Microsoft, Windows 10 & Blackberry

Praxius

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Raised and eyebrow?

I was thinking (I do that sometimes) about what more could happen in Microsoft's future with Windows 10 for Phones.

We have all heard the information about Microsoft's market share, how they're 3rd place while Blackberry, The Artist Formally Known as Prince.... Er RIM... Is even further behind.

Now back in the day when we humans rode to work on wagons pulled by horses, Research In Motion was a big cheese in the Smart Phone Cracker Factory with devices like the Blackberry Pearl. Their phones were so popular they coined the term "Crackberry"

But in recent times, RIM, now known as Blackberry, has hit hard times.... Harder than Microsoft. Not that long ago it was to believe that the company was going to close all their doors, board up all their windows and hop the next freight train to Hoboville. But they're still around and still trying their best to release their phones into the market.

Not that long ago Microsoft bought and took ownership of Nokia, another well known player in the mobile market that put out a lot of popular phones over their many years. This has helped Microsoft get things under more control, streamlined and they have more resources working for them in-house for their Lumias.

Of course by now many of you reading this can see where I am heading.... But exactly how is the question.

Indeed, I think it would be quite a good idea if MS took a look at Blackberry. Maybe not buy them out and take them over, but to get a very good partnership or semi-merger with the Blackberry fellas and add more weight to their names.

When?

Well not now of course, but I think that once W10 is officially launched, W10 for phones is launched and MS gets a few flagships out in the world, their market share will certainly increase a bit and people will be paying more attention to this side of the mobile world.

To continue with that momentum, a couple of months after all of the above, MS should announce a partnership with Blackberry to release Blackberry Phones Running W10 with Blackberry features and apps.... While at the same time, include some of Blackberry's more popular and unique features to the overall W10 ecosystem.

I know a few years back when I was debating over which phone would be my first mobile, I was stuck between the Blackberry Torch and the Nokia Lumia 800. It was a difficult decision as I really liked both for different reasons. I ended up with the 800 and stuck with Lumias ever since.

But I still have a little spot in my heart for Blackberrys. They are really nice looking phones, good craftsmanship, were well know for their security features etc..... But their support in some countries is severely lacking, especially here in Australia where some of their features cost additional on certain phone plans.

Considering MS not only wants to attract the everyday mobile user, but the business side as well, and Blackberry has had a long history of working with Business and Government, it would make sense for both to join together somehow and increase their market share together as a unified force.

Whether or not it would ever happen, do you think some sort of partnership would be theoretically beneficial?
 

JamesDax

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No need. My understanding is that BB already intends to go multiplatform with many of their services much like what MS is doing. BB will like end up being a services company, much like Nokia, in the next few years.
 

Praxius

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No need. My understanding is that BB already intends to go multiplatform with many of their services much like what MS is doing. BB will like end up being a services company, much like Nokia, in the next few years.

So Blackberry will become the Sega of mobile phones, lol.... Quite possible.

Sega used to make consoles and was right up there back in the day, now they just make games for every other console and gaming platform.

It would be a shame.... I do like the Blackberry Design of their phones.
 

KhawarNadeem

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Blackberrys are such great phones, I have a Bold 9900 lying around and while OS7.1 seems primitive compared to what mobile OSes offer today, it still is exceptionally smooth and the keyboard, of course, is pure class. It's a shame they've lost so much by being just as late (if not more late than Microsoft) to the mobile market. MS has infinitely deep pockets so they'll keep doing WP until they succeed. RIM didn't have those kinds of funds coming in.

WP and BB can't mix. While Android might be open enough that one of the big names (Samsung or LG) can buy them out and get some serious security on their phones, not to mention QNX apps which play nice with a lot of industrial/commercial hardware; at this point there seems like no point in doing that either. WP is too controlled and closed up to really benefit from what BB offers anyway.
 

Blade800

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No. Just no.

Blackberry is a sinking ship, no need to partner with them. And I cant imagine a Windows OS on Blackberry phones, just no. They have hardware keyboard and display lower then 3 inches for god sake.
 

KhawarNadeem

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You say that like its a bad thing.

Agreed. Not everyone needs a 5" 1080p display if their primary use case is texting, email and calling.

Besides, the new BB Passport has a square 4.5" display. If you're not into the whole maths thing, a square is the optimal shape for the highest perimeter to area ratio.

What does that mean?

A 4.5" 1:1 aspect ratio display has quite a bit more surface area than a 5" 16:9 one. If you really think just having a keyboard means having a small display, you are mistaken.
 

AndyCalling

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I have to say, I do like the look of that passport device they've made. But I don't think MS will feel the need to buy them out. Still, perhaps they'll consider making Windows devices as an OEM?
 

AndyCalling

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Agreed. Not everyone needs a 5" 1080p display if their primary use case is texting, email and calling.

Besides, the new BB Passport has a square 4.5" display. If you're not into the whole maths thing, a square is the optimal shape for the highest perimeter to area ratio.

What does that mean?

A 4.5" 1:1 aspect ratio display has quite a bit more surface area than a 5" 16:9 one. If you really think just having a keyboard means having a small display, you are mistaken.

Until they invent the Disc Phone! I remember using a nice circular display in Central Tactical Systems on the Nimrod ASW aircraft, and that was yonks ago. Surely we can shrink that down now? 😊
 

fatclue_98

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BlackBerry has already partnered with Samsung to help out with their flawed Knox security system. I'm guessing it's a two way street and a real possibility of seeing Samsungs with BB OS10 onboard. It's no secret that Samsung is looking for avenues that don't include Google (Tizen, Samsung Pay).

As for a buyout, I doubt it since Fairfax Holdings nixed buyout overtures from Samsung already. My guess is they'll keep a limited presence in the consumer fold (one million BBM downloads on Google Play Store so far) and hammer the Enterprise sector to recapture their mojo from a bygone era.
 

Alain_A

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BlackBerry has already partnered with Samsung to help out with their flawed Knox security system. I'm guessing it's a two way street and a real possibility of seeing Samsungs with BB OS10 onboard. It's no secret that Samsung is looking for avenues that don't include Google (Tizen, Samsung Pay).

As for a buyout, I doubt it since Fairfax Holdings nixed buyout overtures from Samsung already. My guess is they'll keep a limited presence in the consumer fold (one million BBM downloads on Google Play Store so far) and hammer the Enterprise sector to recapture their mojo from a bygone era.

Also BB is helping Android/google for its security...that I read somewhere
 

anon(6038817)

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This thread definitely got my attention as a BlackBerry AND Microsoft fan.

I'm currently using a BlackBerry Q10 as my daily driver. Features such as the physical keyboard, Hub, and BlackBerry Blend are keeping me hooked right now.

But my choice for personal email, contacts, calendar, and online productivity suite is Microsoft, hands down. I have also been a Windows Phone user in the past (Lumia 521, Lumia 822) and I am keeping a close eye on Windows 10 and the forthcoming phones that will be running it.

If BlackBerry didn't exist, I would be using a Windows phone.

That said, BlackBerry is doing much, much better than it was a year ago. CEO John Chen and his executive team have executed his turnaround strategy brilliantly and they have already turned the corner. They do so much more than make phones. Their strength right now is software, and they have already taken a cross-platform approach. First with BBM, then with BES12, and now with the upcoming BlackBerry Experience, which will be a cross-platform productivity suite that you can install on any of the 3 other major platforms (iOS, Android, and Windows Phone).

BlackBerry is also definitely seeking out strategic partnerships. They've partnered with Amazon to bring its Appstore to their phones. They've partnered with Samsung to help secure their phones in the enterprise space. There's also rampant speculation that the upcoming BlackBerry slider phone with curved screen edges and rumored flagship specs that was just revealed at MWC is the result of collaboration with Samsung.

Do I see an acquisition of BlackBerry by Microsoft in the future? I'm not taking anything off the table, but I think it's highly unlikely, just because I haven't really seen any glimpses or hints of partnerships or collaborations between the 2 companies like there has been with Samsung. I'm not saying it's out of the realm of possibility, but I just don't see an outright acquisition happening. I also think BlackBerry is in a pretty good place right now. They're not desperate like they were a year ago when they couldn't even find a buyer and decided to reinvest and restructure instead.

I definitely see a greater possibility of some kind of partnership between BlackBerry and Microsoft. What that might exactly entail, I haven't a clue, but I would definitely support it.
 

Blacklac

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I don't see Blackberry phones running Windows Phone. Blackberry's OS is all that's keeping them floating in the consumer market, at all. They also have as good or better App support. It's their hardware that consumers just don't want, anymore. Heck, they are still making NEW phones with S4 Pro's... Lol.

I can't see a merger/buyout making sense, but it could. Honestly, they are my two favorite platforms.
 

fatclue_98

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^^ Those S4 chips they're using are leftovers being put to good use. Like WP, BB OS10 is a lightweight platform that doesn't require top-flight innards to function properly. I call that fiscal responsibility.
Sent from my big *** Lumia 1520
 

anon(5340442)

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BlackBerry devices will have both BB10 and Android on them. Right now, you can switch between a work and personal mode, but soon it will be BB10 and Android modes. And from what im told, it will be the full Google Play Android, not a 3rd party store with an app launcher. So BB for work, Android for personal. When? Not sure, but this is the direction they are going.
 

Spectrum90

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BlackBerry devices will have both BB10 and Android on them. Right now, you can switch between a work and personal mode, but soon it will be BB10 and Android modes. And from what im told, it will be the full Google Play Android, not a 3rd party store with an app launcher. So BB for work, Android for personal. When? Not sure, but this is the direction they are going.
Interesting, source?
 

anon(6038817)

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BlackBerry devices will have both BB10 and Android on them. Right now, you can switch between a work and personal mode, but soon it will be BB10 and Android modes. And from what im told, it will be the full Google Play Android, not a 3rd party store with an app launcher. So BB for work, Android for personal. When? Not sure, but this is the direction they are going.

If that happens, I'll be leaving BlackBerry for Windows phone. That's how much I want to avoid anything associated with Google.

Typed with much precision and clicky-ness on my Q10
 

fatclue_98

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BlackBerry devices will have both BB10 and Android on them. Right now, you can switch between a work and personal mode, but soon it will be BB10 and Android modes. And from what im told, it will be the full Google Play Android, not a 3rd party store with an app launcher. So BB for work, Android for personal. When? Not sure, but this is the direction they are going.

I've read the same with the exception of the Play Store. Android apps run in a Runtime Environment, not natively.
 

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