I was just having a conversation with a long time BlackBerry user that just picked up a new device recently. I asked her what model she got and she said, “That cute little BlackBerry from Cingular.” I said, “Seriously, what model did you get?” She said, “The one with the full keyboard.” I said, “That sounds like the BlackBerry 8700c” She said, “I don’t know. I just told them to give me the newest BlackBerry with a full keyboard because I don’t like those little BlackBerrys like the one you have.”
This reminded me of a conversation that I had with a couple of friends back during the NFL playoffs where I was trying to tell them that the Treo 700w was not a new Blackberry. These kinds of conversations make me wonder why there are so many different BlackBerry models and why so few people know what they are?
Because RIM is still targeting business/enterprise users who have a IT department/CTO who actually understands the differences between models. RIM needs to do a much better marketing if they really want the consumer segment. They need to make less models, make each model easy to identify, and remove all the different variation even on the same model (8700c, 8700v, 8700r? Anyone).
Look at Apple, which is much more consumer oriented nowadays. They have model name, not numbers. And their range is small, so consumer can easily identifies with what they want or own.
“These kinds of conversations make me wonder why there are so many different BlackBerry models and why so few people know what they are? ”
Simple…
Beacuse a lot of BB users have lives. Us tecnofiles on the other hand like to be in the know.
There really aren’t that many models if you think about it. Basically, each cellular network has only two choices.
iDEN = 7100i and 7520
GSM/GRPS = 7130 and 8700
CDMA2000 = 7130 and 8700
The 7100/7105 (not including 7100i) are end of life, so is the 7200 series. They still might be floating around, but once the supply chains are empty they are gone.
The differenced between c,g,t,etc… are almost purely cosmetic. When you get right down to it, once you pick your cellular carrier you only have two choices:
QWERTY / Traditional Profile (7500 or 8700 series)
– or –
SureType / Phone Profile (7100 series)
I think you just made my point. However, the 7250 is still going strong on Verizon, and not all 7130 models are made equal. There are major differences, down to the chipset, between the 7130e and the other 7130 models.
You are right when you say that there really aren’t all that many models. The problem is that RIM gives the same model different designations on different carriers. This does nothing but commodotize the already hard to remember model number to the point the most consumers have no idea what the name of particular BlackBerry is other than the “the cute one with a full keyboard from Cingular”.
Because the carriers all want their points of differentiation
Russ
BBHub
Imagine all Hummer dealerships that carry the H1, the H2, and the H3. Just so the dealerships can differentiate themselves from each other, they insist that each model have a specfic designation just for their dealership.
This is in essence, what you have with the BlackBerry and becasue of it, most people have no idea what the devices are called, less BlackBerry.
First, thanks to Robb for coming up with a great observation to start an interesting discussion. You can tell a good post when it generates so many comments.
Second, I like d_fischer’s insight that on any given carrier, there are pretty much 2 options based on keyboard design/profile.
Third, while the actual nomenclature is confusing, I do think it is a bit of a breakthrough for RIM to have the Blackberry name be so strong of an identity itself. It’s a sign of market strength that people just think of having a Blackberry. It’s kind of like people referring to all sorts of soft drinks as a “cola” or “coke.”
It’s also a sign that buying into a BB is as much buying into a network system as much as buying a device.
Fourth, if BB is to remove the confusion, they need to follow the advice of Alex, who takes his cue from Apple: do away with numbers in the name, and just come up with short and simple words. People will always have an easier time remembering words than numbers as model designation. Motorola is finding that out with the RAZR and the Q. It’s rather telling that in all the stories of rumored devices, these devices have codenames rather than model numbers, and it is these codewords that stick in people’s minds.
You really can’t expect the average consumer to remember more than a catchy one or two word name. So if RIM wants to jazz up its image with the consumer, perhaps all they need for a start are a few good names for their devices.
I agree with Alex there – RIM really needs to work on the market awareness if they want to target the consumer segment instead of just business. They have a long way to go in that area. Many of my friends never heard of BlackBerry and have no idea what it looks like. They really need to start showing adverts everywhere , from TV to newspapers to get the awareness building up.
hi
“It’s a sign of market strength that people just think of having a Blackberry. It’s kind of like people referring to all sorts of soft drinks as a “cola” or “coke.” ”
Unfortunatly this is actually a bad thing. When poeple think that “coke” represents any cola and not the coca cola product then the brand is lost and they buy off brands. Think xerox for example, most people call a copier a xerox but how many are still made by Xerox corp? People now call any handheld email device a blackberry even if it’s a Treo. Apple has managed to remain distinct with the iphone.