[jerryinohio]

Waiting patiently

Posted via CB10

[jimk345]

I think it will only be available to Verizon business accounts.

[Naor13]

I think it will only be available to Verizon business accounts.

I think so too

[phuoc]

Just buy one from Best Buy or Amazon and have Verizon activate it.

[Emaderton3]

Just buy one from Best Buy or Amazon and have Verizon activate it.

Yup. It is on their certified unlocked list. Doesn't mean they will ever sell it so you should do this.

[Chuck Finley69]

I would be surprised if consumer sales wouldn't be able to get you exception for business classification or one time consumer sale as customer exception. Main difference is device isn't available in VZW stores...

[tnewton3]

Waiting patiently

Posted via CB10

Why are you waiting to buy it through Verizon? Payment plan? Best will let buy it via small payments.

[jerryinohio]

I am a business account and I figured that if it came from Verizon all the bugs would be worked out

Posted via CB10

[rthonpm]

It's the same device as you can buy from Amazon or Best Buy. The early issues with activation have been worked out, which is one of the reasons Verizon is confident enough to offer it to business customers. Waiting for Verizon to sell the device at this point won't gain you any advantage.

[Chuck Finley69]

It's the same device as you can buy from Amazon or Best Buy. The early issues with activation have been worked out, which is one of the reasons Verizon is confident enough to offer it to business customers. Waiting for Verizon to sell the device at this point won't gain you any advantage.

Wouldn’t you consider dealing with VZW for any warranty issues advantageous over BBMo, Amazon or BestBuy?

[Troy Tiscareno]

Wouldn’t you consider dealing with VZW for any warranty issues advantageous over BBMo, Amazon or BestBuy?

Normally, yes, and for the time being, yes. But as a niche device, chances are if it breaks a year from now, Verizon isn't likely to have any in stock to replace it with, so what you'd get is an offer to replace it with something more mainstream. Obviously for PKB fans, that's probably not the droid they're looking for.

It seems likely to me that Verizon, while making them available to business customers, are really ordering them on an as-needed basis - which is why they aren't a general item, because then they'd have to stock them in stores.

Figure every K2 and K2LE ever to be manufactured has already been so - that's common for manufactured goods that have a short relevant shelf life such as a smartphone or computer - so when the inventory runs low, Verizon will "run out" almost immediately, because they don't really stock them.

Now, will there be a K3, and a K3LE? Perhaps. And maybe Verizon would be able to offer one of those instead, if they carry the phone. But right now, we don't know what's going to happen. It's not like an iPhone or Galaxy - you don't have to question whether Big Red will have one of those to replace your phone if need be - it's certain they will. With any niche device that isn't widely carried, there's no certainty, and so dealing with the carrier loses a good deal of its normal value.

[Chuck Finley69]

Normally, yes, and for the time being, yes. But as a niche device, chances are if it breaks a year from now, Verizon isn't likely to have any in stock to replace it with, so what you'd get is an offer to replace it with something more mainstream. Obviously for PKB fans, that's probably not the droid they're looking for.

It seems likely to me that Verizon, while making them available to business customers, are really ordering them on an as-needed basis - which is why they aren't a general item, because then they'd have to stock them in stores.

Figure every K2 and K2LE ever to be manufactured has already been so - that's common for manufactured goods that have a short relevant shelf life such as a smartphone or computer - so when the inventory runs low, Verizon will "run out" almost immediately, because they don't really stock them.

Now, will there be a K3, and a K3LE? Perhaps. And maybe Verizon would be able to offer one of those instead, if they carry the phone. But right now, we don't know what's going to happen. It's not like an iPhone or Galaxy - you don't have to question whether Big Red will have one of those to replace your phone if need be - it's certain they will. With any niche device that isn't widely carried, there's no certainty, and so dealing with the carrier loses a good deal of its normal value.

I agree that while it loses a great deal of it’s normal value, it’s something, however little, over something less to nothing...

The scenario is already similar with BestBuy or Amazon so it’s just that ability that carrier will probably most likely give me some device, where as the retailer will give me the number and email for BBMo warranty support....LOL

[tnewton3]

Wouldn’t you consider dealing with VZW for any warranty issues advantageous over BBMo, Amazon or BestBuy?

I've bought all my KEY devices from Best Buy and put the additional warranty on them for $89 1 year. Dealt with them during screen pop issues with absolutely no problems at all. In my opinion Best Buy has a really great warranty department for all their products. Wife just swapped a second KEYᵒⁿᵉ because of WiFi connectivity issues with no issues from the Best Buy side at all.

[Chuck Finley69]

I've bought all my KEY devices from Best Buy and put the additional warranty on them for $89 1 year. Dealt with them during screen pop issues with absolutely no problems at all. In my opinion Best Buy has a really great warranty department for all their products. Wife just swapped a second KEYᵒⁿᵉ because of WiFi connectivity issues with no issues from the Best Buy side at all.

My point is that I shouldn't have to buy an extra warranty for something the OEM and retailer should cover servicewise. Additionally, unlocked devices aren't getting enhanced calling features like carrier sold devices. Either way, supporting carrier devices goes long distance to helping BBMo sales over noncarrier retailers in 2019 quest for better success in sales.

[Emaderton3]

You get HD calling with Verizon (at least with the KEYone). The only thing missing is visual voicemail.

[bb10adopter111]

I prefer to buy from the carrier so long as it isn't more expensive, but I am not as worried about delayed updates as some are. Generally, unlocked phones will get updated faster and more reliably.

Posted with my trusty Z10

[Chuck Finley69]

I prefer to buy from the carrier so long as it isn't more expensive, but I am not as worried about delayed updates as some are. Generally, unlocked phones will get updated faster and more reliably.

Posted with my trusty Z10

I don’t believe that anymore. You and I have the AT&T KEYone and we seem to get our updates as fast as or faster than many here with factory unlocked KEYone hardware.

I believe Android has improved consistency since Google moved to offering proprietary hardware.

[bb10adopter111]

I don’t believe that anymore. You and I have the AT&T KEYone and we seem to get our updates as fast as or faster than many here with factory unlocked KEYone hardware.

I believe Android has improved consistency since Google moved to offering proprietary hardware.

Very true. I guess I would just like to acknowledge that, for unlocked owners, updates only require one company to push the update, but for carriers, two are required, so ultimately, I would be more confident about receiving updates with an unlocked device.

Posted with my trusty Z10

[Chuck Finley69]

Very true. I guess I would just like to acknowledge that, for unlocked owners, updates only require one company to push the update, but for carriers, two are required, so ultimately, I would be more confident about receiving updates with an unlocked device.

Posted with my trusty Z10

That was our 2016-2017 logic... you’re better at this stuff than me.

I feel like sometime in 2017, the factory unlocked vs carrier locked pro/con game changed around things like PRD numbers .. somehow I believe carriers are now controlling or not controlling everything without bias to factory locked or carrier unlocked.

[bb10adopter111]

If, in fact, BlackBerry Mobile prioritizes carrier updates over unlocked, and if the mechanism for pushing carrier updates is largely automated, then that could be true. But if both companies still have to push the "update button" separately, then that can't be true, even if they've been reliable lately.

Posted with my trusty Z10

[jerryinohio]

I see Verizon now has page telling you to BYO so hopefully they will be selling it soon

Posted via CB10

[Chuck Finley69]

I see Verizon now has page telling you to BYO so hopefully they will be selling it soon

Posted via CB10

Sounds encouraging but then again, I’m a glass half full kind of guy.

[Emaderton3]

I see Verizon now has page telling you to BYO so hopefully they will be selling it soon

Posted via CB10

Did that for KEYone and never sold it. But who knows.

[cgr1971]

It's the same device as you can buy from Amazon or Best Buy. The early issues with activation have been worked out, which is one of the reasons Verizon is confident enough to offer it to business customers. Waiting for Verizon to sell the device at this point won't gain you any advantage.

If it's the same device, will it work well on all the CDMA bands in rural areas? I am looking for a dual SIM device for verizon for my business, that will take advantage of the legacy network in rural areas. I can't do a LTE only device. Right now, the only two devices I have found are an iPhone and the the Key2 LE. I assumed if Verizon started selling the Key2 LE, that it would be fully compatible with their CDMA network. Is that not correct?

[rthonpm]

Verizon is phasing out CDMA and won't even activate many devices that rely on CDMA for voice.

The Key2 LE supports all of Verizon's LTE bands and uses those for voice and data. Traveling through many rural areas for work (Southern PA, West Virginia, and Western MD) I haven't hit any dead zones except for the very mountainous areas where all carriers have issues. If anything, my coverage with LTE has been much better than it ever was in the same areas with CDMA. Many rural areas already have the necessary LTE bands in place, but without an LTE only device, you can't use them.