[Sairos]

Despite buying up other companies, they still have billions in cash.
BB, Still the One

Irrelevant, they're not making enough money on devices to market them. If they market they end up losing $$ on devices. Chen himself said so in the earnings result when questioned about the lack of marketing. So this is not my opinion, its a fact.

Why wouldn't he market the phones if he can?.. They did all the marketing in the world with the first BB10 devices to no avail. Now its over, they can't afford it.

[Sairos]

So we better listen to what they like. They are the future business consumers and they will not just accept what us older groups use blindly.

Blackberry most definitely needs appeal to the younger crowds or they will remain relevant. Unless by going to software and closing hardware they can avoid that youth affect.


Posted via CB10

So all BlackBerry users are old groups xD?.. I'm a little few years above your 18 mark yet I like BlackBerry. Liked it long before the 18 mark too. When it was trendy and when it wasn't.

I'm sure there are young users among the rare BlackBerry users out there. It isn't a matter of young and old. Both want apps, they didn't have apps with BB10. If they did, we wouldn't be here 24 hrs discussing the downfall of BlackBerry. People wanted to stick with BlackBerry but not on their own expense. I don't have to sacrifice features and apps for a phone company. This isn't my Gf.

Another wrong decision was making a PKB slider device when the market has moved to all-touch devices. This has nothing to do with old or young. This has to do with the state of tech we're living in.

[donnation]

I would have to agree that the youth (under say 20) dictate more what the older generation do now more than ever. There was a time in technology that the 30 some things set the trends. Now, it's the 12 to 18 year Olds.
So we better listen to what they like. They are the future business consumers and they will not just accept what us older groups use blindly.

Blackberry most definitely needs appeal to the younger crowds or they will remain relevant. Unless by going to software and closing hardware they can avoid that youth affect.


Posted via CB10

Yeah I'm sorry but I don't agree with this at all. The coveted target demographic is 18-49 yr olds, not 12-18 yr olds. No adult is basing their purchase on what a 13 year old kid is using.

[thurask]

Lol, a lot of you act like teenagers are the only ones not buying Blackberries. People in their 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, and beyond aren't buying them either.

They missed both the under 18 and the over 18 trains, and the app train, and every other train in the station. And their final strong suits, physical keyboards and security, aren't terribly appealing to any age category. Okay, maybe those who can't comprehend touch screens, but they'll be gone by the time BlackBerry comes out with their next device...

[anon(9721108)]

Yeah I'm sorry but I don't agree with this at all. The coveted target demographic is 18-49 yr olds, not 12-18 yr olds. No adult is basing their purchase on what a 13 year old kid is using.

Really? Why are so many games on iphones and app stores geared towards them? The point is the companies know that if a kid really wants something, they will ask their parents to buy it for them. Then they will all tell their friends and they will want one too. The link I posted in here says "the purchasing power of this demographic is a major influence" or something to that effect. So don't underestimate it.

What they say goes and has validity and the PR people and advertizers for Apple, Samsung KNOW this.

I remember the commercial for my Moto Razr 2 and it was still cooler than anything I have seen today. Cool music in it, action with martial arts, all that helped make the device "cool" and cool sells daddy-o.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[anon(9721108)]

They missed both the under 18 and the over 18 trains, and the app train, and every other train in the station. And their final strong suits, physical keyboards and security, aren't terribly appealing to any age category. Okay, maybe those who can't comprehend touch screens, but they'll be gone by the time BlackBerry comes out with their next device...

Totally agree about the security aspect of it all. No one really cares. We trust the cell phone to already have the security built-in as we are using the device and expecting it to be secure and do its job. It runs in the background so we soon forget all about "security" as we go about our lives. People now care more about apps and what Kim Khardashian is doing in the Snapchat news section.

There are supposedly 11 million users on BB Legacy devices, I get the impression they don't care THAT much about Security on a 5 year old device. No one thinks they will be hacked, so they keep using them.

Unfortunately someday it might, who knows......

"Security" or the illusion of it might be important to government agencies, but I bet most people could care less about it.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[Troy Tiscareno]

Really? Why are so many games on iphones and app stores geared towards them?

While no doubt there are plenty of kids games, I also think you are vastly under-estimating the number of adults who play those "kid games."

The average age of a PokemonGo gamer is about 35, according to its developer, for example.

But games are a strawman argument anyway. Even if there were exactly zero smartphone games in existence, there would still be hundreds of thousands of apps out there that people use every day. And the thing is: hardly any two people use the same ones. Sure, most use Facebook and Google Maps and Gmail/Outlook, but every industry and occupation has a bunch of apps specific to them that few other people will care about. Whether you're a doctor, a bartender, a musician, a landscaper, or whatever, there are apps to help you do your job - and many millions use these apps - even if they also play games. BB doesn't have these apps, and never will. Nor does BB have any robust cloud services to offer - and for a few here, that might be just fine, but for the vast majority of people, cloud services are a revolution that they don't want to go without.

Dismissing the value of apps because some kids play some games is really just being in denial of the situation as a whole.

[anon(9721108)]

While no doubt there are plenty of kids games, I also think you are vastly under-estimating the number of adults who play those "kid games."

The average age of a PokemonGo gamer is about 35, according to its developer, for example.

But games are a strawman argument anyway. Even if there were exactly zero smartphone games in existence, there would still be hundreds of thousands of apps out there that people use every day. And the thing is: hardly any two people use the same ones. Sure, most use Facebook and Google Maps and Gmail/Outlook, but every industry and occupation has a bunch of apps specific to them that few other people will care about. Whether you're a doctor, a bartender, a musician, a landscaper, or whatever, there are apps to help you do your job - and many millions use these apps - even if they also play games. BB doesn't have these apps, and never will. Nor does BB have any robust cloud services to offer - and for a few here, that might be just fine, but for the vast majority of people, cloud services are a revolution that they don't want to go without.

Dismissing the value of apps because some kids play some games is really just being in denial of the situation as a whole.

Of course! I play Pokemon Go on my iphone, and when I walk down to where there is a PokeStop I am the oldest person there! Let me tell you there aren't many people over 30 nay, 20 playing that I see, but maybe each city may vary. Usually 150 people there in the evenings.

"dismissing the value of apps?" What?! I am the one saying that apps/games are what people want, and they could care LESS about security. Younger people are BIG into apps, who could deny that.

I never said older people don't use apps, I have 49 on my iphone and that is my age! I said don't underestimate the purchasing power of younger people because more often than we like to admit, they determine what is cool, and COOL sells.


MY point is the marketing people know who to target, and they target younger people. Older people are considered "more careful with their money" now don't take that to mean that all older people are ALL careful with their money, we are going by "majorities in society" here.

There are apps for everyone and everything, that goes without saying, but I would argue that younger people are the majority of app users, with more apps on their devices, overall.

I think people need to read that link I posted to realize how important young people are in this industry.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[anon(9721108)]

While no doubt there are plenty of kids games, I also think you are vastly under-estimating the number of adults who play those "kid games."

The average age of a PokemonGo gamer is about 35, according to its developer, for example.

But games are a strawman argument anyway. Even if there were exactly zero smartphone games in existence, there would still be hundreds of thousands of apps out there that people use every day. And the thing is: hardly any two people use the same ones. Sure, most use Facebook and Google Maps and Gmail/Outlook, but every industry and occupation has a bunch of apps specific to them that few other people will care about. Whether you're a doctor, a bartender, a musician, a landscaper, or whatever, there are apps to help you do your job - and many millions use these apps - even if they also play games. BB doesn't have these apps, and never will. Nor does BB have any robust cloud services to offer - and for a few here, that might be just fine, but for the vast majority of people, cloud services are a revolution that they don't want to go without.

Dismissing the value of apps because some kids play some games is really just being in denial of the situation as a whole.

And I agree about BB not having as many apps, and in turn, THAT makes them less "cool." According to this 24% of teens are on their devices CONSTANTLY. I doubt many adults can have time to be on that much. Credit apps. People want apps. Facebook remains the most popular "app" for all ages, but especially teenagers.

http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/0...chnology-2015/

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[Hazo]

So many "experts ".....so few 2x4's......lmao!!!!

Posted via CB10

[anon(9721108)]

So many "experts ".....so few 2x4's......lmao!!!!

Posted via CB10

Hey don't clobber the messenger, I just post the links and put it into easy words

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[Hazo]

Hey don't clobber the messenger, I just post the links and put it into easy words

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

Nah....you're not the one I'm ridiculing....hahahaha!!!!!

Posted via CB10

[David Tyler]

Totally agree about the security aspect of it all. No one really cares. We trust the cell phone to already have the security built-in as we are using the device and expecting it to be secure and do its job.

Well... the Twittering tweens don't care about privacy; kids that young -- or adults who never matured -- care far more about racking up "likes" than the implications of littering the electronic landscape with their personal information. Some of us always did care about privacy and never stopped. As far as "trusting" that security is built-in, now _that_ seems old-school to me; a vestige of that innocent time before Google, big data, and an operating system and apps designed specifically to pilfer information from your phone...



Passport SE: All the snooty prestige of a device with a precious metal in the name at less than half the price!

[David Tyler]

Despite buying up other companies, they still have billions in cash.

I agree; they could spend a buck or two on marketing phones -- but while I strongly suspect Chen keeps the hardware division alive just because it pleases him, BlackBerry isn't all or even mostly about hardware anymore.



Passport SE: All the snooty prestige of a device with a precious metal in the name at less than half the price!

[qwerty4ever]

If BlackBerry abandons the physical keyboard there will be little reason for me to stay with BlackBerry except their claims of being the most secure Android-based smartphones.

[anon(9721108)]

I agree, it keeps people interested if they still offer handsets. If they stop producing them, everyone will forget about them pretty quick even though they will be working on software.....no one will care.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[murphcid]

I could not agree more. My daughters and their friends are living proof of this. Adapt or die, those are the choices.

And I agree about BB not having as many apps, and in turn, THAT makes them less "cool." According to this 24% of teens are on their devices CONSTANTLY. I doubt many adults can have time to be on that much. Credit apps. People want apps. Facebook remains the most popular "app" for all ages, but especially teenagers.

Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015 | Pew Research Center

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[crackbrry fan]

BlackBerry needed to go private ,continued to develop BlackBerry 10 and still turn out the Android devices in the interim. This should have been done just after the botched BlackBerry 10 launch instead of trying to sell off in a panic which further tarnished the brands' image.

Posted via CB10

[Troy Tiscareno]

BlackBerry needed to go private ,continued to develop BlackBerry 10 and still turn out the Android devices in the interim. This should have been done just after the botched BlackBerry 10 launch instead of trying to sell off in a panic which further tarnished the brands' image.

It's been discussed at length why none of these things were possible, and I know you know the reasons already.

[TGR1]

BlackBerry needed to go private ,continued to develop BlackBerry 10 and still turn out the Android devices in the interim. This should have been done just after the botched BlackBerry 10 launch instead of trying to sell off in a panic which further tarnished the brands' image.

Posted via CB10

Who would have ponied up the cash to buy the requisite number of shares, at the price they were at the time?

"Taking a company private" is not nearly as easy or automatic as too many people seem to think.

[crackbrry fan]

Who would have ponied up the cash to buy the requisite number of shares, at the price they were at the time?

"Taking a company private" is not nearly as easy or automatic as too many people seem to think.

I have taken quite a few private. It's not as difficult as some have you believe.
A take-private transaction is an attractive and viable alternative for many public companies.
As long as debt levels are reasonable and the company continues to maintain or grow its free cash flow,which BlackBerry had at that time of attempted sale.
operating and running a private company frees up management's time and energy from compliance requirements and short-term earnings management and may provide long-term benefits to the company
and its shareholders. That would have been a more viable alternative than the botched sale attempt which was made, which in hindsight caused more damage to the stock price to date.


Posted via CB10

[crackbrry fan]

Double post

[murphcid]

I agree, go private, get their act together again, and come back swinging.

BlackBerry needed to go private ,continued to develop BlackBerry 10 and still turn out the Android devices in the interim. This should have been done just after the botched BlackBerry 10 launch instead of trying to sell off in a panic which further tarnished the brands' image.

Posted via CB10

[Bbnivende]

Because of BB10 and the absence of Apps, not because of its form factor. I've already stated this. You argue the form factor is the reason the Passport didn't sell, I think its the OS.

The OS dictated the Square screen which in turn caused the the excessive width. A Passport with a narrower but taller screen running Android would have done better than the PRIV. Personally I would prefer a PKB device about the same size as a S7 or a true 9900 redo with a taller screen.

On a world wide basis a really good PKB phone can succeed. Just do not expect Samsung like sales. I would rather have BlackBerry design their own phones than rebadge a less than stellar phone. I hope that their new PKB will satisfy fans.

[ohaiguise]

What they need is ... more people buying their phones