[stlabrat]

What CEO or consumer ever looks for a road map? In fact, road maps for most companies are a thing of the past. .

actually, the roadmap is the most important issue: your product need to match with roadmap of semiconductor (ITRS- used to be international technical roadmap of semi), so you know what processor 10 nm or 14 nm you can use. The roadmap also allow the equipment vendor to plan their tooling for the new generation of the devices. once you got similar generation of the components, e.g. enough 1.8V components, small foot print components, like decouple capacitor, etc. etc. now you can customer make few missing parts to make a product - at same time, talk to your equipment vendor to make some modification for you - the vendor most likely will happy to do so, because according to the roadmap, he is potentially can sell that NEW equipment for other chaps...Roadmap, platform, are most critical issue to layout. (some newbies fail to see its significance, end up with shrinked chip, but got many HUGE capacitor on the back... end up the stacking height (thickness of the phone) were way too high... it is not easy to get some good roadmap, many just marketing scheme, that, i wouldn't call it roadmap at all... IMHO.

[ray689]

actually, the roadmap is the most important issue: your product need to match with roadmap of semiconductor (ITRS- used to be international technical roadmap of semi), so you know what processor 10 nm or 14 nm you can use. The roadmap also allow the equipment vendor to plan their tooling for the new generation of the devices. once you got similar generation of the components, e.g. enough 1.8V components, small foot print components, like decouple capacitor, etc. etc. now you can customer make few missing parts to make a product - at same time, talk to your equipment vendor to make some modification for you - the vendor most likely will happy to do so, because according to the roadmap, he is potentially can sell that NEW equipment for other chaps...Roadmap, platform, are most critical issue to layout. (some newbies fail to see its significance, end up with shrinked chip, but got many HUGE capacitor on the back... end up the stacking height (thickness of the phone) were way too high... it is not easy to get some good roadmap, many just marketing scheme, that, i wouldn't call it roadmap at all... IMHO.

Agreed and are likely all taken into account with INTERNAL road maps. The person i was responding to seems to want to see the road map like they used to years ago. Heck I recall one that leaked out showing a BB10 tablet. Whatever happened to that? Probably the reason why they aren't released any more. So I ask again, show me a road map the was recently released from any manufacturer? I bet you can't which is why I say, TCL stating there are more devices coming this year is just fine. The poster I responded to just wants to see pictures of fake devices on a time line.

[bb10adopter111]

Sorry, but mobile phones just aren't the kind of product any company needs to see a road map for. The only two questions for fleet purposes are 1) will my clients (employees) be reasonably happy with this device, and 2) will the company provide the desired level of service.

Despite some individuals griping on these boards, Blackberry's service levels on the most important enterprise issue, which is security/risk, is best-in-class with the hardened Android kernel and monthly updates.

However, it's not clear that enterprise users are excited about carrying a Blackberry in 2017. Making the Brand attractive to a new generation of professionals is going to be a challenge for TCL. We'll see if they can do better than BlackBerry did.

Posted with my trusty Z10

[stlabrat]

besides internal roadmap, carrier will have the roadmap that match with their network, 5G for example... you might find consolidated roadmap with multiple handsets from different MFG.. remember, carrier want you to use their capacity, just not as much to bust it. Roadmap allow them to control release and scale properly. (majority of the roadmap are marketing type-i call it fake. it is really really bad when high up confuse with the true one. it is stock killer if not company killer... and hardly it will followed up so call roadmap to the end - because the foundation is fake.. saw both type before. the true one like ITRS are beautiful and elegant, the fake just flashy, better power point).

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Regardless of if there is or is not a need for a roadmap...

OP... we don't know what the Breakeven point is and we don't know how long TCL is willing to wait to reach that point. We will all just have to wait and see what TCL plans to do differently, and hope for the best.

[Chuck Finley69]

3,141,592

Posted via CB10

[stlabrat]

The break even point usually is trade secrete. you can get estimate like ifixit from component cost and profit margin x volume, but no company actually tell you that number. (Worked with the design way back, the break even point was 1st batch of 50 for a unique product - recover fully for R&D cost and fixture, robot, etc. we anticipate the competitors for low cost imitation, ready for dog fight on price if anyone willing to jump in to the fry pan... eventually, the brand name pays.. imitation went away quickly - part of the reason is they possibly not even reach break even.. the newer and better product already on market for next gen..;-).

[kvndoom]

3,141,592

Posted via CB10

Blackberry Poptart SE - Cricket Wireless

[stlabrat]

http://multifiles.pressherald.com/up...pplefest_0.jpg

[ZeroBarrier]

Now, excuse me. I have to go stop someone else from beating a dead horse.

Posted via CB10

[Chuck Finley69]

Blackberry Poptart SE - Cricket Wireless

I couldn't resist once I found out today was pi day.

Posted via CB10