[IndianTiwari]

As I keep saying they should lower it to 550-569 price range to make it attractive to folks looking at a V10 or S7. They may not make as much per device, but they will get the device into the hands of folks who might be willing to cross over to the brand.

But who am I, all the marketing experts up there in Waterloo with their fancy degrees seem to have a plan? Based on the latest sales figures, I sure like to know what the hell it is??????

I agree with you Ronald . The pricing is the deciding factor and here Priv is costing USD 790 which everybody cannot afford . USD 550 to 569 price tag IMHO would have been a killer price and many would have gone for the device.

[sorinv]

I agree with you but the Priv's price is far from competitive. I would have bought one if it was better priced. I can't understand why BB didnt go for a midrange phone. A mediatek chipset=better price and call it a day. Sony does it all the time and so does alot of mobile manufacturers and they sell.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

I am guessing, but for security reasons, they probably have to use US (as in Qualcomm) not Mediatek (Taiwan) chips, if they want to sell to government.

[Bbnivende]

I am guessing, but for security reasons, they probably have to use US (as in Qualcomm) not Mediatek (Taiwan) chips, if they want to sell to government.

There is very little evidence to support the suggestion that Enterprise users are buying BlackBerry phones. It is just an urban myth.

Posted via CB10

[silversmith75]

BlackBerry is so used to just releasimg phones and people buy them. Then never advertise then never promote. Now that people don't care they can't figure out how they can sell phones.

#luvmybb10os

[sorinv]

There is very little evidence to support the suggestion that Enterprise users are buying BlackBerry phones. It is just an urban myth.

Posted via CB10

I agree about enterprise, but I was talking about government.

I think Chen's idea of building Priv for enterprise is both bizarre and contradicting some of his other statements.

On one now famous occasion he implied that Priv was developed to satisfy those who want apps and Google Play. "It runs the Google."
Priv could only have been targeted at the average consumer and maybe small businesses who have no IP of their own. There is no privacy on the Priv.

A self-respecting enterprise which creates IP will not let Google data mine them.

[abwan11]

Chen needs to get his ****e together. The message, the company, the brand, the product is an absolute mess. Theres no compelling reason to buy a blackberry, theres nothing to justify the price, theres no differentiating factor to buy the brand etc This is one of many failed attemps at hardware and I can't believe they can"t get it MARGINALLY right. Every target has missed and we're not talking big numbers either. Its become a curse...... "PRIV for privacy" oh let me guess what that means. I get to monitor which apps are intruding on my info? "AND THE ANSWER IS" (richard dawsons voice) ....(DING)... "ALL OF THEM" , so now that I finally have apps on a blackberry, I'm being notified that those apps are.... no good ...and ....I should? ....what?.. delete them? .. AND... go live in a box down by the river with all the other BB10 people, cowering in the corner over "The Google" , Great marketing story. Then you have him telling the world that he's ready to unlock any phone, at any time, for any government... OOH YAA (oliver the jewlers voice) another excellent public relations and mixed message scheme by who else? the trusted security company, who will hand you off to the nazis, (but only if they ask nicely), in a heartbeat. "Oh but remember kids... PRIV is for privacy". Just brilliant, keep um comin, your the best.

[dejanh]

The whole thing was foreseeable a long time ago. Don't know why anyone is surprised.

Denial is still incredibly strong here. Everything was apparent at the last earnings report, before this one. Had BlackBerry presented growth in HW sales back then and by a hefty margin (like 1,000,000+ devices sold), there would have been hope. After they posted decreased numbers it was game over. Now they're just beating a dead horse.

[tazcubed]

It's a puzzling situation. On one side, the sales have been bad, yet at the same time it's been slow to roll out to vendors in larger markets. On the flip side, with Chen's announcement it makes it difficult for someone to "invest" in a Blackberry. I would say that much of what Chen has to say hurts Blackberry as opposed to helping it.

Both the Passport and Priv are good, solid phones BUT quirky in all regards, in my opinion. The Passport should have a full PKB and the Priv needs more work on the OS and BB apps to make it useable. The Priv can ditch the curved screen - it's particularly annoying in one handed use. Both need to be rebalanced toward the bottom to sit in the hand better.

Sadly, there was no announcement made about anything new devices - and that in itself speaks volumes. I may be in denial, but I know what to expect come October's meeting.

[olga421]

Keep in mind Verizon just recently started selling the Priv, and Japan so I believe come September the handset division will be fine..... stop being soooo negative geez ....it's like no one wants a Canadian company to succeed geez, come on people use the Priv try it out its a dam good phone lol .....cheers

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[raydogsboarder]

The results today where what I expected based off of the Priv pricing and the feedback I have gotten from the T Mobile stores here in the USA I have been to.

Everyone of them had the shiny new Priv mixed in with last years devices and not one dam sign to let anyone know the device exists?

The device at 719.00 is way overpriced based on what current devices are available, I know about the security software and the PKB, but when your trying to rebuild you tarnished brand image, it just don't cut it.

Surprised, not in the least, they would have had a far better chance with the Priv priced at 569.00 to get folks to come back to the brand.

But who am I, just a savvy consumer who bases my high dollar purchases on being value added and looking at the S7 price compared to the Priv, the majority are going to buy the S7, I am surprised those marketing folks up there in Waterloo haven't figured that out yet? Oh well.

I went to a couple Verizon stores in my area when they finally released it just so I could actually hold it and use it and all of them actually were given the device to use. Some of them as a work phone some of them chose it as their personal, they all loved it they said and we're impressed with it and surprised by BlackBerry for actually releasing a consumer phone they believed would succeed. And they had it with this year's phones which I was surprised. The funny part was I was showing them how to use stuff on it, but that's only cause I live on these forums. They only had a couple negatives about it, like how long it took to start and the actual usefulness of the edge, but they acknowledged it took forever due to security and that it was easier to hold at least. Hopefully it will help even slightly having staff that stand behind BlackBerry for once instead of steering people elsewhere... who knows. It's a sad state right now for BlackBerry.

Using my Verizon BlackBerry Z30

[anon(9188202)]

Many would say that they have already flatlined.

[olga421]

Also Verizon started selling the Priv on March the 4th , so what the heck Media people, analysts, and BlackBerry haters back off lol geez

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[bakron1]

I went to a couple Verizon stores in my area when they finally released it just so I could actually hold it and use it and all of them actually were given the device to use. Some of them as a work phone some of them chose it as their personal, they all loved it they said and we're impressed with it and surprised by BlackBerry for actually releasing a consumer phone they believed would succeed. And they had it with this year's phones which I was surprised. The funny part was I was showing them how to use stuff on it, but that's only cause I live on these forums. They only had a couple negatives about it, like how long it took to start and the actual usefulness of the edge, but they acknowledged it took forever due to security and that it was easier to hold at least. Hopefully it will help even slightly having staff that stand behind BlackBerry for once instead of steering people elsewhere... who knows. It's a sad state right now for BlackBerry.

Using my Verizon BlackBerry Z30

I sure hope that Verizon promotes the Priv better then T Mobile has, they have the Priv mixed in with last years devices and not even a dam sign letting folks know it's even there, sad.

[LyoobaBerry]

There is very little evidence to support the suggestion that Enterprise users are buying BlackBerry phones. It is just an urban myth.

Posted via CB10

In UK they still do. Loads of Leaps, though, no premium devices.

SE is for premium, unless you're that other fruit user

[jamiemarksberry]

When you are the best out there and others start catching up you have to keep ahead. BlackBerry did not. The iphone came and then android came and BlackBerry stayed making the same phones. Great phones but not new and exciting. When they finally did it was too late and they over priced their phones. This all is because of a refusal to listen to what customers wanted and providing it at a decent price. I want a priv and will support BlackBerry but this was self inflicted long ago. Playing catch up is hard with no advertising and carrier support.


Posted via CB10

[Bob Skitmore]

Inevitably the smart phone business is entering or has already entered the commodity phase just as laptops and PCs did a long time ago � so the basic law of economics �price of substitutes tends to converge �rules. So unless BlackBerry can somehow miraculously differentiate their phone products an eventual exit seems inevitable: obviously, they have more than a fighting chance with their niche enterprise software and security product lines. Apple is facing the same dynamics and seems to be desperately seeking a product portfolio shift � and Sony is also talking about ditching phones having exited PCs some time ago. Ironically, BlackBerry may be better positioned going forward with niche software than Apple (on a much smaller scale of course) � time to short Apple?
I do like my Priv even though I paid way too much for it, and as someone else said it�s a good way to learn Android: been with Blackberry since thumb wheel days but all good things� I wish them luck in the software game but won�t buy their stock just yet.

[bakron1]

When you are the best out there and others start catching up you have to keep ahead. BlackBerry did not. The iphone came and then android came and BlackBerry stayed making the same phones. Great phones but not new and exciting. When they finally did it was too late and they over priced their phones. This all is because of a refusal to listen to what customers wanted and providing it at a decent price. I want a priv and will support BlackBerry but this was self inflicted long ago. Playing catch up is hard with no advertising and carrier support.


Posted via CB10

This has been talked about over and over and what surprises me is it seems the folks in charge in Waterloo are still not listening to the consumer and their loyal user base (what's left of it). Oh well, I will keep plugging along.

[Bob Skitmore]

Suspect there are too many engineers with a finger in running the business in Waterloo -- anyone remember Digital Equipment?

[bakron1]

Suspect there are too many engineers with a finger in running the business in Waterloo -- anyone remember Digital Equipment?

Being I am 60 and ancient, I remember digital equipment back in the day and Ken Olsen was a engineering visionary who took 70,000 and turned it into a 14 billion dollar company, but they also where slow to adapt to changing times.

[roleli]

Inevitably the smart phone business is entering or has already entered the commodity phase ...Apple is facing the same dynamics and seems to be desperately seeking a product portfolio shift � and Sony is also talking about ditching phones having exited PCs some time ago. Ironically, BlackBerry may be better positioned going forward with niche software than Apple (on a much smaller scale of course) � time to short Apple?

Interesting

[cgk]

They know have a competitive phone. Problem is many people think they no longer make phones.

Posted via CB10

Chen disagrees:

Mr Chen admitted that the Priv �was too high-end a product", with its target market of enterprise customers put off by the handset�s US$700 price tag.

�The fact that we came out with a high end phone [as our first Android device] was probably not as wise as it should have been," Mr Chen said during a visit to Abu Dhabi.

�A lot of enterprise customers have said to us, �I want to buy your phone but $700 is a little too steep for me. I�m more interested in a $400 device�.

BlackBerry switches focus back on mid-range smartphone market | The National

that is an admission there is nothing in the Priv that compels people to buy the extra money.

I'll be interested to see if they can do any better in the swamped $400 space.

[prplhze2000]

At least he recognizes when something isn't working. More than I can say for mike, Jim, thor

Posted via CB10

[bb10adopter111]

Inevitably the smart phone business is entering or has already entered the commodity phase just as laptops and PCs did a long time ago � so the basic law of economics �price of substitutes tends to converge �rules. So unless BlackBerry can somehow miraculously differentiate their phone products an eventual exit seems inevitable: obviously, they have more than a fighting chance with their niche enterprise software and security product lines. Apple is facing the same dynamics and seems to be desperately seeking a product portfolio shift � and Sony is also talking about ditching phones having exited PCs some time ago. Ironically, BlackBerry may be better positioned going forward with niche software than Apple (on a much smaller scale of course) � time to short Apple?
I do like my Priv even though I paid way too much for it, and as someone else said it�s a good way to learn Android: been with Blackberry since thumb wheel days but all good things� I wish them luck in the software game but won�t buy their stock just yet.

^^^ This!

One thing that most of the mobile phone fans on this site seem to disregard is that Mobile phones are now a mature technology, and profits will be very difficult to come by for even this most successful companies. Strategically, there is no good reason for BlackBerry, or any other company to invest heavily in any of the current mobile platforms.

Apple is playing with form factors and lower prices, not expensive new technology. Google only produces the Nexus as a showpiece to guide other Android manufacturers. Samsung is struggling to make money with very high volumes.

Even if BlackBerry were still #1 in smart phones, circa 2006, it would be time to rotate it's investments to greener pastures in terms of financial returns.

That's why we should believe John Chen when he says, repeatedly, that he wants to stay in hardware mostly as a service to BlackBerry's current enterprise customers who appreciate an end-to-end security solution. It's a strategic offering to support the software services that have a brighter future than hardware does.

Posted via CB10

[ljfong]

Chen disagrees:



BlackBerry switches focus back on mid-range smartphone market | The National

that is an admission there is nothing in the Priv that compels people to buy the extra money.

I'll be interested to see if they can do any better in the swamped $400 space.

The problem has always been that BlackBerry always prices everything far above what the market expects. Next, they will most likely introduce devices that are sold at $400 a piece, but in the eyes of the market, only worth $200 a piece and then not selling enough, not reaching Chen's target number whatever that will be, Chen will say he will exit the market if hardware is not profitable but he wants the hardware division to be profitable, blah blah blah, all over again.

[Slash82]

Maybe some light for you guys.
Michael Fisher from Pocketnow did tweet this on friday:



I mean it's some advertising the channel he is reviewing for is well known and he has about 42,000 followers.

Posted via CB10