Still no Cingular Pearl, contracts shred nationwide

Posted

on November 24, 2006, at 10:46 AM

We’ve been fueling this fire all week, we might as well slide in again with our commentary. Yes, still no Pearl’s. Readers are dropping us notes mentioning that Cingular’s BlackBerry Pearl shelves are still empty and that they’re ready to move over to T-Mobile (or anyone other than Cingular, really). Who’s fault is it?

As much as I’d love to put the blame on Boy Genius (kidding, pal), this all comes down to organizational issues on Cingular’s part – and maybe some high hopes on the consumer end. Cingular customers have been waiting over two months for this device now, and there’s barely been any acknowledgement from their corporate end. Tired of waiting? Do what you want, folks. If you want a Pearl, you know where you can get one.

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Thought

There’s no doubt that the launch was handled so much better by T-Mo rather than Cingular. Maybe that’s one reason why RIM chose T-Mo to introduce the device.

As a general rule, I have also noted that Cingular store reps tend to be the least informed retail reps around, far behind the calibre of T-Mo and Verizon reps.

That all being said, as you allude to, you can’t place all of the blame on Cingular, since the disappointment was fueled by rumors, and not by any press releases by Cingular. Also, those of us who read the rumors are but a small percentage of the general buying population, and so I’m guessing the damage to Cingular will be rather small.

On the upside, the anticipation for this device bodes well for RIM and Cingular.
Thought

There’s no doubt that the launch was handled so much better by T-Mo rather than Cingular. Maybe that’s one reason why RIM chose T-Mo to introduce the device.

As a general rule, I have also noted that Cingular store reps tend to be the least informed retail reps around, far behind the calibre of T-Mo and Verizon reps.

That all being said, as you allude to, you can’t place all of the blame on Cingular, since the disappointment was fueled by rumors, and not by any press releases by Cingular. Also, those of us who read the rumors are but a small percentage of the general buying population, and so I’m guessing the damage to Cingular will be rather small.

On the upside, the anticipation for this device bodes well for RIM and Cingular.
BB Pearl Fan

Excuse me, I’m looking for an official press release regarding the Cingular Pearl availability date. What? There isn’t one? You mean to say that Boy Genius was taking out of his ass? Well I guess we shouldn’t be looking for one in the Cingular stores then. Maybe we should be looking for that before we say that Cingular didn’t meet their release date.
BB Pearl Fan

Excuse me, I’m looking for an official press release regarding the Cingular Pearl availability date. What? There isn’t one? You mean to say that Boy Genius was taking out of his ass? Well I guess we shouldn’t be looking for one in the Cingular stores then. Maybe we should be looking for that before we say that Cingular didn’t meet their release date.
Bill McKinley

I talked to my Cingular Corporate rep last week and asked her what she knew. She told me that the launch date was the 27th of November. I assumed that she had not been told it had been moved up, but now I wonder. If the stores have the devices in stock, then maybe next Monday really will be the date.
Bill McKinley

I talked to my Cingular Corporate rep last week and asked her what she knew. She told me that the launch date was the 27th of November. I assumed that she had not been told it had been moved up, but now I wonder. If the stores have the devices in stock, then maybe next Monday really will be the date.
http://www.blackberrycool.com/ Steve St. Pierre

Don’t get snarky with me, Pearl fan. The fact of the matter is Boy Genius has always been reliable in the past – this is the first time something that he’s produced has not stood to be true. In talking with him, that was the information he received from HIS sources – it wasn’t a number he thought of off of the top of his head.

Secondly, did I not allude to your comment about the lack of a press release? Cingular has had no communication WHATSOEVER regarding the Pearl – no promotional materials, nothing. They’ve left it open to speculation like this. And I fully admitted to fueling the rumour fire, but if our readers are asking about the 8100c, we have to give them the answers that we can get.

I contacted Cingular – their head media rep, as a matter of fact – and he bluntly stated that he wasn’t telling me anything. It’s not like we weren’t searching for answers. They were just never given to us.

Maybe we wouldn’t be looking for a release date if they were like every other decent company out there and provided it in a press release ahead of time as opposed to a blind release.
http://www.blackberrycool.com Steve St. Pierre

Don’t get snarky with me, Pearl fan. The fact of the matter is Boy Genius has always been reliable in the past – this is the first time something that he’s produced has not stood to be true. In talking with him, that was the information he received from HIS sources – it wasn’t a number he thought of off of the top of his head.

Secondly, did I not allude to your comment about the lack of a press release? Cingular has had no communication WHATSOEVER regarding the Pearl – no promotional materials, nothing. They’ve left it open to speculation like this. And I fully admitted to fueling the rumour fire, but if our readers are asking about the 8100c, we have to give them the answers that we can get.

I contacted Cingular – their head media rep, as a matter of fact – and he bluntly stated that he wasn’t telling me anything. It’s not like we weren’t searching for answers. They were just never given to us.

Maybe we wouldn’t be looking for a release date if they were like every other decent company out there and provided it in a press release ahead of time as opposed to a blind release.
Ned

The Orlando Sentinel had a insert with the Pearl and a 1/2 page ad for $149 today, but no stores in Orlando had the product. They were giving rainchecks.
Ned

The Orlando Sentinel had a insert with the Pearl and a 1/2 page ad for $149 today, but no stores in Orlando had the product. They were giving rainchecks.
BB Pearl Fan

I’m glad you like that Steveo. Both you and BB authors were fools for basing your assessments of Cingular Pearl deployment performance on the word of Boy Genius. You’ve done a disservice to the BB community by taking the word of his “contacts” and stirring up this mess. Well done. Hopefully you will look for something official from the right people before going down that road again.
BB Pearl Fan

I’m glad you like that Steveo. Both you and BB authors were fools for basing your assessments of Cingular Pearl deployment performance on the word of Boy Genius. You’ve done a disservice to the BB community by taking the word of his “contacts” and stirring up this mess. Well done. Hopefully you will look for something official from the right people before going down that road again.
http://www.blackberrycool.com/ Steve St. Pierre

Pearl fan, I’m sorry you don’t like the full spectrum of BlackBerry coverage that we provide here at BlackBerry Cool. Hopefully you’re able to find a site that’s more in-line with your desires.
http://www.blackberrycool.com Steve St. Pierre

Pearl fan, I’m sorry you don’t like the full spectrum of BlackBerry coverage that we provide here at BlackBerry Cool. Hopefully you’re able to find a site that’s more in-line with your desires.
Bill McKinley

Maybe I’m more cynical than you young guys, but it seems to me that if Cingular wanted to discredit BoyGenius, they could not have been more successful.

We all know that there is a period of exclusivity when a new model is released. Are we all so rabid to have this model that we blame the messenger when he gives us news that feeds our desires?

BoyGenius has been spot on in the past, and most likely will be spot on in the future, but this time – for whatever reason – things didn’t work out. Do we now ignore his excellent reports and scoops? I think not.
Bill McKinley

Maybe I’m more cynical than you young guys, but it seems to me that if Cingular wanted to discredit BoyGenius, they could not have been more successful.

We all know that there is a period of exclusivity when a new model is released. Are we all so rabid to have this model that we blame the messenger when he gives us news that feeds our desires?

BoyGenius has been spot on in the past, and most likely will be spot on in the future, but this time – for whatever reason – things didn’t work out. Do we now ignore his excellent reports and scoops? I think not.

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