[Superfly_FR]

Let's run the #busted trend again. I won't even comment.
All of this in the CIO.com article, I read thanks to Crackberry Adam.
Full article, as reported by Adam : RIM CEO on What Went Wrong and the Future of BlackBerry CIO.com

(from page 7)

The carriers are supporting us, Al, because they see a duopoly. iPhone and iOS are proprietary and basically closed to them. And they see Android now as actually kind of monopolized by Samsung. So they want to serve choice, and we have to prove to them, that's our job with BlackBerry 10, that we offer that choice and we can offer the competitive element of the market that they're now seeking.

[...] when I've talked to carriers about the delay of BlackBerry 10, the overwhelming feedback was, "First, thank you for letting us know in advance. Second, Q4 is mostly a prepaid quarter anyway, lot of noise coming, actually why don't we focus on a Q1 [2013] launch and make this a major launch in Q1?" I think we have a lot of support there.

[jweihrauch]

I really believe TH is the right man for this job. Intelligent and straight forward (Though others may disagree). We can read headlines like, "BB10 Delay, RIP RIM" or we can wait for the man on top to say what's really going on. Here we read clearly (If you trust his word, I do) that carriers are happy they were informed way in advance, instead of 'cough cough' a day in advance. Nice job TH!

[ElGusta]

^No mention of Windows 8 by Heinsy?

Hopefully RIM isn't duplicating mistakes of the past by overlooking an emerging competitor...

[DuexNoir]

Actually, this "duopoly" was also mentioned by an analyst interviewed by CTV (which I posted here somewhere). He also said that carriers support RIM in order to avoid Apple and Samsung/Android monopoly of the market. He also didn't mentioned anything about WP8, so maybe the carriers and third parties do prefer to support BB over WP8. It is interesting that interest of the market/media in general seems to shift heavier to BB (although negative right now) than WP8. You rarely hear about WP8 for anything (in Canada anyways). And when you do hear, it's mentioned as Nokia the company and nothing about the phones.

But really...who knows what will eventually play out until next year. I am keeping my fingers crossed for BB to come out a win because I really like my BB device and hate to lose it.

[lnichols]

Maybe carriers not in the US, but US carriers are telling RIM they are supporting them while telling the sales clowns in the stores to do everything possible to not sell them. Look at all the stories of people being told to by something else. If this doesn't change with BB10, it won't matter how great it is as the person you have to buy the phone from will tell you every lie in the book to try to get you to be an iPhone or Android device. I see RIM's faith in CIO requirements as another fault. RIM delivered on the requirements and the CIO's caved to BYOD.

[Thunderbuck]

Maybe carriers not in the US, but US carriers are telling RIM they are supporting them while telling the sales clowns in the stores to do everything possible to not sell them. Look at all the stories of people being told to by something else. If this doesn't change with BB10, it won't matter how great it is as the person you have to buy the phone from will tell you every lie in the book to try to get you to be an iPhone or Android device. I see RIM's faith in CIO requirements as another fault. RIM delivered on the requirements and the CIO's caved to BYOD.

You may think "Carrier is carrier is carrier," but what you're really picking on here is front-line retail, and that's a problem that extends far beyond the carriers' stores.

Front-line retail sucks. They are told next to nothing, and take the brunt of customer complaints. They also spend their days hearing people saying things like "Blackberry sucks" and just accepting that as customer mood.

So, these days, when a customer comes in asking for a Blackberry, these generally-undertrained reps will reflexively say, "Really? Nobody seems to want them anymore... I hear they're going out of business..." and it just kind of deteriorates from there.

A comprehensive marketing effort will include significant re-branding, extensive (and very visible) advertising, maybe some innovative sponsorships, and some very well-planned training of in-store staff. I have no idea what RIM has up its sleeves in this regard, but I hope it's something BIG.

[Shlooky]

BB10 has to be good enough for buyers to walk into a store to specifically request it. Not..."I am thinking of buying a phone, not sure what i want, what do you recommend?" kind of approach.
Yes the carrier will push them to iPhone or Android, because they sell.

[OzarkaTexile]

Did you guys miss this?

In January with the full touch device and the QWERTY coming, I think we will reinstall faith in RIM

He said January. That's more specific that Q1 2013. Now we can start arguing about which week in January.

[bk1022]

RIM's biggest problem to date is that they can't sell something that doesn't exist. Let's worry about that first and then the crackberry universe can all clamour for phones and tell everyone how awesome RIM is.

[ITGuy6356]

I really believe TH is the right man for this job. Intelligent and straight forward (Though others may disagree). We can read headlines like, "BB10 Delay, RIP RIM" or we can wait for the man on top to say what's really going on. Here we read clearly (If you trust his word, I do) that carriers are happy they were informed way in advance, instead of 'cough cough' a day in advance. Nice job TH!

"There's nothing wrong with the company as it exists right now," Mr. Heins said. "I'm not talking about the company as I, kind of, took it over six months ago. I'm talking about the company (in the) state it's in right now."

RIM not in a 'death spiral,' CEO says - Toronto - CBC News

Nothing wrong? Really?

The stock is down nearly 95%. The company lost more than $500 MILLION dollars last quarter...BB10 is delayed...again...and the PB has been a resounding flop, thanks to RIM's complete lack of marketing...and nothing's wrong?

RIM Shares Plunge to 2003 Levels After Delaying BB10 Launch | Fox Business

Keep dreaming kids.

[Thunderbuck]

"There's nothing wrong with the company as it exists right now," Mr. Heins said. "I'm not talking about the company as I, kind of, took it over six months ago. I'm talking about the company (in the) state it's in right now."

RIM not in a 'death spiral,' CEO says - Toronto - CBC News

Nothing wrong? Really?

The stock is down nearly 95%. The company lost more than $500 MILLION dollars last quarter...BB10 is delayed...again...and the PB has been a resounding flop, thanks to RIM's complete lack of marketing...and nothing's wrong?

RIM Shares Plunge to 2003 Levels After Delaying BB10 Launch | Fox Business

Keep dreaming kids.

Your comment has appeared hundreds of times in more or less the same form. In what way is it relevant here?

[MasterOfBinary]

"There's nothing wrong with the company as it exists right now," Mr. Heins said. "I'm not talking about the company as I, kind of, took it over six months ago. I'm talking about the company (in the) state it's in right now."

RIM not in a 'death spiral,' CEO says - Toronto - CBC News

Nothing wrong? Really?

The stock is down nearly 95%. The company lost more than $500 MILLION dollars last quarter...BB10 is delayed...again...and the PB has been a resounding flop, thanks to RIM's complete lack of marketing...and nothing's wrong?

RIM Shares Plunge to 2003 Levels After Delaying BB10 Launch | Fox Business

Keep dreaming kids.

I have a great idea that will cut down about half the posts on this forum. Display the RIMM stock price on the front page. All the 1,000 times a day the stock gets mentioned randomly will be gone.

[CHIP72]

I think ITGuy is saying if Heins were the right man for the job, as the poster he quoted suggested, BB 10 wouldn't have been delayed again, the stock price wouldn't have declined significantly, and there would have been more marketing on what is currently RIM's most advanced product, the PlayBook.

I'm not sure I agree on the stock price, but I definitely do agree on the BB 10 delay. As for delaying BB 10 because most Christmas season sales are non-contract devices, I think that is BS. Why is the next iPhone launching in Q4 2012? Why are the highest percentage of high-end Android devices are typically launched annually between September and November? Why is Microsoft launching Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 in Q4 2012. I think Q4 has the highest percentage of off-contract smartphone purchases, but it also has, by far, the highest percentage of overall smartphone purchases of any quarter during the year. You can look up that latter statement.

[avt123]

I don't believe what he said about the holiday season either. I would think on contract devices sell more.

[Thunderbuck]

I don't believe what he said about the holiday season either. I would think on contract devices sell more.

Holidays == Gift Giving

Not easy (note--didn't say "impossible") to give on-contract phone.

Back-to-school I can see as a significant sales season, OTOH. In many cases students are getting their first mobile, or using the opportunity to upgrade to a smartphone.

[mithrazor]

"There's nothing wrong with the company as it exists right now," Mr. Heins said. "I'm not talking about the company as I, kind of, took it over six months ago. I'm talking about the company (in the) state it's in right now."

RIM not in a 'death spiral,' CEO says - Toronto - CBC News

Nothing wrong? Really?

The stock is down nearly 95%. The company lost more than $500 MILLION dollars last quarter...BB10 is delayed...again...and the PB has been a resounding flop, thanks to RIM's complete lack of marketing...and nothing's wrong?

RIM Shares Plunge to 2003 Levels After Delaying BB10 Launch | Fox Business

Keep dreaming kids.

Yeah I'm pretty sure he was talking about internally at RIM.

[ccbs]

Holidays == Gift Giving

Not easy (note--didn't say "impossible") to give on-contract phone.

Back-to-school I can see as a significant sales season, OTOH. In many cases students are getting their first mobile, or using the opportunity to upgrade to a smartphone.

It is very easy to look up competitors ( Samsung, Apple, HTC) quarter result to see that q4 is almost always the best quarter in term of handset shipment. It is pretty obvious that Heins is trying to sugarcoat the situation and make the most out of the delay.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I know lots of people that bought phones (or upgrades) during Oct - Dec.

If you watch, this is usually when carriers run most of their specials... Last year I know Verizon was doing the double you data promotion. And I remember a number of really great discounts on Android Devices during that time - lot of buy one get one specials.

So yes I think RIM is going to miss out of an opportunity by not having a device ready. But it maybe good for them, everything else will be old by then... that is if they aren't already stuck with the hardware they had originally planned to use last year that was the first supposed delay.

[Superfly_FR]

As for delaying BB 10 because most Christmas season sales are non-contract devices, I think that is BS.

Actually neither did he say nor state that. Of course it's a "half-full" positive vision, and he said clearly that being late was bad ! But he's adapting to the situation, searching advantages where he can find them. In this precise situation, it seems that (one of ?) the carriers gave this argument, which is a neat move IMHO.

P.S: How many threads or posts did we have like "ohhh, launching simultaneously with ip5 and W8phones ? really ? that's craaaazzzyyyy : not a chance !" when October was rumored ? It will be funny to match some posters comments about this ...

[Superfly_FR]

It is very easy to look up competitors ( Samsung, Apple, HTC) quarter result to see that q4 is almost always the best quarter in term of handset shipment. It is pretty obvious that Heins is trying to sugarcoat the situation and make the most out of the delay.

Yes Sir.
But what else should we expect from a good C.E.O ?

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Good C.E.O would not let six months go by under his watch and not know the status of a project!

When they said hardware was the reason for the original delay... it was understandable - LTE was new, there were power issues. But now we know that they were either not being fully truthful or they really had no grasp of when the project could be completed.

A good C.E.O. who had already been working with the company should have know that status of development. And from day one should have instituted the hold on Vacations and increased overtime, and apparently started hiring some more experienced software engineers.

I agree that part of the C.E.O. job is Public Relations and he has to be a positive spin on even bad news. But that doesn't mean that things are going to turn out positive in the end.

[addicted44]

I think ITGuy is saying if Heins were the right man for the job, as the poster he quoted suggested, BB 10 wouldn't have been delayed again, the stock price wouldn't have declined significantly, and there would have been more marketing on what is currently RIM's most advanced product, the PlayBook.

RIM's stock and financial troubles can be pinned down almost completely to the delayed BB10 release. For better or worse, I think Heins was put in charge far too late to have prevented that. He can't go and actually start writing code himself. The regime before just didn't have the urgency towards getting BB10 done that Heins is now installing in his employees.

[ITGuy6356]

Your comment has appeared hundreds of times in more or less the same form. In what way is it relevant here?

Well Sparky...if you can't figure it out...sorry.

[OMGitworks]

Maybe carriers not in the US, but US carriers are telling RIM they are supporting them while telling the sales clowns in the stores to do everything possible to not sell them. Look at all the stories of people being told to by something else. If this doesn't change with BB10, it won't matter how great it is as the person you have to buy the phone from will tell you every lie in the book to try to get you to be an iPhone or Android device. I see RIM's faith in CIO requirements as another fault. RIM delivered on the requirements and the CIO's caved to BYOD.

Within the last hour I went in to a Verizon store to get a SIM card for a 4G USB Modem/stick. I have dealt with one of the staff and he has always been great, He quickly got me set-up with what I needed. While he was activating it, he reminded me that my Bold was eligible for an upgrade. I told him I knew, but I was trying to wait for the new BB10 phones.

He was incredulous and told me he just heard that they were being delayed for at least 6 months and that he almost never sells a BB anymore and that corporate has no support and no game plan for it. He said RIM is trying to sell below average phones that are due to be replaced and that it will basically be a year that he couldn't recommend the BB devices since they were already old and were going to be replaced. He's given up staying up to date on BB stuff. He is the guy who sold me the BOLD 2 years ago and marched me right over to the RIM products back then. Now that display/kiosk is no longer in the middle of the store, but in the back/side of the store and literally gathers dust. I know this is anecdotal, but I bet it is happening all over the US and elsewhere. THIS IS THE DELAY AND PROBLEM RIM DOESN'T GET! Really quite sad.

[avt123]

Holidays == Gift Giving

Not easy (note--didn't say "impossible") to give on-contract phone.

Back-to-school I can see as a significant sales season, OTOH. In many cases students are getting their first mobile, or using the opportunity to upgrade to a smartphone.

It is understandable, but I still think it is wrong. I understand giving an on contract gift is hard for some. 5 of my cousins got the iPhone 4S for Christmas. All on 2 year contracts. I know my family is not the world, but everyone else I know who got a new phone has a holiday present this year was on contract as well.

It's interesting either way.