[rhp525i]

Forgive me, I am new to message boards and don't know how to reply properly....

They're selling the Priv for $260

This is the link: Grab The Verizon Variant Of The BlackBerry Priv For 259.99 On eBay

The seller has a positive rating and has sold 50 so far. My thought is that I could turn around and sell it if Verizon gets the Keyone. I am stuck with and iPhone right now....

Check out some priv reviews on the forums here. It should give you a flavor for the device. If you are dependent on carrier roleout, it could be a long wait. If waiting is an issue and you really need a new phone now, I would say not a bad deal for a tryout.

Posted via CB10

[BB-JAM215]

I'd like to see it available direct from BlackBerry assuming updates would be more timely.

The KEYone will be available unlocked through TCL's BlackBerry Mobile website, either directly or through links to other retailers.

[C_McD]

I'd rather get the phone direct as well... almost switched to AT&T for the DTEK60... May get the KEYone or a non-PKB assuming there is one that's CDMA not long down the road?

Keeping my Z30 for now until I know for sure what the game will be.

[consv93]

A Verizon rep told me that they did not have a date but based on previous BlackBerry releases she expected September-November. Unconfirmed but it took an extra 5 months for the Priv to hit Verizon, and BlackBerry and TCL are the masters of delays so it could be accurate.

However, she pretty much guaranteed that the unlocked model would work on Verizon right away.

[dollface]

A Verizon rep told me that they did not have a date but based on previous BlackBerry releases she expected September-November. Unconfirmed but it took an extra 5 months for the Priv to hit Verizon, and BlackBerry and TCL are the masters of delays so it could be accurate.

However, she pretty much guaranteed that the unlocked model would work on Verizon right away.

so is that the US model #1 , is that the one with the proper bands for LTE on verizon? that's who I am with

[BB-JAM215]

so is that the US model #1 , is that the one with the proper bands for LTE on verizon? that's who I am with

No, the model BBB100-1 is the North American GSM "V1" version.
The model BBB100-3 is the CDMA "V2" version for Verizon and Sprint.

[smithm565]

Not looking good for KEYone on Verizon anytime soon. Priv & all things BlackBerry pulled from Verizon Wireless site & note stating no longer available.

Posted via CB10

[stereojoe]

Not looking good for KEYone on Verizon anytime soon. Priv & all things BlackBerry pulled from Verizon Wireless site & note stating no longer available.

Posted via CB10

I noticed that yesterday. I wonder what's going on at Verizon with their BlackBerry stock.

 BlackBerry Z30  OS 10.3.3.2205  🇺🇸 'merica

[drcharlton]

I actually like the look of this on their website regarding unlocked phones.....seems good to go. Bring this in if problems. They way I am reading that it seems totally ok.


The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program allows you to activate an eligible* Verizon Wireless 4G smartphone, 3G smartphone, or basic phone on a No Annual Contract Plan.

*Excludes Windows Mobile®, and most Push to Talk devices (with the exception of BlackBerry® Push to Talk, which can be activated).

[BigBadWulf]

Not looking good for KEYone on Verizon anytime soon. Priv & all things BlackBerry pulled from Verizon Wireless site & note stating no longer available.

Posted via CB10

Gotta make room for the KEYᵒⁿᵉ

[drcharlton]

RIGHT!!

[blackberry4life79]

Verizon confirmed on phone the KeyOne will not be ready until Fall 2017 or later. BlackBerry and TCL have not even started negotiations with them yet.

Posted via CB10

[dollface]

Verizon confirmed on phone the KeyOne will not be ready until Fall 2017 or later. BlackBerry and TCL have not even started negotiations with them yet.

Posted via CB10

Well this is all I needed to know. Its an unlocked one for sure for me

[consv93]

Verizon confirmed on phone the KeyOne will not be ready until Fall 2017 or later. BlackBerry and TCL have not even started negotiations with them yet.

Posted via CB10

LOL shock of the year...

[stereojoe]

So, did Verizon stop selling the Priv? Because you cannot currently buy the Priv through Verizon's website. There are no BlackBerry phones available through Verizon.

 BlackBerry Z30  OS 10.3.3.2205  🇺🇸 'merica

[phuoc]

So, did Verizon stop selling the Priv? Because you cannot currently buy the Priv through Verizon's website. There are no BlackBerry phones available through Verizon.

 BlackBerry Z30  OS 10.3.3.2205  ������������ 'merica

Yes, they stopped selling the Priv. My contact at their office in Cypress, California said "we have no plans to sell anymore BB devices but that could change ".

[ltoncb]

.... BlackBerry and TCL have not even started negotiations with them yet.

Posted via CB10

Hopefully that is just negotiations for 'retail' and doesn't including any agreements they have for network qualification testing. If they haven't even started the qualification process to whitelisting then that is a big problem.

I think negotiations would go better if Verizon saw a number of users buying the phones before committing to selling them at retail. Many signs point to them not being all that confident that the phone will 'work' as a market.

[ltoncb]

....
The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program allows you to activate an eligible* Verizon Wireless 4G smartphone, 3G smartphone, or basic phone on a No Annual Contract Plan.

*Excludes Windows Mobile®, and most Push to Talk devices (with the exception of BlackBerry® Push to Talk, which can be activated). ....

It is a mistake think that the explicitly excluded above is the full extent of the non "eligible" devices. If look on FAQs page there is a link to a test of the phone's ESN/MEID to see if eligible. https://forums.crackberry.com/e?link...token=4sMnju27

It has be unlocked and compatible with the network. Just having the band coverage is a necessary but not sufficient condition. ( e.g., many of the new Moto G5 Plus phones has a problem with voice calls on Verizon. Not sure how Lenovo/Moto screws that up when the Z Play Droid with the same CPU/Modem ( same 626 of KeyOne) works OK... .... but illustrative that there are ways for software/hardware folks to screw it up. )

Given Verizon's rather large drop of in subscribers, you'd think they would not run folks off by blocking a working phone. But time will tell.

[ltoncb]

... said "we have no plans to sell anymore BB devices but that could change ".

Given Verizon's track record on blocking updates and security patches.... stop selling ( and therefore stop gating the update queue ) would actually be an improvement. What is probably bigger issue is whether they are going to extraordinarily slow walk the compatibility testing ( and I think whether TCL/Blackberry pays whatever their fees are to make pass the tests. ).

[ChainPunch]

I am going to look at it from Verizon's view point, why am I am going to sell a device or devices that is not making me money. Also, even if the device is making money I might not be willing to sell the device if it does not make the profit margin that I am looking for. To me the best TCL can do is take all the risk away from Verizon in order to get them to approve the unlock CDMA version of the keyone to run on their network. The risks that TCL would need to take away is: selling of the hardware, support of the software and hardware, and covering the cost for Verizon to certify the phone and any future updates of the phone's software on their network. Remember Verizon took the unusually step in having a 3rd party purchase blackberry phones for them starting with the classic, so tells me they don't faith in Blackberry branded phones sells.

[phuoc]

Given Verizon's track record on blocking updates and security patches.... stop selling ( and therefore stop gating the update queue ) would actually be an improvement. What is probably bigger issue is whether they are going to extraordinarily slow walk the compatibility testing ( and I think whether TCL/Blackberry pays whatever their fees are to make pass the tests. ).

Unfortunately, I think you are right.

[ltoncb]

I am going to look at it from Verizon's view point, ....To me the best TCL can do is take all the risk away from Verizon in order to get them to approve the unlock CDMA version of the keyone to run on their network.

Apple (and Motorola and Samsung) all pay the cost of getting devices certified on Verizon's network. If TCL wants to play in the big leagues then they need to put down the minimum 'buy in' to sit at the table. Not sure if it was an article on Motorola or Apple I read several years back but it costs in the range of $1-3M to get fully certified. Let's pick the middle of that range $2M . If TCL sells 150K phones for use on Verizon network that puts the break even qualification costs at about $13/phone. At a list price of $549, there should be some budget for that in the phone's revenues. ( 330K it is a break even of approximately $6/phone and $7 could go toward profits. )

The KeyOne's price has qualification on multiple networks built in. There are aspects of K1 that are better build quality than a Moto Z Play (Droid), but inside of that $100 buffer between the two there should be network qualification built in.

Having an unlocked phone that Verizon users could bolt away to Sprint, T-mobile , or a couple other major MVNO vendors ( Straighttalk , Boost , etc. ) perhaps wouldn't be a major seller in and of itself, but real traction that Blackberry Mobile needs now is selling enough phones to get to the next iteration ( recover costs of licensing, marketing, etc. ) . I'd bet most of the folks bolting from Verizon over last 18 months have hit more of the combo of Sprint+T-mobile than of ATT+T-mobile. The v2 model seems tuned to the first of those combos. [ Has TCL ever had modern smartphone qualified on Verizon's network? They are not going to get another opportunity to pay the education costs of working with Verizon with a phone whose margins can absorb that education. The bulk of this design they got from Blackberry. They may not get another window for an upper mid-range priced phone again. If the KeyOne doesn't get to a critical mass volume of sales the whole licensing of Blackberry name could unravel. There is a risk of being "penny wise, pound foolish" for TCL. Blackberry (the software company too. Their Android OS needs some volume to stay afloat. ). ]

Same issue for Verizon if want those folks back, they better have the phones those ex-users probably have qualified to come back. (Verizon will want that monthly income back more so that phone sale's commission )

Verizon took the unusually step in having a 3rd party purchase blackberry phones for them starting with the classic, so tells me they don't faith in Blackberry branded phones sells.

When Blackberry/RIM was pushing BB10 ... there was good reason to be dubious. They moved slowly to BB10 because didn't want to disrupt the golden goose of classic BB.

Likewise when Blackberry/RIM arrogantly shot at the top end of the smartphone market with a $700+ phone when desperately needed volume to stay relevant. So repeated that when slowly moved to Android to protect the shrunken island of BB10.

Verizon seems to be on arrogant island now ( having lost a large chunk of growth and customers. )


The KeyOne has a limited lifetime of being able to sit on top of the mid-range price spectrum. I don't think Verizon's retail ( trailing 4-5 months behind everyone else) will ever work out. Just shooting for unlocked, qualified is probably less expensive. Get qualified once and than TCL can go into the alligator pit of trying to be a Verizon retail phone.

[C_McD]

...and since they got burned on PRIV et al, they may just not carry, but would allow BYOD. Hopefully

[C_McD]

See the CB BlackBerry KEYone review roundup | CrackBerry.com - just updated with all reviews as of May 10

[JonCBK]

That would be great. But when? Will it be months after the U.S. launch?