I have been told by radio shack that they will no longer carry Blackberrys once stock is gone its gone, went into best buy mobile who tells me they are discontinuing the Torch 9810. Today I had a friend on Sprint asks what's a good phone. I asked her u want to email and text machine or a toy she wanted a email and text machine but wanted all touch. I said Blackberry makes a great all touch torch we go on the web site and to my surprise Sprint pulled it. RIM ATT don't display 9860 in most stores and sprint pulled it and I don't think I ever seen a commercial for it so WTF. You wonder why your dropping market share its becoming to the point you want a bb you need to find it online because no one wants to carry them. I am very sad by all of this.
I have made seven people rethink ipad and look at playbooks they all got one and are happy my last friend was just yesterday we went to staples,office depot and walmart no one carries them or Assessories what's going on? I am Beginning to wonder the future in the USA if they don't do something asap. As I said its almost impossible to buy products without going online now.
Last edited by igotberryfever; 03-19-12 at 12:41 PM.
Reason: Spelling
There is a BlackBerry store at Logan airport in Boston I happened to discovered yesterday. Everything was immaculate. The PlayBook tablets and phones are showcased the right way. I didn't have time to walk around the store for too long but I thought we need to see more this kind of store.
As I said its almost impossible to buy products without going online now.
I think retail is moving in the direction where more and more people are buying online, rather than in a brick-and-mortar store. It really does not matter what the product happens to be.
Even Apple products get more online sales. The people I know with iPads did not line up outside a store; they ordered online.
I've seen better deals online at AT&T's website for BlackBerry devices than at the AT&T stores.
I buy PCs and PC hardware from newegg.com or tigerdirect.com, not from brick-and-mortar stores.
RadioShack uses a model where only certain stores get certain devices. Stores that do not sell well do not carry most devices in stock, they may only get 3-4 models. They have to have them shipped to the customer, or shipped in from another store. Do not put stock in what RadioShack says.
With the anticipation of BB10 devices coming later this year, do you really find it hard to believe? If I operated a retail outlet selling smartphones, I would probably let stock run out too if I thought for a moment I might find myself sitting on dead stock in the future.
I actually find their forward thinking a smarter decision as compared to your "anything else is a toy" approach.
My understanding is that Torch you speak of was not anyone's favorite phone. Oh, and yes, most retailers are going on line or taking orders through their stores for high dollar items. If you go to their respective web sites, all offer the BlackBerry and the PlayBook, but most in my area won't have these ietems on display. With the exception of BestBuy, or the Apple store, I doubt you'll find the iPad in other local authorized retailers on display.
There is a BlackBerry store at Logan airport in Boston I happened to discovered yesterday. Everything was immaculate. The PlayBook tablets and phones are showcased the right way. I didn't have time to walk around the store for too long but I thought we need to see more this kind of store.
I've posted about a similar Blackberry Store at Newark Airport (I think its run by Wireless Giant). Its a drop-dead terrific job of display and marketing, and predictably (for RIM) is therefore a closely guarded secret. You literally have to stumble across it to find it. Some sort of strategy thing.
There is a BlackBerry store at Logan airport in Boston I happened to discovered yesterday. Everything was immaculate. The PlayBook tablets and phones are showcased the right way. I didn't have time to walk around the store for too long but I thought we need to see more this kind of store.
I've posted about a similar Blackberry Store at Newark Airport (I think its run by Wireless Giant). Its a drop-dead terrific job of display and marketing, and predictably (for RIM) is therefore a closely guarded secret. You literally have to stumble across it to find it. Some sort of strategy thing.
Originally Posted by imcurved
There is a BlackBerry store at Logan airport in Boston I happened to discovered yesterday. Everything was immaculate. The PlayBook tablets and phones are showcased the right way. I didn't have time to walk around the store for too long but I thought we need to see more this kind of store.
There are two BlackBerry stores in Atlanta's airport. Just wanted to add that for any of you who travel.
Wireless Giant is indeed the RIM partner in the US. There are stores all over the place. RIM did make a press release several years back when the first opened in (i believe) Michigan.
Today I had a friend on Sprint asks what's a good phone. I asked her u want to email and text machine or a toy she wanted a email and text machine but wanted all touch.
Every platform can be an email and text machine. The user is the one who makes it a toy. Just like the authors of posts can make foolish comments.
It doesn't happen overnight, but really they continue to make mistakes with too many different handset platforms on the market and not enough marketing for the non-Bold models.
I hope with the next gen they clean it up a bit and instead of focusing on the one phone, they push the Blackberry family of phones.
It made sense to focus on the 99xx series in the US. It is the flagship OS7 device. If marketing to US customers, one is better off promoting a top-of-the-line device, not a cheap Curve.
Not all devices are created equal in this, or any other regard.
I never said they were. BBs are incredible in the email and texting area. I just said other devices can be used as email and texting machines. I do it. I text more on my Android devices now than I use to on my BB (along with emails and IM). It really isn't that hard to do or that hard to believe. Just like a BB can be used as nothing but a toy, it depends on the user.
Sprint DOES seem to have limited it's BB offerings, HOWEVER the other 3 carriers all have better BB lineups. Both ATT & Verizon have the 9850/60, plus ATT has the 9810 also.
RIM has probably realized that BBOS 7 is simply not going to sell well in the US. They really need to get BB10 to market to have a chance at the reclaiming some share back of US market. I love OS7, but it simply just isn't enough to bring back people who left for all touch devices.
It seems that there are a ton of BB stores in airports. My question is who really buys phones at airports? I understand having accessories at airports, but a phone? Especially in the US, where they are usually sold on contract.
Considering how expensive airport stores are for the retailers, I think RIM might have been better off using the Apple strategy oh having the stores in high traffic high end malls across the country.
