[kbz1960]

Enlighten me then. Again, how is a larger QWERTY keyboard a selling point? Is the salesperson going to say, "Oh, and this BB has a larger keyboard, in fact, except for some cosmetic differences, this is physically the same phone as the 9000 that came out 3 years ago!"

I have taken time to research the phone, as I'm in the market for a new one. Thus far, I've yet to find anything on my network that really grabs me - not BB, not the iPhone, not any Androids or Windows Phones.

Since you put it that way all the darn phones are just rehashes of an older phone but maybe the screen, processor etc. are better, which btw is what makes it better. Tell me you can put windows xp on an old p4 with 256mb of ram and it will run just as fast and as well as it will on a core 2 duo with 2gb or ram......................NOT.

I have to wonder what do people want in a phone as far as form factor? Do you want this space age thing that looks more like a bluetooth headset or do you want it to look like an old phone with a dial on it yet?

Oh the larger qwerty being a selling point, yes to people with larger hands and fingers. Maybe not for everyone as in everything but sometimes I'd like a larger keyboard on my tour.

[ibiza.ben]

Apple have been using the same form factor for the past 5 years.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[katiepea]

Any feature is a selling point, since bb's aren't selling anywhere well, except in parts of the world where they're pretty much giving them away, a keyboard doesn't seem to be something that keeps someone or brings anyone else in

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[h20work]

Any feature is a selling point, since bb's aren't selling anywhere well, except in parts of the world where they're pretty much giving them away, a keyboard doesn't seem to be something that keeps someone or brings anyone else in

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Odd that the droid manufacturers seem to be coming out with more qwerty models....

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[ADGrant]

Any feature is a selling point, since bb's aren't selling anywhere well, except in parts of the world where they're pretty much giving them away, a keyboard doesn't seem to be something that keeps someone or brings anyone else in

It's what's keeping me. If I wanted a touch screen phone I would just buy an iPhone.

[_StephenBB81]

Any feature is a selling point, since bb's aren't selling anywhere well, except in parts of the world where they're pretty much giving them away, a keyboard doesn't seem to be something that keeps someone or brings anyone else in

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

USA is the country that gives them away,

Countries that RIM is doing well in are paying 300-400 for their devices, since they buy them off contracts,

but I'm sure you knew that with the extensive research you do in your posting.

[_StephenBB81]

It's what's keeping me. If I wanted a touch screen phone I would just buy an iPhone.

you're over 21

[katiepea]

USA is the country that gives them away,

Countries that RIM is doing well in are paying 300-400 for their devices, since they buy them off contracts,

but I'm sure you knew that with the extensive research you do in your posting.

I don't think so friend, the 8330 is rims best selling phone overseas, those aren't going for 400 bucks, nor do the majority of people even have cell service in these countries

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[ADGrant]

you're over 21

Perhaps even more reason to buy an iPhone. Apparently BBs are the hot new teen messaging phone (at least in the UK).

[_StephenBB81]

Perhaps even more reason to buy an iPhone. Apparently BBs are the hot new teen messaging phone (at least in the UK).

touche....

[_StephenBB81]

I don't think so friend, the 8330 is rims best selling phone overseas, those aren't going for 400 bucks, nor do the majority of people even have cell service in these countries

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

excellent research skills

Two Top Selling Blackberry Mobile Phones in India

8520, 9780 top 2 selling in India ( potential market 4 times USA)

[h20work]

excellent research skills

Two Top Selling Blackberry Mobile Phones in India

8520, 9780 top 2 selling in India ( potential market 4 times USuA)

You totally suck at taking your own advice, and I mean the last line of your signature

[_StephenBB81]

You totally suck at taking your own advice, and I mean the last line of your signature

what is sad is you have no idea HOW true you are since your point actually directly reflects 33% of the reason it went there

[h20work]

I stopped posting a long time ago, but some of the things people like katie say are just so frigging wrong....

My favorite part is when they are proven wrong, it becomes "well, that's not important..." or they just ignore it altogether.

I visit cb to find out when my next phone will be available, not to try and justify why I use something else. Wish I had that kind of free time.

[_StephenBB81]

I stopped posting a long time ago, but some of the things people like katie say are just so frigging wrong....

My favorite part is when they are proven wrong, it becomes "well, that's not important..." or they just ignore it altogether.

I visit cb to find out when my next phone will be available, not to try and justify why I use something else. Wish I had that kind of free time.

I come here to shut my brain down.

I don't need to worry about politics, bureaucracy, legislation, I get to talk about gadgets! which I am fond of, I don't need a to have a calculator to break down percentage changes, it's just mind numbingly simple posting.

but I do get ruffled a few times and have to really make sure I hit the preview post button before going off on some of the posters who make me really question the US education system.

[UrbanGlowCam]

You do have to admit that the vast majority of customers are not going to care about the technical aspects of the phone. They want to know: Can I e-mail? Can I take pictures? Is it fun to use? Look at Apple's marketing, and just how successful they've been. They don't talk about the specs of their products, they talk about the user experience.

And, my reasoning skills are perfectly fine, thank you. What are the drastic improvements on the phone? A faster processor? A small touchscreen that is really only useful for scrolling? A return to the 9000 form factor from 3 years ago? OS7 has absolutely no legitimate improvements, as it is really just OS 6.1. Except for being able to do things a bit faster than before, the 9900 presents pretty much the exact user experience as when the 9700 came out nearly 2 years ago.

Sorry if the fanboys don't see this, but 'them's the facts' and that's why both Apple and Android have roared past RIM. I truly wish it wasn't the case, and that RIM had kept pace. However, the CEOs refused to believe that smartphones were anything more than a phone+e-mail device, and here we are.

I agree with what you're saying about the minimalistic approach Apple takes and how it attracts customers. That's perfectly fine and has proven to be very effective. On the other hand, what do they do after each rendition? They brag about the new hardware i.e. retina display, A4/A5 chips, 720 camera, etc. and people go crazy. (Sound familiar?) Why? Because of the tech involved which is important to know about when choosing a smartphone to purchase. The same is true for mostly any piece of tech you purchase off the shelf.

Even if that means just looking at the screen and seeing that it looks sharper or knowing that the camera has a better picture. I still include that with researching the phone.

So in the same sense, would it not be smart to learn what a higher resolution screen, faster processor, better camera, and other tech improvements could do to improve your experience of the phone? I think so.

Also, did iOS look significantly different to you when it launched with the iPhone 4 from the 3GS? I don't think so. In fact, it's the same boring UI with a sharper image. Again, sound familiar? Not to turn this into a BB vs iPhone argument because I respect iOS in several ways. But at least BB7 adds new refreshed icons and a more fluids motion on top of a much sharper picture. People that have had hands on with the phones even admit to better viewing angles on the new screens.

This might just be a case of RIM playing catchup with other competitors on (which I agree with) but at least they are filling in a lot of the gaps that they have had with the current lineup.

So where RIM has been caught up in areas like push, communication, and messaging services, they are also catching up to their competitors in the way of performance and tech. They are just different paths that they are all converging on in my opinion. I still admit that BBOS is sitting on old architecture where flaws are still apparent.

Point is for many that are still on BB5 or even BB6 phones, the upcoming ones are a very welcome addition to their lineup. There are many that don't think its enough and will stick with other platforms. That's completely fine and I don't disagree. But again, I don't think the new BB7 phones should be dismissed that easily just because they LOOK the same.

[qbnkelt]

That last point is one that I just struggle understanding.
I read post after post about BBs having the same look...when other devices are a slab of plastic and glass that hasn't changed since inception. With those devices, the look is "iconic" but BB's design is somehow "boring" or "stale" or other such negative comment.
Whatever....I love my Torch, I don't mind that the Torch 2 will look the same...better for me, all the accessories will transfer.
But the hypocrisy is amazing.

[grover5]

I agree with what you're saying about the minimalistic approach Apple takes and how it attracts customers. That's perfectly fine and has proven to be very effective. On the other hand, what do they do after each rendition? They brag about the new hardware i.e. retina display, A4/A5 chips, 720 camera, etc. and people go crazy. (Sound familiar?) Why? Because of the tech involved which is important to know about when choosing a smartphone to purchase. The same is true for mostly any piece of tech you purchase off the shelf.

Even if that means just looking at the screen and seeing that it looks sharper or knowing that the camera has a better picture. I still include that with researching the phone.

So in the same sense, would it not be smart to learn what a higher resolution screen, faster processor, better camera, and other tech improvements could do to improve your experience of the phone? I think so.

Also, did iOS look significantly different to you when it launched with the iPhone 4 from the 3GS? I don't think so. In fact, it's the same boring UI with a sharper image. Again, sound familiar? Not to turn this into a BB vs iPhone argument because I respect iOS in several ways. But at least BB7 adds new refreshed icons and a more fluids motion on top of a much sharper picture. People that have had hands on with the phones even admit to better viewing angles on the new screens.

This might just be a case of RIM playing catchup with other competitors on (which I agree with) but at least they are filling in a lot of the gaps that they have had with the current lineup.

So where RIM has been caught up in areas like push, communication, and messaging services, they are also catching up to their competitors in the way of performance and tech. They are just different paths that they are all converging on in my opinion. I still admit that BBOS is sitting on old architecture where flaws are still apparent.

Point is for many that are still on BB5 or even BB6 phones, the upcoming ones are a very welcome addition to their lineup. There are many that don't think its enough and will stick with other platforms. That's completely fine and I don't disagree. But again, I don't think the new BB7 phones should be dismissed that easily just because they LOOK the same.

I completely agree. This is very well stated. I also marvel at the idea that the slab look somehow never gets old.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[qbnkelt]

Any feature is a selling point, since bb's aren't selling anywhere well, except in parts of the world where they're pretty much giving them away, a keyboard doesn't seem to be something that keeps someone or brings anyone else in

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Too bad they didn't sell well at all in the UK for 2010. They are not selliing at all there. Figures that came from stores and carriers as opposed to self reports are all wrong. UK regularly gives away BBerries. As noted in the article.

BlackBerry trumps iPhone in UK 2010 smartphone sales | News | TechRadar UK

[grover5]

Too bad they didn't sell well at all in the UK for 2010. They are not selliing at all there. Figures that came from stores and carriers as opposed to self reports are all wrong. UK regularly gives away BBerries. As noted in the article.

BlackBerry trumps iPhone in UK 2010 smartphone sales | News | TechRadar UK

I see what you're doing here. You have decided to use facts as opposed to random statements designed to support what you would like to be true. Interesting.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[_StephenBB81]

I see what you're doing here. You have decided to use facts as opposed to random statements designed to support what you would like to be true. Interesting.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

And have you noticed she chastises me when I attempt to do the same..

women.

[UrbanGlowCam]

Good post.

Yes, customers SHOULD consider much more when they purchase a phone. That we agree on.

In regards to the iPhone, they at least seem to be able to introduce something with each rendition. They also seem to be able to market the **** out of it, even if it is a feature that few will actually use (Facetime).

My original comments were not so much to bash the 9900, but to ask the honest question: How is THIS BB going to distinguish itself from its competitors when there really isn't a whole lot of difference from the 9650/9700/9780 devices. BBs, at least in the States, are considered archaic, much in the same light as flip phones. To many, many folks, this is just another BB - hence my BB is a BB is a BB comments a few pages back.

You could argue that but I still think its the same thing one can say about each iphone. I even often hear every Android is very similar to the other that released in close proximity. This is funny to me considering how many manufacturers make roughly the same phone with an almost identical ui. They all have different skins but are roughly the same. In fact to many, they get too overdone and are often too scattered/complex. This is why many prefer the BB ui. Its clean cut approach is what keeps many people familiar with them. Even the PlayBook on its much more powerful OS took many of the design cues from BB6.

I guess there's always that factor of taste you just can't argue with. Some people prefer BB while others don't know how they manage to exist and fail to see their effectiveness. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[_StephenBB81]

How is THIS BB going to distinguish itself from its competitors when there really isn't a whole lot of difference from the 9650/9700/9780 devices. BBs, at least in the States, are considered archaic, much in the same light as flip phones. To many, many folks, this is just another BB - hence my BB is a BB is a BB comments a few pages back.

It will distinguish itself because
A: it IS a Blackberry, that is a brandname even the most illinformed consumer knows better than HTC, or Android
B: Portrait Qwerty Candybar
This form factor still has relevance hence the attempts by motorola and htc to make a competing device in the form factor

Will it have iPhone appeal? No chance at all, but RIM doesn't need to be #1 in volume, they just need to maintain profitabilty and bring people who like RIM products better versions of what they like,
And hopefully in doing so they attract new customers

It differs from previous BB's in that it has a touch screen, to you you see it good only for scrolling, I get a PDF file every day that on my curve takes 8-10 seconds to zoom big enough to read the 1 line I care about, on my Torch and playbook both are about 2 seconds to zoom, the 9900 will be that 2 seconds as well. Its the little things that it will do better that will get people to upgrade,
Doesn't need to be revolutionary, just needs to be better than previous, addressing weaknesses, and improving strengths.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[01itr]

Not sure if this has been posted yet?

[kbz1960]

I guess it will not distinguish itself from the competition with having a better browser, liquid graphics (whatever that is but is suppose to be a smoother faster experience), the hardware isn't 2 years old but isn't current. The newest droid isn't current either and probably sucks up more battery.

As far apps go it may not compete there either if you care about silly stuff but think it will have most of the apps people use. And for blackberry users it may have enough to keep them around instead of switching. Will it bring new customers? Probably but not in hoards.