Printable View
My theory is that they're pricing it high to start, so that when they drop it down to the real price people will think it's a deal and then more people will buy.
Moreover, they're getting some bad press on the crazy price and you know what they say about bad publicity...
I think things will be alright
#dirtythirty #naturalsound #CB10 #glassweave
I hope you're right......... the very people (media) that built the phone up are destroying it due to the price.
Posted via CB10
It's the old traditional tighten the price till it hurts then loosen it. Milk as much as people will pay.
It is a valid business methodology to maximize profits, but problem is these days media will grill you even on leaked pricing, and people have an attention span worse than goldfish. They will just look at the next nice and shiny quickly.
Totally agree. If that fcuk up by shopBB was intentional, heads should roll. Disastrous blunder be it accidental or by design..
Well if I shelling out us$700+tax for this good-to-ok spec'd phone I would feel like a shmuck afterwards for being so stupid!
Over priced... under hyped.
I personally think they are just skimming the initial demand and a month or two later you will see a price cut. Premium price for a new shiny toy. Heck I'm tempted but I also want to buy from my telco as I want a subsidy.
Posted via BlackBerry Z30
Personally, I think the pricing wasn't an issue, yet quite adequate. However, OP's theory is quite interesting, and I kina agree with it. On the other hand, the right pricing doesn't justify sales in any way, it depends how general consumers think whether Priv is worth the price or not. At the end, it all depends on how BlackBerry advertises it's strength with its price tag
Posted via CB10
I'm not even banking a month or two, I sense something in a few weeks when the official carrier launch occurs.
The other possible factor is carrier. Chen did mention something about working with the carriers and the new rules. It is in BlackBerry's favour to (re-)garner carrier's interest, so it wouldn't hurt to sway people away from ShopBB. Don't forget it's not long ago carriers have been turning their backs on BlackBerry devices.
This could explain why Rogers and other carriers are is selling off-contract for $100 less, might be some sort of deal between all the carriers.
True. Totally forgot about carrier aspects, as I have always purchase my phone without contract. It gives me more options switching between carriers as I travel. Having said that, Chen needs an official launch event to emphasis Priv's strength IMHO.
Posted via CB10
This is what I said in another post. (there are way too many the price sucks posts). BlackBerry needs the carrier's marketing muscle now more than ever. We know Rogers is offering it at 800, so right away less than BlackBerry direct. This is intentional. Why would the carriers spend marketing dollars just to be undercut by their own supplier!?
If you are the retailer buying wholesale from a manufacturer, and you pay to market and sell the product, and then the manufacture turns to your clients and says, hey buy direct from us; we're cheaper, and we will even pay the shipping, how long do you think that relationship should last?
Posted via CB10
people who really want the phone wont care if its 699 vs 749 vs 799.
Want vs can are two different things. And then you have should.
The phone is up to par with other android flagships...so why should Blackberry price it less? Other than the ecosystem, what does the iphone 6 have to warrant a $900 price tag?
They don't care about affordability because they have that with BB10, and regardless of how many phones we bought, BB10 was a flop. I've said it on CB before many times, the worse thing blackberry can do is further propagate the perception that they are a discount handset maker. It doesn't work given the markets BlackBerry caters to. Low-volume high end devices, that's their new niche.
And like I just mentioned in another thread , finding 500K users who will dish out the money is not hard, given 1 billion android users out there. If you think this phone is better than the Edge buy it...it you want the Edge's pricing go to Samsung. Simple as that. A slider touch-pad pkb and Schneider optics is a premium product...so pay for it if you want it.
I agree with you, but question here is should BlackBerry play the "early player tax" game if they are creating a new niche, and if the price is just for testing how high they can go.
I'm going to buy the phone once it drops to below 800 CAD, just not at current prices. (though in my case it's currency to blame, I think the hardware price is fair.)
I think they should, as they are only competing on hardware now, something BB hasn't done in years. No more need to convince the fandroids to jump ship. So out of a market of 1 billion I think they ca milk the early adopters. As Blackberry supporters we're not used to a market this big, but its a numbers game, an economy of scale.
As mentioned out of 1 billion android users, how many would like this device and of those, how many would care if it is 599 vs 899? 1 billion is a big ocean. :)
I recall that BlackBerry Passport was launched at US$ 599 . . . the same device was offered for US$ 499 on and after Black Friday.
http://blogs.blackberry.com/2014/11/black-friday-promo/
Posted via CB10
In which case what shopBB is doing (in addition to the most ridiculous and puerile website I have eve seen), is iniquitous.
I think that people are taking the Priv to the general android field. The Priv is nothing like other android handsets. Its not like vanilla android and we need to take account for all the software developed by blackberry to enable security and privacy over stock android.
Like Chen said, its a phone running android because of the apps but also to show how blackberry can make android more secure.
For me the price is right. There is a lot of work on android itself to give users privacy and security. That alone costs money.
Posted via CB10
This price sets up a nice buffer for 'deals', especially during the nearing holiday season.
I mean, a Black Friday cut to $549, will seem pretty significant. I know I would probably pull the trigger immediately if I saw that.
Posted via CB10
If that is the plan, I don't think it is a very good one. BB is suffering from a bad reputation right now and they need to make a big splash. Just think of the press they would get if the phone launched at an attractive price and was a big hit! I suspect they aren't that creative when it comes to planning these things.
Sure hope it works though, but I just came back from a Best Buy with a huge Samsung display and S6 edges everywhere...working display models, with watches. Its going go be hard to compete at close to the same price.
$100 bucks more then the Passport(an admitted small niche device) doesn't seem bad at all to me for all you get with the Priv.
Maybe I'm crazy, but it seems fair to me and I put my preorder in the same morning.
Posted in CB10 from my amazing SQUARE OG Passport
Exactly!
BBM Channel: C0001F285
The thing with the passport is I can look at it and see that it is unique device, and 699 Cdn or so is what new "almost flagship" devices cost. $899 is up there with iPhone 6 pricing. I'm sure the Priv will be great, but it won't have the features or support of IOS for sure.
Besides, my real issue is that if BlackBerry really wanted to compete they needed to IMO price it a bit lower.
Posted via CB10
Most people I know buy phones subsidized on contracts. Android and BlackBerry fan sites are horrible places to survey over this cause they don't represent the public.
Posted via CB10