release. After all, he reports to the shareholders and he won't risk their future in IoT if the handset division is a threat.

Posted via CB10

You still liking the 'clarity' Chen brings to the shareholders? CBC news. Of course they want to run with this negative story...This could be blackberry's last phone. How many people will see this (millions, or at least hear about it word of mouth) and think "why should I buy a blackberry if they won't be making them anymore / might stop supporting it?" This really hurts perception and will hurt sales. But hey, who cares right? as long as there is 'clarity' on the what if this phone doesn't do well. Pffff

BlackBerry PRIV Android phone could be company's last, says analyst - Kitchener-Waterloo - CBC News

[morganplus8]

Thanks Morgan... for a moment I thought you had accused Andrew Left of being part of the hedge fund crowd. However, the last 3-4 minutes seemed too convincing to me What is most worrying to me, is the lack of information from Valeant. They have scheduled a press conference next Monday to discuss the situation. Seems like a long time to me ; but of course that doesn't imply their scheme is fraudulent in any way. What I did see is an emotionally involved Andrew Left, whom imho could be out for the truth. Whatever his past may be, he seems more than willing to confront it... his reputation is on the line. Other people, seem not having to answer for their past... like Valeant's head of the audit committee? Why would you hire someone with a past anyway... it's beyond me.

Edit: how could anyone even explain wiping out +50 billion US dollars in market value (now +-38 billion US dollars.. previously +-90 billion dollars) since the start of the investigation without sh.t eventually hitting the fan? It seems to me there's more going on than just a Citron report.

What I don't like is to sit down with my coffee in the morning and see a title like the Bloomberg article at 8:00 AM where BlackBerry, Valeant and Nortel are lumped together as Canada's big failures and crimes. When does the BB bashing end? There is no connection to BB in all of this mess.

True, Monday is some time to wait but you can imagine how many lawyers are traveling to the head office to give advice on this case. There is billions at stake and without decent laws, they will have to clear the air while determining next steps to go after this bum. Amber brought up his early years and never got a chance to discuss the long string of lawsuits against him. My personal belief is that he is a wizard at walking the fine line where he can talk up the curious new shell companies with implied thoughts about Enron without claiming there is an actual crime here. All he needed to drop the value of the stock was a story as implausible as it might be, but enough to cause 151 hedge funds to head for the hills. At the end of the day, no fine will ever be large enough to pay back shareholders for all of the damage caused by this guy. Any self-rightest business person would have handled the whole matter in a far more humane way. He is clearly running off to the bank knowing he has taken money from investors yet again.

[DaSchwantz]

What I don't like is to sit down with my coffee in the morning and see a title like the Bloomberg article at 8:00 AM where BlackBerry, Valeant and Nortel are lumped together as Canada's big failures and crimes. When does the BB bashing end? There is no connection to BB in all of this mess.

True, Monday is some time to wait but you can imagine how many lawyers are traveling to the head office to give advice on this case. There is billions at stake and without decent laws, they will have to clear the air while determining next steps to go after this bum. Amber brought up his early years and never got a chance to discuss the long string of lawsuits against him. My personal belief is that he is a wizard at walking the fine line where he can talk up the curious new shell companies with implied thoughts about Enron without claiming there is an actual crime here. All he needed to drop the value of the stock was a story as implausible as it might be, but enough to cause 151 hedge funds to head for the hills. At the end of the day, no fine will ever be large enough to pay back shareholders for all of the damage caused by this guy. Any self-rightest business person would have handled the whole matter in a far more humane way. He is clearly running off to the bank knowing he has taken money from investors yet again.

My terrorists include US based hedge fund operatives.

Posted via CB10

[DaSchwantz]

You still liking the 'clarity' Chen brings to the shareholders? CBC news. Of course they want to run with this negative story...This could be blackberry's last phone. How many people will see this (millions, or at least hear about it word of mouth) and think "why should I buy a blackberry if they won't be making them anymore / might stop supporting it?" This really hurts perception and will hurt sales. But hey, who cares right? as long as there is 'clarity' on the what if this phone doesn't do well. Pffff

BlackBerry PRIV Android phone could be company's last, says analyst - Kitchener-Waterloo - CBC News

So what does this have to do with Chen and why are you posting it here? Write the damn CBC for having biased reporting....

Posted via CB10

[ZayDub]

So what does this have to do with Chen and why are you posting it here? Write the damn CBC for having biased reporting....

Posted via CB10

I think the point Spiller is trying to make is that Chen should be more cognizant of what he says, and the impact/ramifications that his statements can have on shareholder value...you can't necessarily fault the media for running w/ the story when the CEO has been more than willing to 'open mouth, insert foot' w/ the numerous gaffes he has made as a result of providing too much 'clarity'

I want BlackBerry to succeed as much as the next guy, but I think we need to direct our ire at the appropriate individuals

*edit* others have mentioned this before too, but Chen could definitely choose his words better and tailor them to the appropriate audience

BBM Channel: C002165D3 Tour 9630 > Bold 9650 > Q10 > Playbook > Classic AND Passport SE!!!

[Corbu]

FWIW:
OT: VRX
The ‘Short’ Who Sank Valeant Stock
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-shor...ock-1445557157

Andrew Left has long targeted firms that he thinks are overvalued or engaged in fraud

LOS ANGELES—Even in the bombastic world of short selling, Andrew Left stands out.

Mr. Left, the man who this week likened Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. to Enron Corp., is among a small group of investors who publish free reports on firms they claim are overvalued or are engaged in fraud. They profit by making trades known as “shorts,” betting the shares will fall.

Unlike many of his rivals, Mr. Left issues reports laced with profanity, vivid anatomical descriptions and taunts directed at corporate executives. He ended a 2014 report with a parting note to his target’s CEO: “Your first reaction will be to want to sue me. I hope you do!” He said he has been sued but has never lost a case.

“I stand by my research,” Mr. Left said in an interview. “Fortunately for me, I’ve been more right than wrong.”

A report issued Wednesday by Mr. Left’s Citron Research accused Valeant of creating fraudulent invoices through a network of pharmacies it controls. The report compared Valeant to Enron, the energy-trading firm that collapsed in a 2001 accounting scandal.

Shares of Valeant, a Quebec-based drug firm whose shares were up 1,000% over five years at its recent peak, are down 27% since. Valeant issued a statement Wednesday calling the report “misleading” and “an attempt to manipulate the market.” The company said it plans to hold a conference call at 8 a.m. EDT on Monday to address recent criticism of its business practices.

“Sometimes you have a great story and the biggest challenge is, ‘How do I get people to read it?’ ” Mr. Left said in an interview in March 2014 at his home office in Beverly Hills, Calif. “Wall Street research is painfully boring. I enjoy being entertaining.”

The 45-year-old investor lives in a mansion in a gated community with an infinity pool overlooking Los Angeles, and Bentley and Mercedes cars sitting in the driveway. Slash, the former lead guitarist of rock band Guns N’ Roses, lives across the street.

Mr. Left, who invests only his own money, said he has made profits every year since he started short selling 14 years ago. A Wall Street Journal analysis of 111 Citron short-sale reports published from 2001 to 2014 shows an average share-price decline of 42% in the year after a Citron report was released. Of those shares, 90 were lower one year later while 21 gained, according to data from S&P Capital IQ.

“He’s the shock jock of short sellers with a fantastic record,” said John Hempton, a short seller and investor at Bronte Capital in Australia who has also published reports questioning Valeant’s business practices and accounting.

His big-game record is mixed. He made a short call on Tesla Motors Inc. in 2013, saying the company’s electric car might be a fad and that valuations were euphoric. Sales have increased since, and the stock price has risen about 30%. A rare bullish call on flooring manufacturer Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. in March soured as the stock has dropped 50% since.

Some bets paid off but not until after sharp share-price increases that could have tested investors’ endurance.

In early 2013, Mr. Left set his sights on the stock of 3-D printing company 3D Systems Corp., which was trading at about $40. He argued that enthusiasm around 3-D printing was a bubble ready to pop, citing the use of 3-D printers to make sex toys as an example. 3D System now trades at about $12, but the shares rose throughout much of 2013, briefly exceeding $90 a share.

Short sellers borrow shares from other investors and then sell them, in hopes that they can buy them back cheaper later and pocket the difference. But when a stock spikes, short sellers lose money when they buy back the stock at a higher price and return it.

Others initially worked but would have burned investors who held on. In 2012, he set his sights on Questcor Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures an immune-system-disorder drug called Athcar. He hired a laboratory to analyze the medicine and said his tests showed different ingredients than Questcor advertised.

The stock initially lost two-thirds of its value, then rebounded when the company was purchased for $5.6 billion last year by Mallinckrodt PLC.

Mr. Left runs Citron out of a plush home office full of memorabilia from Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and Bernard Madoff Investment Securities LLC. The upholstered chairs in his children’s bedrooms were purchased at an auction of office furniture from Enron. He also owns a print of the rap lyrics “Thinkin’ of a master plan,” from Eric B. & Rakim.

A blur of constant motion who usually wears jeans and an untucked button-down shirt, Mr. Left switches between multiple computers while fielding phone calls and texts from friends, his website’s editor, his lawyer and his wife.

He said he likes being far from Wall Street, where he can spend much of his time golfing and with his family. “Nobody cares about what I do here,” he said. “My own kids don’t know what it is I do.”

Mr. Left grew up in a middle-class Miami suburb and said he developed a taste for argument on his high school debate team. He first brushed with financial markets at 23, when he briefly took a job at a “boiler-room” brokerage aggressively selling risky commodity futures contracts to mom-and-pop investors.

The National Futures Association sanctioned the firm and gave Mr. Left a three-year ban for making false statements to sell commodity futures contracts. He credits the experience for launching him into short selling of stocks he identified as boiler-room scams.

He started out investing with money borrowed from a friend in 1995, tracking companies with suspect financial disclosures he recognized as boiler-room legerdemain or led by management teams involved in previous stock scams.

Mr. Left started writing scathing reports on a self-published blog called stocklemon.com in 2001. As his reputation grew, he developed a network of short sellers who feed him ideas.

He said he lost much of his wealth in a divorce in 2007 and decided to reboot, rebranding his website Citron Research, after the word for lemon in French. That year he focused on one bet against a construction company called Home Solutions of America that he believed was fabricating contracts tied to reconstruction efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

He wrote more than 10 reports on Homes Solutions and said he bet all his personal wealth against the company, which was valued at $390 million. The firm later collapsed, and Home Solutions CEO Frank Fradella pleaded guilty to securities fraud last year.

In recent years, Mr. Left said he has gone “elephant hunting,” targeting the pharmaceuticals industry, which he said is opaque and rife with abuses. When asked in a phone interview how he planned to respond to Valeant’s rebuttal, Mr. Left said, “It’s still a scam.” He hung up, then went to pick up his children from school.

[chrysaurora]

BlackBerry is super bad at marketing. No secret. JC isn't great at choice of his words and is usually unprepared for situations that you know are going to happen. Eg: if you confirm launch of a new product, obviously, people are going to ask you 'what makes it different?' and so on!

But all that said. I am optimistic about one thing.

Because this is Android, and because BlackBerry is going Android instead of their own OS, they are going to get a LOT of press.

Bloggers and journalists are going to go crazy. A lot will announce death of BlackBerry 's own OS but in doing so, they'd spread the message that BlackBerry is now an Android shop.

Quite a few will be positive too.

So, first time in years, BlackBerry would be covered by all kinds of media, all kinds of blogs. Even if BlackBerry had the money, they just don't have marketing-talent in their company to generate this kind of media-hype. So, it's going to happen INSPITE of BlackBerry 's lack of marketing talent.

More than half the world doesn't even know BlackBerry has BlackBerry 10 OS. They only know of old BlackBerry 10OS. In 2+ yrs, BlackBerry couldn't even spread the message that they have a new OS.

But this time around, the message would spread on its own, even if BlackBerry marketing team doesn't do anything to help it along.

More people would know BlackBerry has Android device in a month than the number of people that know about BB10 even 2+ yrs after it's launch.

Shareholders will benefit!


Posted via CB10

[peteberry12]

BlackBerry is super bad at marketing. No secret. JC isn't great at choice of his words and is usually unprepared for situations that you know are going to happen. Eg: if you confirm launch of a new product, obviously, people are going to ask you 'what makes it different?' and so on!

But all that said. I am optimistic about one thing.

Because this is Android, and because BlackBerry is going Android instead of their own OS, they are going to get a LOT of press.

Bloggers and journalists are going to go crazy. A lot will announce death of BlackBerry 's own OS but in doing so, they'd spread the message that BlackBerry is now an Android shop.

Quite a few will be positive too.

So, first time in years, BlackBerry would be covered by all kinds of media, all kinds of blogs. Even if BlackBerry had the money, they just don't have marketing-talent in their company to generate this kind of media-hype. So, it's going to happen INSPITE of BlackBerry 's lack of marketing talent.

More than half the world doesn't even know BlackBerry has BlackBerry 10 OS. They only know of old BlackBerry 10OS. In 2+ yrs, BlackBerry couldn't even spread the message that they have a new OS.

But this time around, the message would spread on its own, even if BlackBerry marketing team doesn't do anything to help it along.

More people would know BlackBerry has Android device in a month than the number of people that know about BB10 even 2+ yrs after it's launch.

Shareholders will benefit!


Posted via CB10

I'm still sort of puzzled that tomorrow you can order this device from BlackBerry, but it was never launched? Unless that earnings report announcement and Chen BNN demo count. I don't know what to think anymore. Truly confusing. I mean, I am quite optimistic on the potential of the PRIV, I think it is quite an appealing and different device. I just have no idea what's going on with this release. But as you say, maybe it's best to just not have a real launch and let the media and tech sites spread the word. I think that'll mean a lot, but I'm not sure you can sustain interest in a device beyond the initial buzz. I really hope that they are partnering and using some cash to get the carriers to market this thing. Maybe BlackBerry has given up on their own marketing, but giving up on marketing altogether seems crazy. Hoping for the best.

[bbjdog]

From ready all these post's lately, it seems we have lots of CEO on this thread. Who wants the job? I'm sure you are more qualified then John Chen! In life, it's easy to talk and find faults in other people, but if you look in the mirror, I'm sure your not perfect.

JC keep the wheels turning and have a cold one on me.

[theRock1975]

Good after hours results for tech sector! Amazon, Microsoft and Google reported great results:






Posted via CB10

[peteberry12]

From ready all these post's lately, it seems we have lots of CEO on this thread. Who wants the job? I'm sure you are more qualified then John Chen! In life, it's easy to talk and find faults in other people, but if you look in the mirror, I'm sure your not perfect.

JC keep the wheels turning and have a cold one on me.

Do you mean you're? Lol I'm totally joking man, it was too tempting. I take your point though; I agree there's been a lot of speculation of strategy and critiques and so on, myself included about a minute ago. I think there's just a lot of angst and nervousness about this device because so many of us see how much potential it truly has both for the company and for BBRY shares. We support and believe this company can turn around and I do think Chen deserves at least the benefit of the doubt. I mean he has gone and delivered a fully-spec'd Android device that has generated some nice buzz and anticipation. But that's just it, the anticipation is killing me!

[bbjdog]

Do you mean you're? Lol I'm totally joking man, it was too tempting. I take your point though; I agree there's been a lot of speculation of strategy and critiques and so on, myself included about a minute ago. I think there's just a lot of angst and nervousness about this device because so many of us see how much potential it truly has both for the company and for BBRY shares. We support and believe this company can turn around and I do think Chen deserves at least the benefit of the doubt. I mean he has gone and delivered a fully-spec'd Android device that has generated some nice buzz and anticipation. But that's just it, the anticipation is killing me!

Totally agree with you, anticipation is driving people up the wall. Chen doesn't see BlackBerry's future the way we see it. Having faith in someone to do a job requires us to let him do it. Second guessing will only complicate matters and confuse a confused puppy like myself. Lol

John Chen will not fallow but lead Blackberry to the future he sees fit for the company. He already has made a bold and brave move with the PRIV!
Can't wait for his next Chess move!

[Bacon Munchers]

2 mp front camera?

BlackBerry continues to misread the market. Does no one at BlackBerry look at the real world?

And don't give me this "it's for enterprise customers who don't place selfies high on the priority list" bull.

Everyone and their mother takes selfies.

I have no faith in BB being able to sell this phone. Every BB10 phone so far has bombed.

There was apparently MASSIVE pent up demand for the Classic. nope

Massive market for a low cost BB10 like the Leap. nope

Sales of the Passport stalled. It was a disruptive phone. There was lots of buzz. Instead of capitalizing on it, BB left it to us to do the marketing for them.

The one phone people have been asking for is an update to the Z30/Z10. The ONE phone that was constantly being asked for on Crackberry, and they don't do anything about it.

Was anyone asking for a slider Android from BB? no. Is anyone going to buy it in sufficient numbers? I hope they do, but I have no faith. They have proven time and again that they don't know anything about marketing. Chen really screwed the pooch when he insinuated that the hardware division would be shut down if the Priv didn't do well.

Two days ago my boss said he's getting the S6. I asked him why he's not waiting for the Priv. "Because Blackberry said they might not make phones anymore."

Thanks to Chen, we end up with headlines like this.

Do you know how damaging that is? Even worse, there's no marketing or effort to counter the perception of a failing company. That freaking blog is only read by BB faithful. The rest of the world ain't buying what BB is selling.

Remember when the money was going to start rolling in once BES 12 got going? Guess what, people think BB is failing so their not going to sign up for their MDM service. And now, apparently the future holds no money for MDM service. It's going to be free!

What happened to Secusmart and what came of the tablet with Samsung?

What have they done with Movirtu? Is there anything on the horizon? Probably not cause they're planning on shutting down the hardware division.

Instead of selling stuff. They're buying companies that are selling stuff. That's not a good sign. Where's the innovation?

Their BBM strategy has been confusing, at best.

I know a lot of you have been crying foul (troll) if anyone posts anything negative, but I've been really pissed off for a few months now and I needed to get this all off my chest.

---------
Take it from someone who knows cameras; the 2MP camera is plenty. There are other far more important factors. Look at the focal point used for a selfie. Don't be fooled by megapixels.

I have been in enterprise for 25 years, but the half a dozen that have had front facers that I have owned have not seen a single selfie from this guy. I doubt that many Enterprise guys do selfies, as that is all I know, and have yet to see one. I must live in a bubble huh?
Oh, and my mom has never taken selfies either.

Regarding the Classic. I have seen a ton in the Enterprise circles I am in. Quite a few Z30, some Z10, and almost no Passports (save myself - heh).

There have been a large demand on the Crackberry site alone regarding sliders, not to mention how many have clamored for an Android (DroidBerry). Where have you been?

Unless you are in the apropriate sector, how can you notion that they have not done anything with SecuSmart or Movirtu?

Where is the innovation with BlackBerry!? Is that a serious question?

Hey man, I have read a bunch of your posts and you have a good mind, but I don't know where you are going with your points. The only argument that you really have is regarding BBM. I somewhat agree there, but you should probably spend a couple hours this weekend to read back and correct your other points... or not(?)

Oh, and I don't think you are a troll, just incorrect on a few items.


Cheers mate.

[huwit]

Yup never ever did I use the front facing camera.

[DaSchwantz]

I think the point Spiller is trying to make is that Chen should be more cognizant of what he says, and the impact/ramifications that his statements can have on shareholder value...you can't necessarily fault the media for running w/ the story when the CEO has been more than willing to 'open mouth, insert foot' w/ the numerous gaffes he has made as a result of providing too much 'clarity'

I want BlackBerry to succeed as much as the next guy, but I think we need to direct our ire at the appropriate individuals

*edit* others have mentioned this before too, but Chen could definitely choose his words better and tailor them to the appropriate audience

BBM Channel: C002165D3 Tour 9630 > Bold 9650 > Q10 > Playbook > Classic AND Passport SE!!!

In my experience, CEOs who do that really well are often hiding something, and are more concerned with managing media than running the company. If Chen is doing a good job running the company then it's the media's fault for being lazy, not necessaily Chen's. I agree that he could use a media spokesperson though...

Posted via CB10

[ZayDub]

In my experience, CEOs who do that really well are often hiding something, and are more concerned with managing media than running the company. If Chen is doing a good job running the company then it's the media's fault for being lazy, not necessaily Chen's. I agree that he could use a media spokesperson though...

Posted via CB10

I can see that too -- there is too much of a good thing, and you can't believe everything that spews from the CEOs mouth...but at the same time, there's no reason to shoot yourself in foot when you're fighting an uphill battle... a la Chen...I'm just trying to say that he shouldn't try to make his job any harder than it needs to be, by making comments w/o thinking of the repercussions.


At the end of the day though, I think the $$ will talk more than whatever he says to possibly screw things up, and that's why I'm long the stock. I just wish he was tactful enough to recognize these things in advance

BBM Channel: C002165D3 Tour 9630 > Bold 9650 > Q10 > Playbook > Classic AND Passport SE!!!

[_dimi_]

Very well stated Morgan...thanks as always. I watched the interview of Andrew Left today on Bloomberg and all he could muster up was that he is simply questioning the ownership of the specialty Pharmas that distribute the drugs in the pipeline to end user delivery. It seems to me that none of this is illegal and Valeant is not operating out of bounds if they choose to create their own "middle man" distributor instead of giving up margins to a third party in order to get their products to market. The Bloomberg crew was quite active in questioning his motives and current market position and his background which took up the last half of the air time.

I just couldn't find a comfortable entry point today to trade it. It will take some time to clear up and the upcoming investor conference scheduled for Monday should go a long way in clearing things up and it's now up to Valeant to provide a strong rebuttal to this ex-con's accusations. It's a lot of damage and lost paper value in 2 days.

Well, if you had read the Citron report, you would have noticed that Citron claims that Valeant not only owns the 'middle man' specialty pharmas, but that in this specific case Philidor (=specialty pharma) owns the regional pharmacy R&O Pharmacy....... which is why Valeant would have felt the need to directly invoice R&O Pharmacy. Citron makes a few good points to proof this, and that's when imho it no longers is a question about Valeant owning the middle man, but possibly own the entire (stuffed?) channel. I don't know much about pharmas, but their guidance did seem very optimistic. Anyway, all rumours and speculation, but imho the lack of transparency is concerning.


Edit: it's the first time that I've seen a Citron report being published, and most of the media focus on the figure Andew Left instead? It seems to me that he has pissed a few people off. Discredit the person because of his past, and people will no longer hear what he has to say..

Posted via CB10

[spiller]

I'm still sort of puzzled that tomorrow you can order this device from BlackBerry, but it was never launched? Unless that earnings report announcement and Chen BNN demo count. I don't know what to think anymore. Truly confusing. I mean, I am quite optimistic on the potential of the PRIV, I think it is quite an appealing and different device. I just have no idea what's going on with this release. But as you say, maybe it's best to just not have a real launch and let the media and tech sites spread the word. I think that'll mean a lot, but I'm not sure you can sustain interest in a device beyond the initial buzz. I really hope that they are partnering and using some cash to get the carriers to market this thing. Maybe BlackBerry has given up on their own marketing, but giving up on marketing altogether seems crazy. Hoping for the best.

I think the contracts with the carriers has caused the 'real' launch delay. I'd say they are putting in build orders based on committed non returnable numbers of the Priv to the carriers. And they want to try to stock as much as they can to feed forecasted demand at the launch. I will guess they won't give a launch presentation until early November...just before it ships in the UK. But will they?

[Uzi]

I think the contracts with the carriers has caused the 'real' launch delay. I'd say they are putting in build orders based on committed non returnable numbers of the Priv to the carriers. And they want to try to stock as much as they can to feed forecasted demand at the launch. I will guess they won't give a launch presentation until early November...just before it ships in the UK. But will they?

From what I being told there is no launch event for BlackBerry priv

[bspence87]

I'd like to comment on a few things:

First, the Priv pricing. The rumoured price does seem to be quite hefty. Sure, it's a premium device, but BlackBerry doesn't hold a premium brand value right now. I'd almost rather see lower profit margins and higher volumes. Profitability is not their problem, it's revenue and units sold.

It makes me wonder though, how different the BB10 launch would have been if they started with a true high-end device. The Z10, although a decent device, was far from front-of-the-line spec-wise. A true high-end device like the Priv would have displayed BlackBerry as a premium brand when all eyes were watching.

I'm really hoping for moderate success with the Priv, as it will allow BlackBerry to release devices across all price points now that they have built a secure(ish) version of Android.


The second thing that I wanted to comment on was Chen's comments. I think he's in a pretty tough spot. Analysts are calling for the end of devices, so he has to say things to keep them optimistic as well. Investors follow analysts, so he needs to keep the analysts encouraged. I think he made his comments in the context of "we won't keep losing money on handsets; if they're not profitable, we'll stop making them". I think that's pretty basic business fundamentals.

[spiller]

From what I being told there is no launch event for BlackBerry priv

I don't get this. Why not show how they secured it much better than other devices.

Show off all of the differentiators...from the keyboard swipes, to blackberry blend for Android (if it's ready), Hub and Calendar BlackBerry apps, DTEK....they could do a 30 min launch and make sure all the reviewers get this 'training' before writing their reviews which could miss a lot.

Posted via CB10

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I don't get this. Why not show how they secured it much better than other devices.

Show off all of the differentiators...from the keyboard swipes, to blackberry blend for Android (if it's ready), Hub and Calendar BlackBerry apps, DTEK....they could do a 30 min launch and make sure all the reviewers get this 'training' before writing their reviews which could miss a lot.

Posted via CB10

Because a "launch event" is marketing.... and requires that a company have a Marketing and PR department?

[Christophe Piquemal]

OT :

Microsoft Earnings: Cloud Rises, Hardware Falls - InformationWeek

[world traveler and former ceo]

I don't get this. Why not show how they secured it much better than other devices.

Show off all of the differentiators...from the keyboard swipes, to blackberry blend for Android (if it's ready), Hub and Calendar BlackBerry apps, DTEK....they could do a 30 min launch and make sure all the reviewers get this 'training' before writing their reviews which could miss a lot.

Posted via CB10

I don't doubt that they will. However, CEO Chen has learned from previous BlackBerry launches to not reveal too much too soon and too long before the actual device availability dates.... and I agree. A week or so before availability launch the PR and marketing efforts followed by availability in many channels....

... so I expect that to begin early November, assuming mid November availability....

Posted via CB10

[bungaboy]

Because a "launch event" is marketing.... and requires that a company have a Marketing and PR department?

WoW! Wish I woulda thought of that. Just when we think you can't get better . . . BAM! You outdo yourself. Well done!

Like Corbu said "Where would we be without you Dunt"