The Verge sums it up - Too expensive, too late...
- 10-27-15 11:19 AMLike 2
- But that 1% of the Android market would be enough to get Chen those 5M sales. Add in the sales from current BBOS and BB10 users and that needed percentage from the Android market drops even lower.10-27-15 11:24 AMLike 0
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- Interesting post. I have actually been VERY interested in the Priv, until I saw the rollout (the embarrassing Chen interview - it runs "Google"), realized there would be no Launch Event whipping up excitement, showing commitment for the phone and giving important feature information and, finally, saw the price. Yes, price does matter for 99% of consumers, even if they can "afford" something and The Verge article accurately illustrates that.
Good press is a huge advantage in selling any product, including phones, so reports like this that trickle into the mainstream hurt sales no matter how many on this Forum dismiss it because it's "just" The Verge, or just Engadget, or just BGR or Fortune or CNN, etc.
I am in the sweet spot of Blackberry's target audience with purchases of the Passport, Z30 and Z10 over the past few years and I've been really excited about the Priv but as one of the last Blackberry loyalists, I am rightfully frustrated about many of the decisions being made by Blackberry (including pricing which matters to 99% of people) and sure don't want to end up with a stranded, unsupported phone because Blackberry decides to exit the hardware business (as Chen threatened in his recent Walt Mossberg interview).
John Chen definitely screwed up in that interview, but i think BB still has time to get everything done properly with a launch event and good ads.Techno-guy likes this.10-27-15 11:27 AMLike 1 - The price is in line with iPhones (that have weaker specs) and Galaxy Phones, doesn't stop everyone around me from getting them.
Edit: my Canadian carrier charges $899 outright for an iPhone 6s (16GB) with the 64GB version costing $1,029. For Galaxy, the S6 (32GB) is $774 with the Edge version costing $879. The Priv is $899 in Canada, which means you get twice the memory of the iPhone with the ability to upgrade it further, which neither Apple or Samsung are even offering anymore. Seriously, carrier subsidaries are HUGE. Most people aren't buying high end phones outright. It just seems that way because the kind of people who do all happen to post on forums dedicated to phones...
And don't give me this crap about not launching with Marshmallow. Only 18% of Android devices were running Lollipop 2.5 months ago (http://www.cnet.com/news/ios-8-hits-...op-only-at-18/). Hell, I have a Galaxy Tab 4 and it's running KitKat because Samsung hasn't bothered to update the WiFi models. My buddy's brand new S6 Edge has Lollipop as well. Of course Google devices get it first when Google develops the OS!
Posted via CB10Last edited by Harborcoat; 10-27-15 at 05:13 PM. Reason: typos
10-27-15 11:28 AMLike 5 - Pretty much all of the sentiments I've had about the Priv were outlined in an article on The Verge posted just a few minutes ago. Summary - the Priv is WAY too expensive for a company selling phones for $240 to its customer base, it is starting off without even the latest Android OS (Marshmallow) and Blackberry's track record of updates is nothing short of horrendous, there is no CDMA version which knocks out half of U.S. customers, and its only compelling feature is the keyboard which has a very limited audience.
At $699 this is going to be a REALLY hard sell to 99% of consumers who have far superior and cheaper choices in the Android world.
BlackBerry?s $699 Android gambit is too much too late | The Verge
No Marshmallow? Oh wow, what other company has marshmallow besides Google right now? BlackBerry's track record of software updates is amazing. My Q10 from 2 years ago with hardware from 5 years ago (lol) is still getting updates and runs flawless (!! Older IPHONES lag and slow down with the new updates, which ironically don't have all the features of the new updates either). Anyway, CDMA is coming.
Also, almost nothing has been shown off about the Priv besides keyboard. The Priv simulator thread showed off a lot of features that I'm excited about.
Anyway, that article is a bunch of bull.
At least wait for the launch event or actual launch to criticize.
The Verge is a iJoke.
Posted via CB1010-27-15 11:33 AMLike 3 - Interesting post. I have actually been VERY interested in the Priv, until I saw the rollout (the embarrassing Chen interview - it runs "Google"), realized there would be no Launch Event whipping up excitement, showing commitment for the phone and giving important feature information and, finally, saw the price. Yes, price does matter for 99% of consumers, even if they can "afford" something and The Verge article accurately illustrates that.
Good press is a huge advantage in selling any product, including phones, so reports like this that trickle into the mainstream hurt sales no matter how many on this Forum dismiss it because it's "just" The Verge, or just Engadget, or just BGR or Fortune or CNN, etc.
I am in the sweet spot of Blackberry's target audience with purchases of the Passport, Z30 and Z10 over the past few years and I've been really excited about the Priv but as one of the last Blackberry loyalists, I am rightfully frustrated about many of the decisions being made by Blackberry (including pricing which matters to 99% of people) and sure don't want to end up with a stranded, unsupported phone because Blackberry decides to exit the hardware business (as Chen threatened in his recent Walt Mossberg interview).
"Hey, let's invite Jim to the coolest party of the century".
-"No. He uses that phone by the guy who "runs Googles".
"Yeah, you're right. What a loser".
This comment about image is not directed at you, but there are many on here who do want BlackBerry to be the king of cool again. The quip is for them.
I agree that good press is key in part to sales but even more so is brand image. BlackBerry is expanding that image through BBM and then even further with the roll out of the Productivity Suite and what ever other cross-paltform apps and solutions they come up with. Chen, and the more intelligent tech bloggers out there point out that the Priv is meant for a specific audience and not the general public. Sites like BGR, The Verge, and even users here on CrackBerry are the one's who assume the Priv is meant to be a general consumer handset. It is not and the sooner we all realize and accept that the more content we will all be.
And who really cares if the Priv has phenomenal sales? (outside of shareholders) I am not saying that to slag you but seriously, why does it matter? Because of the belief that low sales means zero support and updates? Once again 5M phones, which is also likely a combination of current BB10 stock, too, and maybe even the one or two legacy devices still sitting around as well, is an easy target to reach. The irony is that what makes it easy is the price. Meaning; it will be easier for Chen to hit a smaller target with a higher price than to hit a larger target with a smaller price.andy957 likes this.10-27-15 11:46 AMLike 1 - So those of us who are informed, like the members on this sight, maybe not the general public, know that there is a version of the Priv coming out for Verizon, correct? Whether you like The Verge or not Verizon customers may be reading that article and now thinking about buying a different type of phone. When will Blackberry acknowledge the carriers? We have an article right here presenting misinformation which might affect sales for customers of Verizon right?
Spreading the love with my Z1010-27-15 12:03 PMLike 0 - the verge is a great source of unbiased non sponsored info. hahahahah. Nothing to see here.
i agree with other postings ( phone_fanatic), if you don't like it and it's too little too late, why the write ups? I think you know where this is going to go folks...blah blah, ugly, blah blah, bad camera, blah blah, expensive. Blackberry is dead. For a dead company, it sure draws a ton of articles and attention from experts that have moved on...hmmm, I wonder why?10-27-15 12:12 PMLike 0 - Interesting post. I have actually been VERY interested in the Priv, until I saw the rollout (the embarrassing Chen interview - it runs "Google"), realized there would be no Launch Event whipping up excitement, showing commitment for the phone and giving important feature information and, finally, saw the price. Yes, price does matter for 99% of consumers, even if they can "afford" something and The Verge article accurately illustrates that.
Good press is a huge advantage in selling any product, including phones, so reports like this that trickle into the mainstream hurt sales no matter how many on this Forum dismiss it because it's "just" The Verge, or just Engadget, or just BGR or Fortune or CNN, etc.
I am in the sweet spot of Blackberry's target audience with purchases of the Passport, Z30 and Z10 over the past few years and I've been really excited about the Priv but as one of the last Blackberry loyalists, I am rightfully frustrated about many of the decisions being made by Blackberry (including pricing which matters to 99% of people) and sure don't want to end up with a stranded, unsupported phone because Blackberry decides to exit the hardware business (as Chen threatened in his recent Walt Mossberg interview).La Emperor likes this.10-27-15 12:13 PMLike 1 - So you are making the same mistake the Verge did. Shop Blackberry is the only place it has been officially announced and they NEVER carry the CDMA version of any of the phones till well after release. I dont think they ever actually carrier the VZ version of the Z30, STA-100-3 but only the World GSM version of STA-100-5 which I use on AT&T. The carriers, at least in the US have made no announcement about carrying it, hence no CDMA version.
If you look deeper in the fourms, you will see the different versions of the PRIV coming out and the LTE bands for both Sprint and VZ are covered. I think its a Version 2 or 4. STV-100-2, I think.
As far as teh version of Android goes, you should be able to upgrade shortly, there was NO way BB had the time to get this phone out based upon an upcoming version of Android, only what had been released.10-27-15 12:15 PMLike 0 -
Don't delude yourself that this is a device for regulated markets or some "prosumer" buyers. It is a secure version of Android meant for sales to the general consumer market. The fact that it is secure will make it appeal more to a certain segment of the consumer market, but it is not vertically positioned for a specific group.10-27-15 12:18 PMLike 0 - If the only data point they have to support the fact that the price is too high is that BlackBerry's brand is tarnished, well, that's circular reasoning, plain and simple.
You have to understand that Websites have to keep churning content through to keep the clicks and ad-views coming. That's why we see "AT&T Quarterly Earnings" reports on CrackBerry. Gotta keep adding SOMETHING to the home pages.
If we view the pages, we cause the problem.10-27-15 12:18 PMLike 0 - Where Blackberry marketing is failing is that they are letting the Priv be defined by rumors, hearsay, and Apple fans who are going to bash the phone regardless.
A lot of people are genuinely interested in the phone because of the keyboard, but when they go to the Blackberry website after reading articles like that, there is absolutely no information or messaging to counter the article. All the details about the Priv that would appeal to the BYOD individual phone buyer are buried several pages deep behind buying links. Instead of the Blackberry website being the authoritative source for information about the Priv, negative articles written by the Verge (who always bash Blackberry products) will show up first in search engines, when people look for info.
It's going to be extremely difficult for any interested buyers to find out about things like 2TB MicroSD, more powerful battery, wireless charging, powerful camera, etc. There is not even any verbiage on the front page to let people know that the phone will run all of their favorite Android apps - the display on the phone image is blank, without pictures of common apps!
As far as carrier support goes, why is there information about carrier support in a Verge article, but nothing at all about supported carriers on the Blackberry website??? A person who is in the market for a phone and reads the Verge article, would see no reason to wait a few weeks for the Priv, because there is no info about his carrier supporting the phone in the future. The only information about carrier support currently on the website is negative information, indicating the the phone model currently being sold will not work on Verizon, Sprint or US Cellular. Where is the page listing all the global carriers that support the phone???
It's a mystery to me why they started leaking information about the phone and taking pre-orders, without having all of their messaging up and ready to go on the website - they are literally allowing the Priv to be defined by their competitors. It's crazy.10-27-15 12:23 PMLike 6 - So you are making the same mistake the Verge did. Shop Blackberry is the only place it has been officially announced and they NEVER carry the CDMA version of any of the phones till well after release. I dont think they ever actually carrier the VZ version of the Z30, STA-100-3 but only the World GSM version of STA-100-5 which I use on AT&T. The carriers, at least in the US have made no announcement about carrying it, hence no CDMA version.
If you look deeper in the fourms, you will see the different versions of the PRIV coming out and the LTE bands for both Sprint and VZ are covered. I think its a Version 2 or 4. STV-100-2, I think.
As far as teh version of Android goes, you should be able to upgrade shortly, there was NO way BB had the time to get this phone out based upon an upcoming version of Android, only what had been released.
And if they go to the Blackberry website to check, there is no information to counter what is in the article. Blackberry can't fully control what the Verge writes, but the Blackberry website is 100% under Blackberry's control. There's no excuse for Blackberry not having messaging on their website to counter FUD about the Priv.10-27-15 12:27 PMLike 0 -
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Posted via CB1010-27-15 12:37 PMLike 0 -
Also, this.
Yep, stop reading the verge once Joshua topolsky left. They're too pro apple (in an unhealthy way) and what did it for me was when they reviewed the old version of Google photos, thinking it was the new version. Also, this.10-27-15 12:39 PMLike 0
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The Verge sums it up - Too expensive, too late...
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