[aha]

Yes. Priv is expensive.

But what no one is really focusing on is that while this may be an Android phone, it is not just a vanilla Android Phone. What things like the Device Simulator make clear is that Priv is providing a unique experience. It's not just an android phone with a keyboard. BlackBerry has integrated it's own view of mobile communications into Android. It's not just Touchwiz or something like it that adds no value. BlackBerry is adding real value to the vanilla Android experience. It's something you can't get anywhere else. So, if you want the power that Hub gives you, you're going to have to pay for it. Sorry. Save up. Like all phones, the price will come down over time. But, stop saying this phone is DOA because of the price. You're comparing it to phones that don't offer what Priv does.

Posted via CB10

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

PassportSQW100-1/10.3.2.2639

[anon(9188202)]

"Price Haters Don't Get It"

What about us Android haters?

[lawguyman]

"Price Haters Don't Get It"

What about us Android haters?

You're entitled to hate it.

Posted via CB10

[lawguyman]

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

PassportSQW100-1/10.3.2.2639

Use it you must. Decide then you will. Like it you might.

Posted via CB10

[crucial bbq]

Well it is not necessarily people trolling or saying that the price is too steep just for the hell of it. There is something to consider behind some of those statements.

If the DingleBerry Perv ends up not selling because it is too expensive, then pricing is an issue and it will render it DOA...

I hope for BlackBerry's sake and that of its customers, that such a thing doesn't come to pass...

Cartman says: Screw you guys I'm going home!

Keep in mind where the Priv is coming from; from a company that has done it's own OS and hardware, it's own thing, fir the last 19 years or so. I understand the Android perspective here but to think that BlackBerry is going to do things the "Android" way from the get go is nuts. Perhaps in a year or rhea will but for now BlackBerry is going to continue to be BlackBerry for better or for worse.

Posted via CB10

[smartphonetee]

To a degree, I understand the pricing. The issue I have is for $700, if I decide to sell it after 14-30 days (whatever the return policy is from BlackBerry), would I\could I make my money back?

With the likes of Samsung and Nexus, one can make their money back. With the BlackBerry Priv, it's not like I can walk into a shop and play with\test it. Well unless you're in Europe.

[Techno-guy]

I think the issue is that Blackberry hasn't earned the right to charge a premium, which at $700 the phone clearly is. Apple customers will gladly pay a premium for a device which is pretty cutting edge, has magnificent customer service and even has stores you can go to for help. Samsung too has earned that right with the S6 and Note.

Blackberry, on the other hand, has lost 95% of its market (in sales) over the past 10 years, its true faithful are down to the few remaining die-hards on this site and they botch everything from the lack of a Launch, to Chen's bumbling introduction of the Priv to customer service (read all of the Shop Blackberry horror stories and even just look at the site!). I was hoping the Priv would be a great success for Blackberry which would then allow them to build on that success (from a pricing standpoint) but I fear the high introductory price (way more than the Nexus, for instance) will make it a poor seller.

[europolska00]

Yes. Priv is expensive.

But what no one is really focusing on is that while this may be an Android phone, it is not just a vanilla Android Phone. What things like the Device Simulator make clear is that Priv is providing a unique experience. It's not just an android phone with a keyboard. BlackBerry has integrated it's own view of mobile communications into Android. It's not just Touchwiz or something like it that adds no value. BlackBerry is adding real value to the vanilla Android experience. It's something you can't get anywhere else. So, if you want the power that Hub gives you, you're going to have to pay for it. Sorry. Save up. Like all phones, the price will come down over time. But, stop saying this phone is DOA because of the price. You're comparing it to phones that don't offer what Priv does.

Posted via CB10

^What he said!

Posted via CB10

[keithhackneysmullet]

Well I hope that BlackBerry software does add to a uniquely BlackBerry android experience, but I know from many years of experience that android does not perform well with a bunch of non Google code slopped on it. The key to android is to run as close to AOSP as possible it runs light and lean and is easier to update.

Posted via CB10

[tufcustomer]

Price supporters don't get it. They don't own the android space. There are well established players. How are you going to convince people to switch away from them? A PKB alone won't do it. Having BlackBerry related features won't do it, people outside of CB don't even care about BlackBerry anymore. How then do they do it? You make a well equipped phone and undercut the competition cost wise. Especially considering said device is your hail Mary.

Posted via CB10

[TeaBoy]

Priv is cheaper than the Blackphone 2

[lawguyman]

I think the issue is that Blackberry hasn't earned the right to charge a premium, which at $700 the phone clearly is. Apple customers will gladly pay a premium for a device which is pretty cutting edge, has magnificent customer service and even has stores you can go to for help. Samsung too has earned that right with the S6 and Note.

Blackberry, on the other hand, has lost 95% of its market (in sales) over the past 10 years, its true faithful are down to the few remaining die-hards on this site and they botch everything from the lack of a Launch, to Chen's bumbling introduction of the Priv to customer service (read all of the Shop Blackberry horror stories and even just look at the site!). I was hoping the Priv would be a great success for Blackberry which would then allow them to build on that success (from a pricing standpoint) but I fear the high introductory price (way more than the Nexus, for instance) will make it a poor seller.

Earned the right? People buy the product you're selling now. Not the products you used to make. If Priv is a good product, enough people will buy it at that price. If not they won't. This is just common sense.

Posted via CB10

[EdY]

I was looking forward to buying my wife a Priv. We both have Z10 Red LE's thanks to me being a developer and being with BlackBerry BB10 app developing from day zero (since having the Dev Alphas prior to launch).

I am a bit divided emotionally here knowing that they decide to go full Android on the Priv instead of making a Z10/Z30 BB10 slider like the Torch series, and just integrating Android a bit better. I am running both native BB10 apps, including my own, as well as Android apps and have both Amazon Store and Google Play installed a working fine.

I suggested a while back, and even drew schematics an uploaded to CrackBerry, my idea of making a backplate for the Z10 that features a built in sliding keyboard and extended battery as an accessory to transform your phone into a slider with a physical keyboard. That made the most sense to me... but BlackBerry took another route.

I'm going to wait as I believe the price is a bit high for my taste. Sure there are people who will buy it, but I am sad not seeing a BB10/Android hybrid slider like I already enjoy. I wish BlackBerry would listen to my idea of creating a special back accessory for existing Z10/Z30 phones with the slider keyboard.

[KermEd]

Look at the facts. All major Android manufacturers are seeing a mass decline in phone sales for any phones +350USD. To the point where Sony is looking to throw in the towel.

Last year, the majority of all Android phone sales were low end devices and sales. It's what saved Samsung and gave a bunch of the little droid companies a boost.

Things you should be asking
- Are you willing to pay top dollar for an untested Android device? Remember the playbook? Welcome to doing their R+D for them.
- If BlackBerry fails to hit goals, closes handset division, how does that impact upgrades on Priv, unique os apps for Priv and stability?

As far as I'm concerned, they priced themselves out of the survivable sales bracket on Android *based* on Android phone sales from every major phone manufacturer in the last 12 months. If that is true, the forked OS has seen its only release. If you wanna pay 1K CAD to beta test that for them, have at it. But the average BBRY fan knows better. And the average Droid fan isn't going to buy the 650 USD unknown Priv with horror movie ads on a shelf next to an S6, while some phone salesmen tells you they've never sold a BlackBerry in the last year.

BlackBerry Priv needs to earn it's pricetag and it hasn't done that for the majority of people. They can mark it at 10,000 USD if they want to. That doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Posted to CB via my Passport | Lloyd Summers | FileArchiveHaven

[jas1978]

Price will go down by $100 for Christmas. And there will be other incentives by the carriers. Soon people will be able to get the Priv for $499. Along with other factors, that's the price I'm waiting for.

Posted via CB10

[FalkirkEagle]

I tend to agree with your assessment, even though I currently own a Passport and like it very much. I personally think the Priv is BlackBerry's last-ditch attempt to save the hardware division. The fact that the company are enlisting the assistance of Google is a clear sign they are trying to make BlackBerry as a whole more consumer-friendly, since they haven't been able to pin their hopes of a turnaround on the business sector alone in the way that they used to be able to.

If the Priv succeeds, and somehow manages to exceed even Chen's expectations, then I think the chance of BlackBerry becoming just another Android handset maker are going to be very high. It'll be Android all the way, and the only thing that will differentiate a BlackBerry Android device from its competitors will be the fact that a big splash of blackberry juice will have been added to the drink, so to speak.

I share your concerns about price. I think $700 in the US and $899 in Canada is going to give a lot of people a bad case of sticker shock, even under a subvented carrier contract. I seriously think that consumers are going to scratch their heads and ask themselves why they would want to pay that kind of money for an Android device when they can get something like a Nexus 5X for $559.00, or even Microsoft's new Windows Mobile OS Lumia 950, which is slated to sell for $749CDN in the unlocked version. I mention the Lumia because, looking at its feature set and overall capabilities, it looks like it could easily replace any BlackBerry handset.

[jasonvan9]

I don't hate the price, I just hate the Canadian dollar right now.

I purchased mine through a friend in Michigan, after assuming 30% exchange rate I still came out almost 100$ ahead than if I were to buy it in Canada

Posted via CB10

[anon(9188202)]

As I noted elsewhere, everyone just needs to consider when BlackBerry made their first foray into the tablet market with their exciting, new QNX OS rocking the solidly-spec'ed PlayBook, which they marketed as the first "professional tablet!" I only paid $179.99 for my 32 Gb PlayBook at the fire sale.

Now they are making a foray into a new market (slider) with their exciting, new (for them) Android OS rocking the solidly-spec'ed Priv, which they are marketing as "the world�s first BlackBerry secure smartphone powered by Android."

Be patient and hold on to your cash for a while because it seems like "d�j� vu all over again!"

[dejanh]

It's still going to be DOA for much to many people, precisely because of the price. Don't fool yourself. Android is not iOS. Only Apple can charge exorbitant amounts for their devices. Android is a race to the bottom.

[conite]

It's still going to be DOA for much to many people, precisely because of the price. Don't fool yourself. Android is not iOS. Only Apple can charge exorbitant amounts for their devices. Android is a race to the bottom.

BlackBerry can only bring what they know and do well to the market. That means premium hardware (slide out keyboard in a well-built device), and premium software with security focus. If people don't like it, and don't want to pay for it, then so be it - BlackBerry SHOULD get out of the hardware business.

The last thing BlackBerry should do is to try and undercut the Chinese manufacturers to gain market share with a vanilla, run-of-the-mill device. Quality costs money.

PassportSQW100-4/10.3.2.2789

[zocster]

I'd like to see the verge's review on it....

[dejanh]

BlackBerry can only bring what they know and do well to the market. That means premium hardware (slide out keyboard in a well-built device), and premium software with security focus. If people don't like it, and don't want to pay for it, then so be it - BlackBerry SHOULD get out of the hardware business.

The last thing BlackBerry should do is to try and undercut the Chinese manufacturers to gain market share with a vanilla, run-of-the-mill device. Quality costs money.

PassportSQW100-4/10.3.2.2789

$50 less in US and CAD would have done it. Hardly a hit.

[skibnik]

The majority of cell phone consumers purchase their devices through carriers that subsidize or finance the high cost of whatever device you want, and all the price haters out there fail to take this into consideration moan about it. If this was not the case then Apple wouldn't be able to sell the volume of $1100.00 IPhones that they do each year.

[conite]

$50 less in US and CAD would have done it. Hardly a hit.

Well then, it should work out well. At least in Canada, the rumour has the carriers in at $100 less than ShopBlackberry.

PassportSQW100-4/10.3.2.2789

[Mayor McCheese]

It all remains to be seen. The price alone could make this DOA. And the pkb has turned off a lot of BB fans from buying it. Let's hope it sells better than we think.

Not having the pkb would also turn off a lot of fans.

Don't confuse your tastes with everyone's : /

Posted via CB10