[palomartian]

That's not quite how that works. That $49 is the purchase price at that moment to get the device and into the two year contract. Maybe the person just didn't have the extra 50 bucks to spare at that particular time. Not so unusual in this economy. If you need something, you get what you can afford.

While I agree that getting it online would have been better, some people just don't do that yet.

That's the point. They got jammed with an inferior product they are now stuck with for 2 years. Why? They only saw the $50. Poverty is a state of mind.

[Jaydawg71]

I guess some people are not as tech-mad for the latest as some of us.

I agree totally with this statement but it is also these masses that feel Blackberry is a substandard phone because their "1 month old phone" which is really a 1-2 year old phone can't do the things their buddy's iphone 4s is doing. Sadly its these opinions that get passed by word of mouth then the media get into it too.

[shemaree09]

I guess some people are not as tech-mad for the latest as some of us.

I agree totally with this statement but it is also these masses that feel Blackberry is a substandard phone because their "1 month old phone" which is really a 1-2 year old phone can't do the things their buddy's iphone 4s is doing. Sadly its these opinions that get passed by word of mouth then the media get into it too.

This exactly.

Everyone I know who bashes Blackberry and calls it inferior has/had an OS 4 or 5 Blackberry.

[sjefferson21]

Ive worked in wireless (national retail) for 7 years... and I think I know why this is done. I noticed that when we selling an older device... and had it priced at free or really affordable, it was hard to sell customers on it's features because they assume that because its free, it must be obsolete and were just trying to unload them. But, when we priced them higher than they should be (for example $79.99), they see the price and are more likely to buy it because they think the device and it's features are still relevant.

[palomartian]

This exactly.

Everyone I know who bashes Blackberry and calls it inferior has/had an OS 4 or 5 Blackberry.

Ah. Allow me to update your perspective. I have a 9900 running 7.1 and the old iPhone 3 kicks it right in the taco on a lot of things. Maybe not secret squirrel networky stuff that only IT guys and nerds care about, but in the day to day consumer world of apps, internet, RDM, email truncation... Yeah. It's really kinda embarrassing.

[shemaree09]

Ah. Allow me to update your perspective. I have a 9900 running 7.1 and the old iPhone 3 kicks it right in the taco on a lot of things. Maybe not secret squirrel networky stuff that only IT guys and nerds care about, but in the day to day consumer world of apps, internet, RDM, email truncation... Yeah. It's really kinda embarrassing.

Thats your experience. I had an iPhone 3G and had a different experience. I preferred my old 8900 Curve, which was eventually upgraded to a 9900. Thats just the way it goes.

My point was that people are trying to compare older products to newer devices. Older Blackberry's have crappy web browsers, horrible trackballs, and no touchscreen. They obviously cant compete with iPhones.

[qbnkelt]

Guess I'm a geeky IT kinda nerd....if I had to choose between my BB and my iPhone, I'd be bidding my lovely little 4S a fond adieu. Nothing beats my BB.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[grahamf]

So far I've been mostly happy with my Curve 9360 (got it at launch)... But now I've come to the conclusion that if you can afford the $100 or so, then splurge for the higher end. It will be your phone for the next two years or so after all.

[jakie55]

My GF and I both "purchased" new phones on the "never never plan " called 3 year locked in contracts. The phones are great, but not that great. I now see the logic to actually owning an older device that does what I want it to do, on a month to month plan....real freedom! In that regard, my 8530 still keeps me in touch with my sig others, and will let me surf, in a manner of speaking....although not as well, or as expensively, as my Motorola Atrix. But then, I am not even trying to compare the two. Its like trying to compare a netbook with a quad core utlra slim whiz bang laptop...

[boldkeyboardholic]

That's not quite how that works. That $49 is the purchase price at that moment to get the device and into the two year contract. Maybe the person just didn't have the extra 50 bucks to spare at that particular time. Not so unusual in this economy. If you need something, you get what you can afford.

While I agree that getting it online would have been better, some people just don't do that yet.

I life in another country but what I seen here is that your normal plans are around 50 Dollar up to 100, aren't they?

Which means you have no 50 or 100 bucks for the device you will use at least 1.5 years but for a phone/data plan which costs 50 to 100 a month?

[reeneebob]

Because you have to cough up the money in the store. You don't pay for the plan until you get a bill.

I see it everyday.


I got blisters on me fingers! from using Tapatalk.

[Wino Ryder]

BUT I do feel the availability of these units is hurting the brand due to poor user experience

Interesting, how do you know this? Poor user experince?....as in the device being "substandard"? I have the old curve 8530 3-G and my experince is anything but "poor". This old "substandard" phone, that everyone seems to slam, has effectively turned me into a BB convert. This phone is great. It does everything I want it to do and never gives me any problems. Even with it's old, substandard, poor UI OS 5 operating system, I can still stream a Def Leppard you-tube video with nary a hiccup.

Some of you seem to be forgetting that at one time the old 4.6 and 5.0 OS platforms were "state of the art" RIM. Sure, technology has gotten better and I would love to have a Bold 9900, but dont tout the vitues of BB-7 or even BB-10 at the expense of the older units. Its all 'Research In Motion' my friend.

[shemaree09]

Interesting, how do you know this? Poor user experince?....as in the device being "substandard"? I have the old curve 8530 3-G and my experince is anything but "poor". This old "substandard" phone, that everyone seems to slam, has effectively turned me into a BB convert. This phone is great. It does everything I want it to do and never gives me any problems. Even with it's old, substandard, poor UI OS 5 operating system, I can still stream a Def Leppard you-tube video with nary a hiccup.

Some of you seem to be forgetting that at one time the old 4.6 and 5.0 OS platforms were "state of the art" RIM. Sure, technology has gotten better and I would love to have a Bold 9900, but dont tout the vitues of BB-7 or even BB-10 at the expense of the older units. Its all 'Research In Motion' my friend.

By "poor user experience" I think they mean as in current technology. The browser on old devices is awful compared to newer phones. With more people using their phone to search the web its no point in purchasing an old device that cant even do that basic function well in 2012. Also, more apps\games are created and supported on newer devices.

OS 7 phones are HUGE upgrades from devices before. Providing someone with a less than stellar user experience hurts the consumer and the brand in the long run.

That OS 4/5 device in 2012 that has a crappy web browser and annoying trackball will forever be known as "Blackberry's have crappy web browsers and annoying trackballs".

[SoCalRedbird]

This is a big problem indeed.

Today one of my best friends (and last friends with a BB), switched to iPhone. I even got a sympathy text from her with the bad news.

The problem, however, is that she was sold an OS 5 or 6 device around 8 months ago. Her last two BlackBerries were significantly behind the competition. In an area absolutely dominated by iPhone and Android, it was only a matter of time. She had no business with those phones, RIM! Now I have zero non-family BBM friends.

Lesson: RIM, needs to spend whatever it takes to ensure that their best products wind up in the hands of the right consumers.

[akk60]

The curve 8520 and the 9300 are selling like in here (UAE) , teens get them , even Phillipinoes and Indians , just because they are cheap and the want a BB device !

Sent from my A$$ Kickin Berry using Tapatalk

[codiak]

I just think that O/S 4.x and 5.0 devices should not be on sale anymore as "new" devices. They were cutting edge at the time, but not now so yes... they do make for a substandard BlackBerry experience.

At 6.0 the browser started to improve but still not a patch on 7.0

I urge anyone in the market for a Curve towards the O/S 7.0 versions as the rest are no longer value for money.

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