[birdman_38]

Haha no, not at all... just think it makes more sense with the Passport to be cautious at first. There is nothing like it, even with the mass appealing rounded corners and extra chin. They have the Classic in almost all corporate stores and some have the Passport along side it. If they sell out more stores will get them.

Hey, didn't the iPhone start out as a AT&T exclusive doomed to fail lol. Not saying the Passport will sell anywhere near that, but it doesn't need to. I think word of mouth will kick in all while AT&T restocks sold out stores and adds more Passports in other areas. The last thing BlackBerry needs is a write-down on devices.

Chen is not Thor... this is a good thing! AT&T ordered the minimum required for the requested changes and will see what sells. Hell, they had the exclusive firephone which ended up selling what less than 100,000... that is a disaster of a launch for Amazon with all the promo and news coverage. This is not!!!

I don't know man...that's like if Microsoft launched a Nokia Lumia as an exclusive and each store ordered 2 units (one for demo, one for sale). If their fans would consider such a launch a smashing success, they'd be considered crazy.

Yes it is a better launch than the Z10 fiasco. But its pretty easy not to replicate Thor's blunders...just don't overproduce. Stock control is an achievement for BlackBerry, not an accomplishment.

[smis]

I just went on ATT online to search for a passport and I noticed this:
Out of Stock Online Check in-store availability Check in-store availabilityClose We're unable to check in-store availability right now. Please try again later or call or visit a company-owned AT&T store or kiosk below to see if this item is in stock.

[312]

Haha no, not at all... just think it makes more sense with the Passport to be cautious at first. There is nothing like it, even with the mass appealing rounded corners and extra chin. They have the Classic in almost all corporate stores and some have the Passport along side it. If they sell out more stores will get them.

Hey, didn't the iPhone start out as a AT&T exclusive doomed to fail lol. Not saying the Passport will sell anywhere near that, but it doesn't need to. I think word of mouth will kick in all while AT&T restocks sold out stores and adds more Passports in other areas. The last thing BlackBerry needs is a write-down on devices.

Chen is not Thor... this is a good thing! AT&T ordered the minimum required for the requested changes and will see what sells. Hell, they had the exclusive firephone which ended up selling what less than 100,000... that is a disaster of a launch for Amazon with all the promo and news coverage. This is not!!!

Posted via CB10

I don't think people want the Classic as much as the Passport. (I'm basing this on the opinions of BlackBerry users I know and/or have interacted with.)

Regarding your comment about the iPhone; it wasn't launched 5 months elsewhere in the world prior to being launched on AT&T. I do agree that the Passport doesn't need to sell as many units as any model iPhone did, to be a success. However, why give a carrier exclusivity if they're only ordering the minimum and launching the device 5 months late? That's a poor business decision, in my opinion. If AT&T wants to be exclusive, Chen should have had the balls to tell them they needed to launch last year. The rounder corners design is what delayed it? Well, they are totally unnecessary. I don't think any more units will be sold because of them.

[hotskulli75]

Posted via CB10

[312]

Posted via CB10

Yeah, because all 29 that AT&T ordered were sold today.

[RoseBud68]

I just went on ATT online to search for a passport and I noticed this:
Out of Stock Online Check in-store availability Check in-store availabilityClose We're unable to check in-store availability right now. Please try again later or call or visit a company-owned AT&T store or kiosk below to see if this item is in stock.

Posted via CB10

Welcome to the Party...

[webber27]

Absolutely. This is just as much John Chen's fault as it is AT&T's. How do you let a company in a failing market get an EXCLUSIVE contract, bring the product to market 5 months late and then not make sure there's enough supply? Sorry, but anything good that Chen has done until now is out the window.

I can almost guarantee that in this case "exclusive" just means they were the only ones willing to sell it. And the low supply is because they probably only ordered very few to minimize risk.

Chen can't force other companies to carry his phone and he can't force ATT to order more than they want.

This launch is going as expected. At the very least we can be happy that ATT probably underestimated the demand a bit.

Posted via CB10

[RLTurn77]

I don't think people want the Classic as much as the Passport. (I'm basing this on the opinions of BlackBerry users I know and/or have interacted with.)

Regarding your comment about the iPhone; it wasn't launched 5 months elsewhere in the world prior to being launched on AT&T. I do agree that the Passport doesn't need to sell as many units as any model iPhone did, to be a success. However, why give a carrier exclusivity if they're only ordering the minimum and launching the device 5 months late? That's a poor business decision, in my opinion. If AT&T wants to be exclusive, Chen should have had the balls to tell them they needed to launch last year. The rounder corners design is what delayed it? Well, they are totally unnecessary. I don't think any more units will be sold because of them.

The Classic is comparable in form factor to the millions who have had BlackBerrys before and it is only $49 on contract which is how most of the US purchases. I know with the Next plans and what not, it has changed a bit but still the payment is significantly cheaper. I see the Classic outselling even based on those just coming to a smartphone. The Classic is somewhat familiar yet cheap enough in price. I agree if they were both released at the same time equally back when that the Passport would easily have been the stronger seller.

I'm not all that happy with the redesign, not only because of the time consumption but accessory limitations as well. Very unscientific, but my mom has a Z10 still using and has used my Passport and likes it, but not enough to get it yet she is ready to sign a contract for the AT&T Passport. To me I don't see much of a difference and it seems watered down. In her words, it is more feminine. She really wants the AT&T version in white. Just waiting on some AT&T cases to pop up and she'll be getting the AT&T version. Could have got her a white Passport for $399 unlocked last week, but she wants the AT&T version.

Also, if it happens to be more structurally sound with the split frame and recessed screen I'm glad! Wanted to say I didn't really mean to compare this to the first iPhone as totally different scenarios, but if you were the head of AT&T would you not rather sellout and restock more or have devices sitting around? As for Chen, he is a businessman and in no way would he redesign for AT&T unless they committed to a certain amount. It seems like they have with demo units in select stores. After the Z10 and Q10 no US carrier wanted a BlackBerry. Verizon took on the Z30 and remained a mostly online device from them. I see AT&T putting effort into this. I also see that the Classic and Passport on AT&T have the same design theme when sitting next to each other in the stores. If the stores sell out expect more stores to carry the device.

Nobody really knows the device is 5 months or however old. It is still beyond competitive. I have to disagree that it was a poor business decision. So worst case AT&T ordered the minimum and BlackBerry makes a profit. Best case the device sells millions. We will be somewhere in the middle. People forget the reactions to the Passport on launch and how unconventional it was. To us it is 5 months old and we are so used to it, to most the device is a shock. When my mother picks her Passport up from AT&T it's brand new to her.

The reality is nobody wanted the Passport (US carriers). If Verizon offered BlackBerry an order for a CDMA model we'd have one. AT&T seems to be standing behind the Classic and testing the Passport before going all in which is understandable. Having the Passport available on AT&T is huge for BlackBerry and the Classic on Verizon and AT&T is another win. I just don't see an issue with AT&T being more cautious with the Passport versus the Classic. Hopefully they will be proven wrong and requesting more from BlackBerry sooner rather than later! We'll see how they do in the stores they are in. If they sellout, more will be ordered.

As far as the US is concerned the AT&T Passport is brand new released on February 20th. Sorry for rambling, but I'm impressed and after AT&T just got burned by the firephone I think they are in for a surprise with the Passport (at least I hope so). The launch seems fair on both ends... it will be an interesting few weeks. We will see if the stores start ramping up their Passport stock or if there remains a store here or there with 1-3 Passports in stock. The fact that the stores stocking the Passport have demo units show that AT&T is willing to back the Passport if it does pick up versus just selling online and to the CB type customer that would ask for one behind the desk.

Also, with less than 1% market share and even less in the US, I don't think Chen has much bargaining power with carriers, but I believe he's happy with AT&T's decision. It is a win-win. The Passport is now available to the average US costumer thanks to AT&T. The market will decide the rest. I'm sure AT&T will sell what they ordered and BlackBerry will make money, but hopefully it becomes more than just that!

I'd also point out how Chen handled T-Mobile. Definitely a bold guy when needed. I think BlackBerry has a winner and AT&T is being cautious (as they should be).

Posted via CB10

[SK122387]

In the Los Angeles and Orange County region, as of yesterday morning, 12-15 stores had them in stock. Now down to 1 store. So they are selling out, but seems stock was low to begin with. But being sold out Online, is a different story.

Keep in mind that there are a ton of ships in the Port of Los Angeles where workers went on strike, where lots of electronics are imported. It's why there are hardly any Nintendo New 3DS units in stores, and depending on if BlackBerry ships the Foxconn Classic from China or the Passport from their Mexico plant, then low supply could be blamed on the West Coast's largest port being a mess right now.

Posted via CB10

[makie]

Definitely selling out asap... now BlackBerry.. start cranking these out and get them in stores in USA!!!

Asap!!!

Posted via CB10

I'm glad you only think of the US, fits perfectly in the stereotype of a American, lolol..

Posted via CB10

[SK122387]

I'm glad you only think of the US, fits perfectly in the stereotype of a American, lolol..

Posted via CB10

Hate to sound like another one of "those" Americans, but I'm pretty sure if you asked the CEO of any company in the world which country or market they'd like to be successful in, it would be the United States.

Selling out in the United States is a big deal. It is a huge country and there are lots of stores. It is very easy to get a credit card, which means not only can you spend your own money, you can spend money you don't even really have! The easier it is to buy things, the more companies will try to put their products in people's hands.

And for BlackBerry, of all companies, to have a successful product in the United States, well... that would make for great headlines, because over the last few years, I'm sad to say that my country has been the most hostile market to BlackBerry.

Posted via CB10

[lpthomasson]

I had signed up on AT&T's Website to be to notified when the passport was released, but was never notified. Instead, I read on this site that AT&T would release the Passport (PP) on Feb. 20.

I went to the AT&T store shortly after noon on Feb. 20, and was greeted at the door by two sales associates who had no idea the PP was being released or whether there were any BlackBerrys in the store. They checked the shipment that had come in that day,and had received two BlackBerrys, but were not sure if they were Classics or PPS. They did not want to show me the phones because they had not been "set up" for display yet.

I told the sales associates I just wanted to see the physical dimensions, since I had never seen a PP in person. After some cajoling on my part, they let me look at it. When I told them I would come back later in the day (as I was on my lunch break) and I hoped the phone would still be there, I was told, "Don't worry--no one wants that phone."

The phone was still there when I went back and I bought it. Now I am trying to decide if I am going to keep it. I am a longtime BlackBerry user. I had been using a Q10, and do enjoy the bigger screen. But that's one of the issues: the heft is a bit impractical for me--I can no longer wear the phone on my belt to have it handy as I did with my previous BlackBerrys. The keys are a bit stiff and noisy. I also now have to do the main thing I was trying to avoid by sticking with BlackBerry: use a virtual keyboard. That is the only way to access the numbers and punctuation.

The phone is beautiful and looks and feels well made. However, it may be time for me to admit there is no escaping a virtual keyboard, give in, and move on. I have two weeks to use the phone and decide.

Posted via CB10

[makie]

Hate to sound like another one of "those" Americans, but I'm pretty sure if you asked the CEO of any company in the world which country or market they'd like to be successful in, it would be the United States.

Selling out in the United States is a big deal. It is a huge country and there are lots of stores. It is very easy to get a credit card, which means not only can you spend your own money, you can spend money you don't even really have! The easier it is to buy things, the more companies will try to put their products in people's hands.

And for BlackBerry, of all companies, to have a successful product in the United States, well... that would make for great headlines, because over the last few years, I'm sad to say that my country has been the most hostile market to BlackBerry.

Posted via CB10

I'm not sure about the everything. I know it's good to sell out in the US because it's a big western market. (so is Europe btw). I actually think it's way better to sell out in Asia as it's the biggest market in the world and it's a place where you make loads of money these day's. For example, look how these Chinese phone company's raise.

We also have a creditcard in Europe, but we are raised not to loan everything and spend your money well. We do not abuse it as much as a lot of Americans (no offence). We do use credit cards, but just not as much, because you will need to pay extra.

Ps. I kinda told is as a joke, because he kinda said he hoped the rounded cornered pp would be available for everyone in the US. It's nice to say that, but first thing in my mind would be: I hope it's going to be available for the whole world or something like that.

Anyway, like I said it was meant as a joke, because many people start to stereotype Americans. I never meant it.



Posted via CB10

[makie]

I had signed up on AT&T's Website to be to notified when the passport was released, but was never notified. Instead, I read on this site that AT&T would release the Passport (PP) on Feb. 20.

I went to the AT&T store shortly after noon on Feb. 20, and was greeted at the door by two sales associates who had no idea the PP was being released or whether there were any BlackBerrys in the store. They checked the shipment that had come in that day,and had received two BlackBerrys, but were not sure if they were Classics or PPS. They did not want to show me the phones because they had not been "set up" for display yet.

I told the sales associates I just wanted to see the physical dimensions, since I had never seen a PP in person. After some cajoling on my part, they let me look at it. When I told them I would come back later in the day (as I was on my lunch break) and I hoped the phone would still be there, I was told, "Don't worry--no one wants that phone."

The phone was still there when I went back and I bought it. Now I am trying to decide if I am going to keep it. I am a longtime BlackBerry user. I had been using a Q10, and do enjoy the bigger screen. But that's one of the issues: the heft is a bit impractical for me--I can no longer wear the phone on my belt to have it handy as I did with my previous BlackBerrys. The keys are a bit stiff and noisy. I also now have to do the main thing I was trying to avoid by sticking with BlackBerry: use a virtual keyboard. That is the only way to access the numbers and punctuation.

The phone is beautiful and looks and feels well made. However, it may be time for me to admit there is no escaping a virtual keyboard, give in, and move on. I have two weeks to use the phone and decide.

Posted via CB10

What about the classic?

Posted via CB10

[IamSuperMas]

I got a Red/Black PP via ShopBB already, but I just checked online for the AT&T one and it seems to let me go through with an order; as long as I have a plan or pick a new plan. It's not showing sold out online here, unless I'm not seeing/doing something you guys are.

[yohannrjm]

Sold out of how much stock?

That doesn't really matter to the people who are trying to find one.

I sort of get the reasoning behind the low inventory strategy, but it is annoying when you're looking for an item and there aren't enough of them to satisfy the demand.

[lpthomasson]

What about the classic?

Posted via CB10

I have never physically seen the Classic. I understand its size may be a little bigger than the Q10, but not as wide as the PP. But I don't think the Classic offers much more spec-wise than the Q10. Having used the Q10, I got used to not having a tool belt and don't have a need for that feature anymore. I may go by the AT&T store to see if the other of the two phones they received was the Classic and take a look. Thanks for the suggestion.

Posted via CB10

[chentheman]

As of 12AM eastern time when I logged on to Shop ATT the PP was sold out online. So in less than 48 hours whatever inventory was ordered for the US market is gone, which should be viewed positively as opposed to the alternative of "Passports not selling on ATT". Whatever inventory was actually ordered is all speculation and guesswork, but BB fans should view this positively and I'm sure ATT management was caught offguard, suffice to say another small slice of success for BB

[birdman_38]

That doesn't really matter to the people who are trying to find one.

I sort of get the reasoning behind the low inventory strategy, but it is annoying when you're looking for an item and there aren't enough of them to satisfy the demand.

Exactly. AT&T stocking 2 per store is nothing for the BlackBerry fan to be pleased with or proud of.

[deptech]

There are over 2200 AT&T stores in the US, each production run has a minimum number of units required to be at peak profitably and efficiency, I imagine this is in the thousands or possibly tens of thousands.

Also, in the original release of the Passport Chen mentioned selling the first 200,000 in a couple of days, this leads me to believe that the production run is in this range.

I'm optimistic that the sales numbers are very good. Regardless of all the speculation, selling out is always good news.

[mrbquick]

I went to the AT&T store yesterday and they said if I buy the Passport on Next plan I can pay it in full on my next payment and have it unlocked by them
Is that the same as buying it unlocked from Amazon? Will anything be different?

Posted via CB10

[dcwbearsaint]

Chen's game with the AT&T Passport release is the same as the OG Passport release. Sell out at all cost and produce more in waves. He has already been profitable with the Passport by not having inventory to write off, so why change the strategy. Anyway, the production of the -3 (AT&T) version has only been going for a month or so based on the FTC approval notice. My guess is they are more interested in making sure the classic is stocked than the Passport. The production run for the -3 version was probably pinned to the estimates of the smaller (AT&T) limited market compared to the entire world. If they over produced it would have been worse in the long run.

Anyway...My second Passport is on the way and I am tracking it expecting to see it on Tuesday as I ordered online. I did tracking in the Atlanta area on Friday and there were 4 stores in my area (northeast ATL) that had it. Yesterday, I tried again and found all had been sold out. So in summary I think the following happened.
- Limited first production run of -3 design
- Low estimates of device demand
- Focus on Classic

All in all, the demand has been there and will support more production. However, this is expected to be the new norm with Blackberry production going forward as there is no wiggle room for inventory write-downs anymore as long as they stay public.

[makie]

What are you talking about? ... for the record I am Canadian... your comment is not only stupid but not relevant to the conversation...

The US launch is what we are talking about!! Not Asia or any other place... and yes.. this is very important for Blackberry...



Posted via CB10

Since when are we talking about America? We were talking about att in specific. The person I quoted ( as a joke btw ) clearly don't have an att contract otherwise he would order the att passport. He hoped it would hit the whole US instead of just ATT and I just made fun of that. I would hope a nice phone would hit the whole world instead of a specific region.

For example the droid turbo it was an exclusive phone as well which sucks, cause the phone would be a direct hit if it was for sale trough out the whole world.

Posted via CB10

[makie]

Exactly. AT&T stocking 2 per store is nothing for the BlackBerry fan to be pleased with or proud of.

Issnt that the "hunger marketing" that's what xiaomi does and it worked out pretty well for them.

Posted via CB10

[sentimentGX4]

Absolutely. This is just as much John Chen's fault as it is AT&T's. How do you let a company in a failing market get an EXCLUSIVE contract, bring the product to market 5 months late and then not make sure there's enough supply? Sorry, but anything good that Chen has done until now is out the window.

I actually praise John Chen for managing to get the Passport into stores. The Passport redesign for a likely small order shows Blackberry is working hard to maintain its carrier relations. Quite the turnaround from the T-Mobile fiasco.