I just received an email letting me know that you can get the BlackBerry Torch 9800 for $49.99 from LetsTalk.com on a 2-year plan. Some may argue that the BlackBerry Torch isn’t RIM’s flagship BlackBerry (they would be wrong if they did), however, there isn’t any question about the Torch being the highest end BlackBerry currently available. 50 bucks for the most advanced BlackBerry device on the market… Has Research in Motion been relegated to being a discount smartphone manufacturer?
Can you imagine being able to get an iPhone 4 or Droid X for under $50 two months after their release? Me neither… LetsTalk also has the BlackBerry Curve 3G for free on a 2-year contract. Something tells me that Research in Motion is going to sell a ridiculous number BlackBerry devices throughout the rest of this year. Whether they will make a ridiculous amount of money while doing so remains to be seen…
Android and the iphone are eating RIM’s lunch with consumers. The only way they can compete in the consumer market it to basically give them away.
After thinking about it, this may not be all that bad for RIM… At least not in the short term…
RIM has to compete where they can. Right now, BlackBerry 6 is what RIM has and they need to get as many devices running BlackBerry 6 into the hands of consumers as they can. The best way for RIM do do that is to compete on price.
A lot of consumers want smart phones, but, they just aren’t willing to pay $200-$300 or more to get an iPhone. RIM is marketing the heck out of the Torch and BBM right now and consumers are getting that message. This is just anecdotal but, it seems like teenagers and young adults are snapping up inexpensive BlackBerry devices in droves.
The Curve 3G just came out and is already completely subsidized. I’d be willing to bet that you are going to see a lot new smartphone users snapping up BlackBerry devices on the cheap this holiday season and that might be just enough to for RIM to hold share until QNX is available.
Ditto.
RIM is losing it. Torch with the update is nice, but it’s still not a player in the highend consumer market.
Got the Pearl today as well. Brings back memories. Would like to are OS6 on it real soon!
I think this is common practice for all smartphones these days except Apple’s iPhone. A quick browse of Amazon will show you a boat load of smartphones for 1 penny. Give the Droid X a couple more weeks and it will be a 1 penny device like the Droid Incredible.
Apple is the ONLY seller of electronic devices that almost NEVER go on sale. You get a price drop on Black Friday and beyond that you pay retail. If the consumer has no choice to get a cheaper device the pay the higher price.
I have zero belief RIM, HTC, Motorola, Samsung or others could compete without deep discounts. Actually, that may not be fair these manufactures use the discount to pull the mass market in. Nokia appears to be successful with an Apple like strategy outside of North America.
It think that what you are seeing is combination of both yours and Robb’s points. Everybody but Apple discounts, but to be able to get RIM’s flagship device for $50 bucks and get the Curve 3G for free which was just released isn’t what I would call par for course for RIM. I think that it is clear that RIM is going for share over revenue until they released a more advanced OS that can truly compete…
Apple doesn’t have to have a sale. Their products sell at a premium and sell well! They prove that if you make a product people want, they will pay high price for it.