[NoxiousInc]

I have my Key2 now for 2 days straight in use and a lot of people I met are quite lyrical about the device.

Of course I get the usual 'do they still produce BlackBerry?' but the second question is if they can hold it and all the sudden they feel like it's a quite amazing device...

I think there are still a lot of people who fancy the PKB and would eventually look into the Key2... only marketing wise should be done a better job imo...

[Carjackd]

Well, to get marketing you need money. The key2 is only a piece in the long road of a turn a round for TCL. Ideally we want to see more key2 sales than KEYone and tcl will throw a larger advertising budget at bbmo for the KEYcubed

[NoxiousInc]

Marketing wise it should be a collaboration between BlackBerry and TCL right, both would benefit of higher sales of the Key2?

I don't see a lot of people with BlackBerry software on their Samsung or whatever Android device so also BlackBerry would benefit of higher hardware sales from TCL...

[markusbeutel]

No.

The only way that could happen is if BlackBerry invented the first phone that was a dual slider - where you slid up the top for a camera, and then slid down the bottom for the keyboard, while sliding the device back into a neutral bezeless state outside of that.

The camera would also need to beat the Huawei's DXO mark. And the device would have to be waterproof and under 9mm thick.

That's the only way BlackBerry could possibly get back to where they were.

[NoxiousInc]

So in a way you think a idiotic high priced unit would be a turning point?

I don't think that would be a well thought through decision to make...

[Laramie50]

No.

The only way that could happen is if BlackBerry invented the first phone that was a dual slider - where you slid up the top for a camera, and then slid down the bottom for the keyboard, while sliding the device back into a neutral bezeless state outside of that.

The camera would also need to beat the Huawei's DXO mark. And the device would have to be waterproof and under 9mm thick.
Agreed. In all respects.

That's the only way BlackBerry could possibly get back to where they were.

Agreed, in all respects.

[markusbeutel]

So in a way you think a idiotic high priced unit would be a turning point?

I don't think that would be a well thought through decision to make...

Didn't say anything about price... But just like the original iPhone was a genre-defining device, that's basically what Blackberry would have to do to emerge from the grave.

And yeah, it'd probably be expensive. Just like the original iPhone was the most expensive phone ever sold to mass market.

If the completely bezeless BlackBerry Do-it-all "Dual" slider existed, with the highest rated camera, Blackberry would dominate while everyone else tried to catch up.

[markusbeutel]

So in a way you think a idiotic high priced unit would be a turning point?

I don't think that would be a well thought through decision to make...

You sound like this guy:

[nbaliga]

Well, to get marketing you need money.

True, and to get money you need marketing. #costofdoingbusiness

[JOHNGAETANO]

No chance. To hit the mainstream, they can’t rely on 18 month old tech in their new phones. The K2 is not a huge upgrade from the K1. I feel BB had a chance to truly blow people away with the K2 and they simply went sideways.

[the_boon]

No chance. To hit the mainstream, they can’t rely on 18 month old tech in their new phones. The K2 is not a huge upgrade from the K1. I feel BB had a chance to truly blow people away with the K2 and they simply went sideways.

Yeah, they would have been blown far far away if they put all the bells and whisles and the price tag came out to $900...

People again seem to forget the added cost of capacitive the keyboard, as well as licensing costs to John Chen.

There has to be some kind of compromise to achieve a price tag that won't have people screaming:

"WTF? I can get an iPhone X/Note 9/S9+/Pix 2XL for that price!"

Most people wouldn't leave their slabs REGARDLESS what BBMo would pack into a KEY2/KEY3. So why waste resources on people who wouldn't be interested regardless?
Better to appeal to core audience first, by listening to demands and complaints of those who were/are KEYone owners, because the rest of the world will just end up bashing it for having a keyboard.

[djsvet]

Judging by all the complaints in the forums and reviews so far, it can be the turn around point. Hopefully not. People bash BB10 hold backs and yet I am typing on my 4 years old Q10 (3Rd battery) and want to see one of you using a key 2 in 4 years.

Disclaimer: I do own second phone for media consumption

Posted via CB10

[Carjackd]

True, and to get money you need marketing. #costofdoingbusiness

Already seen way more advertising for the key2 than I did for the KeyOne ...so what’s the point?

[zer0ten]

If there's going to be a turning point device, it won't be Key2. The silver is a gorgeous piece of hardware, visually but it seems they went cheap on the specs. People seem to be really disappointed with the camera and the fact they re-used the exact same screen. And don't get me started on the stationary nav buttons.

Here's hoping they can get it right next year.

Posted via CB10

[Livermore]

Do you have the silver or black?

Posted via CB10

[NoxiousInc]

Okay, I get where all come from but in the end Apple also had a certain turning point with the iPhone back in 2007. Apple was near dead up until the release of the iPhone.

If we take it spec wise, the iPhone isn't having the best specs of all knowing that an iPhone 8 has only 2GB of RAM... also the iMac's and MacBook's could be easily outrun by whatever Windows or Linux laptop for half the price...

They well thought about the OS and management of the chosen internals to make it work just right. I have privately a MacBook Air next to my Windows (HP Probook) laptop that I got from my employer. The Windows is spec wise far more superior than the MacBook but still the MacBook works flawlessly over the HP...

and for what I have experienced over the last couple of days, the android version that BlackBerry came up with is quite good in my opinion.

Regards the 'turning point' it could be also a legacy thing why BlackBerry can't be a mass market product anymore and only has to keep it's current customer base...

[Chuck Finley69]

True, and to get money you need marketing. #costofdoingbusiness

From where do you get said money, if you’re BBMo/TCL?

[Laramie50]

Wouldn't it fair to say that they'll never ever be a turning point for BBMo? If they keep making BB branded phones 2-3 years from now we'll be lucky - and just as happy!

[world traveler and former ceo]

Happy if they continue producing the highest quality pkb device, with reliability, premium, and long lasting battery..i am ok with decent camera but I want pkb experience to be tops...

Posted via CB10

[RLeeSimon]

BlackBerry finally produced a top notch device with Passport. now seems BMo is hell bent upon proffering "crummy low spec cheapie overpriced" hardware almost nobody wants. If I didn't want PKB, I would not be here whining. I don't get why they make BMo slabs at all. Devote energy to the PKB niche before someone else does and crushes BMo, I say…

[naijab0y]

I have my Key2 now for 2 days straight in use and a lot of people I met are quite lyrical about the device.

Of course I get the usual 'do they still produce BlackBerry?' but the second question is if they can hold it and all the sudden they feel like it's a quite amazing device...

I think there are still a lot of people who fancy the PKB and would eventually look into the Key2... only marketing wise should be done a better job imo...

It is. You're correct. End of.

[bb10adopter111]

Well, to get marketing you need money. The key2 is only a piece in the long road of a turn a round for TCL. Ideally we want to see more key2 sales than KEYone and tcl will throw a larger advertising budget at bbmo for the KEYcubed

^ This!

Patience, Grasshopper. The road to a sustainable market position for BlackBerry Mobile is long, arduous and full of peril.

Posted with my trusty Z10

[bb10adopter111]

To those who want a bigger marketing push, BlackBerry Mobile knows better than to place large bets they are likely to lose.

For now, they just need to demonstrate sustained market viability and learn which market segments are really buying their phones. It's probably best to think of the KEYONE, KEY2, and probably the KEY3 as an extended market test and an investment in their distribution channels.

Posted with my trusty Z10

[Frank Costanza]

To those who want a bigger marketing push, BlackBerry Mobile knows better than to place large bets they are likely to lose.

For now, they just need to demonstrate sustained market viability and learn which market segments are really buying their phones. It's probably best to think of the KEYONE, KEY2, and probably the KEY3 as an extended market test and an investment in their distribution channels.

Posted with my trusty Z10

Interesting. Makes sense.

I personally think if the manufacturer could afford to lose money for a few years, build high quality devices at break even prices... build that customer base by getting new users to try their phones... maybe then they could really take off.

I don’t know. Probably not viable. Most companies can’t afford to grow slow like that.

[Chuck Finley69]

Interesting. Makes sense.

I personally think if the manufacturer could afford to lose money for a few years, build high quality devices at break even prices... build that customer base by getting new users to try their phones... maybe then they could really take off.

I don’t know. Probably not viable. Most companies can’t afford to grow slow like that.

Since the smartphone market has matured and small batch manufacturing is possible, the go slow profitability model is supported. Recent disastrous results by two of TCL’s fellow OEMs who paid to buy future carrier placement and sales have been dropped to hampered severely or to almost extinction by the all or nothing strategy.