I have been following Blackberry’s attempt to re-enter the smartphone market for some time now. I am not a huge Blackberry follower, I have one for work use, but I do not use one outside of work. I am interested because it’s a unique case; where a company is trying to re-enter a market that has huge cost of entry barriers. I also think that this may set a precedent for future companies that lose their market share and then attempt to regain some of that share. Who knows, in a few years Apple or Android devices could find themselves in this position and they may have to learn from what Blackberry does, or doesn't do, to find their way back.
When it was announced that AT&T’s price point for the Blackberry Z10 was $199.99 on a two year contract, I couldn't help but laugh. Of all price points to attempt to re-enter the world of relevancy, Blackberry picks the most competitive one. Most new Android phones are at that price point and some are even cheaper. The cheapest iPhone, the 16GB iPhone 5, is also listed at $199.99.
Blackberry has made a huge mistake here. To attempt to re-enter the market, Blackberry could have really benefited from differentiating themselves when it comes to price. I understand that every company’s end goal is to make a profit, but their missing the point here. Their future will be based on the release of this phone. Why not lower the price point and give people a serious reason to reconsider purchasing a Blackberry? At a price of $149.99 and possibly $99.99 they could have really positioned themselves to make a splash.
Once again, they've missed the mark.
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