[Taka313]

Updated: January 3, 2013 5:42 AM | By The Canadian Press, thecanadianpress.com
New BlackBerry for US market has old look
TORONTO - A new BlackBerry smartphone is headed to stores later this month, but it'll look especially familiar to most users.

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TORONTO - A new BlackBerry smartphone is headed to stores later this month, but it'll look especially familiar to most users.

Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) says it will launch the BlackBerry Curve 9315, a slightly updated version of the keypad phones already on the market.

The launch is exclusively through U.S. carrier T-Mobile, with a release date set for Jan. 23.

The phone runs on RIM's existing BlackBerry 7 operating system.

The company is putting the finishing touches on its BlackBerry 10 operating system and a new slate of touchscreen and keypad smartphones that are expected to hit stores early this year.

The updated phones are considered by industry observers to be a last ditch effort by RIM to recover its eroding market share in key markets like North America and Europe.

[playbookster]

Samsung just released an 800mhz 2mp camera galaxy discover. Reason? Millions of people want low end phones and rim still has to make money.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9860 using Tapatalk

[magutwit]

Rim wants to sell some more phones, I guess, why else would they do it?
Everybody is not going to buy the BB10 at launch anyways, some people still do like other models...

[sf49ers]

if you look at it offers a lot compared to any other smartphone - cheap (off and on contract), durable, good communications tool, key board, wifi calling, BBM, maps etc

[dbmalloy]

Seeing a Rim has it in inventory... guess being a business trying to make money.... they are sort of stuck selling them....

[GingerSnapsBack]

Hospital my sister works at buys low end Curves for their employees. We all know what happens when an employee gets a pager (It winds up in a toilet or sink) and I'm sure phones aren't anything different. Not every employer wants to buy a BBX phone for their employees knowing it'll more than likely take a swim in the toilet.

[Tim-ANC]

Hospital my sister works at buys low end Curves for their employees. We all know what happens when an employee gets a pager (It winds up in a toilet or sink) and I'm sure phones aren't anything different. Not every employer wants to buy a BBX phone for their employees knowing it'll more than likely take a swim in the toilet.

Yep that makes sense. I'd do the same if I were buying phones for my employees.

[Denise in Los Angeles]

T-Mobile is kinda changing to be more focused on non-subsidy phones. Its still a contract, but the customer pays less for monthly service, and pays for the phone in monthly installment payments. I'm not too sure this plan model will work out. T-Mobile tried the exact same thing about 2 years ago, and it wasn't very popular then.

[DisturbedRocks31]

Not every employer wants to buy a BBX phone for their employees knowing it'll more than likely take a swim in the toilet.

First idiotic post I've read in 2013. Damn, 2 days and 15 hours is all it took. (My misunderstanding, sorry ColdShunShine)

Back to topic: There are people who can't afford to spend a lot of money for a phone so they buy low end devices. If RIM can get these devices selling on the basis of how good their newer OS is, it can be a good source of revenue.

[carullo]

Its only business not personal,,,,,,,relax

[pantlesspenguin]

First idiotic post I've read in 2013. Damn, 2 days and 15 hours is all it took.

How do you think that's an idiotic post, exactly? It's a fair point. If employers want to purchase an inexpensive phone (because they know accidents happen) for their employees that provides a reliable means of quick communication, why wouldn't they consider this Curve?

[jwn66]

Then release cheapo models running BB10..... Ugh, old BB'S have to go, RIM can't afford to have lesser models that will continue to be laughed at when they're completely rebranding themselves...People will see them and just lol and continue to stay away.

[Villain]

the low end market is a pretty big cash cow. RIM is a business thats here to make money NOT worry that they are going to get "laughed at".

[filmgirl]

It's because it's T-Mobile. In the U.S., T-Mobile is basically becoming a prepaid carrier. The majority of their customers are on the low-end, at least when it comes to a credit rating. That's why they are shifting away from direct subsidies/contracts and doubling down on prepaid and monthly payments for phones.

This isn't a slight on T-Mobile customers, but it is the reality of who their network tends to cater to. Moreover, with the way RIM is going to be changing its data agreements with BB10, this is a device T-Mo can offer for X a month with web and text and BBM, rather than requiring the full tiered data plan.

This is a play at a very specific type of customer and that customer, with few exceptions, will not be getting a BB10 device or a Galaxy S III or an iPhone 5.

[NFLPLAYBOOK]

Then release cheapo models running BB10..... Ugh, old BB'S have to go, RIM can't afford to have lesser models that will continue to be laughed at when they're completely rebranding themselves...People will see them and just lol and continue to stay away.

Because the components cost to much to make a cheap BB10 phone at this point. Give it another 6 months to a year when the high end phone start using quad cores and the dual cores can be used in the cheaper models. And you're right, RIM needs to end BB legacy as soon as they can.

[Denise in Los Angeles]

I thought it was rumored that T-Mobile was going to merge with Boost mobile. This would make sense, if they are going to compete in the prepaid category. The press release emphasized Wi-Fi calling and messaging too, which would work with the basic data allowance plan. They already have give free BBM service to customers with unlimited texting plans.

[DisturbedRocks31]

How do you think that's an idiotic post, exactly? It's a fair point. If employers want to purchase an inexpensive phone (because they know accidents happen) for their employees that provides a reliable means of quick communication, why wouldn't they consider this Curve?

That's not what the person meant though. I get that and that's why I said this is a good source of revenue... The person meant that BB10 are going to suck and people are going to throw them in toilets like how they would if they were given a pager. Hence, a dumb comment.

[CairnsRock]

Lets see if I can break this gently. 99% of the world have never heard of BB10. There you go, I've said it.

[Taigatrommel]

RIM already mentioned BB10 won't enter the el-cheapo market this year. I guess the hardware still isn't inexpensive enough to make a decent Curve 9320 entry-level device. Just take a look at Nokia, they are still struggling when it comes to release a cheap entry-level Windows Phone.
OS7.x also lives on for this reason: Getting more devices out there in the lower price-range, something where BB10 just can't set foot into, at least not now.

[koolrosh]

People fail to realize that not everybody needs to be like Apple to do well in the marketplace.

Samsung is outselling Apple and is very successful, but most of the phones that they sell are low-end models. Even Apple has released a low-end tablet because they realize that alot of people simply cannot afford $500-$800 on a tablet.

[pooger]

That's not what the person meant though. I get that and that's why I said this is a good source of revenue... The person meant that BB10 are going to suck and people are going to throw them in toilets like how they would if they were given a pager. Hence, a dumb comment.

Wow. I totally read that differently than you did.

[Masahiro]

That's not what the person meant though. I get that and that's why I said this is a good source of revenue... The person meant that BB10 are going to suck and people are going to throw them in toilets like how they would if they were given a pager. Hence, a dumb comment.

Uuh, I didn't get that impression at all. I think he meant that accidents happen, especially with company phones where the cost of losing the device is much lower for the user (ie they don't have to buy a new phone for hundreds of dollars).

[pantlesspenguin]

That's not what the person meant though. I get that and that's why I said this is a good source of revenue... The person meant that BB10 are going to suck and people are going to throw them in toilets like how they would if they were given a pager. Hence, a dumb comment.

Try reading the post again. She made absolutely no mention of BB10 sucking. The post is attesting to the fact that many people are careless with whatever device they have. If you were in charge of purchasing a device for 1000 employees solely for communication/email purposes, would you spring for a BB10 device or a lower priced OS7 device where it doesn't matter if, say, 300 out of the 1000 get dinged up a bit? Now if it was a smaller organization where the manager in charge knows the employees better and thinks they can be trusted with the higher dollar BB10 and know will be able to use other features for productivity, etc, then they'd probably spring for BB10 for those employees.

[koolrosh]

RIM already mentioned BB10 won't enter the el-cheapo market this year. I guess the hardware still isn't inexpensive enough to make a decent Curve 9320 entry-level device. Just take a look at Nokia, they are still struggling when it comes to release a cheap entry-level Windows Phone.
OS7.x also lives on for this reason: Getting more devices out there in the lower price-range, something where BB10 just can't set foot into, at least not now.

Actually RIM has said that they will release a lower level BB10 by the end of the year. But I agree with your point.

[DocDRM]

That's not what the person meant though. I get that and that's why I said this is a good source of revenue... The person meant that BB10 are going to suck and people are going to throw them in toilets like how they would if they were given a pager. Hence, a dumb comment.

I'm thinking you're the only one thinking that's what ColdSunshine meant. I took it as " Hey, we aren't buying high end phones for execs, here. We're buying phones for housekeeping, orderlies, maint guys, nurses, etc - and they are active busy people who will break and lose phones. Let's get these cheap, but still powerful as smartphone BlackBerry Curves. We can always replace them pretty cheaply. . . . "