[the_sleuth]

Well discounts are starting on Z10:

A Blackberry Z10 smartphone is held up in Pasadena, California on July 8, 2013. Electronics retailer Best Buy Co. Inc. has slashed the price of the BlackBerry Z10 touchscreen smartphone at its U.S. stores.

REUTERS

TORONTO
Best Buy slashes price of BlackBerry Z10 in U.S. stores

Published Friday, Jul. 12, 2013 03:49PM EDT

Last updated Friday, Jul. 12, 2013 05:06PM EDT

Electronics retailer Best Buy Co. Inc. has slashed the price of the BlackBerry Z10 touchscreen smartphone at its U.S. stores.

According to the U.S. website Friday, Best Buy is now selling white and black-coloured BlackBerry Z10 smartphones for $49.99 (U.S.) under a two-year contract with carriers Verizon or AT&T.

The touchscreen models were priced for $199.99 when they first appeared in the U.S. market in March.

Analysts have generally considered sales of BlackBerry Ltd.�s new touchscreen smartphones underwhelming in the United States, though some have noted that most BlackBerry users seem to prefer keyboard devices like the BlackBerry Q10 model.

The Waterloo, Ont.-based smartphone maker has been trying to regain its footing in the technology industry against Apple Inc.�s popular iPhone and numerous Android devices.

Deep discounts on the Z10 phones have been rare in Canada. Best Buy stores offered Canadian shoppers a one-day sale in May that gave away a Z10 for free under a contract with wireless carrier Rogers. The deal also gave customers a free $25 gift card.

The BlackBerry Z10 is listed at various Canadian retailers for $99.99 on a three-year contract.

The new Z10 and the Q10 smartphones have widely been seen as the saviour for the struggling technology company, which recently reported disappointing results financial results that fell short of expectations and clobbered its shares.

Earlier this week, BlackBerry chief executive Thorsten Heins asked shareholders at its annual meeting for patience as the company works on becoming profitable again.

BlackBerry shares were down nine cents at $9.60 in mid-afternoon trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. On Wednesday, the company�s stock closed below $10 for the first time since last year

[donmateo]

I would attribute part of this to the fact that Best Buy itself is trying to turn itself around. Their adventure into Mobile has been half-baked and quite frankly, my Z10 experience with those idiots makes me never want to return.

[DenverRalphy]

I would attribute part of this to the fact that Best Buy itself is trying to turn itself around. Their adventure into Mobile has been half-baked and quite frankly, my Z10 experience with those idiots makes me never want to return.

I would go as far as saying any mobile experience with them is horrible. I've taken a few people to Best Buy to help them purchase a smartphone device, simply because they can save a few coins. And each time it's a nightmare. Even customers who walk in with a specific purchase in mind, who don't need to be shown any devices because they know already what they want, can reliably expect to spend an entire hour there (starting from when it's their turn in line) making the purchase.

SwiftKeyed/Flowed via Tapatalk 4 Beta.

[m1a1mg]

I only go to BB to window shop. I rarely meet anyone in their sales that knows much about the devices they are trying to sell.

[Admorris]

I've bought many phones from them as well as change carriers with them, and I've always been in and out with minimal issues.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[raremage]

This shouldn't really come as a surprise. Every on-contract phone eventually starts sliding down the discount slide.

Posted via CB10

[sentimentGX4]

The Z10 is being priced alongside the Galaxy S3 which is... appropriate. Hopefully, BBRY passes along the savings overseas as well.

[BB.David]

Verizon slashed the Z10 to $99.99 a few weeks ago as well.
Verizon Wireless

[donmateo]

Verizon slashed the Z10 to $99.99 a few weeks ago as well.
Verizon Wireless

And this I would attribute to AT&T which has been running a trade in offer for longer. Competition drives pricing.

[jaymars]

And this I would attribute to AT&T which has been running a trade in offer for longer. Competition drives pricing.

Supply and demand drives pricing. No one is calling Verizon and threatening to leave for AT&T for a cheaper Z10.

[sinsin07]

Supply and demand drives pricing. No one is calling Verizon and threatening to leave for AT&T for a cheaper Z10.

No need to now:
BlackBerry Z10 prices slashed across the board: $99 at Verizon and AT&T, $49 on Amazon

[JeepBB]

This shouldn't really come as a surprise. Every on-contract phone eventually starts sliding down the discount slide.

Posted via CB10

While true, isn't that generally because there's a newer, greater phone to replace the flagship model? The old flagship starts to sell at a discount as the new flagship takes the original price-point.

Z10 is still BB's BB10 flagship and hasn't been replaced by anything (unless you count the Q10 which is surely aimed at a different market segment), and yet it's being discounted.

[donmateo]

Supply and demand drives pricing. No one is calling Verizon and threatening to leave for AT&T for a cheaper Z10.

Yes, and demand is or is not increased by pricing. They're not mutually exclusive, in fact, quite the opposite. Nobody is threatening to leave, but if either carrier wants to push more devices to more current customers and potentially new customers, then pricing is a huge issue. If prices go down, competitors match. If pricing goes up, competitors do not change pricing.

[FFR]

It's obvious the z10 isn't selling well.

[sallenthornton]

It comes as no surprise that the z10 is being reduced in price. Everyone on this board knew that RIM/Blackberry had priced the phone too high. There is no way that the Z10 should have been the same price as an iphone or high end android device. Still... The Z10 has fared better than the Facebook phone.

Does anyone know if the q10 will see a reduction in price?

[Mary Maryland]

Verizon had a a sale. AT&T had a sale a couple weeks ago. Best Buy is having a sale. All good news for BlackBerry. The more people who use this, the more will want to.

Even the IPhone goes on sale from time to time, and I saw the S4 for 99 bucks at AT&T recently.

Why do the detractors get so giddy every time the Z goes on sale? It's nothing but good news for BlackBerry as they collect the full wholesale price either way and presumably
benefit from increased volume.

[Gnomesane]

I would go as far as saying any mobile experience with them is horrible. I've taken a few people to Best Buy to help them purchase a smartphone device, simply because they can save a few coins. And each time it's a nightmare. Even customers who walk in with a specific purchase in mind, who don't need to be shown any devices because they know already what they want, can reliably expect to spend an entire hour there (starting from when it's their turn in line) making the purchase.

SwiftKeyed/Flowed via Tapatalk 4 Beta.

I just bought a new desktop system through Best Buy. Went online, found the system I wanted and headed down to the closest outlet (which had it in stock)... Looked around and didn't see it so I asked the closest blue shirt rep about it. He searched around the aisles and "in the back" and returned with no luck. Said they could order it in and it would take a few days. I was curious why it would be listed as in stock at this store so I thanked him and did my own searching.

Sure enough, I found three of them sitting in one corner aisle on the bottom shelf. I made a point of going to him, computer in hand, and letting him know where the other two were... And that's not the first time I've had that experience with Best Buy.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I just bought a new desktop system through Best Buy. Went online, found the system I wanted and headed down to the closest outlet (which had it in stock)... Looked around and didn't see it so I asked the closest blue shirt rep about it. He searched around the aisles and "in the back" and returned with no luck. Said they could order it in and it would take a few days. I was curious why it would be listed as in stock at this store so I thanked him and did my own searching.

Sure enough, I found three of them sitting in one corner aisle on the bottom shelf. I made a point of going to him, computer in hand, and letting him know where the other two were... And that's not the first time I've had that experience with Best Buy.

Had the exact same experience at Best Buy. They had the "sale" laptops on a bottom shelf with desktops and sales reps had no idea what I was asking about, even though it was in their sales advertisement from the Sunday paper.

Posted via CB10

[Gnomesane]

Had the exact same experience at Best Buy. They had the "sale" laptops on a bottom shelf with desktops and sales reps had no idea what I was asking about, even though it was in their sales advertisement from the Sunday paper.

Posted via CB10

Heh, not surprised. Yeah, when it comes to Sales items I find you have to argue a bit to get what you want and make them go into the back to look for the item if it's not on the shelves. Mostly I find the blue shirts an impediment to sales rather than a complement.

Kids!

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Just saw a Best Buy Commercial for the HTC ONE for $99 so they cut it's price to.


Of course it's well worth $50 more than the Z10... better hardware, better ecosystem, proven OS.






Posted via CB10

[Wiki Cydia]

Verizon had a a sale. AT&T had a sale a couple weeks ago. Best Buy is having a sale. All good news for BlackBerry. The more people who use this, the more will want to.

Even the IPhone goes on sale from time to time, and I saw the S4 for 99 bucks at AT&T recently.

Why do the detractors get so giddy every time the Z goes on sale? It's nothing but good news for BlackBerry as they collect the full wholesale price either way and presumably
benefit from increased volume.

The S4 may or may not be meeting expectations, but it has moved 20 million units already, and Samsung isn't struggling. A current model iPhone has never been dropped from $200 to $50, and certainly not 5 months after launch. I get your concern about the detractors, but if you're going to rebuff them, you'll need a better comparison.

[richardat]

It's obvious the z10 isn't selling well.

It's....pretty weird...downright creepy in fact, that after the initial impact of BB's own official numbers showing just how awful sales have been, people were floored for about a day, and then, while some accepted it, some others simply went into complete denial mode - first with threads trying to say: that's actually great! Sales were good!!! Now, some simply act as if that never happened: huh? poor sales?? shorts again!!! (well at the least that last claim has quieted down a bit in this forum)

[sexybabe88]

could be an effort at market penetration.. or to clear stock... who knows?

[m1a1mg]

Best Buy hammered the HTC One commercials this weekend. I must have seen that spot 25 times.

[dannyd86]

All this means is I need to upgrade my Z10 fast before it's resale value completely dissappear. Too bad I have no interest in the aristo. The Q10 seems to be holding value better but that could all change overnight

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