What the hell is wrong with the world...

[ajst222]

That's what I was referring to. The Classic is arguably a mid-range phone at best and the Passport is clearly not for everybody. Yet there is a certain buzz as you stated.

I guess that's what they wanted...they wanted a form factor that was totally different, and another that brings back nostalgia. It's arguably worked very well for them.

As far as the Classic goes, I was a BlackBerry fan using the Z10 last about a year ago. There were rumors about the Classic back then and I thought it was a horrible idea to bring back the trackpad and toolbar. Not only that, but they're probably using internals stripped from all their Z10s and Q10s they didn't sell. However, I've been eyeing one for quite some time. The nostalgia oddly worked.

 

[oussama ait]

Any other new born OS wouldn't do any better than WP did ... Look at blackberry how they struggling to get apps hhh plus why u care if people like it don't like windows phone ?

 

[MikeX74]

You haven't been to Crackberry in a while, have you?

I was just about to post this. Thanks.

 

[tiziano27]

I guess that's what they wanted...they wanted a form factor that was totally different, and another that brings back nostalgia. It's arguably worked very well for them.

Sales are still falling, so definitely It's not working for them. They're moving all their apps and services to the other platforms. The 10.3.1 update was a big failure, I only saw complains in their forums.

BB10 is a dead platform.

 

[ajst222]

Sales are still falling, so definitely It's not working for them. They're moving all their apps and services to the other platforms. The 10.3.1 update was a big failure, I only saw complains in their forums.



BB10 is a dead platform.

Not sure about sales falling. Sales of the Passport have been strong (on a small scale). Don't know about the Classic.

But that's the thing. They're being smart. They're not pre manufacturing millions of phones only to not sell. They're making a profit. They're trying to compete on the smaller scale in a niche market, and they can do that effectively.


As far as moving their services to other platforms...so is Microsoft. You've got no valid point there.

The only reason people complained about 10.3.1 to my knowledge was because of the removal of Flash, which let's face it, had to be done.

I don't think BB10 is totally dead.

 

[fatclue_98]

BB10 is a dead platform

Yep, they're so dead that Samsung was forced to partner up with them to get Knox secure. Just yesterday they announced the upcoming "BlackBerry Experience Suite" to Android and iOS. Just a couple of months ago, they saved Sony's collective a$$ with legacy devices to get their email up and running after the breach. With all the security failures going on, expect BlackBerry to remain relevant.

 

[ajst222]

Yep, they're so dead that Samsung was forced to partner up with them to get Knox secure. Just yesterday they announced the upcoming "BlackBerry Experience Suite" to Android and iOS. Just a couple of months ago, they saved Sony's collective a$$ with legacy devices to get their email up and running after the breach. With all the security failures going on, expect BlackBerry to remain relevant.

As far as BB10 (the OS itself), it COULD die. We will see what happens there, but they're looking ok right now in that regard I think.

As far as BlackBerry itself, I think it's pretty clear now, for the reasons you stated, that the company and its services will be around.

 

[tiziano27]

Not sure about sales falling. Sales of the Passport have been strong (on a small scale). Don't know about the Classic.

But that's the thing. They're being smart. They're not pre manufacturing millions of phones only to not sell. They're making a profit. They're trying to compete on the smaller scale in a niche market, and they can do that effectively.

The Passport is irrelevant in terms of volume, and sales haven't been strong, that's BB BS.

Microsoft could make a couple of millions selling 500k units per quarter, stopping the development of the platform and relying completely in Android apps, but what's the point of doing that? What's the value for the user? BlackBerry is porting their core apps to iOS and Android, so BB10's value is reduced to a glorified app launcher which is pretty inefficient in terms of resource usage.

BlackBerry could survive selling enterprise services, but that's not clear yet. In fact, sales of that division are also falling.

 

[Laura Knotek]

As far as BB10 (the OS itself), it COULD die. We will see what happens there, but they're looking ok right now in that regard I think.

As far as BlackBerry itself, I think it's pretty clear now, for the reasons you stated, that the company and its services will be around.

I don't think BlackBerry, the company, will die. However, I believe it remains to be seen whether or not they will continue making handsets or just be a software/services company.

 

[ajst222]

The Passport is irrelevant in terms of volume, and sales haven't been strong, that's BB BS.





Microsoft could make a couple of millions selling 500k units per quarter, stopping the development of the platform and relying completely in Android apps, but what's the point of doing that? What's the value for the user? BlackBerry is porting their core apps to iOS and Android, so BB10's value is reduced to a glorified app launcher which is pretty inefficient in terms of resource usage.





BlackBerry could survive selling enterprise services, but that's not clear yet. In fact, sales of that division are also falling.

I think you're missing the point where I said they're doing it smartly and on a small scale.



Everything after that about Microsoft and 500k a quarter...I'm confused.



And Microsoft is doing the same with their core apps. So why is it a double standard when Microsoft does it?



And about BB10 being an app launcher I don't agree

 

[ajst222]

I don't think BlackBerry, the company, will die. However, I believe it remains to be seen whether or not they will continue making handsets or just be a software/services company.

That's been the big debate. After the Z30, I've been a believer that BlackBerry should just give up on hardware. But they seem to have something with the Passport and Classic. Let's see what happens

 

[Laura Knotek]

That's been the big debate. After the Z30, I've been a believer that BlackBerry should just give up on hardware. But they seem to have something with the Passport and Classic. Let's see what happens

I think the main problem with the Z30 was that it was only available for Verizon in the US. It wasn't a bad device; in fact it's the device I would've considered getting. At this point, I'm totally done with any consideration of BlackBerry devices, since I wouldn't use anything with a physical keypad at this point in time.

Because of the use of gestures, to me BB10 is best suited for touchscreen only hardware, not physical keypad hardware.

 

[ajst222]

I think the main problem with the Z30 was that it was only available for Verizon in the US. It wasn't a bad device; in fact it's the device I would've considered getting. At this point, I'm totally done with any consideration of BlackBerry devices, since I wouldn't use anything with a physical keypad at this point in time.

I owned the Z10 twice (separated by 928) and it was the definition of adequacy. At launch, BB10 sucked, and I spent $700 for it day one.

Then the 928, this was with 8.0...wasn't sold. It felt like it was missing something, so I halfheartedly went back to a Z10. As soon as the 8.1 preview came out, I bought a 928 and haven't looked back until now.

I'm not giving up on Windows Phone at all. I've got my 1020, but I'm looking to find a Classic to use until the next Windows flagship. BB10 has developed a lot.

I used a Z30 briefly on 10.3 and it is a nice phone. Less than adequate screen and camera which are major killers for me though. Also used a Q10 for about a week.

It's weird because the only two OS's I like are the two underdogs. Not a fan of Android or iOS. Windows Phone is my undisputed favorite and BB10 just has something about it.

So between CrackBerry and Windows Central, I've been through a lot lol

 

[Grimlock]

Truly, I hope it never is #1. I like being the underdog.

I just don't ever want it to go away. I can't stand Android or iOS, they're both so clunky and cumbersome. Apps just don't matter to me, I care about functionality and the things WP does well.

Well I think you will be happy, because I don't think anything can really kill WP at this point but I also don't think anything can save it. The budget phones will keep it afloat but they will never breakthrough the high end market and gain significant market share in the US. I really do like the simplicity and stability of WP, but the sacrifice we will have to make going forward is not having the latest and greatest hardware or the newest features. I might end up buying the flagship in 6-8 months or whenever that happens, but when that gets old I'll probably have to jump ship since I won't want to keep waiting around for MS to release stuff.

 

[fatclue_98]

BlackBerry is porting their core apps to iOS and Android, so BB10's value is reduced to a glorified app launcher which is pretty inefficient in terms of resource usage.

Besides iTunes, Safari and some fairly nondescript apps, what native apps does Apple have? The iPhone is truly an app launcher in its purest form. At least Microsoft and BlackBerry have desirable services to port, iOS has nothing anybody could possibly want.

Your supposition that Microsoft will break the bank by abandoning WP and relying on Android borders on the ridiculous considering Microsoft makes royalties from Android/Google. That would be akin to the proverbial biting off your nose to spite your face.

 

[fatclue_98]

BlackBerry cancelled BB10 as a platform, they don't have resources to compete, BB10 is alive only as an app launcher.

That is about as absurd a comment as I've read in quite some time. Please provide a link to back up your claim that BB OS10 has been cancelled. I'll need it to forward to John Chen for some late afternoon chuckles.

 

[tiziano27]

Besides iTunes, Safari and some fairly nondescript apps, what native apps does Apple have? The iPhone is truly an app launcher in its purest form. At least Microsoft and BlackBerry have desirable services to port, iOS has nothing anybody could possibly want.

Your supposition that Microsoft will break the bank by abandoning WP and relying on Android borders on the ridiculous considering Microsoft makes royalties from Android/Google. That would be akin to the proverbial biting off your nose to spite your face.

iOS has the best apps by far. Many apps are exclusive for iOS because devs make more money on that platform and they develop first or in some cases only for it. iOS apps can't run in other OSs, so third party iOS apps are a big asset for Apple. However, Apple develop their own services too, like Siri, iCloud, iTunes, Beats music, Maps, iMessage and iWork.
BlackBerry is not a platform, is an OS that emulate other OS to run its apps, in other words, a very inefficient Android launcher. How could a very inefficient Android launcher even be compared to iOS?

I don't think Microsoft should abandon WP. I haven't said that.

That is about as absurd a comment as I've read in quite some time. Please provide a link to back up your claim that BB OS10 has been cancelled. I'll need it to forward to John Chen for some late afternoon chuckles.

They cancelled the platform, not the OS. They were still promoting native development for enterprise apps, but if that's still alive I don't think they got any traction.

 

[fatclue_98]

iOS has the best apps by far. Many apps are exclusive for iOS because devs make more money on that platform and they develop first or in some cases only for it. iOS apps can't run in other OSs, so third party iOS apps are a big asset for Apple. However, Apple develop their own services like Siri, iCloud, iTunes, Beats music, Maps, iMessage and iWork.
BlackBerry is not a platform, It's an OS that emulate other OS to run its apps, in other words, an very inefficient Android launcher. How could an very inefficient Android launcher even be compared to iOS?

Considering that Siri uses Bing as their backend service, I wouldn't make such a blanket endorsement of Apple's "home grown" services.

Siri Cozies Up To Bing

As for BlackBerry, Android apps aren't the sole providers for the platform. Yes, platform. They have their own browser, the best email client in the business, BB maps, BBM and so forth. Apple relies on 3rd party apps more than any other mobile platform. At least Google does have more native services than iOS. BlackBerry World continues to be up and running so I'm still waiting for that announcement that the platform has been cancelled.

 

[Alain_A]

The BlackBerry browser is based on Apple's webkit

source???? never heard of that

 

[zhris]

Many of us are still gunshy after heavily investing into this little guy:


After the Zune fiasco, most people seem to think twice about any MSFT hardware that isn't named XBox.