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RIM’s BlackBerry Torch failure: Price cut 50% less than a week after it on sale

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 · 8:54 am · 27 Comments

“The price of the Research In Motion BlackBerry Torch has been cut in half – to $99.99 – on Amazon.com and some other sites, less than a week after the new phone went on sale at $199.99,” Eric Savitz reports for Barron’s.

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“Early reports from the Street suggest sales of the new phone have been tepid at best,” Savitz reports.

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: This launch has been absolutely Kinsian. In other words: Bloodbath.

Buh-bye, RIM. The world long ago passed you by. 50% off and Buy One, Get One Free sales can only prop up unit sales figures for so long.

If you’re one of the three people attempting to read this on a RIM Torch’s shitastic 480×360 screen, here, let us help you out:

Get an iPhone!

Sheesh.

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Comment Feed

27 Comments

1 2 Next »

NCG598

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 9:00 am · Reply

Wow, that was a lot faster price drop than the first gen iPhone.

Will Rim give early adopters of the torch(ed) some of their money back?
gksmith

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 9:07 am · Reply

Rim will not return any money to customers. They need it to pay creditors when they go belly up.
Mark

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 9:11 am · Reply

Less than a week? I guess the marketing department isn’t expecting good reviews or word of mouth from the first buyers.
Federico

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 9:11 am · Reply

Bet you same is true for droid2 and droids. Motorola and verizon are scared stiff. Any price drop will obliterate their stock. Motorola more so than VZ. MOT needs to keep the PPS strong until the spinoffs occur. It is all about getting the most for the current batch of execs. There is no such thing as fiduciar responsibility. It is all about 3 year plans to benefit the current regime of management. This is the GE story. Shareholder value my derriere.

The only two companies I know that are still honorable are NUCOR and apple.
Jersey_Trader

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 9:17 am · Reply

Not a surprise. Buy 1 get 1 free is 50% off a phone with a minimum of 2 phones. 50% has been RIMM’s marketing standard for a very long time.
Mark S.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 9:18 am · Reply

Looks like the Torch was as I predicted—a Flaming Turd!
Get an iPhone.
I am extremely happy with my iPhone 4.
LE Studios

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 9:31 am · Reply

Comment from: gksmith
Rim will not return any money to customers. They need it to pay creditors when they go belly up.

No maybe HP buy them like they bought Palm! LOL!

xverse10.blogspot.com
Burrell

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 9:38 am · Reply

RIM Motto: We are going to make mini-email machines with mini-typewriter keyboards because the whole world understands keys and little pushy keys are a hot techy geeky looking satisfying ‘push’.

And the last Amiosh buggy whip manufacturer in Lancaster, PA is still typing letters on his 40 pound Royal typewriter and mailing them to Ferrari (OK Fiat) to try to get them to include them as standard equipment on every horse, er, Ferrari.
Shinobi

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 9:47 am · Reply

I have had reception issues with both of my IP4s but what I found out is that it is probably a problem shared by both Apple and ATT.

I noticed that when I am near a tower, it does not matter how I hold the phone, I can’t even get one bar to drop, and the reception is great.

However when I am at home, where the signal is not so strong, I get dropped calls and bad reception fairly often.

How to fix:
Hold the phone in your right hand instead of your left. I noticed that I don’t have either problem when the phones are held in my right hand.

Or get a free case….and hold the phone however you like. I love my iphone 4s… people with reception problems/dropped calls are most likely in an area where your signal strength is not very good.

It is easy to fix as I described above. If you don’t want either solution then return it.
Mark S.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 9:48 am · Reply

I have seen posts on CNET that someone said that he or she were in IT for 20 years or so and they liked the Black Berry and the iPhone was a toy.
Well I have been in Mac IT for more than 20 years and there lots of apps for IT, such as wireless troubleshooting just to name one.
If someone wants games on their iPhone, it’s their business and if they want to use it for IT and commerce, so be it.
The iPhone is a really great gadget that has many uses and the reality is there are Apple Haters that won’t be swayed no matter what.
And they are missing out big time!
Islandgirl

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 9:57 am · Reply

I don’t understand why RIM would release a phone so behind the times. A low resolution screen and underpowered processor won’t cut it competing against far more high-powered phones with better specs.
silverwarloc

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 10:02 am · Reply

@Mark S.:

I agree with you. In fact, I can remote in on my iMacs at home with my 3G using logmein. Its awesome.
AppleJack

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 10:05 am · Reply

@Yes, but, . . . weren’t you Remarkable Jobs yesterday?

I don’t really have a dog in this fight as I don’t have an iPhone, yet. But I agree, if you’re not a troll, then we would appreciate not seeing your canned, whining posts. If you don’t like your iPhone, take it back. There seems to be millions who would jump to purchase your refurbed IP4. . . . And just think, you could probably get four Torches with the money you get back.
Al

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 10:07 am · Reply

@ Yes, but

You are either a Troll or an idiot.

If you’re a Troll, fuck off.

If you’re an idiot who has a bad iPhone that doesn’t make calls when you need to make calls and you haven’t exchanged it or got your money back, fuck off.

Finnaly, if you’re an idiot who can use the iPhone but you know that if you hold it at the base in low signal areas you may drop a call, so you are pissed at The Laws of Physics, Apple and Steve Jobs, go fuck yourself.

All cell phones have antenna attenuation problems. Grow up.
acid

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 10:09 am · Reply

Past the torch.
Diggitydog

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 10:14 am · Reply

@al why are you so bitter? To quote mdn – sheesh.
KingMel

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 10:54 am · Reply

@Diggitydog
The trolls are becoming more than a bit annoying. Sometimes it can be hard to deal with the frustration. That said, Al, keep it under control. The trolls like to stir the pot and incite feedback. Let’s all attempt to avoid being troll fodder.
Bkire

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 11:02 am · Reply

So much for MDN unbiased reporting. Kicking somebody when they are down is unprofessional and unnecessary. Number of units sold speaks for themselves.
Troy

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 11:18 am · Reply

@Islandgirl
That is because there is so many people that uses RIM’s devices because it was imposed by the dummies in their IT department. So RIM does not have to be the best, just have to came out with something “new” just like microsoft.

Many companies are forced to keep with RIM and Microsoft because of the millions they paid in licensees and infrastructure. They know they have better options, but they already paid several millions for it and they are not planning to trow that to the trash… where it belongs.
Pirates

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 11:27 am · Reply

@bkire who ever said MDN was unbiased?
Or am I missing the sarcasm flag?

BTW I loved the graphic for anyone who bought the new RIM thingy, torch? Interesting choice of names there.

And honestly I like the fact that MDN is actually dealing with trolls. Maybe they should consider some censoring on the iPhone supporters word choices….