[alternator77]

I think if it was $299 we would still get these types of threads SMH....

"I love when people boast about their phones...like its a pissing contest"

[lawguyman]

Nexus 5 (same processor as passport) with 32 GB is $400. Passport has 1gb more Ram.

Apples to Apples, it seems like $500 or less should be the number.

Posted via CB10

[insandouts]

the price is on par with others but if you want more people to buy then the price should be a bit lower. Diehard BB users will buy but that is all you are going to get

It depends where you are. In the US most phones are sold on contract not full price and since BB are not offered by many carriers, it won't sell. Consumers will not go out of their way to look for it online, if carriers don't stock it users won't buy it.

[atjovic]

At the current $599 price the tax is $42 which puts it at $641 to buy outright. If it was priced at $549 the tax is $39 which makes total cost $588. U see the difference???

[dejanh]

At the current $599 price the tax is $42 which puts it at $641 to buy outright. If it was priced at $549 the tax is $39 which makes total cost $588. U see the difference???

Couldn't agree more. $549 I think would be been close to an ideal price.

Posted via CB10

[co4nd]

Hopefully price drops quick

Posted with my BlackBerry

It would be better for Blackberry if the price stays as long as possible. Price drop mean it isn't selling. Blackberry desperately needs a successful phone.

besides $599 is more than fair.

[Deckard79]

Just a quick question...how much would you pay for a similar spec'd iPhone? I just don't get it

Posted from zee flicking coolest smartphone evah!

How much I would pay is completely irrelevant. I'll probably buy one within a few months.

My opinion is down to mass perceived brand-value - namely, that these days it will take a lot to persuade consumers to 'take a chance' on a brand that has received a PR battering over the past few years.

The pricepoint would be entirely reasonable, were this anything other than a BlackBerry.

Posted via CB10

[co4nd]

Couldn't agree more. $549 I think would be been close to an ideal price.

Posted via CB10

Depends on where you live my sales tax is 9.5%. Some sales is 6%, some area have no sales tax. It varies since this is a state/local tax

Sorry I meant to quote the post with the sales tax info

[baspeed]

Perfect

It's a BlackBerry Z30 on Big Red

[menshawy]

599 is good.

The good news also is that Z30 price dropped like crazy today! A whole and sudden $45 price drop between yesterday and today

Check out my photography channel

[menshawy]

599 is fair price for BlackBerry firs attempt to compete on price terms.

The phone IS something.. it got the specs, it got an innovative and non-alike keyword, it got ToF sensor which I'm quite sure will bring so much surprise in the near future.

If the price is not satisfactory it will at least get a lot of people tempted and interested to finally try the 'new' BlackBerry 10

Check out my photography channel

[Mirk]

I swear if the Passport was $199 we'd still have a similar thread complaining that someone wanted to pay less. I bet even if they were giving them away for free someone would still be complaining it wasn't good enough for them.

Pricing comes in better then expected and lower then other flagship phones with similar specs and it's still not good enough. Seriously, give me a break and give your head a shake.

[msilvaggio]

599 is perfect price in my opinion. I plan on buying the phone as soon as possible to upgrade from my q10. Given the price of the iphones and samsung phones when they launch...you get a lot more bang for your buck with the passport.

All that, and it isn't just another basic phones with virtually no innovation in form factor other then just upgrading the internal specs.


Posted via CB10

[The Big Picture]

I swear if the Passport was $199 we'd still have a similar thread complaining that someone wanted to pay less. I bet even if they were giving them away for free someone would still be complaining it wasn't good enough for them.

Pricing comes in better then expected and lower then other flagship phones with similar specs and it's still not good enough. Seriously, give me a break and give your head a shake.

This!. Seriously guys the passport needs to be profitable. Stop comparing it with android phones especially when the difference is 50 bucks.

Blackberry needs to cover costs of developing the OS and they don't sell ads the way Google does so revenue comes from the sales of the device itself.

It has the world's first touch sensitive keyboard, one of a kind unique 1:1 1440p screen, 32GB, paratek antenna, 3GB ram and the largest ever in any phone 3450mah battery.

599 is more than fair. Its not a charity.

Posted via CB10

[Jiggy1971]

For the specs we've see on this thing, i would say it is priced right.

Posted via CB10

[atjovic]

@MIRK, I dont agree with you and def people would not complain if the phone was $199, that's just a ridiculous comment. I understand "WE", including me, are a bit biased in our opinions because we truly stand behind blackberry and know how great the phones are. But when dealing with things like this you must understand "WE" are the minority and not the majority. The majority does not look twice at bb phones, the majority makes fun of bb phones and the majority will not buy bb phones because they believe they are over priced and for "X" amount more $ they can get they're iPhones. When pricing the phones now they have to be priced at what the majority would think is reasonable and not us bb fans. Sorry to say but even at this price people will feel it is over priced. Maybe not me and you, but everyone else who bb is trying to bring to their platform...

[wilkto]

As far as I'm concerned 599 is a bargain. I hope South Africa respects that price and it comes in between 7000/8000. I'll get one off contract.

Posted via zedten

[Jakob Greve]

The pricing seems fair since it's sold as their exclusive being different high-end prosumer device...

[alternator77]

Nexus 5 (same processor as passport) with 32 GB is $400. Passport has 1gb more Ram.

Apples to Apples, it seems like $500 or less should be the number.

Posted via CB10

The nexus 5 has expandable storage and a touch sensitive keyboard???
Who knew (rolls eyes)

"I love when people boast about their phones...like its a pissing contest"

[Kennedy.L]

Fruck no! I mean sure $99 would be great but I don't think anyone could expect it to be less than $599

[swervable]

Yes it is. But BB loyalists will get it anyways. Just like the ifanboys getting their new s5....i mean iPhone 6 and Galaxy note...I mean 6 plus.

Honestly getting all quirky with a phone build when they are struggling is not the way to go. Needed to build another solid phone like the Z30 and market the hell out of it. Honestly people look for specs and they want to look like everyone else too. you want to stand out but not really. One thing I like to say is this, Lets all be different like everyone else!

Don't misunderstand I love the OS and how it functions. And I loved my Z10 (cracked screen longer story) but with ALL the options out there and the fact that there is no advertising anywhere for the new BB devices, I personally don't see how something that looks as bad as this does, selling to anyone other than the Loyalists.

[chrysaurora]

I think $599 is a very very good price.

All I want to see now is 'trade-in-offer'.

Exchange your old BlackBerry (any BlackBerry, not necessarily Q10, Z10 but Bold, Curve, Torch) for a brand new BlackBerry Passport for $250.

Or exchange your old smartphone (any smartphone) for a BlackBerry Passport for $250.

I'd like to see a trade-in-offer for all new BB devices, actually.
Exchange your old smartphone + $250 for Passport
Exchange your old smartphone = $230 for Classic
Exchange your old smartphone = $220 for Z30
Exchange your old smartphone = $150 for Q5
Exchange your old smartphone = $200 for Q10


This has two benefits:
1. As many people trade-in, you significantly increase your marketshare. Which means, more mind share.
2. More marketshare will also get all app-developers interested in bringing native apps to BlackBerry 10 platform

When you get more apps, and more mindshare, you'll automatically start to sell more! More BB10 users you have, more word of mouth you'll get. More apps you get, easier it'd be to compete with platforms that have lots of apps! And all that = PROFIT!

[wardy87]

I won't buy it unless the Shamwow is included.

Oh they need to get Gilbert Gottfried to do the voice over for the BlackBerry Passport, that would be awesome!

Posted with my Q10

[dejanh]

So I just went to review current smartphone prices in Canada by the three main carriers, and here is my honest assessment based on all top-tier smartphone device prices as they are currently priced with Bell, Telus, and Rogers.

I am really hoping that the Passport launches at $599 CAD outright. This will put it $100 below the cost of all of the other top-tier smartphones, which is a difference significant enough that anybody sitting on the fence and not buying blindly because of brand loyalty will not ignore. Being $100 CAD below other top-tier phones will definitely boost the Passport sales. Having said that, the Passport should also be no more than $149.99 CAD on a 2-year agreement, or ideally it will be only $99 CAD on a 2 year agreement. At that price the phone will sell.

So, based on the current top-tier smartphone pricing in Canada, to move good numbers the Passport should be $599 CAD outright or $99 on a 2-year commitment. Any higher than that and the entire incentive is lost as you can get virtually any top-tier smartphone for about $699. Even the iPhone 6 is "only" $749.

[wardy87]

@MIRK, I dont agree with you and def people would not complain if the phone was $199, that's just a ridiculous comment. I understand "WE", including me, are a bit biased in our opinions because we truly stand behind blackberry and know how great the phones are. But when dealing with things like this you must understand "WE" are the minority and not the majority. The majority does not look twice at bb phones, the majority makes fun of bb phones and the majority will not buy bb phones because they believe they are over priced and for "X" amount more $ they can get they're iPhones. When pricing the phones now they have to be priced at what the majority would think is reasonable and not us bb fans. Sorry to say but even at this price people will feel it is over priced. Maybe not me and you, but everyone else who bb is trying to bring to their platform...

I think it's a ridiculous comment to expect a phone like this at a 199 price point. As was pointed out BlackBerry don't sell ads like Google

Posted with my Q10