1. anon(1464249)'s Avatar
    Before I start the nitty gritty of this post and my rant, a little intro...

    Anyone remember the original price when the Z10 was first released? In Belgium you got a brand new Z10 for the low low price of €599 ($800 USD). Currently (after 1 year) it sits at €245 ($337 USD) which in my humble opinion is the right price for this device and the Z10 should have been sold around this price from the beginning.

    Keep this in mind when reading the rest of the post.

    /rant

    I was talking to a friend who owns a Z10 and he told me he was looking at an OPPO N1 for his next device. I had never heard of OPPO before, so I decided to google it and see why he was interested in it.
    I noticed the N1 was a phablet and offered some nice features at a great price but what really caught my eye was OPPO's new and unreleased FIND 7 device.

    For people unfamiliar with it have a look:


    Looking good right? Right? Damn right!
    Just take a look at the specs: OPPO Find 7 specs

    I'll summarize some of them:

    • 5.5 inches (1440x2560) 538ppi display (2K)
    • Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 8974-AC chip
    • Quad-core 2500mhz Krait 400
    • 3GB RAM
    • 3000 mAh battery (which charges from 0 to 75% in 30 minutes)
    • Custom ColorOS
    • ...


    This thing sounds like a monster and it pretty much is but the real kick in the teeth here is not a superior Phone in terms of hardware, cause comparing this unreleased beast to the Z10 which is 1 year old is unfair, but the price tag.
    The OPPO find 7 is priced at only €399 ($550 USD). Source => http://europe.oppostyle.com/14-find-7

    I mean seriously? A 2K display, latest Snapdragon chip, Quad-core CPU, big battery, 3GB RAM and only €399?
    How did they do it?

    It has been mentioned before and it will be mentioned numerous times over, BlackBerry pricing is nuts. Just image what this Phone would cost if BlackBerry released it...

    Companies like OPPO are given people the incentive to switch, they provide top of the line hardware at fair prices.

    I love BlackBerry, I love it as a company and I love it as my phone. The biggest reason I stay with BlackBerry is the OS. The hardware itself is limping behind the market but it works for me and I don't need a quad-core CPU or 3GB of RAM as long as my Z10 runs smooth, and it does, thanks to the OS. BlackBerry affectionado's like me and I'm sure a whole bunch of other people are just staying because of the OS, but we like hardware too... I'm a techie, I love hardware, I love to push hardware to the limits and see what it can do. My Z10 is aging and I'm not interested in a Z30 cause it's ridiculously overpriced (Belgium doesn't do subsidized phones, we need to pay for it outright) for the hardware it brings compared to other offerings available.

    For anyone saying that techies are rare, true, but there are only 3 groups when it comes to buying a smartphone.

    1. Techies => they buy the phone they want cause they know what it can and can't do.
    2. Sheep => they buy the brand they want cause it's "their" brand
    3. The rest => they buy whatever the techies, sheep and the marketing departements tell them to buy because they have no idea that a Snapdragon isn't a fire hazard.

    And let's face it, most people, even some techies conclude that a quad-core CPU is superior to a dual-core CPU because quad is 4 and dual is 2. They don't care about the OS being optimized or running smooth on dual-core, they care about it's more, it's better and it's cheaper (compared to BlackBerry)...

    I'd just like the BlackBerry engineers to sit down for a minute, sketch a Phone that stands out in terms of hardware and have the sales team bring it to market with a fair price. This is IMHO their biggest nemesis. Getting a phone out there with a fair price and not acting like a premium brand, overpricing their handsets.

    /rant
    Last edited by wout000; 04-05-14 at 02:17 AM.
    04-05-14 01:53 AM
  2. DigitalMadness's Avatar
    The z10 was released in Feb 2013. Not 2 years ago. Your post sounds like you are flogging the oppo.
    04-05-14 02:10 AM
  3. anon(1464249)'s Avatar
    The z10 was released in Feb 2013. Not 2 years ago. Your post sounds like you are flogging the oppo.
    My bad, i'll adjust the post.

    I'm not flogging the OPPO, although it may seem like it, I'm just showing that a relatively unknown/small company can bring a superior device to market at a low price compared to BlackBerry. It's to show that BlackBerry pricing needs to change.
    If you are familiar with any of my previous posts you'll see that I'm a BlackBerry fan and I'd very much like them to succeed so I can keep using their products.

    The video and specs are included because I'm sure not a lot of people won't know what an OPPO is or why i'm using it in this post. Just for reference.
    04-05-14 02:16 AM
  4. senel's Avatar
    BBs are overpriced. Everyone knows and nobody really care.

    I bought my Q10 for more than 16500 CZK (about 820 dollars) in Czech republic. One of the most expensive device on market and performance compared to other Android devices, lol...

    Posted via CB10
    Kashan Osama and keypad like this.
    04-05-14 02:18 AM
  5. 3Dee's Avatar
    In the past this has been contributed to by BlackBerry making their own devices - an expensive luxury which few others can afford (see: Apple), especially smaller players. It's also meant that they've taken on inventory risks. The move to outsourcing production to Foxconn should help significantly with keeping the costs down.

    Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!
    04-05-14 02:22 AM
  6. anon(1464249)'s Avatar
    BBs are overpriced. Everyone knows and nobody really care.
    I bought my Q10 for more than 16500 CZK (about 820 dollars) in Czech republic. One of the most expensive device on market and performance compared to other Android devices, lol...
    Posted via CB10
    Apparently the public cares. Less and less BlackBerry devices are being sold and people are looking elsewhere for their next device.

    In the past this has been contributed to by BlackBerry making their own devices - an expensive luxury which few others can afford (see: Apple), especially smaller players. It's also meant that they've taken on inventory risks. The move to outsourcing production to Foxconn should help significantly with keeping the costs down.
    Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!
    I agree, but things need to change and I don't mean by introducing a low-end model, I mean by introducing a high-end model at a fair price. BlackBerry will still be in charge for their high-end models so I'm doubtful we'll see a price change there..
    kbz1960 and keypad like this.
    04-05-14 02:23 AM
  7. Aljean Thein's Avatar
    Thats a pretty beastly specs
    04-05-14 02:29 AM
  8. VR6's Avatar
    Better specs and lower prices?!! I'll do it!!

    Posted via CB10
    04-05-14 02:38 AM
  9. wasabiGT's Avatar
    And that's why dear sir, you aren't a CEO. Or are in business for yourself where you sell your own made products.

    Posted via CB10
    stlabrat, AcADIeN and pungster like this.
    04-05-14 03:04 AM
  10. lord_hibiskus's Avatar
    Answer is in dated business strategy. Before, BlackBerry could sell phones expensive cause they had something different to offer bis,bes,bbm,handy os etc. Today competition is on same level ( if not better), plus they don't have to invest in developing of the os(for instance oppo) cause Google is doing that.
    So BlackBerry was is in difficult position cause they needed to generate revenue somehow keeping in mind BlackBerry World is poor comparing to competition and currently they don't have adds in os to monetise, so the only way they had is to pump the prices up.

    Posted via CB10
    04-05-14 03:20 AM
  11. smart548's Avatar
    BlackBerry devices are overpriced. Apple devices are (more than)overpriced. Samsung devices are overpriced. Sony devices are overpriced... and so on. New companies NEED to propose aggressive pricing in order to attract costumers ;-) The market is full of phone producers and the ONLY way to gain a tiny place in there, is to throw in devices with BIG specs product at LOW price. Just my 2 cents..

    Posted via CB10
    AcADIeN likes this.
    04-05-14 03:56 AM
  12. anon(1464249)'s Avatar
    And that's why dear sir, you aren't a CEO. Or are in business for yourself where you sell your own made products.
    Posted via CB10
    What?

    Answer is in dated business strategy. Before, BlackBerry could sell phones expensive cause they had something different to offer bis,bes,bbm,handy os etc. Today competition is on same level ( if not better), plus they don't have to invest in developing of the os(for instance oppo) cause Google is doing that.
    So BlackBerry was is in difficult position cause they needed to generate revenue somehow keeping in mind BlackBerry World is poor comparing to competition and currently they don't have adds in os to monetise, so the only way they had is to pump the prices up.
    Posted via CB10
    I do believe that was probably the reason. They decided to ride the fanboy wave when releasing a brand new OS and new devices knowing die hard fans would pay anything for it. It's a poor strategy that almost always backfires though, especially in the position BlackBerry was in at the time of the release. They needed volume, they failed to get it unfortunately. Pricing strategy is important and they keep missing the boat on that.
    kbz1960 and Kashan Osama like this.
    04-05-14 03:57 AM
  13. anon(1464249)'s Avatar
    BlackBerry devices are overpriced. Apple devices are (more than)overpriced. Samsung devices are overpriced. Sony devices are overpriced... and so on. New companies NEED to propose aggressive pricing in order to attract costumers ;-) The market is full of phone producers and the ONLY way to gain a tiny place in there, is to throw in devices with BIG specs product at LOW price. Just my 2 cents..

    Posted via CB10
    I agree, but they do show it can be done. BlackBerry can benefit from this strategy even more as they already have a huge userbase which might upgrade.
    Genghis2k3 likes this.
    04-05-14 03:58 AM
  14. badiyee's Avatar
    For some reason I wish to make a counter argument that the worth-buying low-end smartphones from BlackBerry aren't being mentioned yet, despite a proper vis-a-vis comparison, like the q5 to HTC cha cha, but I digress.

    Value hunters are of a different market. What opportunities and Xiaomi are banking in isn't at the hardware level. They make very little to no profit from there.

    Posted via CB on BB10
    04-05-14 04:25 AM
  15. smart548's Avatar
    The new Z3 is indeed BlackBerry's response to crazy pricing ;-) 150 euros for a dual core,5'',big battery, BlackBerry is a deal to me.

    Posted via CB10
    04-05-14 04:25 AM
  16. cgk's Avatar
    BlackBerry devices are overpriced. Apple devices are (more than)overpriced. Samsung devices are overpriced. Sony devices are overpriced... and so on. New companies NEED to propose aggressive pricing in order to attract costumers ;-) The market is full of phone producers and the ONLY way to gain a tiny place in there, is to throw in devices with BIG specs product at LOW price. Just my 2 cents..

    Posted via CB10
    The market has a good way of telling us if something is overpriced - it doesn't sell - Apple devices are very clearly not overpriced.
    04-05-14 04:35 AM
  17. cuek80's Avatar
    Well. The difference is obviously the OS cost.
    But as a customer, lower price is always good, so I support u

    Posted via CB10
    04-05-14 04:43 AM
  18. BerryPirate's Avatar
    Pass. Get me a q20 already.
    04-05-14 05:06 AM
  19. quest877's Avatar
    Price of Q5 exceeds that of z10. Huge losses will occur. Whatelse do you expect?
    Blackberry likes to price their phones a little over the limits. Pricing is never right
    they should fix that
    04-05-14 05:07 AM
  20. sixpacker's Avatar
    Blackberry have always had an arrogant swagger when it comes to pricing. They didn't wake up to the fact that the glory days of being the premium, top dog were long over. Bb10 device pricing (along with the disastrous app gap) were what killed it at birth. Going in with small margins could have revived the brand and got bb10 established for the medium to long term. Another embarrassingly dumb, delusional decision.
    kbz1960 and Flatman like this.
    04-05-14 05:34 AM
  21. potatoguy's Avatar
    If you ask me all smart phones are over priced. Advances in technology should be bringing all phones down in price. remember big flat screen tvs?
    They are a lot cheaper now than they were when they came out.
    04-05-14 05:43 AM
  22. anon(1464249)'s Avatar
    For some reason I wish to make a counter argument that the worth-buying low-end smartphones from BlackBerry aren't being mentioned yet, despite a proper vis-a-vis comparison, like the q5 to HTC cha cha, but I digress.
    Value hunters are of a different market. What opportunities and Xiaomi are banking in isn't at the hardware level. They make very little to no profit from there.
    Posted via CB on BB10
    The new Z3 is indeed BlackBerry's response to crazy pricing ;-) 150 euros for a dual core,5'',big battery, BlackBerry is a deal to me.
    Posted via CB10
    The new Z3 will hopefully be a big hit but it's considered a low-end to mid-end device. This post is about BlackBerry's high-end devices which fail over and over again to get a good pricing.

    The market has a good way of telling us if something is overpriced - it doesn't sell - Apple devices are very clearly not overpriced.
    I think we can all agree that iPhones are indeed overpriced. The iPhone has a loyal following because of which the normal market parameters do not apply.

    Well. The difference is obviously the OS cost.
    But as a customer, lower price is always good, so I support u
    Posted via CB10
    The OS cost can't possibly be accounted for the difference in price. If they can manage to sell the Z10 at half of it's original price at the moment they could have set this price point in the beginning.

    Pass. Get me a q20 already.
    Thanks for your insights. Always a pleasure getting a valid argument.

    Blackberry have always had an arrogant swagger when it comes to pricing. They didn't wake up to the fact that the glory days of being the premium, top dog were long over. Bb10 device pricing (along with the disastrous app gap) were what killed it at birth. Going in with small margins could have revived the brand and got bb10 established for the medium to long term. Another embarrassingly dumb, delusional decision.
    My point exactly.

    If you ask me all smart phones are over priced. Advances in technology should be bringing all phones down in price. remember big flat screen tvs?
    They are a lot cheaper now than they were when they came out.
    I agree but you can't use that analogy on the BlackBerry devices running OS10. The Z10/Q10 hardware was already introduced in the market and being used by others. High priced TV's are because of new technology and being first to market. Once that passes the prices go down.
    kbz1960 likes this.
    04-05-14 05:45 AM
  23. vagos2006's Avatar
    Pricing is very important. BlackBerry always gets the pricing wrong. If they had priced the z10 at the price it is today I think the z10 would of been a big hit and would of been in a lot of people's hands. Their sales figures would of been very good. Now that the sale of the z10 is here in Canada is for $199, Telus, they have been sold out within a day. It's all about proper pricing strategies. They will sell if the pricing is right. Get BB10 into as many hands as you can to gain popularity again.

    I think the Foxconn deal is what BlackBerry needed before the z10 came out, but that's over and done with now. Now that the z3 is coming at a decent price let's see what happens. BlackBerry can't charge the money it used to, those days are gone. They have to gain Market share again and popularity in order to start charging prices like that.

    Posted by my awesome Z10
    anon(1464249) likes this.
    04-05-14 05:48 AM
  24. cgk's Avatar


    I think we can all agree that iPhones are indeed overpriced. The iPhone has a loyal following because of which the normal market parameters do not apply.
    Loyal following is just an articulation of added value so in a market sense it is perfectly normal - so no we can't agree that normal rules don't apply unless you want to get into the special pleading we see around here.


    sent from my bright red Nexus 5
    JeepBB, Drew808 and notfanboy like this.
    04-05-14 06:06 AM
  25. UnlimitedEra's Avatar
    BBs are overpriced. Everyone knows and nobody really care.

    I bought my Q10 for more than 16500 CZK (about 820 dollars) in Czech republic. One of the most expensive device on market and performance compared to other Android devices, lol...

    Posted via CB10
    That number! 16000 here buys you an apartment lol

    Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!
    04-05-14 06:39 AM
136 123 ...

Similar Threads

  1. How would you prepare for a zombie apocalypse?
    By omar ayman in forum Rehab & Off-Topic Lounge
    Replies: 21
    Last Post: 05-30-14, 02:05 PM
  2. Annie96 is typing...
    By ConorRobinson in forum General BBM Chat
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 04-25-14, 05:57 PM
  3. Battery life is killing me!
    By muker1515 in forum BlackBerry Z30
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 04-07-14, 02:48 AM
  4. PhotoFonty is coming to Z10 & Z30 also
    By mossa210 in forum General BlackBerry News, Discussion & Rumors
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 04-05-14, 06:18 PM
  5. just got this from Tmo about Blackberry Future
    By Strange Brew in forum General Carrier Discussion
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-04-14, 06:19 PM
LINK TO POST COPIED TO CLIPBOARD