[aft1981]

A friend of mine in the US started a new job in financial services last week. He was offered a choice of several phones to use as his company mobile.

IPhone 5 $100
BlackBerry Bold 9900 $100
BlackBerry Curve 9360 $Free

He used to use BlackBerry phones until the Storm put him off forever, and has been with android since, currently has a galaxy S4.

My advice was to avoid the Curve, but as he already has a good phone for everyday use, didn't see the point in spending any money, so picked the Curve. And he hates it, I quote "there's no way you can think BlackBerry offer good products now compared to Samsung or apple".

I had to explain how for some inexplicable reason he had just been given for work, a device that came on the market 2years ago, and even then was a bottom of the range device for BlackBerry. Of course it's going to be terrible today.

I don't know if they're stuck on 2year contracts for company mobiles, but if so, how ridiculous will it be and how much will he detest BlackBerry, when in 2015 he is still regularly pulling batteries on his effectively 4year old device, that even when new to the market in 2011 was still massively behind the times.

Personally, I truly believe this is one of the biggest problems BlackBerry face. I love my z10, but I consider myself pretty tech savvy, and I've been visiting this site for I don't know how many years now. The average consumer simply doesn't know about BlackBerry anymore. BlackBerry churned out so many cheap and nasty curve devices over the past few years, that yes, it made them some money in the short term, but it put people off the brand for life.

I'm sure there will be people who will come to the defense of some random Curve model number (I have no idea how many there are even) but everyone I know who had one, hated it after a while. My BBM contact list has dwindled over the past couple of years, full of parting status messages along the lines of "can't stand this phone anymore, getting an iPhone, msg me if u want my number".

I always tried my hardest to persuade people to either wait a bit longer and get a new BB10 device when they finally came to market, or since February I've been telling people I love my Z10 and how different it is to prior devices. Problem is, people were so sick of their (mainly curve models) older blackberries, they had developed such a hatred towards the brand and saw their friends/colleagues with iphones, never having to pull out batteries or wait several minutes for an app to load or close and the hourglass to go away. There was also the lure of apps on other ecosystems, and when combined with frustration from putting up with a horribly slow and (more often than not) falling apart curve, their switch to apple or Android was inevitable.

I couldn't believe it when my friend told me he got the Curve for work, and then told me he hates it. Why on earth is a 2 year old bottom of the range device still available?? BlackBerry should have recalled them all or something! My friend hates it after a week. He is going to spend the next 12 months at the very least, hating it. He will tell his friends that he got a BlackBerry for work, and that he hates it. They will think that BlackBerry still sells crap phones, and tell other friends and family that BlackBerry still sells crap phones. I honestly believe that for every crap curve still out in the wild, that's at least 2 or 3 potential BB10 sales lost, due to personal experience of the crap device and word of mouth spreading about the crap device.

What can BlackBerry do? I don't know. If I was them I would make sure there wasn't a single extra sale of a Curve anywhere in the world starting today. Maybe offer anyone with an OS7 or older device a rebate to get money off a new BB10 device. Maybe some sort of marketing/advertising plan which let's people know that the new devices are nothing like the old ones. I dunno. Just STOP SELLING CURVES!!!


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[Asdic Ping]

My first BlackBerry was a Curve 9300. Had it on a 2 year contract and had no real problems to speak off. It was this handset that impressed me so much I upgraded to a 9810, which I still use. I see a lot of kids with Curves and they are probably the target audience for this particular line of handsets. Whilst not in the same league as the Bold line they are in my opinion not that bad.

[ibpluto]

I've made this comment in the past. I think so many Americans hate blackberry because they had cheap crappy hand sets crammed down their throats for years by their companies. Be like all those poor Sales guys that had to drive crappy Impala's as company cars. When the company went to an allowance, what are the chances those people would by a Chevrolet?

CB10'n it.....via my Z

[Bbnivende]

For people who just use a phone for e-mails and texting ,I guess the Curve is adequate . Some here like it's minimal size. Others buy it because it is cheap. I guess they wouldn't sell it if there was zero demand. I do think though that they should replace the Curve with the 9720. I don't think that consumers should stop buying legacy devices just to protect the image OP wants to project.

[neteng1000]

I've made this comment in the past. I think so many Americans hate blackberry because they had cheap crappy hand sets crammed down their throats for years by their companies. Be like all those poor Sales guys that had to drive crappy Impala's as company cars. When the company went to an allowance, what are the chances those people would by a Chevrolet?

CB10'n it.....via my Z

God forbid that your company issues you a phone, the they paid for, and "force" you to use it. If this is the reason........

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[earlym]

I believe that Americans lost the love for everything Blackberry when they saw the "grass being greener" with the competition (Palm & Apple at the time). When these newer phones and OS's came on the scene with offerings that BB didn't have, many weighed the need for corporate security vs the ability to do what BB couldn't. Mixed with the dismal response of the Storm and Storm 2, companies like Apple began to pull away. Remember that Apple was then known for great consumer products (iPod, iTunes, iPhone) and an innovative (alive) company. People saw BB as the old guard and Apple as a "changing of the guard"!

Apple products, along with the slickest marketing, became the "it" & "in" thing to have. BB tried to match and there was no competition.

BB has been on it's heels ever since. Apple revolutionized how we communicated and had fun and they advertised this. BB was content to be seen as a business tool and thinking that the "iphone" was a fad, phase and not to be taken serious. They should have caught fire when iPhone sales went through the roof.

Being reactionary has it's consequences, but I still believe in BB.

Go BB!

[mcstravi]

My first BlackBerry was a Curve 9300. Had it on a 2 year contract and had no real problems to speak off. It was this handset that impressed me so much I upgraded to a 9810, which I still use. I see a lot of kids with Curves and they are probably the target audience for this particular line of handsets. Whilst not in the same league as the Bold line they are in my opinion not that bad.

I was ok with my Curve too..though it annoyed me that the Wi-Fi version came out a couple of months after got mine.
Though that was 5 years ago...if I got a curve in today's market..unless all you expect to do is phone and text, it would leave a sour taste. The browser would be horrible as would be the choice and useability of any apps.
I agree with the OP..having someone use a Curve today (even a Bold) would leave you to think BlackBerry is still in the dark ages.

[Bbnivende]

If you care about what other people think , why buy a BlackBerry at all. BlackBerry phones are for individuals who do not want what everyone else has.

[wincyUt]

If your friend is an educated and enlightened person who is up to date with what is current in mobile phone industry, then he should know that BlackBerry has a totally re engineered platform called BB10.
Btw, I'm just curious, do you own any BB10 phone? If yes, hasn't he or she seen you using it?

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[JasW]

If your friend is an educated and enlightened person who is up to date with what is current in mobile phone industry, then he should know that BlackBerry has a totally re engineered platform called BB10.
Btw, I'm just curious, do you own any BB10 phone? If yes, hasn't he or she seen you using it?

I know it's a bit lengthy, but the OP clearly stated, "I love my Z10." Also, the OP's friend uses an S4 for personal use and was presented with a choice of only three phones for work use, none of which included a BB10 device. That last part speaks in large part to the reticence (and now probably outright refusal) of most companies to upgrade to BB10. I believe that reticence stretches back to the storm of controversy attending Heins' announcement well over a year ago that BB10 would be delayed. Ever since then, corporate confidence in BBRY's future as a viable platform has been low and has only gotten lower, to the point where it is likely non-existent at this point.

[The Aficionado]

I still see your point. Even as a hardcore blackberry fan I'd be tempted to get the iPhone 5 if it were the same price as a bold 9900 too

It seems as though companies have held off on blackberry 10 due to the company being for sale

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[Tre Lawrence]

If you care about what other people think , why buy a BlackBerry at all. BlackBerry phones are for individuals who do not want what everyone else has.

But there are 70 million people rocking BB devices.

[gordon griffith]

To this day it boggles my mind that BlackBerry is still selling the Bold at 599.00. This should be their 150-199 phone or free with contract just for retention. I needed a second phone recently and ended up buying a curve. News flash: it's crap and over priced for North America. Its slow and does nothing particularly well other than phone calls and BBM (hint sell it in the emerging markets for $50 or free on contract).

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[David Murray1]

There's nothing wrong with the 9360 really. Your friend must be an American, you Americans love big shiny devices with huge colourful buttons and anything with an Apple logo on it.

The Bold 9900 and 9790 are still gorgeous devices.

[Tre Lawrence]

There's nothing wrong with the 9360 really. Your friend must be an American, you Americans love big shiny devices with huge colourful buttons and anything with an Apple logo on it.

The Bold 9900 and 9790 are still gorgeous devices.

Stereotyping. Quite refreshing that it is now the domain of tech loyalists.

[GadgetTravel]

Stereotyping. Quite refreshing that it is now the domain of tech loyalty.

The reality distortion/rationalization/stereotyping that goes on here as a way of explaining why a high tech company that took 6 or so years to respond to a competitive challenge is now struggling boggles that mind. I'm waiting for my old Rim 950 or whatever items called to be hailed as all anyone who is interested in "tools not toys" should need. This place reminds me a bit of the Monty Python routine, "Four Yorkshiremen".

[David Murray1]

As someone who was given an iPhone 4S for FREE ... I was left stone cold by it and to this day am still rocking my Bold 9900 which is by far the superior phone in every way. Oh the iPhone 4S can play Need for Speed. Umm yeah but it's crap on a 4 inch screen and without a game pad.

[Wiki Cydia]

Stereotyping. Quite refreshing that it is now the domain of tech loyalists.

Never underestimate the power of denial.

[Byronjx]

And if BlackBerry can't sale enough phones no one will have a Blackberry. In the real world of mobile phones either many people buy a product or it doesn't exist for long. Ask those Palm lovers that wanted something different... I want BlackBerry to survive because I still like tye products more he the alternatives. I hope more people get BlackBerry phones so I can buy another one in the future.

[David Murray1]

How can anyone compete with the beloved APPLE and all its shiny gadgets that draws the masses like the Pied Piper of Hamelin? lol let's just do our own thing and let the Americans have their big shiny crayon-set toys!

[MJ Badagliacco]

How about this? Stop selling ALL phones NOT using BB10!!!
Take a page out of the Apple playbook and start controlling what is on the market!
Don't flood the market with the CRAP you used to sell and start releasing the good stuff..
I had an iPhone until my Z10...
The Z10 is comparable to my iPhone (other than some apps that I was able to sideload).
The UI is different but not so much that it has a long learning curve.

[Wiki Cydia]

How about this? Stop selling ALL phones NOT using BB10!!!
Take a page out of the Apple playbook and start controlling what is on the market!

Actually BBRY's strategy is similar to Apple's. The difference is that Apple's older/less expensive devices don't run a different OS like BBRY's do, but otherwise it's very similar. BBRY can't just stop selling the legacy devices since those devices are still the bulk of sales in BBRY's most significant revenue stream.

[David Murray1]

How about this? Stop selling ALL phones NOT using BB10!!!

Uh, okay ... how about this: maybe 1) when they reintroduce basic functionality into BB10 such as BIS and 2) when they actually release an affordable BB10 device. Just saying!

[RECOOL]

Actually BBRY's strategy is similar to Apple's. The difference is that Apple's older/less expensive devices don't run a different OS like BBRY's do, but otherwise it's very similar. BBRY can't just stop selling the legacy devices since those devices are still the bulk of sales in BBRY's most significant revenue stream.

wekk thy failed big time they should of invested heavily in moving the current user bas instead of marketing to droid IOS world.Epic failure point blank they should of gone heavy in forcing upgrades oevr everything.Just 10% of current userbase would ease so much pressure.

At this rate the failure will be in not upgrading the current user base.

[Dodger52]

To this day it boggles my mind that BlackBerry is still selling the Bold at 599.00. This should be their 150-199 phone or free with contract just for retention. I needed a second phone recently and ended up buying a curve. News flash: it's crap and over priced for North America. Its slow and does nothing particularly well other than phone calls and BBM (hint sell it in the emerging markets for $50 or free on contact).

Posted via CB10

Yes and for the sake of convenience we'll Just forget about the fact that it is inherently more secure then you're typicall Android device, you don't have worry about your privacy being invaded and the battery runtime is pretty good..

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