BlackBerry news thinning prompts questionable future
It’s well documented that RIM and its BlackBerry platform are in the doldrums right now and we’ve recently told of how things are looking pretty grim for the once omnipresent company. However BlackBerry devices seem to be well past their peak of popularity and with thinning BlackBerry news it has prompted us to wonder about its questionable future.
Apart from the new BlackBerry 10 OS due in October and devices that will appear using it, there has been very little to focus on regarding BlackBerry for some time now, except maybe for negative news about the standing of the company. For instance recently we told how BlackBerry was about to ditch more employees and then came the further bad news that BlackBerry phones and PlayBooks were stockpiled with many previous BlackBerry enthusiasts deserting the platform for Android and iOS devices.
With RIM’s market share plunging it seemed to us that the company was pinning all its hopes on BlackBerry 10 and its subsequent devices but we had real concerns that this could be too little, too late. Following this there were more worries with the news of further poor BlackBerry sales prompting us to question once again whether the BlackBerry 10 OS would be enough to save RIM.
Finally, only a few days ago we heard that RIM is to drop the 16GB BlackBerry PlayBook and it was speculated that this was because it offered a lower profit margin than larger storage versions. However RIM’s take on this was that the 32 and 6GB versions offered better value to customers so we have no way of knowing what really prompted this decision. What does seem obvious though is that the BlackBerry platform is really struggling and this is only highlighted by the fact that there has seemed very little real product news lately.
We wonder if BlackBerry is simply running out of ideas and if it’s wise for so much importance to be placed in the BlackBerry 10 OS basket. If that doesn’t take off in the way that RIM is obviously hoping for, it seems to us that RIM will have a hugely steep uphill battle to regain prominence in the market. That is if it isn’t already at the foot of a very big mountain to climb.
We’re really interested to hear what our readers think about the BlackBerry dilemma. Are you still a BlackBerry enthusiast and still impressed with what it has to offer? Maybe you always purchased BlackBerry products previously but are beginning to think about leaving the platform? Where do you see BlackBerry in two years time? Let us know with your comments.
Comments
20 thoughts on “BlackBerry news thinning prompts questionable future”
Having a Blackberry is like having a mole on your nose. When people see you with a Blackberry, they think they you cheat on your wife and beat your kids.
what has the world come to when people such as Paul Medtronic post really idiotic comments what a moron
 I agree that Paul Medtronic is a moron
I still have a BB and I like it for the purpose – Phone calls, texting, emails. BBM. etc. I drop my phone a lot and for that purpose, I don’t think the other phones would withstand. It is still a good value for money and deos its primary purpose. I own a playbook too!Although, I am not a touch fan, I bought 64gb for$ 299 just for the price. Again for the price what it offers satisfies me- Browsing, gaming, reading, photos storage( for my photography portfolio, music, print to go) etc, though I would love to see skype. But lot of othe app people complain about, I don’t even care. For example, Netflix, I would never even a want to watcha movie in small screen like that, unless I am travelling on a plane(where I don’t have other options).
I think there are still customers( not just loaylists) and they are still waiting for BB10. RIM will not be as they were before, but I think they will recover from this and will be back in business.
…as far as Netflix or other streaming services I often watch Playbook content on a hotels TV using the mini HDMI conection (newer tvs mind you). Apps of this nature would certainly be useful.
I thought BB was the phone of the future until I got my hands on iPhone 4S , then I realized what I have been missing.
If you own a BB, you keep lying to yourself that you cannot do without it but if you think further, you will realize the lousy BISbis merely for emails and BBM. I rather have an iPhone with monthly data plan than a lousy BB with BIS.
Now I get to play real games and stream videos real fast. I was a big fan of BB but then to me they just a one trick porny!
The hardware is rubbish! OS is poor!
I have been resisting my urge to replace my aging BlackBerry Bold 9700 with a Samsung Galaxy Note but I am waiting for the new BlackBerry 10 phone. October is a long way away.   Â
I don’t care if I appear outdated. Heck, that’s the reason why I have not given up my BlackBerry. The keyboard is brilliant and easy to type on and plus I do not want to look like everyone else staring down at a touch-screen phone. I am proud to still be carrying around Blackberry’s signature keyboard phone. If I can manage to be patient until their next one comes out, I will definitely get that one instead of the touch-screen. October is already long enough, let alone having to wait even more months for their next keyboard phone.
Clearly blackberry is not doing well. But to predict that its the end of blackberry is too soon. Blackberry still has a hardcore following and a major player in the corporate and public sector communications. On top of it a debt free balance sheet.Â
bb has lost a major part of its share of consumers and if you recall back to motorola, they had the razr in 2006 and everybody wanted one and by 2009 motorola was unknown, so much so that even if you wanted one it was not available ( in UK at least). Again it all changed with the milestone handset and set motorola back in the game. The other important factor are the retailers, i have myself worked in mobile retail and sales are based on two factors, profit margins/commission and hardware availability.Â
Rim seems to have a chance with bb10 as it looks promising, latest reports thats its a patchwork os, means it can offer the best of all and that backs the in house layouts as software is either sourced from third parties or through acquisition. In my opinion if rim delivers on time with a tried and tested device with a good number of apps and a price point backed by marketing, all the lost consumers will be back, but the heat is on because its the last chance for them and they must deliver or be history.
BlackBerry Is not dead by a long shot. They are in it for the long haul and will reinvent themselves with their new OS.Â
I have an android phone (Samsung ) also a iphone 4s., and a blackberry bold, between the devices my monthly bill for Internet usage is always lower on my blackberry, even though I use it more compared to the other devices. With my bold, I can also use wifi calling, which does not affect the amount of minutes I receive per month. My iphone is great but most of the aps are for people to play games or search for people that are close to you to chat with. My blackberry bold and Samsung can stream live video without any freezing, the iphone not able to do so, and I usually go over my monthly data usage with this phone. I like the Android device but the ice cream sandwich platform looks to plain compared to the 0S7 on the blackberry and the IOS on the iphone. QNX has lots of potential. My brother has the ipad 2 and I have the playbook. I personally think the playbook is far more advance compared to the ipad 2.. My brother and I both did a test on certain websites and found that I can stream video and access websites alot faster than his ipad aswell as some websites give back error messages stating unable to view, while it loads perfectly on my playbook. These days I find him using my playbook more for watching movies and now he’s considering switching to a blackberry and playbook…. His friend just gave up his iphone for a blackberry, and now pings me constantly through BBM!
The company is not going down. RIM has invested 100 mil into BB-10, not to mention all the worldwide trade shows they’re putting on. Don’t sound to me like RIM is going down, they’re just reloading.
I would like to stay with Blackberry since I am a professional and need a stable long-lasting phone. I rarely have time to play games so don’t care those features. Blackberry is a real singer and Apple is a popstar, no matter which one is better, just different style. For me I just love the solomn and classic style of RIM.
I very grudgingly came over to the BB platform from Palm. My Treo 720P was the truth! Touchscreen and keyboard input, well constructed, outstandingly integrated PIM features and a very mature OS. I have since gotten accustomed to BB and worked around the OS quirks to develop a very streamlined and effective method of taking care of business with the handset. The closest comparison to a BB device would be some sort of Windows oriented phone, and I’m not interested in all the baggage that Microsoft brings to the table. So I’m sticking with BB in hopes that BB 10 really is a humdinger. And I have the PlayBook which is really an outstanding device. The fact that companies such as Netflix look at the platform as being in the throes of death is unfortunate! I find the build quality to be excellent, and the devices are eminently useful, practical and in the case of the PlayBook, very media friendly as well. If RIM can hang on to life, I see good things in the future. There is a clear segment of users that want the security, reliability, keyboard option and battery life that BB has to offer. I for one also see them as really doing some solid work on the OS based on the GUI of the PlayBook.
 …that would actually be Palm 700P
pack it up, the party is over!
re:We wonder if BlackBerry is simply running out of ideas
IÂ ‘wonder’ if the media will ever get tired of bashing blackberry.
They’re transitioning to an entirely new OS, going from oldest to newest OS. They still managed to increase Blackberry nation during this time, thats an amazing accomplishment, luckily people are ignoring biased coverage of them.
Read consumer reviews if you want an honest and objective opinion of the Playbook, its overwhelmingly positive, it’s completely different than so called ‘expert’ reviews being published non stop over the last year.
I have been a blackberry user for 4 years and have been happy with the phones, I bought a playbook and that was just rubbish! I think the problem was the touchscreen interface. I’m not a lover of touchscreen devices and feel that if blackberry go under we touchscreen haters will be left with no choice. I think blackberry should focus on the fact it offers a keyboard and start an advertising campaign that shows how touchscreen users continually make errors on their devices.
They should show how touchscreen users continually make errors? I don’t think false advertising is a good approach lol
I have been a BlackBerry fanatic since first purchasing a BlackBerry a few years ago. Â I am currently using a Storm 2. Â Every since word of the BlackBerry 10 OS starting making the rounds I have been waiting to upgrade my currently dated smartphone. Â I am pulling for RIM and I am hoping that they deliver a quality product that can indeed compete with the new and ever advancing smartphones on the market now, and those to come.
I love blackberry! and always seem to go back to them! I can’t wait for new new OS 10 to come out, and also have a playbook! I push blackberry on every one and hope that to co. Don’t die! In two years with the right advertiseing and push I think it will come back strong! Blackberry for ever !