Good news: Lots of Blackberry advertising in the CZ. Bad news: Its the 8520 wtf?
Blackberry users in the Czech Republic are pretty non existant. I'd say 50 percent of smart phones are android powered, most of them cheap models and about 30-40 percent are Nokia. Iphones are more common in Prague, but non existant in Brno, where I live. Carriers do not subsidize phones, so you pay out of pocket about 15000 Kc for an iphone(around 800 dollars). Needless to say, that's a bit much for a phone. Vodafone has ads everywhere for Blackberry since Heins took over. Billboards, on the metro, tram, buses, street, ect. Its cool to see being a crackberry fan, but the fact its for the 8520, which is being advertised for 4000 Kc (200 dollars) and comes with free internet. This can't be overly effective. I can't believe its not at least an Os6 curve device with this offer, and the new OS 7 curve would be a killer hit if it was availible for 7000 Kc at the carriers. I think 2012 is a bit late to sell an OS 5 device that runs only on 2g networks.
The central european market is ripe for rim to dominate with the new, excellent Curve. The price is right and people from Slovakia, CZ and Poland all have family and friends in neighboring countries. SMS rates are extortion domestically and rape once you cross a border as we all frequently do. Data compression and bbm are huge money savers and BB would be incredibly popular in these countries if RIM puts forth the advertising like they are but with devices that are not three years old. I don't see many people flocking to an 8520 and being retained as customers.
My carrier (o2) store here only sells the storm two, 8520 and 9700 still, I feel like I am in late 2009. Can we please get some OS 7 love in Central Europe RIM, Prosim? Dekujeme.