[leeiling]

They have stopped producing hardware for a while, which leads me to no surprise at all. In fact, the fact that they have just stopped listing BB10 devices as I am reading CB really shocks me.

BlackBerry is no longer BlackBerry. Say goodbye to the good old days and let's just buy some ordinary phones instead, but till that day really comes to me, I will just stick to my Passport.

Posted via CB10

[aodash]

They DID continue to support BB10 from 2013-2017. If you call up tech support, someone will answer. NIAP certification was achieved last year, and we got an update in Jan.

Plus BB10 still had lots of inventory to sell, as they burned through its supplier commitments.

Was the Passport already committed to somewhere? The production and release of that device came after the Chen era started, but we know from public comments that it was designed before Chen came aboard - so theoretically he could have killed it.

[conite]

Was the Passport already committed to somewhere? The production and release of that device came after the Chen era started, but we know from public comments that it was designed before Chen came aboard - so theoretically he could have killed it.

They had committed to a laundry list of components.

[bb10adopter111]

So it looks like BB10 devices have quietly been removed from BlackBerry's website. Previously this link:

https://us.blackberry.com/smartphones

also listed the Passport (and Leap and Priv). Like the DTEKs, BlackBerry would just link to Amazon to purchase.

Now Amazon still has all three devices in stock (via Prime), so it isn't like there isn't inventory.

According to the Web Archive, the site still listed the other devices as recently as December 1st 2017:

https://web.archive.org/web/20171201...om/smartphones

We all knew this was coming, but sad to see BlackBerry so quietly remove it.

It's very unusual for companies to announce the end of a product's official distribution. They have nothing to gain by wasting people's attention with such a communication, compared to promoting something that will contribute to their future. Try to find the announcement of GM discontinuing the 2014 Corvette!

[Invictus0]

By 2012, the "corporate smartphone" no longer existed as a separate category. They simply became consumer phones - the same phones as purchased by individuals - managed by MDM software. The most common phone purchased by businesses and government agencies is the iPhone, followed by the Galaxy S. The market that BB once owned (government/corporate/enterprise) largely ceased to exist between 2010 and 2012, between Apple's embrace of enterprise needs (and Samsung's fast follow-on) and BYOD.

There's really no such thing as a profitable low-volume smartphone, outside of (what I consider to be) scam brands like Vertu, which charges thousands of dollars for a run-of-the-mill smartphone in a fancy case - and Vertu isn't doing that great either. But it's *especially* not possible to have a profitable low-volume smartphone *if you have to support its entire OS an ecosystem.* An OS by itself without an ecosystem isn't a commercially viable product - it won't make a profit unless you can convince people to pay several thousand dollars per device or more. And ironically, by constantly over-producing, BB trained its buyers to expect quick discounts which completely undermined any possible profit.

BB10 was essentially a play to stop the bleeding in enterprise and regain lost ground against Apple and Samsung. BlackBerry's goal post enterprise focus for BB10 was to sell around 10 million units a year, I wouldn't consider that low volume for an OEM like BlackBerry. IIRC BlackBerry was offering bundle deals for customers that purchased BES and BB10 devices so they certainly had ways to profit after initial device sale (and that's excluding BB World revenue).

Had things worked out I could see BlackBerry treating BB10 as a small loss leader if it meant their other divisions were profitable as a result. I doubt they've made much money with BB Android but its given their licensing business a real shot at thriving.

[kvndoom]

oh yeah...what was the point of niap??

Posted via CBX

To silence the nonstop "where is 10.3.3?" spam on every single crackberry front page article.

[BlackBerryPassport]

They DID continue to support BB10 from 2013-2017. If you call up tech support, someone will answer. NIAP certification was achieved last year, and we got an update in Jan.

Plus BB10 still had lots of inventory to sell, as they burned through its supplier commitments.

To sell lots of inventory of the devices running bb10, was it right when they completely gone to Android, ? It's like fooling your fan base customers like ' Buy BB10 devices we support it but silently we are abundaning it and going android.

When they show Priv on WMC 2015 they didn't even mention it will run Android, why hide? Because if they had reveal it none would had buy BB10 devices before Priv officially announced. Is that right ??

No matter how much you defend BlackBerry of their strategy of hiding and this was right choice to move android and all, they were not fair to their loyal customers who were loyal to them. If they had announced Priv would run android I wouldn't have buy Passport.

And the fact is, only in CB forum we care for BlackBerry and it's phone but in real world it's been dead long time ago.

Posted via CB10

[eiruvrav]

To sell lots of inventory of the devices running bb10, was it right when they completely gone to Android, ? It's like fooling your fan base customers like ' Buy BB10 devices we support it but silently we are abundaning it and going android.

When they show Priv on WMC 2015 they didn't even mention it will run Android, why hide? Because if they had reveal it none would had buy BB10 devices before Priv officially announced. Is that right ??

No matter how much you defend BlackBerry of their strategy of hiding and this was right choice to move android and all, they were not fair to their loyal customers who were loyal to them. If they had announced Priv would run android I wouldn't have buy Passport.

And the fact is, only in CB forum we care for BlackBerry and it's phone but in real world it's been dead long time ago.

Posted via CB10

Who really cares if in the "real world" it's been dead forever? Here at CB were one big happy family in our own world!

[bb10adopter111]

oh yeah...what was the point of niap??

Posted via CBX

Pretty sure they were fulfilling a contractual obligation for which they had been paid.

[conite]

To sell lots of inventory of the devices running bb10, was it right when they completely gone to Android, ? It's like fooling your fan base customers like ' Buy BB10 devices we support it but silently we are abundaning it and going android.

When they show Priv on WMC 2015 they didn't even mention it will run Android, why hide? Because if they had reveal it none would had buy BB10 devices before Priv officially announced. Is that right ??

No matter how much you defend BlackBerry of their strategy of hiding and this was right choice to move android and all, they were not fair to their loyal customers who were loyal to them. If they had announced Priv would run android I wouldn't have buy Passport.

And the fact is, only in CB forum we care for BlackBerry and it's phone but in real world it's been dead long time ago.

Posted via CB10

We knew before the Passport SE was released that the Priv was Android.

Jul 3, 2015:
https://www.zdnet.com/google-amp/art...ndroid-slider/

Aug 19, 2015:
https://www.cnet.com/news/blackberry...s-in-november/

Aug 20, 2015:
https://www.androidcentral.com/andro...ting-look-real

If you weren't aware BlackBerry was struggling with BB10 by 2014, you were living under a rock.

Apr 10, 2014:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/blac...says-1.2605287

BB10 development was stagnant since April 2014 with the release of the 10.3.X beta. Only minor iterations of features and bug fixes since then.

They weren't abandoning BB10 to go to Android - they were ABANDONING BB10 PERIOD!

Passport was going to be the last BB10 device EVER - no matter what.

[HabsFan9860]

the blackberry we knew and loved has closed its doors. the company that now calls itself blackberry is in the business of..well...who cares. RIP BB.

Posted via CBX

..amen...

Posted on my Powerful Passport

[Chuck Finley69]

To sell lots of inventory of the devices running bb10, was it right when they completely gone to Android, ? It's like fooling your fan base customers like ' Buy BB10 devices we support it but silently we are abundaning it and going android.

When they show Priv on WMC 2015 they didn't even mention it will run Android, why hide? Because if they had reveal it none would had buy BB10 devices before Priv officially announced. Is that right ??

No matter how much you defend BlackBerry of their strategy of hiding and this was right choice to move android and all, they were not fair to their loyal customers who were loyal to them. If they had announced Priv would run android I wouldn't have buy Passport.

And the fact is, only in CB forum we care for BlackBerry and it's phone but in real world it's been dead long time ago.

Posted via CB10

I'm glad they went Android. It stretched things out and we still have devices. BB10 was a heavy anchor and BlackBerry smartly cut the rope..

[Chuck Finley69]

the blackberry we knew and loved has closed its doors. the company that now calls itself blackberry is in the business of..well...who cares. RIP BB.

Posted via CBX

Us shareholders are happy with the BlackBerry company now.. BB10 had to die so our money could live. Worth a tradeoff all day long.

[bb10adopter111]

We knew before the Passport SE was released that the Priv was Android.

Jul 3, 2015:
https://www.zdnet.com/google-amp/art...ndroid-slider/

Aug 19, 2015:
https://www.cnet.com/news/blackberry...s-in-november/

Aug 20, 2015:
https://www.androidcentral.com/andro...ting-look-real

If you weren't aware BlackBerry was struggling with BB10 by 2014, you were living under a rock.

Apr 10, 2014:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/blac...says-1.2605287

BB10 development was stagnant since April 2014 with the release of the 10.3.X beta. Only minor iterations of features and bug fixes since then.

They weren't abandoning BB10 to go to Android - they were ABANDONING BB10 PERIOD!

Passport was going to be the last BB10 device EVER - no matter what.

Plus, the CEO was very, very, very clear and consistent that, if BlackBerry couldn't sell enough BB10 handsets, it would stop producing them. Just because someone couldn't see a huge flashing neon ball doesn't mean that BlackBerry was hiding it!

Posted with my trusty Z10

[Chuck Finley69]

They have stopped producing hardware for a while, which leads me to no surprise at all. In fact, the fact that they have just stopped listing BB10 devices as I am reading CB really shocks me.

BlackBerry is no longer BlackBerry. Say goodbye to the good old days and let's just buy some ordinary phones instead, but till that day really comes to me, I will just stick to my Passport.

Posted via CB10

Why the Passport? Why not a 9900 that still provides revenue to BlackBerry? That's real authentic BlackBerry if you think about it.

[conite]

Why the Passport? Why not a 9900 that still provides revenue to BlackBerry? That's real authentic BlackBerry if you think about it.

Nah. The only true Blackberry is a pager.

[Chuck Finley69]

Thank goodness I was parked. Had I noticed your reply, I would have crashed laughing so hard.

[aodash]

Thank goodness I was parked. Had I noticed your reply, I would have crashed laughing so hard.

Ditto.

[PantherBlitz]

Had things worked out I could see BlackBerry treating BB10 as a small loss leader if it meant their other divisions were profitable as a result.

Without revenue from BIS, BBOS devices were barely breaking even. Apparently they believed that increased revenue from BlackBerry World would overcome the loss of BIS, but the public had already made up its mind by 2013.

[wingnut666]

all this goes to show the ineptitude of the company

Posted via CBX

[conite]

all this goes to show the ineptitude of the company

Posted via CBX

What part?

If anything, it shows how everything has been turned around since Chen came on board. Certain bankruptcy to a new lease on life.

[Invictus0]

Without revenue from BIS, BBOS devices were barely breaking even. Apparently they believed that increased revenue from BlackBerry World would overcome the loss of BIS, but the public had already made up its mind by 2013.

The "had things worked out" part being that they would have to sell their stated goal of around 10 million units a year.

Replacing BIS revenue was always going to be difficult for BlackBerry IMO. I'm sure they had a plan at launch for an ideal scenario.

[wingnut666]

What part?

If anything, it shows how everything has been turned around since Chen came on board. Certain bankruptcy to a new lease on life.

if fender was going bankrupt and they hired chen, and he had them stop making guitars and get into fidget spinners...would he be hailed as a hero?
chen ruined the company we loved. f the shareholders. do what you know and do it well or dont bother. capitalism killed the company.

Posted via CBX

[wingnut666]

ie: greedy shareholders killed the company (mainly the institutional ones)

Posted via CBX

[conite]

if fender was going bankrupt and they hired chen, and he had them stop making guitars and get into fidget spinners...would he be hailed as a hero?
chen ruined the company we loved. f the shareholders. do what you know and do it well or dont bother. capitalism killed the company.

Posted via CBX

If the guitar product itself was consistently loosing billions of dollars, but they had an opportunity to expand its profitable guitar tuning software and guitar band management software, I hope they would have done the same thing - as the only alternative is bankruptcy.