back to article Sad shop-shelf-clinging BlackBerry Z10 AXED ... in price, contracts

Having failed to set the world on fire, BlackBerry's flagship Z10 smartphone is now being touted at knockdown prices. The touchscreen-driven Z10 was BlackBerry's comeback device when it was launched at the end of January. But it was priced alongside top-end devices from Apple and Samsung with premium tariffs - more than £30 …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What's a Blackberry?

    1. John 62
      Headmaster

      Please see here: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=blackberry+fruit

      They're delicious (but the blackcurrant makes the better jam and cordial)

  2. ecarlseen

    You don't just buy a smartphone... you buy into an application ecosystem and, to a certain degree, a fashion statement. Blackberry refused to evolve while it was still healthy in both of those areas ("I am a serious businessperson! Can't you see my Blackberry that I pull out every four seconds to check my e-mail?!??"). Palm (better apps, "Look at me! I'm a smart person with cool gadgets!") tried to evolve, but wasn't even remotely fast enough... even so, the nuclear detonation of the iPhone launch on the cell phone industry might have killed it anyway.

    What's funny is now the biggest smartphone fashion statement is case vs. no case....

    What's funnier is people who complain about Apple's walled garden (which is certainly problematic in many areas) and ignore Google's business model - which is comprised entirely of collecting as much data as they can about you so they can target you with ads (and occasionally give you up to the government).

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I really like my z10

    As a developer I have to use all devices, IOS Android etc and out of choice my personal phone is a Z10. Obviously your preference might be different. I'm not an app junky I like the Web browser, I like that it runs flash. It has a built in word processing, a good camera, even HD video recording. The UI is simple and easy to use. I can type on it quicker then a computer which is some what surprising to me.

  4. wolfetone Silver badge

    Three damn weeks...

    I upgraded my old BlackBerry Torch for a Z10 just over 3 weeks ago. Yesterday it developed a battery issue where by it only lasts 5 hours (after going weeks lasting 2 full days between charges). Got to go to Carphone Warehouse tomorrow to try and get a replacement. Hey, I may be able to get one without too much arguments now!

    That said, the Z10 is a great phone. The keyboard is awesome, takes getting used to but once you do it's actually better than most onscreen keyboards (except the Windows Phone keyboard - I found that very good). Are app's really an issue? I wouldn't say it was. If you can get apps for the basic most used stuff, then there is nothing that can't be found on the BlackBerry App World. The camera is good, the timeshift is a good idea although I've only used it once.

    The Hub is just brilliant. Again, it needs to be used to appreciate it and to get used to it, but it's handy to just pop up from the bottom to the right and peak at who's emailed you and stuff. Trust me, you do use this more often than you think you would.

    Like the PlayBook, a reduced price Z10 will prove a bargain to some people. The phone is good (albeit for this crappy battery problem mine's developed) and as is said in the article it does the basics well. But, haters gonna hate, aren't they?

  5. bazza Silver badge

    Is that price right?

    £736? I don't remember them costing that much SIM free even when they were brand new... I remember that you could get one for £530ish from the likes of Phones4U...

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This isn't that hard folks.

    Nobody wants to buy a Blackberry that does not have a physical QWERTY keyboard. Blackberry should stop trying to be Apple and focus on its strengths as brilliant communication devices, with the best physical keyboards out there and uncapped BIS. It isn't that hard.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Losing the tween's market too?

    From my own straw poll of my daughter and her mates, the Blackberry is now out of fashion. My daughter has an old BB wants a SGS3 at a minimum, 2 of her mates have SGS2s and 4 others want iPhone or Samsung Galaxy's.

    My company is dumping BB, those who need phones are being offered iPhone 5 or Galaxy 4, no BB available anymore. We've been a BB shop for the last 4 years.

    Obviously that's just a tiny group of people but if that's reflected among all those texting teenagers and company accounts out there, all that could be more nails in BB's coffin.

  8. StripeyMiata

    They've been on sale at Tesco Mobile for £22 a month for the last 3 or 4 weeks. When they came out Vodafone were looking £46 a month for them which was nuts.

  9. Paw Bokenfohr

    I don't think it really has any USPs

    Think the issue with BB phones in general is that they have lost their USPs.

    BBM - matched by (eg) iMessage and all of those locked in systems are bettered by Viber, WhatsApp and so on. Heml.is Messenger may be a contender in the future too.

    Enterprise Mail - you can do this on all platforms now.

    Security - for most, you can get adequate security in the iPhone, leaving aside the argument that all phones and systems are inherently insecure when the government can access at will.

    Physical keyboard - this is probably still the Q10's USP. But I think that few worry about it now. Many of us have large hands and fingers, and prefer a landscape keyboard or something like SwiftKey or Swype, and most everyone else is happy enough with the touchscreen keyboards when you factor in the advantage of extra screen real estate when it's not there.

  10. Sutton Stourmead

    Update 10.1.0.4181

    Left WP7 in April to join the BB10 gang, and was loving it untill today...

    I updated my Z10 to software release 10.1.0.4181 this morning before breakfast - was too groggy to think about checking the forums first.

    I thought it was odd that i had to re-enter all my email account passwords again after the update, but then the true horror dawned upon me.

    IT JUST WIPED ALL MY SMS AND MMS MESSAGES.

    Blackberry has betrayed my trust , it's that simple. I'm in a mind to get a swap out this lunchtime for something else.

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