[swagg232]

Well according to reports and blogs I've read despite allLllll this torch hype from RIM and their everlasting commercials! The torch sales are sucking riight now! And doing way worst than expected. With that said AGAIN and eff whoever complains I'm saying it AGAIN, LoL don't you guyS (AT&T) think releasing the 9800 on over to TMOBILE may help out as far as profits go? ***echoes*** send it overRrrrrrrr

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[67Tucker]

Well according to reports and blogs I've read despite allLllll this torch hype from RIM and their everlasting commercials! The torch sales are sucking riight now! And doing way worst than expected. With that said AGAIN and eff whoever complains I'm saying it AGAIN, LoL don't you guyS (AT&T) think releasing the 9800 on over to TMOBILE may help out as far as profits go? ***echoes*** send it overRrrrrrrr

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I'm sure that selling this device on multiple carriers would help, but this phone is doomed for failure. RIM went to the well one to many times using that outdated hardware and trying to pass it off as new. Consumers are waking up to these types of tactics, and are starting to demand more in terms of hi-res screens, processor speeds, etc. This phone was touted as the "best blackberry ever" by both RIM and AT&T. Which, to me, says more about RIM (and the state of Blackberry's in general) than it does about this particular phone.

[acwyau]

That might be true for you in the US, but it is more or less sold out at every store here in Canada on every carrier. It is even on backorder if you order directly from Rogers CS. Sales are just doing fine up here.

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[jeffreii]

Well according to reports and blogs I've read despite allLllll this torch hype from RIM and their everlasting commercials! The torch sales are sucking riight now! And doing way worst than expected. With that said AGAIN and eff whoever complains I'm saying it AGAIN, LoL don't you guyS (AT&T) think releasing the 9800 on over to TMOBILE may help out as far as profits go? ***echoes*** send it overRrrrrrrr

No one actually has sales figures for the Torch aside from opening weekend in the US so whatever you hear is just rumors and, often, biased guesses.

[tokyoghost]

This has been said to death so Im loathed to state it again...
The Torch does what it says it will do... sure its not an iPhone killer. Then I only heard some people say that.. I really dont think its a failure...
I also dont trust specs. Specs are nothing... I know at the end of the day people like to see something in writing that says "Hey this phone is better" but what works is what counts. The Torch is a communications device, I have not found any problem whatsoever in using it as such..


Whether it is the latest and greatest Im not sure, its all down to the individual but I have no complaints.

[ennx]

It's selling extremely well in Canada. In fact, it's pretty hard to get one from a carrier. It's the old iPhone thing. AT&T says it's their second best seller next to the iPhone. As far as all the hype about Android outselling everything, take that into perspective. Android is available on dozens of handsets, and the average person who buys a phone has no idea what he/she is buying. They are not buying into Android the way iPhone buyers buy into iPhone or BB buyers into Blackberry.

[67Tucker]

the average person who buys a phone has no idea what he/she is buying. They are not buying into Android the way iPhone buyers buy into iPhone or BB buyers into Blackberry.

So let me get this straight. You're saying that the people who are buying Android phones actually have no clue as to what Android is, and it's corresponding success is (more or less) coincidence? I guess Google got really lucky on this one!

Yea, that's it.

[ennx]

What I'm saying is that the average cell phone owner is not into it, the way you are or I am. They go to a carrier, see a phone they like and they buy it. They do not know what Android is. It's a phone. They are not buying into an OS. I have close friends in the cell phone business and they always point this out. In fact I know many iPhone users who use it as a phone and nothing else. What I do know is that people do not march into a carrier store and say "I want an Android phone". Not the average consumer. People in the know do that, but the vast majority of consumers do not know. Think about parents, uncles, aunts, even friends. Do you see them running around looking for the latest Android device, or is a phone a phone?

[jstarett]

What I'm saying is that the average cell phone owner is not into it, the way you are or I am. They go to a carrier, see a phone they like and they buy it. They do not know what Android is. It's a phone. They are not buying into an OS. I have close friends in the cell phone business and they always point this out. In fact I know many iPhone users who use it as a phone and nothing else. What I do know is that people do not march into a carrier store and say "I want an Android phone". Not the average consumer. People in the know do that, but the vast majority of consumers do not know. Think about parents, uncles, aunts, even friends. Do you see them running around looking for the latest Android device, or is a phone a phone?

You are 100% correct.. Majority of my friends who have a "droid" phone don't really know what the OS was... heck one of them thought she had the latest iphone (she is a little ditsy). I do agree with the prior poster that the majority of people who go to purchase a phone especially from VZW don't know or care about the OS that they look at the phone and go with it.

[anon3396357]

What I'm saying is that the average cell phone owner is not into it, the way you are or I am. They go to a carrier, see a phone they like and they buy it. They do not know what Android is. It's a phone. They are not buying into an OS. I have close friends in the cell phone business and they always point this out. In fact I know many iPhone users who use it as a phone and nothing else. What I do know is that people do not march into a carrier store and say "I want an Android phone". Not the average consumer. People in the know do that, but the vast majority of consumers do not know. Think about parents, uncles, aunts, even friends. Do you see them running around looking for the latest Android device, or is a phone a phone?

QFT. That's what I see around me, whether BB/iPhone/Android device users. Majority of them just got the phone because it looked nice aesthetically.. when we talk about our handsets the first thing we mention is how nice it looks. And the conversation about mobile phones ends right there.

[Pilot Prop]

Most stores in my area keep selling out of the Torch...

[crester]

What I'm saying is that the average cell phone owner is not into it, the way you are or I am. They go to a carrier, see a phone they like and they buy it. They do not know what Android is. It's a phone. They are not buying into an OS. I have close friends in the cell phone business and they always point this out. In fact I know many iPhone users who use it as a phone and nothing else. What I do know is that people do not march into a carrier store and say "I want an Android phone". Not the average consumer. People in the know do that, but the vast majority of consumers do not know. Think about parents, uncles, aunts, even friends. Do you see them running around looking for the latest Android device, or is a phone a phone?

You are correct! If I tell my non-tech friends to buy an Android phone... they will say "What is that?"

They just go into the store and see a phone that they like and that phone happens to be running android.

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[67Tucker]

What I'm saying is that the average cell phone owner is not into it, the way you are or I am. They go to a carrier, see a phone they like and they buy it. They do not know what Android is. It's a phone. They are not buying into an OS. I have close friends in the cell phone business and they always point this out. In fact I know many iPhone users who use it as a phone and nothing else. What I do know is that people do not march into a carrier store and say "I want an Android phone". Not the average consumer. People in the know do that, but the vast majority of consumers do not know. Think about parents, uncles, aunts, even friends. Do you see them running around looking for the latest Android device, or is a phone a phone?

I could believe that if these were just "dumbphones". I tend to believe that a little more thought goes into buying a smartphone, and it's accompanying data plan.

[Guatiao]

A bit off-topic, but I agree with the "consumer not knowing what he/sh is getting" comment. And in part the carrier's rep is to blame, as I have seen too many reps touting a smartphone as "yeah, it takes photos, you can access Facebook and the Internet with it, pretty cool huh?". i mean, c'mon, an educated seller AND customer is the perfect match, be it to sell a RAZR or the Storm 3 (not yet available, BTW... LOL!).

So, sales, for X smartphone may be off the hook, but many many many users are not using them to their fullest potential. unless us CrackBerryans, of course... :-)

[Rickroller]

I could believe that if these were just "dumbphones". I tend to believe that a little more thought goes into buying a smartphone, and it's accompanying data plan.

Well whether you can believe it or not..its a fact. As I've said a dozen times before..most people can barely operate phones beyond simply pushing buttons. That's why the iPhones been as successfull as it has in my opinion..its been dumbed down to the masses (just push this one button and swipe your finger around). When I was trying to find a HTC Desire to buy..the local sales rep said to me "This is a pretty complicated phone you know"..which to me says that the average consumer would have trouble utilizing the phone to its fullest potential.

Does it suck that RIM didn't put the latest and greatest technology into the Torch..to me it does..but to the average joe the Torch is above and beyond what they need..as are most of the other "smartphones"

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[Shao128]

Well according to reports and blogs I've read despite allLllll this torch hype from RIM and their everlasting commercials! The torch sales are sucking riight now!

Sources? Links?

[kilted thrower]

I'll have to jump on the bandwagon with the rest of y'all. Most people aren't walking in and asking for the latest Android or Blackberry or whatnot. They're walking in and browsing around and finding a phone that looks neat. When I went to the AT&T stores to play with the Torch, iPhone, and Captivate, I listened to most of the browsing customers saying, "I'd like something that I can check facebook and send texts." Or a variation of that sentence.

A lot of the reps will push the iPhone.

Most people are not on these forums and up to speed on the latest OSs. They have no clue about processor speed or screen size. What they know is "wow, that screen is really big."

Also I've noticed that aside from wanting certain functions, they like aesthetics. So they might pick a phone with much less capabilities because it looks good. Heck, most people walking around with iPhones, Blackberries, and Androids don't even realize you can change themes, jailbreak, and customize.

[Totalimmortal363]

I'll say that my stores here in CO generally sit on Torches for weeks, I sat on the same five for ages. No one even came in asking about them. Several were sold out of one store, pushed as an alternative to the iPhone. All but one or two have been exchanged for an iPhone. Same goes for a lot of the Android phones, which I happen to like.

[gritsinct]

I could believe that if these were just "dumbphones". I tend to believe that a little more thought goes into buying a smartphone, and it's accompanying data plan.

I can only speak for people I know - but most of them buy a smartphone for its looks and so they can use facebook and the internet (the only reason they were talked into a "smartphone" as opposed to a "dumbphone").

Perfect example: my stepfather - he bought an iPhone because he is a Mac guy. He paid for a data plan for 9 months without being able to access the internet (not sure if problem was phone or carrier) until I came to visit and asked why he was wasting money like that! Then he took it in and got that fixed. He also didn't know there was an alarm clock on it! After 9 months!! All he did was make calls....

Example #2 - a co-worker bought a pantech something with data plan because she liked the "pretty blue color"!!

Edit to add: Back on topic - I have spent a lot of time educating myself on various smartphones (and as an IT admin, I'm a big proponent of linux and open source, although microsoft is primarily what I deal with at work) and I am very, very happy with my 9800 and it's functionality. IMO people that look at specs only without giving this device a real try are missing out.

[Totalimmortal363]

I can only speak for people I know - but most of them buy a smartphone for its looks and so they can use facebook and the internet (the only reason they were talked into a "smartphone" as opposed to a "dumbphone"). Perfect example: my stepfather - he bought an iPhone because he is a Mac guy. He paid for a data plan for 9 months without being able to access the internet (not sure if problem was phone or carrier) until I came to visit and asked why he was wasting money like that! Then he took it in and got that fixed. He also didn't know there was an alarm clock on it! After 9 months!! All he did was make calls....

I have several people a week come in with iPhones that have NO IDEA they can even get on the internet and probably don't even have iTunes accounts.

The big reason behind this is that corporate AT&T stores are graded on units, it's not really about the what kind of phone. The iPhone is easy to sell. The rep gets paid and really don't have to do much because the iPhone really takes no explaining to learn to use.

[BergerKing]

I could believe that if these were just "dumbphones". I tend to believe that a little more thought goes into buying a smartphone, and it's accompanying data plan.

I know a large group of users who don't have a clue what their phone can do. Most of them got it because of the WOW! factor. Period. I've watched people buy them just because they looked freakin' awesome, or because Mike or Michaela has one and just keepin' up with the trend, man. I know people that have bought mondo computers on the advice of a salesperson, and mostly play solitaire on it.

80% of them don't even realize the smartphone is a microcomputer. They're too busy playing The Angry Birds.

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[SlcCorrado]

I could believe that if these were just "dumbphones". I tend to believe that a little more thought goes into buying a smartphone, and it's accompanying data plan.

I wish that were true

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[67Tucker]

Then Google must really be the luckiest company in the world, because according to everyone in here, anyone could have just slapped an OS together and experienced the same success. Lucky them!

[Masahiro]

Unless you are a share holder or employee of RIM, sales figures shouldn't have anything to do with what kind of phone you buy and enjoy. The Torch could sell like crap for all I care. I'll still enjoy it. Do you get some sort of emotional high when you have a phone that's a "hot seller"?

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[mark_rivers19]

the Blackberry Torch is what i Want.. that's why i got it the first day it came out.
i don't care whether the sales was 20 or 200,000 on the first week.. it doesn't affect me since i don't have RIMM stocks.