Raise your hand if you expected that Blackberry’s first foray into Android smartphones, the Priv, will do well in the market? No one? It was actually a big ask for the once great and powerful smartphone maker to market a high-end device with a slide out physical keyboard, both to loyal users and those who want to give it another chance. An anonymous AT&T executive has said that the smartphone itself “is really struggling” and that there have been a lot of returns, more than they expected.
While of course we cannot confirm if this “revelation” is accurate, we can also look at some past news items that have come out and see that there may be a grain of truth to this rumor. Blackberry themselves reported that they only sold 600,000 units in their fiscal fourth quarter (up to February 29), which is below their expected 850,000, and also less than the 700,000 they sold the previous quarter. But the company seems upbeat and claims they will still make profit this year.
But the AT&T executive says that most of the buyers were Blackberry loyalists, but then since this is on an Android platform, they struggled to transition from the OS they were used to, hence the general unhappiness over the Priv. The price point did not pull any favors for the smartphone, as the unlocked version sold for $699, even more expensive than the premium price of an iPhone or a Samsung flagship.
But Blackberry is not going down without a fight. CEO John Chen said that they will be releasing one or maybe even two more Android devices this year. And it will still be on Android probably, as they have not invested in the Blackberry OS anymore.
VIA: CNet
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