[spiller]

Just doubled my HALO holdings to avg down to $14. This stock is like BBRY....kill the ER watch it pop then watch the shorts bring it down. I was kicking myself I missed a good entry before the ER yesterday in the 9s....and now I got it.

[cjcampbell]

Solid day for BBRY. Good volume, green, and decent looking candle could point to a reversal of this downtrend.

Posted via CB10

[Corbu]

John Chen talks to CNN Money about the saturated smartphone market | CrackBerry.com

[kadakn01]

Short Interest update

As of April 15 ------------------- 73.56M
As of April 29 ------------------- 66.73M

Decrease of about 7M shares or 9%
Also lowest amount since June 2012 and just before the run up from $6 to $17

Posted on my Priv

[farmwersteve]

Short Interest update

As of April 15 ------------------- 73.56M
As of April 29 ------------------- 66.73M

Decrease of about 7M shares or 9%
Also lowest amount since June 2012 and just before the run up from $6 to $17

Posted on my Priv

Wow, that sure is the lowest number I've seen in a long time

I wonder if it's simply because more people actually are believing in the turn around and the fact that we are pretty much trading at book value, so why bother shorting.

Those damn shorts have made a mint, that's for sure. I would be happy to see them go away and let BlackBerry chip away at their plans.

Posted via CB10

[Corbu]

Exclusive: BlackBerry Hub-like Samsung Focus app to debut with the Galaxy Note 6 - SamMobile

Props to BerryFlow

[BigBadWulf]

Exclusive: BlackBerry Hub-like Samsung Focus app to debut with the Galaxy Note 6 - SamMobile

Props to BerryFlow

Next year, when Apple invents it, it shall be truly amazing!

[kadakn01]

Bloomberg - Three More Signs the Smartphone Downturn's Going From Bad to Worse http://bloom.bg/1Wn3gEc

For investors contemplating prospects for the smartphone market after a shaky earnings report from Apple Inc., Asian suppliers just provided a few hints: It�s going to get worse before it gets better.
Three suppliers that seldom command much attention, working behind the scenes to make devices sold under the brands of better-known customers, put out back-to-back earnings reports Tuesday. They spell trouble ahead for smartphone makers and other companies that once thrived on mobile mania.
Pegatron Corp., which assembles iPhones, missed profit expectations and said April sales dived 16 percent. Minebea Co., which makes LED lights for mobiles, lagged its own forecasts for revenue and earnings. Japan Display Inc., which supplies screens to Apple and others, said profit has deteriorated so rapidly it will lose money for the fiscal year and suspend a promised dividend. Adding to the gloom, Lenovo Group Ltd. tumbled to a four-year low as analysts warned of rising competition.
Asian components makers are positioned early in the supply chain so they often signal what�s ahead for giants like Apple, Samsung Electronics Co. and Xiaomi Corp. The iPhone maker offered evidence of a deteriorating market with its first quarterly sales decline in 13 years. Now, some are bracing for a possible triple-whammy: sliding sales, an unfettered market-share competition and crumbling prices.
"The smartphone industry will continue to slow down this year,� said Richard Ko, a Taipei-based analyst at KGI Securities Co. �Competition will worsen and prices will likely continue to fall."

Presaging Doom
Pegatron and its peers are merely the latest in a string of ill omens for a market facing its worst pace of expansion since Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007. Much of the gloom centers on China, the phenomenal growth engine that�s now headed for an epic shakeout. Smartphones are no longer a novelty and most domestic brands target the mid- and low-price ranges, where buyers don�t upgrade as frequently as those for high-end Apple and Samsung phones.
FIH Mobile Ltd., which assembles devices for Sony Corp., Lenovo and Xiaomi, is expecting first-half profit to get virtually wiped out. All three of those customers suffered lower smartphone shipments in the March quarter. While Samsung was able to boost phone earnings on the early release of more profitable models, the world�s biggest producer warned of weaker demand.
Japan Display�s shares fell as much as 4.3 percent in Tokyo Wednesday. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. slid as much as 1.9 percent after the assembler of Apple devices reported that sales in April fell 8.5 percent.
In addition, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. -- one of the largest manufacturers of the application processors that are a mobile device�s brains --- cut its 2016 smartphone demand forecast in April. Its major customers include Apple, Qualcomm Inc. and Huawei Technologies Co., according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Silver Lining
To be sure, not all are predicting doom and gloom. Optimists point out that legions of users in developing markets -- like India -- have yet to adopt high-speed 4G technology, and that will drive sales. While acknowledging the malaise, TSMC expressed confidence last month that ever-more powerful and functional mid-end phones will bring out cost-conscious buyers in emerging countries.
The next key signpost for the industry might come around September, when Apple typically releases new iPhone models. Rolling out the devices has traditionally galvanized the market over the holiday shopping season and could offer some relief for suppliers of the microchips and other widgets that go into the device.
Still, that is at least four months away.
�The pace of deceleration may not be as bad as some have feared,� said Mark Li, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Still �the trend of smartphone deceleration is pretty clear.�

[Corbu]

etc.

rarsen and sidhuk like this.

[W Hoa]

ever-more powerful and functional mid-end phones

What is this 'mid-end' phone they speak of?

[farmwersteve]

Bloomberg - Three More Signs the Smartphone Downturn's Going From Bad to Worse http://bloom.bg/1Wn3gEc

For investors contemplating prospects for the smartphone market after a shaky earnings report from Apple Inc., Asian suppliers just provided a few hints: It�s going to get worse before it gets better.
Three suppliers that seldom command much attention, working behind the scenes to make devices sold under the brands of better-known customers, put out back-to-back earnings reports Tuesday. They spell trouble ahead for smartphone makers and other companies that once thrived on mobile mania.
Pegatron Corp., which assembles iPhones, missed profit expectations and said April sales dived 16 percent. Minebea Co., which makes LED lights for mobiles, lagged its own forecasts for revenue and earnings. Japan Display Inc., which supplies screens to Apple and others, said profit has deteriorated so rapidly it will lose money for the fiscal year and suspend a promised dividend. Adding to the gloom, Lenovo Group Ltd. tumbled to a four-year low as analysts warned of rising competition.
Asian components makers are positioned early in the supply chain so they often signal what�s ahead for giants like Apple, Samsung Electronics Co. and Xiaomi Corp. The iPhone maker offered evidence of a deteriorating market with its first quarterly sales decline in 13 years. Now, some are bracing for a possible triple-whammy: sliding sales, an unfettered market-share competition and crumbling prices.
"The smartphone industry will continue to slow down this year,� said Richard Ko, a Taipei-based analyst at KGI Securities Co. �Competition will worsen and prices will likely continue to fall."

Presaging Doom
Pegatron and its peers are merely the latest in a string of ill omens for a market facing its worst pace of expansion since Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007. Much of the gloom centers on China, the phenomenal growth engine that�s now headed for an epic shakeout. Smartphones are no longer a novelty and most domestic brands target the mid- and low-price ranges, where buyers don�t upgrade as frequently as those for high-end Apple and Samsung phones.
FIH Mobile Ltd., which assembles devices for Sony Corp., Lenovo and Xiaomi, is expecting first-half profit to get virtually wiped out. All three of those customers suffered lower smartphone shipments in the March quarter. While Samsung was able to boost phone earnings on the early release of more profitable models, the world�s biggest producer warned of weaker demand.
Japan Display�s shares fell as much as 4.3 percent in Tokyo Wednesday. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. slid as much as 1.9 percent after the assembler of Apple devices reported that sales in April fell 8.5 percent.
In addition, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. -- one of the largest manufacturers of the application processors that are a mobile device�s brains --- cut its 2016 smartphone demand forecast in April. Its major customers include Apple, Qualcomm Inc. and Huawei Technologies Co., according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Silver Lining
To be sure, not all are predicting doom and gloom. Optimists point out that legions of users in developing markets -- like India -- have yet to adopt high-speed 4G technology, and that will drive sales. While acknowledging the malaise, TSMC expressed confidence last month that ever-more powerful and functional mid-end phones will bring out cost-conscious buyers in emerging countries.
The next key signpost for the industry might come around September, when Apple typically releases new iPhone models. Rolling out the devices has traditionally galvanized the market over the holiday shopping season and could offer some relief for suppliers of the microchips and other widgets that go into the device.
Still, that is at least four months away.
�The pace of deceleration may not be as bad as some have feared,� said Mark Li, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Still �the trend of smartphone deceleration is pretty clear.�

During a time of deceleration, it's actually a positive to be carrying less of a load. Sure BlackBerry will never be able to compete in the low, even mid range priced phone levels, but only requiring to sell a few million devices to a niche market seems more future proof than needing to serve the globe.

Being the major player sure is great in times of growth, but obviously not in times of stagnation, as we have learned from BlackBerry.

Funny how arrogant companies like apple and Samsung are that they didn't want to learn from BlackBerry's device slide and have a preemptive strategy

Obviously apple has billions of dollars to figure it out, but with their overhead, they have to figure it out soon

Afterall, I have never heard of any pro sports athletes end up bankrupt.

Posted via CB10

[Jahcure]

That BlackBerry Foxconn manufacturing deal looking better and better.

Posted via CB10

[early2bed]

During a time of deceleration, it's actually a positive to be carrying less of a load. Sure BlackBerry will never be able to compete in the low, even mid range priced phone levels, but only requiring to sell a few million devices to a niche market seems more future proof than needing to serve the globe.

Doesn't a down market shake out the marginal producers? In an up market, everyone can participate and make a profit. A stagnant or shrinking market weeds out the participants who don't have a solid customer base, profit margins, diverse markets, retail presence, etc.

BlackBerry does have a strategic advantage, though, in the they can exit the hardware market much more easily than other smartphone companies.

[Corbu]

Protecting Yourself from Phishing Scams on BBM and Beyond | Inside BlackBerry

[world traveler and former ceo]

OT: been averaging down / buying some more as SPHS sp has been heading lower... any thoughts from experts out there? ... hold.. buy more?... outlook? Thanks...

Posted via CB10

[plasmid_boy]

Doesn't a down market shake out the marginal producers? In an up market, everyone can participate and make a profit. A stagnant or shrinking market weeds out the participants who don't have a solid customer base, profit margins, diverse markets, retail presence, etc.

BlackBerry does have a strategic advantage, though, in the they can exit the hardware market much more easily than other smartphone companies.

I think that BlackBerry has got a strong customer base, including governments, banks, legal firms, and a few of us diehard fans. They just need to make it wider. Chen now says he needs 3 million phones sold to make handsets viable, which is doable IMO.

[farmwersteve]

Doesn't a down market shake out the marginal producers? In an up market, everyone can participate and make a profit. A stagnant or shrinking market weeds out the participants who don't have a solid customer base, profit margins, diverse markets, retail presence, etc.

BlackBerry does have a strategic advantage, though, in the they can exit the hardware market much more easily than other smartphone companies.

BlackBerry also has the advantage of the printer / printer ink business model.



Posted via CB10

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

That BlackBerry Foxconn manufacturing deal looking better and better.

Posted via CB10

It's looking like it's over... Foxconn did the Z3 and Classic, both of which seem to be out of production. It was very strange that Foxconn didn't do the LEAP... I think that deal has been over for a while, as sales just didn't make that original deal profitable for them.

Wistron seems to be the only manufacture they are using... now. They "did" the Passport and are doing the PRIV.

These deals have protected BlackBerry and made them less vulnerable. But they do have their downsides.

Slow production (took six months to launch the PRIV worldwide, and that was with only 500K sold)
Extra cost that the end user is stuck with.... from the $250 Z3 to the $740 PRIV. Just can't be competitive with an extra layer of markup (one reason they are looking to go direct to their "customers")

[Andy_bb_king]

Exclusive: BlackBerry Hub-like Samsung Focus app to debut with the Galaxy Note 6 - SamMobile

Props to BerryFlow

I was looking for if Hub is patented by BlackBerry and the comments from JC should indicate it is patented.

....

The CEO acknowledged that something, perhaps an innovation or new distribution channel, has to change for handsets to recover, saying he�s exploring options to license core operating system features, though no deals have been made yet. �I�m willing to license my secure Android software, the virtual keyboard, Hub, Dtek [a security app]. Or to even put it on Google Play or app stores,� he said.
....

Worth of reading again I suggest,

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...ticle29491031/


Posted from my trusted Passport

[Superfly_FR]

BlackBerry does have a strategic advantage, though, in the they can exit the hardware market much more easily than other smartphone companies.

I think that BlackBerry has got a strong customer base, including governments, banks, legal firms, and a few of us diehard fans. They just need to make it wider. Chen now says he needs 3 million phones sold to make handsets viable, which is doable IMO.

Both approach show that Chen is not a newcomer.
Can he drop HW (smartphones)? Probably, but as Plasmid stated, they have a resilient *captive* audience where no serious competitors are in sight; that's their "hyper-niche", where there's too much to invest for the potential - uncertain - gain for late comers. Especially when the market declines.
P.S: of course, a lot to miss in BlackBerry's pocket shall they resign. (did I mention I don't see them drop the smartphone business anytime soon, while they just have to maintain this "hyper-niche" to be close to positive (HW+SW) ?)

I'd use the term "agile" to describe this; craft against tankers ... just stay away from the prow and the slip then pretty interesting results may happen . Chen is an agile guy.

[Jahcure]

It's looking like it's over... Foxconn did the Z3 and Classic, both of which seem to be out of production. It was very strange that Foxconn didn't do the LEAP... I think that deal has been over for a while, as sales just didn't make that original deal profitable for them.

Wistron seems to be the only manufacture they are using... now. They "did" the Passport and are doing the PRIV.

These deals have protected BlackBerry and made them less vulnerable. But they do have their downsides.

Slow production (took six months to launch the PRIV worldwide, and that was with only 500K sold)
Extra cost that the end user is stuck with.... from the $250 Z3 to the $740 PRIV. Just can't be competitive with an extra layer of markup (one reason they are looking to go direct to their "customers")

I believe the Foxconn deal ends in 2018

Posted via CB10

[Corbu]

I believe the Foxconn deal ends in 2018

And you are right:
BlackBerry Announces Five-Year Strategic Partnership With Foxconn<BB.TO> | Reuters

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I believe the Foxconn deal ends in 2018

Posted via CB10

During the conference call when Chen was talking about the Classic being out of production... he did said "So that environment has completely changed and I thank Foxconn for leading the charge with us when I first joined, but now other people are doing the same thing with us now."


Maybe that five year deal is still in place... who knows what kind of volume levels were promised? Anyway, as it stands Foxconn isn't building any devices for BlackBerry at the moment. For "some reason" BlackBerry opted not to have Foxconn who was building the Z3, to also do the slightly upgraded LEAP (If it's even still in production).

[spiller]

SPHS is taking a big hit before earnings. What are people thinking? One hour to average down. Will she go lower after the call? Leak?

[spiller]

Just doubled my HALO holdings to avg down to $14. This stock is like BBRY....kill the ER watch it pop then watch the shorts bring it down. I was kicking myself I missed a good entry before the ER yesterday in the 9s....and now I got it.

Well wtdf do I know. People couldn't decide yesterday after the ER that it was worth less. They sell it off today (10%) after a downgrade. Would have taken some of that and put into SPHS before the bell today, but both down 10%. At least with HALO I see an 8.40 floor. SPHS is a crap shoot.