[dejanh]

By the way pricing is almost always last in the minds of the people that are in the market for high end phones. The decision is in perceived value. Start watching apple keynote speeches and take note of how they tell you how the value of what they are selling you is a really good deal. This is what it comes down to. There aren't many people buying high end phones on price.

This is precisely why I am of an opinion that BlackBerry isn't bringing anything to the table with the Passport other than a nice device. They have the equivalent of a big fat zero as far as an ecosystem is concerned. For a modern smartphone, this is unacceptable. Beyond being a communications machine (mind you for only those services that are natively supported on a BlackBerry), the "smartphone" isn't so smart, as it really does nothing else. It does not integrate with any services, it is not supported, and for all intents and purposes is only marginally more useful than a feature phone. You are precisely right about Apple and their keynote. They focus on "our iPhone integrates with X" and "the iPhone will help you do Y through its new blah, blah". They are not selling you the iPhone, they are selling you the experience and what it can do as part of an entire ecosystem.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm excited about the Passport, and I'm a big fan of BlackBerry, however, they aren't offering any value. The whole "security" premise is old and dry. Consumers and most organizations have already voted on security - they don't care about it until something really bad happens, and even then, a good PR department is often cheaper. What would offer value is top-notch Android integration with BlackBerry security and enterprise prowess. That would sell. Unfortunately, they can't bring that to the table either as the current Android integration is at best "average".

A year and a half later and BlackBerry (to me at least) looks more deflated and defeated than it did at the start of 2013. I do hope I'm wrong.

[Resilience]

When people plan to buy high end devices, these kind of people have their minds engraved with higher prices. You get what you pay for, blackberry never ever sells phones high end at a low price

Posted via CB10

[dejanh]

When people plan to buy high end devices, these kind of people have their minds engraved with higher prices. You get what you pay for, blackberry never ever sells phones high end at a low price

Posted via CB10

That may be true for the Prestige line (Porsche series, or devices like Vertu). This does not apply for consumer high-end.

[anon(3066922)]

This is precisely why I am of an opinion that BlackBerry isn't bringing anything to the table with the Passport other than a nice device. They have the equivalent of a big fat zero as far as an ecosystem is concerned. For a modern smartphone, this is unacceptable. Beyond being a communications machine (mind you for only those services that are natively supported on a BlackBerry), the "smartphone" isn't so smart, as it really does nothing else. It does not integrate with any services, it is not supported, and for all intents and purposes is only marginally more useful than a feature phone. You are precisely right about Apple and their keynote. They focus on "our iPhone integrates with X" and "the iPhone will help you do Y through its new blah, blah". They are not selling you the iPhone, they are selling you the experience and what it can do as part of an entire ecosystem.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm excited about the Passport, and I'm a big fan of BlackBerry, however, they aren't offering any value. The whole "security" premise is old and dry. Consumers and most organizations have already voted on security - they don't care about it until something really bad happens, and even then, a good PR department is often cheaper. What would offer value is top-notch Android integration with BlackBerry security and enterprise prowess. That would sell. Unfortunately, they can't bring that to the table either as the current Android integration is at best "average".

What part of an eco system is important to you buy the way. I too have anyways thought about how nice it would be for things to just work together but then I realized that it matters to me less and less.

Apple has Macbook, iphone, ipad and soon iwatch but collaboratively what do they offer together?

Blackberry phone basically does the same thing but you get to chose how you want to complete the eco system.

I prefer to use a macbook pro with one drive as a file utility which I use on my blackberry, pc, mac and ipad. I don't need blackberry to release a computer and a tablet (although if they released a tablet I would buy it).

With blend coming cross platform I have the ability to "pair" it will any device I chose while not having to rely on syncing or notifications always syncing. I always have my phone on me.

It's one step closer to your phone being your own personal computer. The good thing is Blackberry doesn't care. They don't have an ipad or a computer so why not be impartial to the screen you are working on.

Posted via CB10

[Resilience]

If you don't want a high end phone no one forces you to buy one, you buy whatever you like and sees fit. I don't see the passport exceeding 700 before tax. Even for that i have no limit on hobbies.

Posted via CB10

[anon(3066922)]

If you don't want a high end phone no one forces you to buy one, you buy whatever you like and sees fit. I don't see the passport exceeding 700 before tax. Even for that i have no limit on hobbies.

Posted via CB10

That's the spirit! I too look at blackberry as a hobby.

Posted via CB10

[Techno-Emigre]

[QUOTE=lokoalex;10791839]BES services and Blackberry is still atractive? Maybe you havent seen how Blackberrys stock keeps dropping.

It is a long shot, but you have to wonder if the news today resulting from the iCloud hack (or whatever investigation finds happened) might turn the tide. Will the positive BlackBerry news reporting start jumping from site to site? Stocks have gone up today. Two months is a long time, so it would be nice if there was a change in sentiment by launch.

[gokulesh]

Governments are not budget conscious. Businesses are but again total cost of ownership with blackberry is less than competitors.

Spot On. This argument that business is budget conscious is also BS. They are foregoing cheaper opto/oppo/android with great specs, whatever and going with iPhone which is the most expensive of all the brands. Add more expensive to manage ****ty security so business are putting themselves at a greater risk and everyone here is saying everyone is budget conscious so BlackBerry should sell cheap. What a load of crap.

I am not saying BlackBerry should not price the passport aggressively because I think they should but at least not use BS excuses.

Posted via CB10

[Resilience]

Blackberry should never degrade it self into selling cheap phones high end phones , no one wants to see a company struggle in that way especially in times like this when it's aiming for the come back

Posted via CB10

[nabil114]

649.99

[bakron1]

As I have stated in many post, BlackBerry is no longer a company that can price their products the same as the big boys and expect them to sell. They must price the passport as to get the device into folks hands, whether it's the corporate customer or the consumer.

If you think that corporations are going to just open up their pocketbooks and buy new capital equipment, your dead wrong. There is a reason why BYOD programs are being implemented, because they save them lots of money!!!!

BlackBerry needs a killer device with a price point that will attract customers. Get folks talking about their products again, with all the security issues going on in the corporate and consumer sectors, this is the perfect time.

Price the passport at or below 499 US and get folks interested. Price the thing based off if what you have done is the past??? This is one of the primary reasons why your in the current position your are in. Just my two cents.

Sent from my Lovely z30 on T Mobile USA (10.3.0.1052)

[Resilience]

People can make all the assumption they want about the passport pricing , it will happen regardless .

[anon(3066922)]

As I have stated in many post, BlackBerry is no longer a company that can price their products the same as the big boys and expect them to sell. They must price the passport as to get the device into folks hands, whether it's the corporate customer or the consumer.

If you think that corporations are going to just open up their pocketbooks and buy new capital equipment, your dead wrong. There is a reason why BYOD programs are being implemented, because they save them lots of money!!!!

BlackBerry needs a killer device with a price point that will attract customers. Get folks talking about their products again, with all the security issues going on in the corporate and consumer sectors, this is the perfect time.

Price the passport at or below 499 US and get folks interested. Price the thing based off if what you have done is the past??? This is one of the primary reasons why your in the current position your are in. Just my two cents.

Sent from my Lovely z30 on T Mobile USA (10.3.0.1052)

Why does the passport need to be that though? Why not the Z3 which was built for this very reason?

Posted via CB10

[dejanh]

What part of an eco system is important to you buy the way. I too have anyways thought about how nice it would be for things to just work together but then I realized that it matters to me less and less.

Apple has Macbook, iphone, ipad and soon iwatch but collaboratively what do they offer together?

Blackberry phone basically does the same thing but you get to chose how you want to complete the eco system.

I prefer to use a macbook pro with one drive as a file utility which I use on my blackberry, pc, mac and ipad. I don't need blackberry to release a computer and a tablet (although if they released a tablet I would buy it).

With blend coming cross platform I have the ability to "pair" it will any device I chose while not having to rely on syncing or notifications always syncing. I always have my phone on me.

It's one step closer to your phone being your own personal computer. The good thing is Blackberry doesn't care. They don't have an ipad or a computer so why not be impartial to the screen you are working on.

Posted via CB10

I'm not a two-device person, at least I don't like to be. It's too much mess to carry around. Therefore, for me to be satisfied with an ecosystem, the platform has to service both my work-life and my personal time. For example, BlackBerry does an amazing job at communication management, especially email management, and it is absolutely what I need for Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. However, I want to be able to take the same device and pop over to downtown in the evening with my wife and just ask it for what's around that may cater to my interests. BlackBerry falls flat on its face for that. Maybe I want to buy a Groupon for a play, or a show, no can do, not without "hacking" your way to a functional Groupon application. Maybe I want to make a reservation using OpenTable, but I can't do that either in an easy manner, since the the latest version only half-works on BlackBerry. I can't integrate the BlackBerry with any of my home devices, nor does it integrate as well with my car as does say, an iPhone. On the weekend I want to go shoot some landscape photography or catch some nighttime shots, and again I cannot remote shoot my DSLR using a BlackBerry. iPhone and Android both work, but as a BlackBerry user I'd have to buy an external remote trigger...a whole another device because my phone can't handle personal tasks.

I choose BlackBerry at the end because it is the lesser evil and the communication management from 9am to 5pm is more important than some of the other features...sometimes. When I get sick of it, I dump my BlackBerry and grab my Android. Then when I get sick of the Android communication management, I go back to BlackBerry. Truthfully, none of the devices, BlackBerry included, do what I want them to do today. However, while iPhone and Android do an excellent job in the "personal" space and do merely "OK" with communication management, the BlackBerry falls completely flat on the "personal" aspect of usage.

[anon(3066922)]

I'm tired of people saying this is a phone for a niche market, and it's not for consumers. Give me a &$%^#ing break! BlackBerry wants to sell as many of these things as possible, and thus should do whatever it takes to accomplish this.

Enterprise is meant to be the foundation of the device / services market. They are not ignoring the consumer which as you mentioned is a huge bonus to them.

I will start a new thread on this topic under OS.
http://forums.crackberry.com/showthread.php?t=956543

Posted via CB10

[tnewton3]

I agree and your wish of $200 may actually happen with the subsidy of the carrier in Canada. Have you noticed now that phone plans are 2 years vs. 3 years that the average phone plan is now $80+

Now that is margin but it is also to compensate for a year less of a service agreement to amortize your contact over.

I have noticed the plans and how they have moved from 3 years to only 2. I used to work in wireless when contract extensions were only 12 months.

Fortunately my current employer pays for my service but I do have to pay for upgraded device which is why I'm hoping for the $200.00 mark. I would pay $250.00 and even $300.00 to upgrade if I had to. I just hate to think of BlackBerry punishing some of their most hardcore fans with a purchase price so high on or off contract. Reward the early adopters!

I feel the same way about Microsoft and the Xbox One, I paid $500.00 when it first came out and within 9 months it dropped to $400.00 without Kinect. No reward for the hardcore Xbox fans who bought day one.

Posted via Q10

[anon(3066922)]

Kind of like a Blackberry loyalty program. I like it. Could you imagine a M2M approach to selling Blackberry phones? Talk about ambitious field sales.

Posted via CB10

[Resilience]

Thats how technology is , either deal with it or complain.

[khalidraffali]

to me, anything below the price point for iphones would be great. if it is too high folks might just say hey might as well get an iphone.

[Dr_Vancouver]

My guess is- if you have to ask, the price will be considered "too high". I think what the bargain hunting, coupon clipping segment should look at is a Classic. The Passport seems to be spec'd well, has ground breaking pkb and will be the flagship for the foreseeable future... it will be priced reasonably. Just don't hold your breath on legacy hardware prices. Start saving up, get an after school job, start dealing drugs- do what you gotta do, but at the price some people seem to think will be "fair" would have John Chen on the unemployment line. And NOBODY comes between me & my Chen!

Posted via CB10 on my Q10

[Minhaaj Rehman]

Blackberry were in lots of hands before Apple and Google conquered the market. You are deluded into thinking that they will come back. I bet they won't and even Chen admitted that when he said all he needs is to sell 10 million devices a year - Sammy & Apple sell that in a week

Depends on how you look at it. Chen was talking about 10 million sets in terms of financial gains and not competing apple. By your logic people who moved onto iPhone and Android because of sluggish BlackBerry will come back for the same reason. They moved on for a reason and if reason isn't there anymore whats the point in staying there? Btw iPhone and Android gripes are way more than BlackBerry. Try logging in to an apple forum. I used all 3 of them. Personally I have never been happier than I am with my BlackBerry. Its subjective

But honestly someone who buys a phone because of fad, how long do you think they will stay with it?

Posted via CB10

[1Criz]

This discussion is to late. Price will be $599 or $650.

Posted via CB10

[ThunderShock2005]

I think it's a curvilinear function whereby a price too low would yield poorer expectations whereas a price too high would not be competitive enough so as to woo one away from the others.

Posted via CB10

[TJKGT]

Everyone is an expert...erm...critic.

[undone]

The Passport is going to be to be bundled with the Health care hook they now have, part of a solution. It will not be a discount device. Their discount devices already exist. The portfolio of devices is very healthy without being top or bottom heavy. Chen smartly offloaded the low end device risk by outsourcing it to Foxconn.

The classic will replace aged 9900 series devices (talking government), this will be how they push gov into BB10 devices and BES 12. There have been a lot of road blocks to migrate to BB10 devices from BBOS devices, I believe those road blocks will finally disappear.

Security will be an issue for corporations that still pay for devices (vs BYOD). With the latest noise about security, as long as BB keeps its mouth closed (aka no competitor bashing), I think they can see some up ticks and renewed interest.

The Passport will be a 40%+ margin device. They will sell it out, control the inventory well and continue to make profits on the device for at least a year.