I was just thinking about all the pretty colors that T-Mobile BlackBerry Pearl now comes and how it will be a big hit it will be with all the kids whose parents refused to spend $500 or $600 on a cell phone. Then I thought about how brilliant a move Steve Jobs made when he slashed the price of the iPhone by $200.
Here are 3 reasons T-Mobile needs to cut the price of the BlackBerry Pearl:
- The iPhone only costs $100 more than the BlackBerry Pearl before rebates.
- Before rebates, the iPhone is only $100 more than the BlackBerry Pearl.
- There is only a $100 price difference between the iPhone and the BlackBerry Pearl before the $50 mail-in rebate. Who ever sends those things in anyway?
I was going to make this a top ten list, however, I think that you get my point.
Christmas is exactly 3 months away. Just think of all the extra chores you could get your kids to do if you even hint that you might get them an iPhone as a present. That is well worth the $100.
My 12 year old has agreed to finish the basement and build a room addition on the back of the house if I just contemplate getting her an iPhone for Christmas.
You guys know that I love BlackBerrys. RIMarkable has been running for almost 3 years. I have to be honest though. The BlackBerry doesn’t have close to that type of leverage.
Robb,
You are right, and so was Steve Job’s when he proclaimed the iPhone to be revolutionary back 9 plus months ago. The Pearl at $299? a few weeks ago that sounded like the deal of the century. My first Pearl at $499 way back when and even our second and third Pearl’s around $250 under contract are still IMO worth every penny.
As I’ve said before (Thought has had some good comments too about usability of the iPhone) I daily try to compare the user experience, reliability, and productivity between the iPhone and the BB Pearl and other than text input sure think the iPhone kicks but and takes names. Perhaps it’s my fingers or maybe I’m just old school and need to learn to type without keys on my iPhone but I still find I can bang out a email or sms quicker on my Pearl. With what I use day to day, I find the email app and delivery, browsing, sms, phone, sync ability, speed and the other app’s top notch. The finger IS mighter than the trackball. 🙂
Not sure what RIM’s next move should be to get up to speed with the iPhone, but the cross-over of consumers which went to RIM BB’s for a top tier smartphone certainly have another solid option. I sure would hate to think of RIM as the one trick pony with email, since the iPhone IMO has caught up to RIM in that aspect with a version one device which also excels in it’s other functions as well. Robb other than price (which we all know is important) what does RIM need to innovate and put into the next BB’s to compete? Does RIM even need to compete with the iPhone? (IMO they sure do) It’s tough on RIM, Nokia, and any of the other top tier manufactures which have been in the wireless device business but without a doubt Apple has raised the bar (IMO a full generation) higher than whats currently out there from the others. Your daughter is gonna love her iPhone. So when are you starting the sister site applemarkable.com?
It is difficult to emphasize how big of a home run Apple hit with the iPhone. My only knock is EDGE, and that really is only because I don’t get a good signal at my house. I didn’t expect to be able to type faster on the touch screen than on my BlackBerry and if (when) apple puts a keyboard on the iPhone, they may dominate the consumer market for years to come.
My BlackBerry, on the other hand, is still king when it comes to work, at least for right now. I kind of equate it to a PC. It’s not nearly as sexy as my Mac but I’d be more miserable without it than I would be without my Mac.
The argument, however, is not same as the PC vs. Mac wars of the early 90s in which Microsoft clearly came out the victor. Although iPhone is just as proprietary and locked down as the Apple Lisa (precursor to the Mac) was back in the day, mobile phones have been a around for a long time, people are used to the idea of them, and consumers that would shell out $300 or $400 bucks on one pretty much know that Apple puts out the best $#!+ and even a 1.0 device from them would be legit.
There is no mobile device on the market today that can match the iPhone in terms of coolness and buzz. It’s no surprise that Robb’s daughter is so excited by the iPhone…that’s a typical reaction among all age groups.
With re to multimedia and web browsing, no one can touch Apple. It’s like they are in a different dimension. As with the iPod, others will make lame attempts but no one will come close to the end user experience.
If someone doesn’t need to do a ton of texting but wants a full featured smartphone there’s no reason to go with anyone else other than Apple. Even with a lot of texting, I’d say that aside from business, the iPhone is still preferrable. The iPhone is flat out the most fun mobile phone ever released.
I still come back to my Porsche vs pickup truck analogy. You give someone a Porsche or BMW or it sets their heart aflutter. You give someone a pickup truck, and it can be nice, and it can have lots of nice options, but it’s not the same. However, the pickup truck is better suited for work.
Honestly, in the consumer space, I don’t see anyone else being able to compete against Apple at this point in time, at least for those willing to spend on a high end phone with multimedia features.
I remember some commented that when Apple was entering the cell phone market, that they were going to be playing against the big boys now, in the major leagues, etc. I would say that all those companies are playing against the 800 pound gorilla right now.
Wait until the Apple wireless iTunes store gets fully cranked up. Even though the cell phone companies have been trying for a few years now to master the market of wireless song downloads, Apple will now swoop in and take that market by storm. They have nailed it whereas the carriers have bombed. One more example of the Apple juggernaut rolling through.
hey does t-mobile have the iphone?
i am just wndering case i really want it