1. anon(5956773)'s Avatar
    Does anyone know if TCL has a contract for more than one phone? Or if the contract is for a certain time frame so they can put out as many phones in that span of time?

    Basically, if the mercury doesn't do well financially, does another company get the BlackBerry licensing?

    Anyone want to guess the worst case scenario?
    02-01-17 05:14 PM
  2. ray689's Avatar
    Does anyone know if TCL has a contract for more than one phone? Or if the contract is for a certain time frame so they can put out as many phones in that span of time?

    Basically, if the mercury doesn't do well financially, does another company get the BlackBerry licensing?

    Anyone want to guess the worst case scenario?
    From the sounds of it, TCL has a long term plan with BlackBerry devices and I don't think everything will be riding on the Mercury. From some interviews, the plan extends well into 2019 (came up when discussing carrier relationships).
    02-01-17 05:20 PM
  3. Ment's Avatar
    Worst case scenario is that TCL doesn't make anymore PKB phones and BB phones of any type are extremely limited availability on carrier contracts. It's highly likely there will be some market for BB Android for the high security customer so TCL can always make small batch high priced slab phones for them. So disaster scenario is you have to buy BB Android from a website for $1K or thru an enterprise relationship, which the regular consumer won't do, they'll just use the BB app suite on their Android slab of preference.
    02-01-17 05:31 PM
  4. conite's Avatar
    I'm sure TCL would have an escape clause. If the Mercury tanks, they'd be done.
    02-01-17 06:15 PM
  5. prplhze2000's Avatar
    TCL done more to generate buzz for a BlackBerry phone than BlackBerry has in a long time

    Posted via CB10
    02-01-17 06:29 PM
  6. anon(5956773)'s Avatar
    I'm very happy with the marketing push. But remember when T-Mobile and BlackBerry had the brief Relationship after making amends?

    Still tanked and they dropped the phone! It happened so fast, T-Mobile employees didn't even know what happened!

    Hope the Mercury does well, I want to try it!
    02-01-17 07:10 PM
  7. Troy Tiscareno's Avatar
    TCL should have a good understanding of how non-PKB phones would sell from the sales of the DTEKs, and Mercury will reveal the sales of PKB phones. If Mercury doesn't do well, I suspect BB phones will be limited to small runs of rebranded Alcatel phones (all-touch of course) with BB software, sold at a premium. That should be sustainable for a while at least.

    If those numbers stop working, then it's likely that the BB phone will cease to exist as a new product offering.
    Dunt Dunt Dunt likes this.
    02-01-17 08:25 PM
  8. JulesDB's Avatar
    What if Mercury becomes a mega hit? (very unlikely)


    Posted via CB10
    02-02-17 02:01 AM
  9. kvndoom's Avatar
    As much as I hate verizon, it is still critical to have them onboard as a carrier at launch. That will be a huge factor in the phone's success.

    Price will be another. Nobody's gonna touch this phone if it's priced over $500. If they're smart they will shoot for $450 tops. Keyboard or no, the Blackberry brand simply does not command high MSRP anymore.
    02-02-17 02:21 AM
  10. anon(5956773)'s Avatar
    And here we go again jumping topics
    02-02-17 04:58 AM
  11. bakron1's Avatar
    As with other folks out there, I feel the key to the Mercury success or failure is going to be pricing. I feel if they can keep the price under $500.00 US, it will have a chance of selling some units. Now we have the wait until February 27th to see what's happens.
    anon(4243545) and Jeffm63 like this.
    02-02-17 06:18 AM
  12. anon(5956773)'s Avatar
    Man are people not reading OP?
    02-02-17 07:09 AM
  13. katxeus's Avatar
    Well, more than one phone..... I think so. But in the PKB form factor, may be 1 in every 3 or 4 which will again depend on the mercury sales and how long the deal is meant to last. So another manufacturer picking up the license, there is already news about the Indonesian deal but doubt if another manufacturer picks it up. Though loosely related, i would be glad if the mercury or the PBK form makes a chain reaction from other OEMs....... I would really want to see a Samsung, LG, Lenovo or Xiaomi pbk phone looks like in 2017? Dont tell me people here don't want to see what others can bring on board!
    02-02-17 07:27 AM
  14. anon(4243545)'s Avatar
    It won't be a flop, but will sell poorly, maybe slightly more than the Q10.
    02-02-17 07:28 AM
  15. anon(4243545)'s Avatar
    As with other folks out there, I feel the key to the Mercury success or failure is going to be pricing. I feel if they can keep the price under $500.00 US, it will have a chance of selling some units. Now we have the wait until February 27th to see what's happens.
    It doesn't even have an Amoled screen, I would be mad if they priced it more than 400€, which is a correct price.
    02-02-17 07:34 AM
  16. conite's Avatar
    It doesn't even have an Amoled screen, I would be mad if they priced it more than 400€, which is a correct price.
    Even the BlackBerry Classic was $450 us at launch.

    The Mercury is still a niche device.
    Dunt Dunt Dunt likes this.
    02-02-17 09:03 AM
  17. anon(4243545)'s Avatar
    Even the BlackBerry Classic was $450 us at launch.

    The Mercury is still a niche device.
    True, but that was the BlackBerry era, not the BlackBerry Mobile era as Kevin cleverly pointed out. And, I'd be happy with such a price (VAT included? Yes, I suppose). I'm just saying it needs a fair price. If they're gonna set it at, say, 500-600€ I'm okay, but then give us an amoled, more RAM, a bigger battery (the Lenovo P2 has a 5100 mAh, a Snapdragon 625 and a Amoled screen for 300$). TCL has all the resources to make a "cheap" phone: I want this Mercury with the already known specs at a fair price, I'd have a hard time paying it almost as much as an iPhone 6S or a top-notch Galaxy.
    02-02-17 09:48 AM
  18. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    As with other folks out there, I feel the key to the Mercury success or failure is going to be pricing. I feel if they can keep the price under $500.00 US, it will have a chance of selling some units. Now we have the wait until February 27th to see what's happens.
    I think the key.... is how enterprise views BlackBerry and TCL, as that seems to still be the focus.

    Is there a number of current BBOS and BB10 installations that are in need of an upgrade path? How much do these customers want to stick with or return to using a BlackBerry devices to match up with BlackBerry EMM solutions they are using? How many that moved on to other platforms and devices, want to return? How many believe that PKB is the better form factor for them to provide to their users?

    Now if TCL does the impossible and release the Mercury as a $299 phone.... maybe that would attract some consumer attention, especially with some of these prepaid phone providers. But if it's reasonable priced at $500, doubt consumers will care. As I just don't believe there is much of a market for a PKB phone.

    As to what will TCL do if Mercury flops.... I think their goal is to sell smartphones in the US market, and I think they are fully aware of how past BlackBerry and Alcatel phones have sold here. They'll keep trying, but probable under their own brand "TCL" as it's become better known and is the Brand they are spending a lot of money to promote in the USA. Maybe they'll rework the branding on future phones to more of a "powered by BlackBerry / Google Android". Or maybe they'll just drop everything associated with BlackBerry. Either way if the Mercury "PROVES" there isn't a viable PKB market..... I doubt you'll see another PKB phone from them. Unless it's a "cheap" Palm phone - they own the Palm brand too and can go "cheap" where BlackBerry probable won't allow them too. Which is why I think if you are a Q10, Classic or Passport owner and want to see a BlackBerry PKB phone in the future, you had better support the Mercury.
    bakron1 and Jeffm63 like this.
    02-02-17 09:58 AM
  19. ohaiguise's Avatar
    Which is why I think if you are a Q10, Classic or Passport owner and want to see a BlackBerry PKB phone in the future, you had better support the Mercury.
    If it's a good product then buy it for your needs, don't try and support a company that will gladly take your money and run.

    If in the future it's not possible to buy anything but an all-touch Android or Apple, we can 1) reappraise our requirements from a mobile phone and 2) get the cheapest one possible and hang on to it for as long as possible, as long as it continues to be useful.

    If it can make and receive calls, it'll do. I can do everything far more productively on a laptop than a little 5" phone. And emails are intolerable without a physical keyboard.
    d6821 likes this.
    02-02-17 10:57 AM
  20. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    If it's a good product then buy it for your needs, don't try and support a company that will gladly take your money and run.

    If in the future it's not possible to buy anything but an all-touch Android or Apple, we can 1) reappraise our requirements from a mobile phone and 2) get the cheapest one possible and hang on to it for as long as possible, as long as it continues to be useful.

    If it can make and receive calls, it'll do. I can do everything far more productively on a laptop than a little 5" phone. And emails are intolerable without a physical keyboard.
    I'm not saying support a company... I'm saying support the PKB form factor (if it's important to you). As I doubt there will be too many more opportunities after the Mercury (if it fails).


    I understand that for you... a phone, even a smartphone might just be a PHONE. But for many in today's market... a smartphone is everything. I know people that don't own a computer anymore and use their phone for EVERYTHING. And are very productive with it, even without a physical keyboard.

    Me, I'd rather use my full PC to do just about anything.... nice big dual monitors, a full sized keyboard for quick typing, and a mouse for easy navigation. But we live in a mobile world, adapt or get left behind.
    d6821 likes this.
    02-02-17 11:26 AM
  21. Zeddepher's Avatar
    The BlackBerry alarm clock will be called the BlackBerry Wink.
    02-02-17 11:31 AM
  22. early2bed's Avatar
    I think TCL is largely counting on being able to sell into existing BlackBerry channels - essentially taking over the BlackBerry hardware brand. That core business needs to continue, otherwise, the deal will probably fall apart. That quarter-over-quarter hardware sales decline had better turn around pretty quickly. I don't know how many new keyboard customers they are expecting to find..
    02-02-17 11:59 AM
  23. BlackBerryPassport's Avatar
    Mercury will be a flop just like Priv and Dtek's

    Posted via CB10
    02-02-17 12:05 PM
  24. Bbnivende's Avatar
    TCL should have a good understanding of how non-PKB phones would sell from the sales of the DTEKs, and Mercury will reveal the sales of PKB phones. If Mercury doesn't do well, I suspect BB phones will be limited to small runs of rebranded Alcatel phones (all-touch of course) with BB software, sold at a premium. That should be sustainable for a while at least.

    If those numbers stop working, then it's likely that the BB phone will cease to exist as a new product offering.
    Neither of the Dtek's much carrier support. Consumers are not willing to pay more for an Android skin and security features. There is a reasonable small market for PKB'S but only with carrier support.

    Lots of hope here that Enterprise users currently using BlackBerry will stick with BlackBerry Mobile but I think that ship has sailed and has reached its destination.
    02-02-17 12:13 PM
  25. conite's Avatar
    Mercury will be a flop just like Priv and Dtek's

    Posted via CB10
    If you think that, then you better buy one, as it will be the last physical keyboard device ever.
    Carjackd, stlabrat and ajwan like this.
    02-02-17 12:25 PM
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