[KratosJones]

Someone saw I had a PRIV yesterday. The persons comment was "BlackBerry. It has a curved screen. Too bad they did that before it was cool. Might have caught on."

Wtf. He thought it was some ancient BlackBerry device hahaha I think that speaks to how a lot of people feel about BlackBerry. No advertising means that most people think they have been out of the game for a long time.

Anyways I thought it was funny.

"To Hades with you Kratos " "YOU FIRST"

[stefanbechen]

I demoed the Priv recently to a guy who couldn't believe that BlackBerry still makes phones.

He was really surprised to see what the Priv can do and that it runs on Android.

I am sure many people with a Priv can add similar stories which underlines your suspicion.

Marketing could have helped tremendously to get the Priv in the hands of people.

Writing in past tense as time is running out for corrective actions.

Posted by using the BlackBerry Priv

[kanungoash]

Save the Priv !!!

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[TLD1]

NOBODY I know still uses a BlackBerry. I have a Priv coming to me in the next few days, and I bought it just to carry the flag, and show that the brand is still alive. The vast majority of people have no real idea that BB is still even a functioning company, not to mention still building hardware.

[Hypnoboy]

I work in the real estate industry in Los Angeles, and while BlackBerry was at one point the ONLY device that everyone used, I am now THE ONLY person who uses one.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[daynebca]

Here in Toronto, it's quite the opposite. People are quite aware of the Priv and more than a few have actually moved to the device. Lots of my co-workers have purchased the Priv. The latest being a former IPhone user.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[crucial bbq]

Lack of advertising and poor public perception of BlackBerry have been discussed numerous times at round here. My take on the situation is that it is intentional. BlackBerry's core audience has always been in the corporate and government sectors, and likely will always. To add, can BlackBerry even maintain larger production runs, distribution, and so on? I mean, keep in mind that back when they were King of Smartphones they were so with only a total of 80M users worldwide. Today, with something like 1.7B smartphone users globally , 80M is what, not even 5% of total market share?

Posted via CB PRIV.

[andymarkle]

I mean I had no idea BlackBerry still made phones until I saw it as a JUMP! option on T-Mo's website. I went ahead and made it work for me. People at work couldn't believe that BlackBerrys were even still being manufactured. The only person in the building that knew they were still around was a Canadian.

I'm actually really proud of this device. While people made fun of me at the onset of having one, the Priv is a beautiful device and I can't imagine going back to an iPhone for anything at this point.

[chris1h]

Best Buy doesn't display them, Bell doesn't list them when you look at devices online (Unless you search specifically) it's just ridiculous. Priv is still rated one of the 10 best Android phones of 2016, but without carriers and retailers displaying and promoting it nobody knows Blackberry even exists anymore...sad days.


Posted via CB10

[Bee Gee]

I echo most of the sentiments here. I know one person using a Q10 and he is about to jump to iphone. When i show anyone my priv i see jaws drop that bb still makes phones. Sadly BlackBerry is doing nothing to rectify the device issues and I see this arm of their business going to zero in the near future.

I love the device regardless.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[andy957]

I don't think the ridiculous name helped either.

[tw820]

I have had the same experience with people not knowing BlackBerry is still around. I have questioned for years why they don't advertise, it just doesn't make sense! If you seriously want to keep making handsets you have to let people know you are out there!!!!

From my Awesome Priv!!!!

[CEctech25]

I wish all the people who were laid off, like most of the bb10 team would come out with a tell all article. Someone in that company had to see this coming. Someone there must have had a conversation about advertising. I'd love to hear the reasons why no real effort was put into brand recognition. I bet the guys who worked with chen's predecessor have some good stories.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[nbaliga]

Got compliments on the Priv from two Android guys this week alone. Both thought the swipe corrections on the physical keyboard should be a killer feature.

When I told them it wasn't selling well, they were surprised but the fact that 1. They didn't know BlackBerry Made phones still and 2. They didn't know these features were even available is a direct failure of marketing.

How can people buy something they don't know exists. Shameful BlackBerry marketing as usual!

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[dan99x99]

Had they marketed the commercial on national tv during the eastern conference finals would have reached millions of plp , its a beautiful commercial showcasing Raptor basketball. Plp when they see my device want to play with it! They hold it in disbelief! PRIV is a gorgeous device

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[aespix]

Here in south Africa vodacom has dropped the price dramatically to around 37 dollars a month , and our other carrier mtn has it for 34 dollars ,

All devices from our carriers are unlocked and can be used with any sim ,

Stupid thing is nobody in south Africa knows about the device , but in every mall samsung s7 ,huwawei mate 8 etc posters are plastered every where .

The priv doesn't even have a dummy unit in some stores.

Shocking from blackberry. These are basic basic things you need to do to attract customers. Like really,

Does Chen know about it?

[bluesqueen23]

Ran across this on YouTube though I don't recall ever seeing it on tv.

[KratosJones]

You have no idea its a BlackBerry commercial until the very end.

"To Hades with you Kratos " "YOU FIRST"

[bluesqueen23]

this one is awesome

[Sigewif]

Ran across this on YouTube though I don't recall ever seeing it on tv.

This is a disappointing ad. This would only be useful together with widespread advertising clips that feature what it can do.

[MrScotian]

Ran across this on YouTube though I don't recall ever seeing it on tv.

Soo the message is to stop looking at your darn phone because life is passing you by...so buy our phone! These are the types of commercials that sink a company when the product is so unknown and the brand has been written off.

Were I not a BlackBerry user, I would think "Sure I'll put my phone down more if buy a BlackBerry because it can't do anything anymore!"

Nothing about features, nothing about value, nothing about the device. Just abstract concepts that every company uses. Terrible ad.

this one is awesome

This one is waaaay better. Finally see a BlackBerry and can get an idea of what it does different. Where the heck have these ads been? Should have really mentioned the app access a little more since that is so critical and the HUB could have have been better showcased, but nonetheless that one is the first decent BlackBerry ad I have seen in several years.

[Sigewif]

I showed mine to my friend who does real estate. He didn't know BlackBerry was still making phones. He told me he misses the PKB. I am a small business owner and believe there are many small business people--entrepreneurs, sole proprietors real estate agents, independent contractors, people who are in various trades etc. etc who need a great phone (that is also fun:-) to run their businesses. They would love it if they knew about it. We have to wear a lot of hats and need a phone that is versatile as well as focused on security. A perk that is not often mentioned but is very important to me is that I can take great pictures of my products in real time for special orders, for samples of what they would be purchasing, that I can send to my customers. Think of people who do Saturday Markets and need to use their phones to take pictures of their products and take payments. For such people security is very important as well, obviously.

[bakron1]

When I pull out my Blackberry Priv in a meeting or in front of my clients, the usual response is "they still make phones and/or no one uses Blackberry's anymore". This is the perception of the once iconic brand here in the USA. I am considered a dinosaur because I still have one. The iPhone and Android devices are now what the Blackberry was way back in the day.

I can still remember back then that if you had a Blackberry device you where considered a professional and having that @blackberry.net at the end of your email address meant something. This is an old story but if they would have listened to what the consumer was asking for and not fell into that complacent thinking mode, things might have been different.

Apple IOS and Android are the big two now and will be the benchmark on how any new OS will be judged. Their app stores are now embedded into mainstream culture and are being used by everyone from a child using an iPod or tablet at home or in school to corporate America and thats not changing anytime soon.

I hoping that Blackberry can at least introduce a couple of mid range Android devices that offer a secured kernel and improve on the software apps like the Hub and calendar, but I honestly feel the next couple of quarterly number figures will determine if the hardware division survives at all. As for me I still have my Priv and I proudly display it whenever I can and I am here for the long haul. Now it's a wait and see game, it should be real interesting between now and the end of this year?

[honeylager]

Now at Bestbuy Canada you can buy a Sammy S7 Edge for $0 with a free VR gear. What has BlackBerry done to promote the Priv?

Sigh...

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[Carmels]

Here in Toronto, it's quite the opposite. People are quite aware of the Priv and more than a few have actually moved to the device. Lots of my co-workers have purchased the Priv. The latest being a former IPhone user.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

Same experience in Ottawa. Not so much on the Priv as I've seen a few here and there but BB10 is alive and well. I see Z10, Q10's and Classic's everyday.

Posted via the PrivZilla!