Razr proves there still should be a market for a BlackBerry Key Smartphone.
- So the past few days, as most on these forums already know, have been devoted to the clam shell folding Razr Motorola/Lenovo recently introduced.
No doubt it's a cool modern take on the iconic Razr but 1500 US dollars? Mid range SOC, basic no frills Android and different form factor of a slab. I'll pass and being Verizon only (always a mistake for these darn OEM's getting sucked into "exclusives") means a no go.
However.... All the pundits pining for nostalgia (Mr. Mobile, Marques, etc) confirm, to me, that an iconic Blackberry PKB form factor ALSO has a place. My biggest, and honestly ONLY gripe with my BE Blackberry KeyOne, is the lack of software support. Blackberry (Mobile and Ltd. if your listening) keep releasing security updates and OS versions.
Samsung, I read last night, has decided to give the S8 and Note 8 One UI 2.0 and Android 10. That's 3 OS updates from the Nougat it, like the SE KeyOne, released with. This kind of support is what users are now and have always been looking for when purchasing a device.
The Key devices are the answer PKB users want and need now support them and continue to find any and all channels to sell them usable on all carriers here in US. The Key3 should be an ultimate refinement to the Key line with no shortcuts and guaranteed support in writing.
I know some will lament the form factor of a PKB and say it has no place but those will be users that don't prefer or use one on a daily basis. Apple just admitted (after a few years of saying otherwise) the iPad is not the answer for those that truly need a PC and legit keyboard and OS by freshening their MacBook line. Blackberry admit and note that a PKB is a must for some in the smartphone place!bb9900user2018 likes this.11-18-19 09:52 AMLike 1 -
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Best hope is someone like Nokia comes out and uses a PKB to get some publicity... not really concerned with actual sales numbers but more as a gimmick (like their banana phone... who bought that?).11-18-19 11:10 AMLike 3 - The biggest issue with all these retro forms is they’re not capable of being high volume devices. When the devices have to be midtier specs, with carrier exclusives at higher Prices than similar VKB devices, it speaks volumes.
The OEM isn’t making the choice. The retail partners are making the demands.11-18-19 11:33 AMLike 3 - Razr is a 1500 US dollars phone that highlights a folding screen. Folding screens are the new buzz word, as 5G sure hasn't done much.
But it is a proof of concept public relations gimmick. I doubt Moto is expecting to sell 10's of millions of Razrs, anymore than Samsung expects their Fold to be a high volume product.
But the bottom line is the PKB phones have been here all along.... maybe once they have been gone for a number of years, someone will think it's retro to bring one back.11-18-19 11:44 AMLike 3 - If you don't like it at that price then don't buy it. If enough agree with you, either Moto will lower the price or halt production if there is no way to earn a profit at a lowered price.11-18-19 12:08 PMLike 0
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The revival of this Razr and the Samsung and Huawei offerings are proof OEM's are aware most are pretty bored with their slabs. It's not just the one OEM building a PKB that is seeing sales declines. See Samsung's and Apple's last quarter(s).
If you were to remove the BOGO's and free on trade in offerings or generous trade in values on 2 year old devices here in the US sales would be abysmal. Nobody is really paying 700-1000+ for new devices. How do the OEM's of the folding options think the higher prices will move? (I bet within 60 days one will see deals)
Poor early adopting Pixel 4 owners could have waited but a month and seen 200 or more discounted off release price.
I wonder how many OS versions this Motorola will receive? Will it receive 3 additional? (As Samsung is doing for S8 owners?)11-18-19 01:17 PMLike 0 -
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Now, maybe it is coming, and Samsung just hasn't said so yet, but that is not official confirmation by a long shot.11-18-19 01:59 PMLike 0 - The Tab S4 was released last year with the SOC 835. It's going to get 10 so seems logical the other devices with 835 will as well since development will have already been performed.11-18-19 02:06 PMLike 0
- So the past few days, as most on these forums already know, have been devoted to the clam shell folding Razr Motorola/Lenovo recently introduced.
No doubt it's a cool modern take on the iconic Razr but 1500 US dollars? Mid range SOC, basic no frills Android and different form factor of a slab. I'll pass and being Verizon only (always a mistake for these darn OEM's getting sucked into "exclusives") means a no go.
However.... All the pundits pining for nostalgia (Mr. Mobile, Marques, etc) confirm, to me, that an iconic Blackberry PKB form factor ALSO has a place. My biggest, and honestly ONLY gripe with my BE Blackberry KeyOne, is the lack of software support. Blackberry (Mobile and Ltd. if your listening) keep releasing security updates and OS versions.
Samsung, I read last night, has decided to give the S8 and Note 8 One UI 2.0 and Android 10. That's 3 OS updates from the Nougat it, like the SE KeyOne, released with. This kind of support is what users are now and have always been looking for when purchasing a device.
The Key devices are the answer PKB users want and need now support them and continue to find any and all channels to sell them usable on all carriers here in US. The Key3 should be an ultimate refinement to the Key line with no shortcuts and guaranteed support in writing.
I know some will lament the form factor of a PKB and say it has no place but those will be users that don't prefer or use one on a daily basis. Apple just admitted (after a few years of saying otherwise) the iPad is not the answer for those that truly need a PC and legit keyboard and OS by freshening their MacBook line. Blackberry admit and note that a PKB is a must for some in the smartphone place!johnb_xp likes this.11-18-19 02:34 PMLike 1 -
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Basically, a Galaxy KEY.
Until that's been tried, we just don't know how big "the PKB market" really is11-18-19 03:25 PMLike 3 -
BlackBerry Mobile didn't sign up to fix the brand, they signed up to exploit existing customers... most notable enterprise customers that they somehow taught would come if the just built it. That's what Chinese do with dying Western Brands.... exploit their names and customer base.
I haven't seen too many ads for Moto, LG, ZTE or BLU phones either.... that's because it's pretty expensive.anon(10387168) likes this.11-18-19 03:26 PMLike 1 -
- The highlight of the device is the form factor, not the chipset.
Spec heads won't be satisfied by anything other than the latest OnePlus phone anyways.
In reality, an SD710 is more than good enough for years to come.
There are still people today using Galaxy S4, S5, Note 4, etc...jevinzac and nevilleadaniels like this.11-18-19 03:30 PMLike 2 - The highlight of the device is the form factor, not the chipset.
Spec heads won't be satisfied by anything other than the latest OnePlus phone anyways.
In reality, an SD710 is more than good enough for years to come.
There are still people today using Galaxy S4, S5, Note 4, etc...11-18-19 03:32 PMLike 0 - 11-18-19 03:57 PMLike 2
- Exactly.
How long will it take until people give up this ridiculous notion that there is a huge market just waiting for a PKB phone “if only someone would advertise them well”.
It just doesn’t exist and history proves that.John Albert likes this.11-18-19 04:22 PMLike 1 -
Everyone (including Blackberry) has failed.John Albert likes this.11-18-19 04:26 PMLike 1 - Have you been to New York City lately? Can say that my team uses BlackBerry devices to coordinate quite a few large projects around the city. Once people see our devices, they seek them out. Most recently, on Thursday night, at soundcheck for an event, the head of the organization showed us the BlackBerry KEY2 that he purchased based on seeing us use them a month prior. The CEO of a large media company in Times Square has turned his board back to BlackBerry. One of New York's largest real estate development companies just shifted back to BlackBerry Classics. The demand is there. The marketing isn't.
Last edited by joshualebowitz; 11-18-19 at 05:35 PM. Reason: Typo
bb9900user2018 likes this.11-18-19 04:45 PMLike 1 - Have you been to New York City lately? Can say that my team uses BlackBerry devices to coordinate quite a few large projects around the city. Once people see our devices, they seek them out. Most recently, on Thursday night, at soundcheck for an event, the head of the organization showed us the BlackBerry KEY2 that he purchased based on seeing us use them a month prior. The CEO of a large media company in Times Square has turned his board back to BlackBerry. One of New York's largest real estate development companies jus shifted back to BlackBerry Classics. The demand is there. The marketing isn't.
I’m a PKB fan too. I wish they were as popular as 10 years ago. They’re not. No company is going to waste precious advertising dollars on something that has not sold in years. Your individual experience with a few people doesn’t change that.11-18-19 04:50 PMLike 4 - “Once people see our devices they seek them out”. I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard this. So how many thousands of devices were sold from those seeking them out?
I’m a PKB fan too. I wish they were as popular as 10 years ago. They’re not. No company is going to waste precious advertising dollars on something that has not sold in years. Your individual experience with a few people doesn’t change that.11-18-19 05:04 PMLike 5
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Razr proves there still should be a market for a BlackBerry Key Smartphone.
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