[WES51]

I'm one of those, who could upgrade, but won't.

OS10 with it's off the phone based eMail and lack of trackpad does not work for me.

My 9900 suits me almost perfectly well at the moment and probably for some longer time.

A phone upgrade involves considerable effort and time, so for me it really has to be justified.

I would be iterested in an upgraded 9900 type phone, with more internal memory, faster processor and higher screen resolution and a camera with autofocus (I need that to copy/scan docs). Also it would be nice if someone would finally fix the "little" bugs like the memory leak.

[anon(4099613)]

Sorry but Once BB10 dropped, there should be no more hardware development for OS7 devices. Sure, support OS7 users - apps updates and tech support. But, more hardware? Nooooo.

It's like Samsung saying, "We're coming out with a new Galaxy S with Gingerbread". How about Windows releasing a PocketPC phone?

This decision makes me lose faith in Heins's leadership. For me, as a business person, a move like this needs to be explained just for education purposes alone.

I can't call this move anything other than completely stupid. Since I first read it yesterday, I've been trying to figure out the strategy here. The only thing I can come up with is that they're trying to get rid of inventory. If BlackBerry management actually purchased material just for the 9720 knowing they were working on BB10.

This decision is pure bang your head against the wall.

Posted via CB10

[Aljean Thein]

This could be a great thing for BlackBerry. It could be their low end device if they set it right. It'll sell tons in emerging markets.

Posted via CB10

[Bbnivende]

Sorry but Once BB10 dropped, there should be no more hardware development for OS7 devices. Sure, support OS7 users - apps updates and tech support. But, more hardware? Nooooo.

It's like Samsung saying, "We're coming out with a new Galaxy S with Gingerbread". How about Windows releasing a PocketPC phone?

This decision makes me lose faith in Heins's leadership. For me, as a business person, a move like this needs to be explained just for education purposes alone.

I can't call this move anything other than completely stupid. Since I first read it yesterday, I've been trying to figure out the strategy here. The only thing I can come up with is that they're trying to get rid of inventory. If BlackBerry management actually purchased material just for the 9720 knowing they were working on BB10.

This decision is pure bang your head against the wall.

Posted via CB10

Wear a helmet.

The 9720 seems like a poor phone but then it is not being marketed here in NA. I just think that any new phone whether BBOS or BB10 should show some innovation or creativity. This phone seems like a parts bin special. Why not some new styling or something new...even the name is old.

[belfastdispatcher]

Sorry but Once BB10 dropped, there should be no more hardware development for OS7 devices. Sure, support OS7 users - apps updates and tech support. But, more hardware? Nooooo.

It's like Samsung saying, "We're coming out with a new Galaxy S with Gingerbread". How about Windows releasing a PocketPC phone?

This decision makes me lose faith in Heins's leadership. For me, as a business person, a move like this needs to be explained just for education purposes alone.

I can't call this move anything other than completely stupid. Since I first read it yesterday, I've been trying to figure out the strategy here. The only thing I can come up with is that they're trying to get rid of inventory. If BlackBerry management actually purchased material just for the 9720 knowing they were working on BB10.

This decision is pure bang your head against the wall.

Posted via CB10

What you say only makes sense is BB10 was making Legacy users upgrade, but it doesn't, so now what, how do you keep the existing customers when your new platform doesn't sell?

[bp3dots]

What you say only makes sense is BB10 was making Legacy users upgrade, but it doesn't, so now what, how do you keep the existing customers when your new platform doesn't sell?

The % sales of BB10 vs Legacy has grown each quarter.(yes, both of them) There's no evidence that gives reason as to why it wouldn't continue to do so. If you expected the sales of the new OS to be 100% from release day, you overhyped the idea. That's not an indication that nobody wants the new version, its a normal time to adopt for a big change.

Personally, I think an OS7 phone for places that still rely heavily on BIS only plans may be a good idea, but only because they can offer a device with a very specific functionality advantage. The downside is, that device is likely to be unattractive to anyone who doesn't have that same need.

Anytime you have a change in something this big, there will be some people who don't like it at first. The effort to please everyone often ends poorly. Companies have to commit to a course and follow it. That willl, inevitably, lose you a few customers, but those things happen sometimes. If you can get an overall better product to market, the end effect will (hopefully) be more gains.

Side note: Belfast, if for some crazy reason you couldn't get an OS7 device anymore, what would you use instead? Would you stay on with BB10? (Just curious)

[h20work]

Wear a helmet.

The 9720 seems like a poor phone but then it is not being marketed here in NA. I just think that any new phone whether BBOS or BB10 should show some innovation or creativity. This phone seems like a parts bin special. Why not some new styling or something new...even the name is old.

They should at least give it a fighting chance. Give it some decent specs and price it right! I doubt they will do either, history has shown that.

[Skeevecr]

i completely agree, id like to see the bold stick around. after all, its always a bad move to discontinue your flagship device.

The bold isn't the flagship device any more, depending on your opinion an argument can be made for it being either the z10 or the q10 now.

[Skeevecr]

Let's forget what's good for company for a second and let's concentrate on the user that still needs/wants a Legacy device for whatever reason., most of those users have had an OS7 or even OS6 device for two years now and they're ready to upgrade. They did not upgrade to BB10 or some did and quickly ran back to their old device.

Give these people something to update to.

This device is going to be an upgrade only for those people running a 9320 or lower device, those mistakenly expecting a new mid or higher end bbos model are going to be disappointed because this device is going to be coming out because they cannot yet make bb10 devices cheap enough to service every price point they have right now.

[Skeevecr]

Well thorsten said the Q5 was for emerging markets then put it on sale in the UK.

I fully expect this model to be released there too, it will be an upgrade to the 9320 simple as that.

[Skeevecr]

I would be iterested in an upgraded 9900 type phone, with more internal memory, faster processor and higher screen resolution and a camera with autofocus (I need that to copy/scan docs). Also it would be nice if someone would finally fix the "little" bugs like the memory leak.

This new bb7 device is not going to be for you then, there simply isn't any sense for them to spend resources on competing against their own products, this new model will be a low end product developed by their remain bbos developers who they still need to keep around for ongoing support such as security fixes etc. and will not have taken resources away from bb10.

[belfastdispatcher]

This device is going to be an upgrade only for those people running a 9320 or lower device, those mistakenly expecting a new mid or higher end bbos model are going to be disappointed because this device is going to be coming out because they cannot yet make bb10 devices cheap enough to service every price point they have right now.

I don't know now, the 9320 is after all higher specked then the once flagship Bold 9700, just because it's low end doesn't mean it will be a bad device.

[belfastdispatcher]

The % sales of BB10 vs Legacy has grown each quarter.(yes, both of them) There's no evidence that gives reason as to why it wouldn't continue to do so. If you expected the sales of the new OS to be 100% from release day, you overhyped the idea. That's not an indication that nobody wants the new version, its a normal time to adopt for a big change.

Personally, I think an OS7 phone for places that still rely heavily on BIS only plans may be a good idea, but only because they can offer a device with a very specific functionality advantage. The downside is, that device is likely to be unattractive to anyone who doesn't have that same need.

Anytime you have a change in something this big, there will be some people who don't like it at first. The effort to please everyone often ends poorly. Companies have to commit to a course and follow it. That willl, inevitably, lose you a few customers, but those things happen sometimes. If you can get an overall better product to market, the end effect will (hopefully) be more gains.

Side note: Belfast, if for some crazy reason you couldn't get an OS7 device anymore, what would you use instead? Would you stay on with BB10? (Just curious)

The reality is BB10 is failing to attract BBOS users to upgrade and out of the ones that do many seem to revert back to their Legacy or other platform device after a short time. The sharp drop in subscriber numbers confirms this theory, even with almost 7 millions devices shipped, the subscriber numbers are way down.

As for your question, I cant answer it as I haven't considered such a future yet if I have to use my upgrade to get another 9900 (or even a 9320) again just to keep my BIS for another 2 years I will. If and when BIS is shut down I will then consider other platforms.

[Skeevecr]

I can't call this move anything other than completely stupid. Since I first read it yesterday, I've been trying to figure out the strategy here. The only thing I can come up with is that they're trying to get rid of inventory. If BlackBerry management actually purchased material just for the 9720 knowing they were working on BB10.

The strategy is obvious, they cannot yet produce bb10 handsets cheap enough to fit the 9320 part of the market, but they can put out an upgraded bbos device at that price point using the very limited bbos resources they still have, that keeps them relevant and might see some promotions from carriers.

As far as materials, the odds are that other than the keyboard and the casing they will be reusing components from existing models and presumably the casing will be a cheaper plastic one than that used on the 9790 which seems the closest match in specs from what we have seen so far.

[Skeevecr]

I just think that any new phone whether BBOS or BB10 should show some innovation or creativity. This phone seems like a parts bin special. Why not some new styling or something new...even the name is old.

They clearly won't want to be spending too many resources on a new bbos device, but as far as the styling, can you please link the photos you have seen of this device to be sure that it has no new styling to it?

[Skeevecr]

What you say only makes sense is BB10 was making Legacy users upgrade, but it doesn't, so now what, how do you keep the existing customers when your new platform doesn't sell?

Give it up, BB have moved on and are not going to restart bbos development for any price point of the market that can be covered by bb10 devices.

[belfastdispatcher]

Give it up, BB have moved on and are not going to restart bbos development for any price point of the market that can be covered by bb10 devices.

BBOS development has never stopped and if BB10 requires minimum dual cores and 2gb ram it will be years before we'll see a low end BB10 device, the PlayBook fiasco has proved this beyond doubt.

[Skeevecr]

BBOS development has never stopped and if BB10 requires minimum dual cores and 2gb ram it will be years before we'll see a low end BB10 device, the PlayBook fiasco has proved this beyond doubt.

Hardware development of anything other than this low end device has stopped though and is never going to restart.

As far as the specs needed for bb10, qualcomm have already released cheaper dual-cores than the one in the q5 so that would be one area to save money and while they couldn't go down to 1gb, trimming it to 1.5gb would save a fair amount on a high volume model and beyond that, prices will reduce on the components they could not change too, so while they probably won't be able to hit 9320 pricing next year they will definitely release lower end models than the q5.

[Skeevecr]

I don't know now, the 9320 is after all higher specked then the once flagship Bold 9700, just because it's low end doesn't mean it will be a bad device.

I agree with you on this, but for those coming from a 9900 or similar this is not going to be an upgrade except on battery life.

One thing that will be quite interesting to see is how nice it is to type on that keyboard as it looks to easily be the widest bbos-based curve.

[the_game969]

Why didn't they introduce the final OS 7 device last year when they had nothing to bring into the market for 1 whole year? This device should have been released last year.

Stupid move if you ask me...

[bp3dots]

The reality is BB10 is failing to attract BBOS users to upgrade and out of the ones that do many seem to revert back to their Legacy or other platform device after a short time. The sharp drop in subscriber numbers confirms this theory, even with almost 7 millions devices shipped, the subscriber numbers are way down.

Those subscriber losses could just as easily be from users who would like to upgrade from BBOS to BB10, but were unable to due to availability/pricing of the Z and Q in the markets where BBOS use is largest.

[currentodysseys]

While I have voiced my opinion in relation in other threads I was just thinking if anyone knows the exact specs of the new bbos phone like memory and processor??

[belfastdispatcher]

Those subscriber losses could just as easily be from users who would like to upgrade from BBOS to BB10, but were unable to due to availability/pricing of the Z and Q in the markets where BBOS use is largest.

Evidence points otherwise, there's plenty examples in the forums of people trying BB10 and going back to what they were using before.

[bp3dots]

Evidence points otherwise, there's plenty examples in the forums of people trying BB10 and going back to what they were using before.

Evidence doesn't point either way wthout more of it. Forum posts are a terrible measure due to extremely limited sample size and specific interest bias (among other things).

[BreakingKayfabe]

What you say only makes sense is BB10 was making Legacy users upgrade, but it doesn't, so now what, how do you keep the existing customers when your new platform doesn't sell?

Make BB10 a great product not only for new customers but also for your existing customers.
Blackberry isn't stabbing those existing customers in the back by not releasing OS7 devices.
They'd stab them in the back if they completely dropped support for those devices immediately.
If I needed to survive and some existing customers become casualties, so be it. Take another
hit and put your energy into what you claim you believe in (BB10). Too much of this reverting
back stuff.

And just as said before, don't make it as an announcement during your earnings call. Reeks
of desperation and trying to please everyone. That can't happen anymore.