What will Blackberry do with their 1 million unsold phones?

[alexd]

Are they going to mark them down huge to try and clear out the inventory? Or are they going right into landfill?

Normally when a company has excess inventory, it slashes prices dramatically to try and recover at least something. I am not hearing about any Blackberry markdowns though...

I might buy one if there is a fire sale.

I wonder, is all that Blackberry overstock in the supply chain somewhere, at cell phone stores for example? Or is it all stacked in some warehouse. They probably still have millions of their unsold tablets too.

 

[Wiseman]

They have been marked down. On contract the Q10 was going for $179.95 and is now $79.95. The Z10 is $0. Unlikely you'll see mark down of off-contract devices yet though.

 

[Dialog]

Video wall in some KW mall.

 

[alexd]

Off-contract is what I was talking about. I don't know how many people are going to sign up for 2 and 3 year contracts to get a Blackberry when the company may not even be around that long!

 

[Snuffy]

I was reading the specs for the Z30, and the more impressed I was with the phone, the sadder I got. It trumps any other phone out there for business right now, but it's too late.

Kinda sad for our last star tech company.

 

[Wiseman]

Off-contract is what I was talking about. I don't know how many people are going to sign up for 2 and 3 year contracts to get a Blackberry when the company may not even be around that long!

I don't think there is any question that blackberry will be around for a while to come in some form. Even if the handset manufacturing is wound down the BES service is way too popular with such a huge user base that it will be supported for quite a few years to come. No other MDM comes close and they make a boatload of cash off it.

If they bring down the price of 30 day handsets it won't be in Canada that they start with. We are addicted to subsidy here.

 

[Balzz]

I have a Z10 I'll sell for cheap.

 

[cosmosuave]

It will end up with these Atari video game burial - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...

 

[acheron]

I need a pay as you go phone to replace our home phone. Would this be a good option?

 

[SneakyPete]

Wow Thornsten Heins will make $55 mil if Blackberry is sold and if he's terminated. Heins is a member on the ‘special committee’ that is seeking a buyer so he’ll be engaged in all the finer details of a potential transaction.

Also, BlackBerry execs sold stock before announcing massive layoffs | MobileSyrup.com

 

[kuba]

Usually layoffs can lead to higher gains on the market though, so they probably sold because they knew the writedown was coming, not the layoffs.

At $80 for a 2 year contract I would be stupid not to buy it and since I've never needed blackberry for support, but I know telus is here for 2 years+, then I'm not too worried. After 2 years I have the phone and by then bberry will be a niche product so I just want it to work for that time. I probably get a 1 year warranty to boot.

 

[SneakyPete]

Good article on how BB arrived at where they are today.

How BlackBerry blew it: The inside story - The Globe and Mail

 

[kyfe]

I just wanted to say that I had the chance to play with the BB Z30 and I was really impressed. It left me believing if they came out with this model first they might not have been in their current situation. THe finish still isn't quite there but it's much improved, however the OS was fast and looked slick. The phone also felt like a quality piece of tech

 

[Wiseman]

The battery life is amazing on the Z30.

 

[Balzz]

Battery life is amazing on my BB 6710 too.

 

[acheron]

all the better to prolong the agony!

 

[Balzz]

all the better to prolong the agony!

Touche!

 

[kyfe]

blackberry's downfall is their arrogance and their failure to learn how to properly market tech. Apple showed everyone how it was done and 10 years later BB still couldn't get it right.

the Z30 is the only Blackberry phone I would ever consider buying - EVER

 

[justin surdit]

I will say this - the BB10 platform is super slick, intuitive and snappy.

I have tried all OS's, and have a Galaxy Note that I now use wifi only (without a sim). I cannot STAND a home/back/menu button anymore (seems so clunky and annoying), and one handed use is unparalleled on BB10.

The only reason I keep the Note around is apps..........as much as I hate to say it but that is really hurting BB. I personally use a phone for communication first and foremost, but I still keep that Note hanging around for access to certain apps that I very much enjoy having (not a "necessity" perse, but a nice luxury). I have sideloaded a few android apps, and they have worked decently (google maps with voice direction, Netflix) but not EVERY app can be sideloaded.

That being said, once I got used to my Z10 I couldn't go back to Android for my daily driver. Not even close to the same level of user friendly flipping between messages and calls, and the level of integration for dumb shit like sharing photos and stuff. The Hub works fantastically, and the cascades design is super intuitive and again, so easy to use one handed.

 

[erika]

Good article on how BB arrived at where they are today.

How BlackBerry blew it: The inside story - The Globe and Mail

This IS a really good article; goes way beyond the "they didn't see the consumer market rising". The battle around keyboard vs not, and what to do with BBM makes for good reading.

 

[kyfe]

The only reason I keep the Note around is apps..........as much as I hate to say it but that is really hurting BB. I personally use a phone for communication first and foremost, but I still keep that Note hanging around for access to certain apps that I very much enjoy having (not a "necessity" perse, but a nice luxury). I have sideloaded a few android apps, and they have worked decently (google maps with voice direction, Netflix) but not EVERY app can be sideloaded.
.

If you can't do it already in the near future all android apps will work on BB devices

 

[kuba]

great post justinsurdit. i'm going to pick up a q10 for $80, 2 yr contract. i have a nexus 4 for apps, but i primarily use my phone for business not fun, therefore i'll keep the n4 for same reason you keep the note around.

 

[kyfe]

great post justinsurdit. i'm going to pick up a q10 for $80, 2 yr contract. i have a nexus 4 for apps, but i primarily use my phone for business not fun, therefore i'll keep the n4 for same reason you keep the note around.

Jake get the z30, TRUST

 

[Balzz]

I will say this - the BB10 platform is super slick, intuitive and snappy.

2 million people in the last quarter agree!

 

[acheron]

vs 9 million last weekend for the iPhone but ANYWAY

no really I agree, the BB is quite slick and my goodness the handwringing some of my suit-wearing coworkers and friends are experiencing over the impending demise or dissolution of their thumbs' favourite crack dealer..