[Niels B]

The introduction of the Mercury has been a news topic on all the tech sites. I have not read a negative review yet. All the editors like to see the final specs and like to know how TCL will manage the Blackberry brand. They see a future for a BlackBerry pkb device. Not bad!

[ToniCipriani]

I have not read a negative review yet.

Maybe because there was nothing to review?

[H4zN]

Keep in mind there's isn't much known about the device besides what we know, but I agree, the sounds are positive.

Expect on CrackBerry of course

[Niels B]

The overall sentiment about BlackBerry was that the brand was history. All the news on BlackBerry was dissed. They were laughing at Blackberry! The black sheep of the industry. Now it looks like the tech sites are ready for something different from the next slab of glass.

[jbarrack]

I've actually been very surprised at how positive the tech media has been toward this device. I watched all of the hands-on reviews I could find yesterday on YouTube. All of them expressed excitement and enthusiasm with the device. Something BB/TCL desperately needs to drum up with this product.

[slagman5]

Well, everyone here is complaining about the announcement not showing anything we didn't already know from the leaks, but the media pretty much ignored all of the leaks but is now talking about it thanks to the preview they gave at CES. So perhaps we should stop with the whole "oh, I'm so disappointed in the CES presentation, they are just as bad as BB, blah blah blah blah" because apparently they are doing a better job at driving interest for the device... So I guess the preview at CES did serve a purpose even though we basically spoiled it for ourselves by spending so much time here on these forums reading leaks about it...

Posted without the aid of AutoCorrect with my physical keyboard via CB10

[ToniCipriani]

Well, everyone here is complaining about the announcement not showing anything we didn't already know from the leaks, but the media pretty much ignored all of the leaks but is now talking about it thanks to the preview they gave at CES. So perhaps we should stop with the whole "oh, I'm so disappointed in the CES presentation, they are just as bad as BB, blah blah blah blah" because apparently they are doing a better job at driving interest for the device... So I guess the preview at CES did serve a purpose even though we basically spoiled it for ourselves by spending so much time here on these forums reading leaks about it...

Posted without the aid of AutoCorrect with my physical keyboard via CB10

See... once again, if CrackBerry is unhappy, they are headed the right direction.

[tdyhedge]

The introduction of the Mercury has been a news topic on all the tech sites. I have not read a negative review yet. All the editors like to see the final specs and like to know how TCL will manage the Blackberry brand. They see a future for a BlackBerry pkb device. Not bad!

I think it's all really just morbid curiosity at this point by the media, wondering how BlackBerry and TCL are going to pull this off, trying to revive a brand with little to no market share and a phone with a pkb.

[Niels B]

I think it's all really just morbid curiosity at this point by the media, wondering how BlackBerry and TCL are going to pull this off, trying to revive a brand with little to no market share and a phone with a pkb.

Pffff.... here we go again....

[Adam Rees]

Posted via CB10

[khlover520]

From most of the hands on video I saw, the reviewer keeps mentioning the fact that this is a phone for BlackBerry addicts and PKB enthusiasts. So that will play a big role when they do an actual review of the device whenever it releases. Besides, I've never let any review change my judgement of sticking with Blackberry lol

[Bostil1987]

Also the Lemmings (that are always running for iphone / galaxys) will See, that this Phone is not only for BB-addicts, but more for people, that Like to be different than the majority.

I thought that is the Trend. Consequently the Mercury should achieve more awareness.

Posted via CB10

[hobgoblin1961]

yep the hype started

Posted via -Passport -Classic / OS-10.3.++ is all you need

[Niels B]

Joanna Stern loves it. Another ambassador!

[rocker_man1]

So the million dollar question. Why is Crackberry not getting their hands all over this device?

[Nuno Filipe]

So the million dollar question. Why is Crackberry not getting their hands all over this device?

Why do you think that? Of course they are! ;-)

Enviado do meu BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition

[BB-JAM215]

So the million dollar question. Why is Crackberry not getting their hands all over this device?

CrackBerry already posted the hands-on video done at CES by their sister site Android Central.

[WT44]

From most of the hands on video I saw, the reviewer keeps mentioning the fact that this is a phone for BlackBerry addicts and PKB enthusiasts. So that will play a big role when they do an actual review of the device whenever it releases.

Also the Lemmings (that are always running for iphone / galaxys) will See, that this Phone is not only for BB-addicts, but more for people, that Like to be different than the majority. I thought that is the Trend. Consequently the Mercury should achieve more awareness.

The thing is that there is a whole buy-ready young generation now that grew-up with all-touch devices and don't know better and have either never used pkb's or only used them for a very short time before the all touch devices became mainstream. This summer it will be exactly 10 years ago since the release of the first iPhone. 10 years to adapt to all touch devices. I hope not, but I'm afraid that for the current and new generation(s) smartphone buyers pkb's on startphones are deemed obsolete like Vinyl>Cassette>CD>Mp3>Spotify. I'm afraid that for the mentioned group of consumers and the consumers of the future, pkb's will be merely seen as a potential "cool" retro thing from a bygone era, kinda like the "trend" to go back to basics with dumb-phones: Should You Start Using a Dumbphone? | Highsnobiety Nice to have for conversation sake, but in the end merely a short trend the get a higher coolness-factor within your group of friends. In other words, I do not think people who "grew-up" with all touch smartphones or have been using it for many years would go back in time. In my time, mobile phones were too expensive to buy (I had a pager/beeper) and you bought your first phone when you were allowed by law to do so (=18). Nowadays, you see (spoiled) kids from 10 and forward already sporting iphones and galaxy's (new models or older models tat used to belong to their parents). Naturally,they never even heard of "old technnology" = pkb's.

For dinosaurs like me on the other, the time often stands still. I have basically never moved on or learn (wanted) to adapt to all touch since I write lengthy word reports on my phones, I still use VHS, I still buy CD's more than I buy mps's, I still like to use discmans, walkmans and VHS players (but have a hard time purchasing them any longer when one stops working). With the pkb-BB's+Android guys like me have the best of both worlds, but unfortunately I don't think that group is very big any longer. I literally don't know any young people, I would say <28, who use or have used pkb's. Among the new consumers who are ready to purchase and regularly purchase new phones I can imaging the rare "hipsters" with big nerdy glasses possibly using it because they think it is retro-cool because a Kim Kardashian use it. It's pretty sad actually.

They should have never allowed the pkb's to get "un-hip" in those 10 years. Somehow, it worked in Indonesia to remain "hip" to the buy-ready generation(s)....Anybody know why exactly this is the case?

[slagman5]

The thing is that there is a whole buy-ready young generation now that grew-up with all-touch devices and don't know better and have either never used pkb's or only used them for a very short time before the all touch devices became mainstream. This summer it will be exactly 10 years ago since the release of the first iPhone. 10 years to adapt to all touch devices. I hope not, but I'm afraid that for the current and new generation(s) smartphone buyers pkb's on startphones are deemed obsolete like Vinyl>Cassette>CD>Mp3>Spotify. I'm afraid that for the mentioned group of consumers and the consumers of the future, pkb's will be merely seen as a potential "cool" retro thing from a bygone era, kinda like the "trend" to go back to basics with dumb-phones: Should You Start Using a Dumbphone? | Highsnobiety Nice to have for conversation sake, but in the end merely a short trend the get a higher coolness-factor within your group of friends. In other words, I do not think people who "grew-up" with all touch smartphones or have been using it for many years would go back in time. In my time, mobile phones were too expensive to buy and the you bought your first smartphone when you were allowed by law to do so (=18). Nowadays, you see (spoiled) kids from 10 and forward already sporting iphones and galaxy's (new models or older models tat used to belong to their parents). Naturally,they never even heard of "old technnology" = pkb's.

For dinosaurs like me on the other, the time often stands still. I have basically never moved on or learn (wanted) to adapt to all touch since I write lengthy word reports on my phones, I still use VHS, I still buy CD's more than I buy mps's, I still like to use discmans, walkmans and VHS players (but have a hard time purchasing them any longer when one stops working). With the pkb-BB's+Android guys like me have the best of both worlds, but unfortunately I don't think that group is very big any longer. I literally don't know any young people, I would say <28, who use or have used pkb's. Among the new consumers who are ready to purchase and regularly purchase new phones I can imaging the rare "hipsters" with big nerdy glasses possibly using it because they think it is retro-cool because a Kim Kardashian use it. It's pretty sad actually.

Well, your music example is kind of good because the quality of the music started to go down after CD's (and some would argue vinyl...). I am too much of an AV snob to watch movies on a mobile phone or listen to music that is streamed. Even MP3's are starting to not be my perfect option. Right now I prefer ripping CD's to flac format. :-)

Posted without the aid of AutoCorrect with my physical keyboard via CB10

[WT44]

Well, your music example is kind of good because the quality of the music started to go down after CD's (and some would argue vinyl...). I am too much of an AV snob to watch movies on a mobile phone or listen to music that is streamed. Even MP3's are starting to not be my perfect option. Right now I prefer ripping CD's to flac format. :-)

LOL, point made. You must be one of those older generation dinosaurs too that I was talking about, as I do the exact same thing all the time! (and I like my CD booklets LOL). Thus, I'm not surprised that you're an old-school pkb loyalist/traditionalist like myself. I think for people like us pkb's will probably never go out of style and will only cease to be interesting when they cease to be made my companies (like cassettes, VHS tapes, discmans and what not). Pure from a egoistic P.O.V. (so that I can stick with pkb devices), I hope TCL can make pkb's "hip" again among people who are not loyalists. That's what I said, I don't know why BB is still one of the number one brands in Indonesia (also among the non-hardcore loyalists). Possibly iphones/galaxys are expensive over there, but surely they must also have cheap Android phones for sale there?

[stanfordprof]

My rant: The entire reason for the existence of this new phone is the pkb. Therefore they better make damn sure it is excellent. Not just that it is present. It absolutely must be top flight in quality. That is tied to key size, key feel, key responsiveness. Everything else about the Mercury is so distant in its importance. The pkb of the Priv sucks and fell FAR short of what BlackBerry users have come to expect.

I really hope someone at the manufacturer understands that execution of the primary differentiator of the device - the pkb - is more than 90% of it. It MUST be fantastic or there is simply no reason to buy it.

[slagman5]

LOL, point made. You must be one of those older generation dinosaurs too that I was talking about, as I do the exact same thing all the time! (and I like my CD booklets LOL). Thus, I'm not surprised that you're an old-school pkb loyalist/traditionalist like myself. I think for people like us pkb's will probably never go out of style and will only cease to be interesting when they cease to be made my companies (like cassettes, VHS tapes, discmans and what not). Pure from a egoistic P.O.V. (so that I can stick with pkb devices), I hope TCL can make pkb's "hip" again among people who are not loyalists. That's what I said, I don't know why BB is still one of the number one brands in Indonesia (also among the non-hardcore loyalists). Possibly iphones/galaxys are expensive over there, but surely they must also have cheap Android phones for sale there?

Well, yes and no. I think I'm old enough to be able to recognize its value, but I would never stick to something for the sake of it. I don't actually use CD's, because the need to change CD's and to listen to only one band/artist for a bunch of songs straight isn't convenient for me. The CD's serve their purpose in providing a superior quality source for the music, I digitally rip them to flac format which is lossless unlike mp3 which is compressed so you don't get the full range (but many people can't tell the different, thus the people who are fine streaming music).

Same with the pkb, I'll stick to it until they find some other alternative that provides all of the benefits I get from a pkb. Like the ability to type (privately, before people start suggesting voice dictation) without looking, typing accurately, all of the shortcuts within apps, homescreen shortcuts and speed dials, etc. If it's made so that a non-pkb device can do all of those things for me, I'll switch. But I'm neither a "newer has to be better!" fool nor a nostalgic person...

I also don't use film cameras and use a digital one, but I still prefer a SLR over relying on my phone for all of my photos...

I will "move on" to newer tech when there's an actual reason to, not because other people are doing it.

Posted without the aid of AutoCorrect with my physical keyboard via CB10

[RPCBlackberry]

My rant: The entire reason for the existence of this new phone is the pkb. Therefore they better make damn sure it is excellent. Not just that it is present. It absolutely must be top flight in quality. That is tied to key size, key feel, key responsiveness. Everything else about the Mercury is so distant in its importance. The pkb of the Priv sucks and fell FAR short of what BlackBerry users have come to expect.

I really hope someone at the manufacturer understands that execution of the primary differentiator of the device - the pkb - is more than 90% of it. It MUST be fantastic or there is simply no reason to buy it.

I've had tons of BlackBerry's and the change in keyboards never bothered me at all. From BBOS to BB10 and finally to Android keyboards, it took me less than a week to adjust to each. I personally find the PRIV to be the best because I find the swipe features to be very easy and helpful when typing. I think for phones these days most people are concerned with brand, looks, performance (in that order).

[jpoq]

definitely a good question

Posted via CB10

[Bla1ze]

So the million dollar question. Why is Crackberry not getting their hands all over this device?

Bruh, what world you living in these days? You also basically asked the same question around the DTEK50 as well, which I explained and this time we did the joined CB/AC/MrMobile coverage and you're still not happy.

TCL introduces the QWERTY Android-powered BlackBerry 'Mercury' at CES 2017 | CrackBerry.com
BlackBerry 'Mercury' hands-on: Riding into 2017 on a phone with no name | CrackBerry.com
Get an eyeful of the new BlackBerry with MrMobile | CrackBerry.com

Sorry I didn't go inspect every nook and cranny myself to come to the exact same conclusions my colleagues did lol.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯