[sleepngbear]

I've come to the conclusion that maybe, maybe 10% of smart phone buyers and users are in any way educated about what's the best phone for their specific needs. A woman I work with was complaining yesterday that her brand new Android phone was almost dead after just half a day, and she'd barely been using it. First off, the thing looked like she was carrying around a flat screen TV when she took it out of her pocket. Then to listen to her carrying on about it, it was obvious that she was yet another 'victim' of an Android-happy sales person and otherwise had absolutely no idea what she wanted or needed.

I'm not saying that a BB or an iPhone or WP would have been better for her, though I'm sure she'd be happier with one of those than with the monstrosity she did get. But it just got me to thinking -- phone manufacturers are more at the mercy of sales people than I think almost people realize or care to admit. They'll push whatever the latest and slickest-looking crap is at the time onto generally uneducated customers with zero regard for how they'll actually be using the damn thing. And then they're usually stuck with them for two years and become nothing more than a market share statistic.

[Sniper535i]

Totally agree

Blackberry Q10

[eggman1987]

People are absolute ******* and scared to be independent.

Posted via CB10

[anon(5061193)]

I don't know how the Cell-phone industry works, but in my industry we "spiff" our salespeople to promote a certain line of items.... If the Salesperson got an extra $5 bucks for every Samsung he sold, he would push Samsung....They are not there to educate.. they are there to sell and make MONEY....

[PavelSh]

You are definitely right!

[donnation]

The problem is (if you are in the US) is that no sales rep is going to push BB because none of them carry the devices in the stores, and when people come in they want to:

A. Not buy something they can't physically hold and try, and

B. Not wait for something to be ordered and shipped. They want to walk out of the store with something.

[rthonpm]

This is exactly why BlackBerry needs to stop worrying about the consumer market. All most nimrods are going to do on their phone is take pictures, text, and check Facebook or whatever stupid social site is cool this fifteen minutes. For the top end models most people seem to want that's a lot of computing power to do very little. BlackBerry needs to find a way to appeal to the enthusiast and hard core smartphone user that they used to own, which all tails back to getting enterprise onboard, the consumer idiots looking for the next shiny thing be damned since all they want is the next new thing as opposed to something that will actually last them reliably through their contract or over a period of more than a few months.

[co4nd]

Most consumers are this way. What get's me is how anyone would listen to some kid at a phone store or at a big box electronic chain instead of doing their own research.

[1guitarguy]

Oh definitely

Posted via CB10

[early2bed]

Can't the same be said of just about any other consumer product you can think of?

[donnation]

This is exactly why BlackBerry needs to stop worrying about the consumer market. All most nimrods are going to do on their phone is take pictures, text, and check Facebook or whatever stupid social site is cool this fifteen minutes. For the top end models most people seem to want that's a lot of computing power to do very little. BlackBerry needs to find a way to appeal to the enthusiast and hard core smartphone user that they used to own, which all tails back to getting enterprise onboard, the consumer idiots looking for the next shiny thing be damned since all they want is the next new thing as opposed to something that will actually last them reliably through their contract or over a period of more than a few months.

If taking pictures and apps is what's important to most consumers then shouldn't Blackberry focus on those features instead of providing a lower class camera in every one of their current phones?

[cgk]

But it just got me to thinking -- phone manufacturers are more at the mercy of sales people than I think almost people realize or care to admit.

The companies disagree:

"The market changed," says Jason Mackenzie, HTC's president of global sales and marketing.

"There's far fewer consumers who are going into the retail stores undecided about what they want to buy.

"Most of our research suggests about 70% of consumers are walking into the store already knowing what they want to buy... so we don't have the luxury in a significant percentage of times to be able to actually put the HTC One in the consumer's hands."

If this analysis is correct it all comes down to marketing - a problem for HTC which admits its budget is about a sixth the size of its South Korean rival.

BBC News - HTC aims to avoid One X mistakes with new mobiles


Look also at the pre-orders for things like the SG5 - which UK retailers are saying have already smashed sales records before any sales person has touched a device...

[pantlesspenguin]

Luckily she doesn't have to be stuck with it though. It sounds like she got a lemon device, unless she got a low end Android with a battery that's half the size of current flagships. Even if she's out of the return period at her carrier she can still get it exchanged through warranty.

Also, if all larger devices are "flat screen monstrosities" what do you call the Z30? .

[anon(5061193)]

I find it somewhat insulting to call anyone buying an Iphone or a Android stupid or nimrod, clueless, idiots or any of the other names people are spewing in this rant... I know you think you are smarter because you own a Blackberry (which is somewhat comical in itself)...but if you look at the best and brightest in the country.. you will see 100 Iphones and Androids for every 1 Blackberry..... It is utterly ridiculous to say that Blackberry is superior to any of these... It is strictly PREFERENCE......People wait in lines for days and pre-order phones without even seeing them because they are consumers and they have money!!! If Blackberry could make a phone that they could sell and market like the others they would in a minute!!

I use a Q10 and a Z30 because I LIKE them!!! but showing a Q10 to the average person is like showing them a rotary phone...Blackberry is looking to find their niche.. They want to make money and stay in business... Nothing more..

I live and work in the HUB of the Universe, Boston Massachusetts... and when I am walking around the Campus of Harvard and MIT.... all you see are Iphones and Apple products....so calling them all stupid is .....well.......STUPID....

[bbq10l]

This is exactly why BlackBerry needs to stop worrying about the consumer market. All most nimrods are going to do on their phone is take pictures, text, and check Facebook or whatever stupid social site is cool this fifteen minutes. For the top end models most people seem to want that's a lot of computing power to do very little. BlackBerry needs to find a way to appeal to the enthusiast and hard core smartphone user that they used to own, which all tails back to getting enterprise onboard, the consumer idiots looking for the next shiny thing be damned since all they want is the next new thing as opposed to something that will actually last them reliably through their contract or over a period of more than a few months.

Hmmm- my iphone lasts more than two years on my contracts with the carrier, does everything I want and need for work and home; is beautiful and can make calls, etc. My BlackBerry is limited in its functionality; routinely drops my email without reason, has none of the business apps I use and could not get a software update if I begged to pay for it. Maybe consumers and salespeople are smarter than you think.

Posted via CB10

[bbq10l]

This is exactly why BlackBerry needs to stop worrying about the consumer market. All most nimrods are going to do on their phone is take pictures, text, and check Facebook or whatever stupid social site is cool this fifteen minutes. For the top end models most people seem to want that's a lot of computing power to do very little. BlackBerry needs to find a way to appeal to the enthusiast and hard core smartphone user that they used to own, which all tails back to getting enterprise onboard, the consumer idiots looking for the next shiny thing be damned since all they want is the next new thing as opposed to something that will actually last them reliably through their contract or over a period of more than a few months.

Nimrods? Consumer idiots? Stupid? What a poverty of vocabulary. I work with some of the top doctors in my area- graduates of Yale, Harvard, Cambridge, etc. They are written about in magazines and lecture at universities. They all use iphones and ipads for the ease of use and the medical apps. On the contrary, IF you only need a phone for calls, texting, and email, then BlackBerry is definitely your choice.

Posted via CB10

[endevour]

IMHO there are some sides to that story
1. with brain and money
you get what you want, which is what you need.
2. with brain and no money
you get what you need but might not be what you really want.
3. w/o brain and money
you get what you think you need or they tell you what you need and you get that
4. w/o brain and w/o money
you get what you want with some debt?

yeah I know, there are some more... w/e
</scnr>

[AcADIeN]

people usually think that buying a smart phone will make them smart.

[Mike88888]

Many people buy smartphones based on word of mouth and advertising. They want to buy phones that are popular so they can fit in.

Posted via CB10

[spikesolie]

I find it somewhat insulting to call anyone buying an Iphone or a Android stupid or nimrod, clueless, idiots or any of the other names people are spewing in this rant... I know you think you are smarter because you own a Blackberry (which is somewhat comical in itself)...but if you look at the best and brightest in the country.. you will see 100 Iphones and Androids for every 1 Blackberry..... It is utterly ridiculous to say that Blackberry is superior to any of these... It is strictly PREFERENCE......People wait in lines for days and pre-order phones without even seeing them because they are consumers and they have money!!! If Blackberry could make a phone that they could sell and market like the others they would in a minute!!

I use a Q10 and a Z30 because I LIKE them!!! but showing a Q10 to the average person is like showing them a rotary phone...Blackberry is looking to find their niche.. They want to make money and stay in business... Nothing more..

I live and work in the HUB of the Universe, Boston Massachusetts... and when I am walking around the Campus of Harvard and MIT.... all you see are Iphones and Apple products....so calling them all stupid is .....well.......STUPID....

Right on cue..iphone defending. Not that I approve the name calling or anything but I knew I'd find you here. Funny

Posted via CB10

[BlackBerry Guy]

I think that can be said of a lot of buyers of consumer electronics, be it mobile devices, TVs, computers, or whatever else. Not everyone does in depth research into a product before they buy it. They probably read the odd review or two online, take the advise of a salesperson or friend, buy whatever is on sale, or some combination of the above. We may just be a little more sensitive to it now because BlackBerry isn't what consumers are buying. 5-6 years ago, everyone was buying a BlackBerry because that's what salespeople were pushing and seemingly everyone else had one too. My mom, the most clueless tech person there is got one because some of her friends had one, and I had one of course. That's just the way the world of consumer electronics are, this isn't a new phenomenon.

[TGR1]

Right on cue..iphone defending. Not that I approve the name calling or anything but I knew I'd find you here. Funny

Posted via CB10

Did you read that he uses and likes and prefers his Q10? Why does criticizing name-calling equate to specifically a phone defence?

[opteron7]

You pretty much can say the same thing about any market segment out there.

Jeez

Posted via CB10

[Oofa]

I've come to the conclusion that maybe, maybe 10% of smart phone buyers and users are in any way educated about what's the best phone for their specific needs.

10% sounds about right. I ran into a co-worker (who is in her 50s) yesterday at a supermarket that complained about not being able to hear the other party on her new Samsung S4. I asked her if she had tried turning the volume up and her response was, "Oh, I didn't know you can do that. Show me how you do that". I chuckled and showed her where the volume control was. She thought it was only a ringer control. She insisted her old flip phone didn't have that "feature". She would go out of her mind if I showed her what else a smart phone could do. I'm sure there are many naive people when it comes to phones.

[flacrack]

I wouldn't call all smartphone buyers dumb. MOst just want a reasonably easy to use phone to do the basics. Beyond calling, texting and maybe a coiuple apps, they just want it to work all day without recharging. And for that there is always an extended battery case. iPhone provides this. Put in an app, it works. No questions asked. If there's a problem with an iPhone, it is either universal (ex. antenna) and everyone says "Oh well," or you have a bad phone, which Apple will almost gladly replace on the spot. Android phones offer more customization and require a bit of thought. Blackberry phones are great, but they require some basic knowledge if you want them to do what the iPhone can do. Please don't tell me that sideloading Snap is easy, because for a typical non-techie user, it isn't.

Now here's where it will be interesting. Carriers have realized they don't like subsidized phones and people like me who don't upgrade on a contract schedule don't like paying higher rates to subsidize those who do. Hence the lower rates and bring your own phone or buy at full price. Now, does a $200 phone look attractive? Yes it does. A Z3 or even a Z10 (mine was $200) if it could have apps available at reasonable effort, would do well. At the high end, iPhones will still reign in the US unless BB can make the enterprise (higher end) phone so attractive that it spills over into a consumer market.