[grahamf]

As most of us should be aware of is that Apple is selling the iPhone 3Gs and the 4 unlocked directly from Their website. this makes sense as in Canada ALL major networks are capable of running the iPhone, with SaskTel once their network is completed. But maybe you have forgotten that it is possible to purchase unlocked devices from Research in Motion, but they only offer the 8120, 8320, and 8820 which are only compatible with the networks of Rogers', Fido's, and a few older GSM carriers such as Petro-Canada and 7-11's.

What I propose is that Research in Motion starts selling current 3G+ devices such as the 9100, 9700, and upcoming devices such as the 9800, 9300, and ideally the 9700a instead of the 9700. This would allow us to switch carriers whenever it is convenient (if you pay full price for the phone you deserve that right), and to be able to run the latest OS that RIM makes official! sure many will prefer to have their phones subsidized but many would prefer to have their choice of carriers, especially because they can switch to the one with the lowest rate while maintaining their current number, which would encourage carriers to be more competitive!

WHO'S WITH ME???

[Borborygm]

WHO'S WITH ME???

Apparently, your government...

cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/06/17/cellphone-freedom-unlocked-bill.html

[amazinglygraceless]

I could not disagree more. At present the phones can be bought at a subsidized
price and for a few dollars more can be unlocked (In the US, it can be done free)
Also, your idea would negate sale prices, BOGOs, etc...

Going by your proposal will simply cost the user more than necessary.

I paid a grand total of $7 for my 8900 and unlocked it for free by simply
calling my carrier (no lies about traveling.) I subsequently upgraded to the
9700 and unlocked that bad boy for free also. Again, my total cost - $7

[grahamf]

I could not disagree more. At present the phones can be bought at a subsidized
price and for a few dollars more can be unlocked (In the US, it can be done free)
Also, your idea would negate sale prices, BOGOs, etc...

Going by your proposal will simply cost the user more than necessary.

I paid a grand total of $7 for my 8900 and unlocked it for free by simply
calling my carrier (no lies about traveling.) I subsequently upgraded to the
9700 and unlocked that bad boy for free also. Again, my total cost - $7

but you are locked into the same carrier for your two year contract. In Canada it is three years with no parole, and even then the pricing is still steep. Also, I don' think I ever saw a single time where a device like the 9700 was free.
Sure many will still be happy to get a cheaper phone with their contract, but many would like the option to easily buy a brand new unlocked phone and switch to the carier with the best plans.

[amazinglygraceless]

Being locked to AT&T is a non issue as they are the best service provider
for me. As to the phones never being free you have to shop around. Places like
Wirefly, LetsTalk, etc regularly have these things on sale (sometimes free.)

I'll take subsidization over unlocked all day every day. At the end of the day it would
still cost the customer more doing it your way.

[_StephenBB81]

Being locked to AT&T is a non issue as they are the best service provider
for me. As to the phones never being free you have to shop around. Places like
Wirefly, LetsTalk, etc regularly have these things on sale (sometimes free.)

I'll take subsidization over unlocked all day every day. At the end of the day it would
still cost the customer more doing it your way.

The Mobile world is very different in Canada than in the US

I do not see how it will cost the customer more if RIM / CB sold unlocked phones as long as they don't discount the phones further than MSRP of the phones.

as for getting the discounts, After being locked into long contracts I now buy full priced phones rather than taking the 3 year lock in anyway, there are major savings to be had switching carriers based on your changing needs over the years, being locked into a 3 Year contract, and in the Past being offered a $100 discount off of a new phone after 1 year and extending the contract by 1 year.


I do think it is Stupid that the government is getting involved insisting that Service providers provide unlocked phones.

[grahamf]

Yeah because of course you will have people who are perfectly happy with a three year contract, and may have great benifits due to being with say Bell for over twenty years, but others would prefer to just swap in a new sim to always get the best rates possible.
However, if the new bill is passed buying unlocked phones direcly from RIM may be redundant as you can stop by the nearest bell or Telus or even POST OFFICE (apparrently canadapost will start selling mobile phones in an effort to stay relevent) and pay full price on an unlocked phone to pop your rogers' sim in.
With that the only pluses would be no carrier branding and os updates directly from RIM. And earlier availabilty (is the Pearl 3G available in the states yet?)

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[CanuckBB]

And who provides support for that phone?

It has the potential to increase the cost of the phone as RIM would need a call centre of level 1 support to support the consumers. You'd also have the issue of RIM and the carrier bouncing you back and forth, blaming each other. Reality is the vast majority of consumers don't care about unlocking and don't care about the contracts. Same goes for corporate accounts.

[_StephenBB81]

And who provides support for that phone?

It has the potential to increase the cost of the phone as RIM would need a call centre of level 1 support to support the consumers. You'd also have the issue of RIM and the carrier bouncing you back and forth, blaming each other. Reality is the vast majority of consumers don't care about unlocking and don't care about the contracts. Same goes for corporate accounts.

I would suspect RIM would outsource support, until the volume of devices sold generated enough to make it internal.

being able to not discount the phones and selling directly to the public would give a large margin advantage to RIM.

Sony provides direct selling, as does Apple, Sony doing it successfully for many years through "The Sony Store" brand.

The Challeng would be to do the Market research, and talk with the Service providers about how this affects contracts, and exclusivity agreements, would this new distribution channel cause more confusion than it is worth? What sort of customer buys a phone online by passing the service providers? what level of service do they require with the phone?

It wouldn't be something that happens over night

[jeff.parent]

Are there pay as you go BlackBerry services in Canada? Or even in the US for that matter? At some point you'd have to fulfill a contract to get to a monthly setup and, depending on the provider, not change any service once you have finished your 2/3 years.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[BB_Junky]

yes there are some pay as you go services for BB, like Virgin for one.