RIM launches Trade Up program; up to $120 for your old BlackBerry

mobile

Today, Research In Motion quietly introduced a new Trade Up program for BlackBerry smartphones. The new program will allow current BlackBerry owners to trade in their old handset for up to $120 off a new RIM smartphone. Users will be allowed to upgrade to one of six BlackBerry models from various carriers and must be turning in one of five devices on RIMs list. Not the most comprehensive trade-in program we’ve ever seen, that’s for sure. The Trade Up program’s site is live now, have a look for yourself.

Read

75 Comments
  • Bringit

    no thanks.

  • Anonymous

    Hold on!!! Give your old customers money to buy your new product? If you have to pay your existing customers to buy your new products, you may have failed……..I take that back, you just failed.

    • Anonymous

      So, when Verizon (NE2 program) did this, it was a wonderful thing….but when RIM does it, they are failures?
      Granted, one is a service provider and the other a hardware provider, but all RIM is trying to do is keep their existing customers using their hardware.

      • Norm 4GLTE

        Verizon continues to offer the best value in our plans and phones that we provide the consumer. Like DROID, we offer choice and competition, which is great for the consumer. Please remember that DROID DOES and always will DOES.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        LOL DROID DOES and always will DOES is that proper ?

    • Todd

      It’s called “trade-in”. This is not a new concept and works very well for thousands of companies in hundreds of different markets.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        What is funny is only RIM people with real devices seem to be still on. The people with their toys went to bed along time ago! This is what it is like to be connected. Join the winning team! #TeamBlackBerry!

    • Xd

      Stupid comment.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GP2WYAHXS6CRUREISWBGPUSUGE Michael

    Trade your dried up pile of turds and get a fresh steaming pile of turds.

    Thanks but no thanks.

    • Anonymous

      Just when you though that fresh steaming piles of turds couldn’t get any more awesome. . .

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1001483324 Gerry Quaglia

      Couldn’t have said it better myself

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        How about this instead. Go out and buy a $500 device because your still on contract and your plastic toy broke. Or because this model has a G in the name. What thanks do you get, oh wait that’s right your an Apple user you get over priced hardware and not even a pat on the back plus forced to by the next model when this one breaks. Its not a total loss though you can take your new charm bracelet to parties and show friends how many useless trinkets you have on it! Sorry not charm bracelet I mean iPhone, I get the 2 confused all the time because they are the same.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GP2WYAHXS6CRUREISWBGPUSUGE Michael

        Dude, put down the dutchie and step away from the Hookah. It’ll be okay.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        WTF are you talking about? Again another person that has nothing to add no real sense of a conversation but throws out stoner words hoping they will sound cool and a get a like! Look at my likes look at yours! Someone knows what they are talking about someone doesn’t!

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1001483324 Gerry Quaglia

        Well at least the iphone is a real smartphone. The turdberry is nothing but a gloried 2 way pager.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        You have never used one then I am assuming because it does everything your iPhone does with less games. Tell me one thing it cannot do that your iPhone can that is a requirement of a smart phone?

  • DNicolasL

    Seems desperate. RIM needs to get their act together fast.

    • E-Man

      Why is this desperate? Best Buy is offering a trade in program on electronics. I just think $120 is not enough. You can sell your device for more on ebay/kijiji.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        Exactly :) people just like to bug the king of the castle when they come up with good ideas first. If Apple though of it they would be humanitarians but because its RIM were desperate. Go figure!

  • Batteman87

    RIM can buy mine back on eBay as soon as I get my new iPhone… Starting bid on my Storm 2 with accessories $0.99.

    • Bringit

      zactly.

    • E-Man

      Whats the link so I can bid?

  • Anonymous

    Leave it to RIM to replace the concept of “selling devices people want to buy” with “selling devices people will only buy if you pay them.” Genius.

  • Anonymous

    $120 is far, far too much to trade in a POS CrApple phone for a brilliant new OS 6 running Blackberry. But then, I doubt they will do a competitive upgrade program.

    Getting a new Blackberry is surely a good idea on any day though.

    • Anonymous

      Ah yes, your avatar matches your alien thought process. :)

  • http://twitter.com/dustbeta Dustin Schultz

    Hah, my Tour qualifies to upgrade to a Bold on Sprint, but yeah right. After having the Tour there is NO WAY I would buy another BB ever again. I was a die hard BB user for 6+ years, and the Tour destroyed that. Worst. Phone. Ever.

  • RobertSeattle

    I think the SS RIM hit the iceberg yesterday.

  • http://schultzter.ca Schultzter

    And only in the US. Whoopee. My 7130g probably wouldn’t qualify anyways.

  • QNX Please

    Not a bad idea, have first world customers trade in their old BlackBerry’s, refurbish them a bit, and sell them again in third world countries. I love it, companies do this all the time with laptops. Technology is not even across all countries. Try getting a flat screen TV in most parts of Africa or South America, they still sell CRT TV’s there.

    • MikeMike

      CRT TV’s? Isn’t that BAD for global warming? Where’s algore when you need him? Wait, I can answer my own question…

      1. No, there is no man-made global warming
      2. algore probably has a company that sells the CRT TV’s to 3rd world countries.
      3. Where is algore when we need him? It was trick question – WE DON’T NEED HIM! :D

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        I agree QNX please this is great! A company that want to help is awesome. Yeah RIM can make a buck but if you can do good and make a buck its a win win situation!

  • Masterofkungfu

    Seeing how there is barely a difference in each new Blackberry model, in comparison the the previous version, I dont know if this is a good deal or not!

    • Jay

      And can you tell the difference between the Iphone 1, 2, 3 or 3gs?

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        Exactly the phone that never changes!

  • Guest

    This is not a RIM website. It is “Operated by The Wireless Source”

  • http://caspan.com Caspan

    I think all of you on here bad mouthing RIM have no idea what you are talking about. Instead of throwing that device out they will give you money for it. For people that upgrade their phones this is a great idea to reduce waste as well get your phone for a little cheaper. So instead of giving your old phone to your brother or friend they want to take that older technology off the street and make sure the new stuff is out there. A huge problem RIM never thought about was the fact that these damn things last for ever. It’s like the stride gum commercial they last too long so they have to find a way to help you get rid of your 100% working device for a new one. Same as cars back in the old day they were built to last but that was not economical because no one would buy a new car because the old one was just fine! So it seems like RIM again shows how they listen to the masses saying “But this phone is perfectly fine, why would I upgrade” Apple wont do that because their devices don’t last for more then 3 years without needing a $150 battery replacement or the device is broken or scratched to hell. but go on believing RIM is dead behind the times… People who actually use the devices for a living know different and your voice is 1% of the real voice that effects RIM!

  • MikeMike

    Can I just have the $120? You can keep your phone.

    • http://caspan.com Caspan

      Wow good one! Must have looked at that blank box for 30 minutes before finding a new and neat way to say “FAIL”

  • http://twitter.com/KevinPy85 Kevin Py

    I pre-ordered the iPhone yesterday, but for kicks I wanted to see what they’d give me for my Storm 2, they said $125, so I guess $120 isn’t really the upper limit. I’m actually selling back to Gazelle when I get my iPhone, with my 20% extra promo code, my quote is like $136, but I doubt it’ll pass perfect inspection, probably Good. still, I’m not buying another Blackberry even if my trade in got me a few extra bucks

    • http://caspan.com Caspan

      $120 is their limit according to their press release , pay attention to the $25 bonus to use the program. It won’t be forever but they are throwing in a few extra bucks to people to get this started. Ahh I know what’s wrong you started to drink the Kool-aid and now you don’t really listen or read facts but just proxy everything through Jobs distortion field! My bad and sorry for your loss!

      • http://twitter.com/KevinPy85 Kevin Py

        well I just want a phone that doesnt freeze when trying to use more than one app, which my Storm 2 has consistently done. Sometimes it also just doesn’t work, it must crash 10 times a day too, I’m done with Blackberry as a personal phone, I will use one for work though

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        I get you there are some problems but don’t think only RIM has these problems. I have friends with Android, iPhone all of them and they want to kill the device. It does not matter what company. RIM with the Storm lineup has made some mistakes and to not admit that would be silly, but they have also learned for it. Something RIM does is constantly testing the water to see what’s next! IPhone is the only other real hardware manufacturer here other then RIM and they just stay the same. They don’t experiment like RIM does. Unless you look at stuff like their antenna I see that as Apple finally taking a risk and taking one on the chin for the future of technology. To say because RIM fails is why they are going down is just silly. Look at war and the front line people who give their lives so people behind them can win the war. Did those people fail at their job because they died? No they made a path for others. RIM does this all the time they take one fore the team but because they failed and the industry moved forward because of their research… RIM didn’t fail they carved a path. I tease my iPhone friends about the antenna and they do to me about the Storm. But Apple learned and so did everyone else from this mistake. People just don’t see this and tease RIM I can take it but I also put a few in their place!

      • Androidandgodthencountry

        RIM employee?

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        No its called being educated! You have to read and understand something before you open your mouth! If people actually did that they would have something to say that is intelligent and would add to the conversation. It drives mr bananas how people have no clue about stuff they say and they think they know something. They don’t and an educated smart person is going to put them in their place just like the real world!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1001483324 Gerry Quaglia

    Bye bye RIM. You failed to learn from history. You can join Palm in obscurity.

    • http://caspan.com Caspan

      So because RIM wants to return your money for its still functional phone? Explain how a failing company can give money away, yet a successful company does not budge a penny and also over charges for its product. Sounds to me that RIM cares about it customers.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1001483324 Gerry Quaglia

        No, they are trying everything under the sun to keep them. Desperate act of a desperate company.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        Ohh I get it so failing companies want hardware back and give people money???? Seriously????

  • Max

    Lmao turn in your old piece of shit BB for a new piece of shit.

    • http://caspan.com Caspan

      Original! So explain why it sucks. Do you actually have a real opinion or are you just jumping on the mob mentality most of you don’t have a clue about technology. You think because 9 is bigger then 8 then 9 is better. You’re so simple in your thinking.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1001483324 Gerry Quaglia

        Typical RIMtard. Defending a dying platform to the end.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        Typical troll has no evidence has no real input just jumps in the room and yells RIM sucks! Why don’t you explain using real facts why RIM is dead yet they are still 100% alive? It because you can’t you don’t know anything other then what you have been told. I will go head to head with anyone with real facts not just opinions! But no one ever seems to know anything when it comes to real facts!

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1001483324 Gerry Quaglia

        No native exchange support, no imap support, apps that look like they were made for DOS, lackluster hardware, battery pulls, long bootups. I could go on.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        “No native exchange support” – BlackBerry Internet Service BIS out of the box support every single mail server type including Exchange. This is not software on the phone it is a server service provide to all BlackBerry users with a data plan.

        “No IMAP support” – have a look again, might not be the same as your client but BIS supports IMAP

        “apps that look like they were made for DOS, lackluster hardware” – your opinion they work just fine for me!

        “battery pulls” – so does every one else. Iphone will freeze all the time. Plus hard to compare an OS that is multi tasking to one that is only doing a thing at a time.

        “long bootups” I will give Apple this one, depending on model can take 30ish seconds. But it also comes at an expense. battery life, mainly because you have to run a GHz proc. RIM could boot a phone that fast too but they care about battery life. The set the phone up so you can load apps faster etc. Same as your PC with half load a program so it launches quicker.

        So there is nothing so far that the iPhone can do the BlackBerry can’t? Any more?

      • Max

        What can BB do with its 2mp camera, 240×240 screen, its 400mhz processor and 64k of memory that any new high powered Android or iPhone can’t? BB morons live in 2003. BBM is replicated by any number of apps. You know, those “fart machines”?

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        A 5MP camera, 480×360 screen and can do everything the iPhone can do for longer and with half the processing power! And was it not Steve Job that said “its not the number of apps but the quality of the apps” how the tables have turned :)

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        Oh sorry forgot the 512 MB of RAM plus SD card support plus 626MHz processor BTW as I mentioned in other posts just because you have 512MB means nothing I have tons of apps on my Torch with plenty of free space. Were not an iPhone or Android were we’re a BlackBerry and things are not about one number is higher then another so its better its about what can we do to make it better. Go look at MP on a camera a 20MP means nothing if hardware supporting it is useless.

      • apachuka

        Looks like the BB is for cowboys, from the 19th century.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        :) yeeee hawwwww LOL wanna mustache ride? 5 cents!!! Get a long little doggy! I love that picture! People so don’t get it!

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        Funny thing is this 19th century cowboy knows more then most of you 21st century cowgirls!

  • Shilll

    Get your ‘Super’ App enabled phone here…. seems like a RIM distortion field if you ask me. It’s like a 16 year old slapping a TypeR badge on a Honda Civic and claiming it drives better. I’ve been on BB for 7 years…. key word, ‘been’. Wow, I didn’t know what I was missing until I tried both iPhone and Android. 

    And since I know RIM hired a PR agency to monitor these comments and try to change sentiment, I welcome your ‘anonymous’ response!

    • http://caspan.com Caspan

      Not anonymous but again RIM is not for everyone. There will be people that like Apple or Android better. I hope you are happy with your new device. But if you wanted out of RIMs field then why are you back here talking about them? Sounds to me like a jealous ex coming back to bitch about stuff. If you want to leave then go but then actually go!

      • Androidandgodthencountry

        If you don’t want to give yourself as a shill for RIM, don’t post more than 3 times under a topic.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        I need to because people are uneducated either that they are just trolling for a rise out of someone. I think BGR need a good dose of someone who is going to tell them the truth and say it like it is! The real truth not opinions or junk troll comments! I am asking people to back up their comments and funny enough no one ever can!

  • apachuka

    It is almost an enjoyment to watch how RIM struggles and comes up more and more ideas to sell their phones. They haven’t really come out with any new ones. The new ones are the old ones with some spit shine on them. What is even funnier is their fanbase defending this company, which dug its grave all by itself, for being a stuck up and arrogant, when it came to innovation.

    • http://caspan.com Caspan

      Keep on believing what your told to believe. I will keep following a company that listens to its people not telling its people how to believe. RIM is Canadian and I will follow it forever more then any other company! They have succeeded where all other have failed because they are not Apple are not Android but somehow are ahead of the game! How is that? Luck? I think they might know a few things then us, or the others!!!

    • Todd

      You don’t have to take a very close look at RIM’s competition to see that they all do the same thing. Look at the first iPhone and look at the latest iPhone. It’s the same thing! I’m getting the distinct feeling that many of the people who comment on this site are the 12-17 year old demographic. At least that’s the level of critical thinking and expression that I see. Just saying “RIM-FAIL” isn’t really a compelling argument.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        LOL so true no one has anything to back up a thing they say. What I find mind blowing is Apple does look kind of the same through all their models never changing the initial design. Then there is the other end where Android manufacturer had over 75 different models last year! So you have the extreme at both ends and then RIM in the middle.

      • Anonymous

        I agree. I still cant get this Apple hype shit. 300000 apps, of what, mostly games and bull shit. What Apple does to make they customers have to buy apps is also laughable. Don’t put in flash but oh download a app that will help you watch a clip. Like the Iphone one, Apple put no copy and paste, then by the third phone i think you got copy and paste. That could have been put in from day one but Apple love to leave room to add stuff and make it seem like you are really getting a new software upgrade. Take the Ipad, we all know that could have gotten front and back cameras from the start. The technology is there, yet it has to come out in the Ipad 2. Why? Apple love to hold back and leave room for upgrade so it can look like they bring something new to the table each year. Its amazing consumers are short changed on the Ipad but call it the best thing since slice bread came around. Why do people feel the need to buy an Apple product knowing stuff is left out, only to be put in a few month later. Bet anyone on this blog that if Apple was second to market with a tablet, it would have gotten cameras straight out the gate. What is scary is that its working, people now feel that they have to spend 1000 on apps that soon enough they will stop using. People also feel they can’t function without apps, like some how a phone has to have 2000 apps to get us through the day. World of followers and a few thinkers my grandmother often say.

  • j.a.

    Link doesn’t work!

  • RRp5

    Awesome Awesome Awesome. When is it coming to Canada?

  • Anonymous

    Let me gets this, more or less, I can spend money on almost the same device thats newer and get money back? Damned, RIM needs to contact Apple’s minister for propaganda advertising agency, I know they could pull this off, and people would be smiling afterwards.

  • apachuka

    I’ll buy a Nokia before I’ll buy a BB. Unkown and left behind (in the USA), at least they make their phones more durable than RIM. Everyone who owns BBs are complaining about their phones falling apart. Either the screen is loose from the frame, the battery door doesn’t shut tightly, their buttons are getting stuck or the new torch has a wobble due to poor design of the sliding mechanism. Not to mention, the new operating system (6) is a giant failure, full of bugs and crashes a lot, there has been at least 6 updates in the past 5 month, that should speak volumes.

    • http://caspan.com Caspan

      So you are deciding to go with a company that does not even have a foot in the race, they are about to make an announcement as to them dropping Symbian!!

      You get what you pay for, if you get a free phone you get one for free. There are models that are built to last but you need to actually pay a couple buck for them. Do you think you get the world for free? Yes they do wear down and some break or some have manufacture defects but so does everyone! It’s like a squeaky wheel you never hear when it’s not squeaky. There are 10 of thousands of satisfied RIM customers for every 1 that’s not satisfied, no one talks about that of course cause they are not complaining! Every manufacturer has the same problems. RIM has created a consumer phone because demand wanted it in a certain price point, they can’t make the same phone for 1/2 the price without sacrificing something. RIM didn’t make you buy anything they gave you an option that you and your peers demanded,you bought it and you made the decision to cheap out then you have to take it on the chin!

    • Todd

      Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain,
      and most fools do.

blog comments powered by Disqus