[docgasberry]

But Android is an open source, no license fee platform powered by Google. The manufacture (Samsung, HTC, etc.) and its skin are the main branding... the average person calls an Galaxy S3, an S3.... not an Android phone.

Having BlackBerry 10 on a Sony phone, it will be a Sony phone with an unknown OS on top of it. BlackBerry has to built a brand and app ecosystem first. If there going to team up with hardware company, it's going to be a lesser known manufacture where BlackBerry is still the main or only branding on the phone/device. IMO of course.

Samsung sells phones with their own OS, Android and Windows 7/8 as well. Same for HTC, they are on both Android and W8. I don't see why if BB10 is licensed out it must be for a " lesser" known manufacturer.

[aniym]

But Android is an open source, no license fee platform powered by Google. The manufacture (Samsung, HTC, etc.) and its skin are the main branding... the average person calls an Galaxy S3, an S3.... not an Android phone.

Having BlackBerry 10 on a Sony phone, it will be a Sony phone with an unknown OS on top of it. BlackBerry has to built a brand and app ecosystem first. If there going to team up with hardware company, it's going to be a lesser known manufacture where BlackBerry is still the main or only branding on the phone/device. IMO of course.

Quick correction regarding your first point. Android is free to license only if the OEM doesn't include the Google Apps suite (Gmail, Maps, App Store, etc). Thus, phones like the Galaxy S3, Xperia, HTC One X, etc. all require their manufacturers to pay Google licensing fees. A no-name Chinese Android tablet on the other hand does not cost the OEM anything in licensing fees. In most cases, OEMs also pay Microsoft $15 in patent licensing fees for each Android device sold.

[Cozz4ever]

But Android is an open source, no license fee platform powered by Google. The manufacture (Samsung, HTC, etc.) and its skin are the main branding... the average person calls an Galaxy S3, an S3.... not an Android phone.

Having BlackBerry 10 on a Sony phone, it will be a Sony phone with an unknown OS on top of it. BlackBerry has to built a brand and app ecosystem first. If there going to team up with hardware company, it's going to be a lesser known manufacture where BlackBerry is still the main or only branding on the phone/device. IMO of course.

It doesn't matter if it's open source or not, or if there's a fee. The end user mostly likely doesn't care.

The problem for Sony is their inability to sell their Android based phones/tablets in an already saturated Android market mostly consumed by Samsung. Sony has very little options other than continuing with Android on a slippery slope, jump on the Microsoft bandwagon which most would say it's a dead end or go the QNX route.

Blackberry would also have much to gain with the Sony presence such as in media, Hollywood affiliations, and Japan. It's a win-win for both

[CrackedBarry]

You won't see Sony or any other manufacturer license BB10, it just doesn't make sense.

Firstly: It doesn't really bring anything new or innovative to the table, that iOS, Android or WP8 doesn't already do.

Secondly: It's a new, unproven 1.0 version of an OS. Nobody knows whether it will take off with consumers, and both Android and WP8 (the only real alternatives to BB10 in terms of licensing) have been out for a while, and have had the early bugs shaken out of them.

On top of that, the app situation is still pretty dire (not just quantity but also quality vise) for BB10. It just doesn't make sense for a manufacturer to licence an OS that is at a disadvantage compared to the existing options.

The biggest problem for Blackberry right now isn't a lack of licensees. The biggest problem is, that WP8 has already taken third place in the US (granted, according to some, not all analysts). And now WP8 and Android is set to take their marketshare in countries like India and Indonesia, which were traditionally strong markets for Blackberry. Why? Cause they don't have a low cost phone with BB10 out, and they probably won't be able to make one, that is inexpensive enough. (In the price range of the old Curve). BB10 apparently can't run well enough on hardware without a Ghz dual core CPU and 512mb RAM. But Android and WP8 can, and Nokia has just launched a series of low cost WP8 handsets in India. Handsets that are not only inexpensive, but also give a great experience, far outclassing both the old BB7 handsets as well as low cost Android phones.

Blackberry has enough problems as it is. And licensing won't solve any of them, even if other manufacturers were interested in it.

[SuperionMaximus]

You won't see Sony or any other manufacturer license BB10, it just doesn't make sense.

Firstly: It doesn't really bring anything new or innovative to the table, that iOS, Android or WP8 doesn't already do.

Secondly: It's a new, unproven 1.0 version of an OS. Nobody knows whether it will take off with consumers, and both Android and WP8 (the only real alternatives to BB10 in terms of licensing) have been out for a while, and have had the early bugs shaken out of them.

On top of that, the app situation is still pretty dire (not just quantity but also quality vise) for BB10. It just doesn't make sense for a manufacturer to licence an OS that is at a disadvantage compared to the existing options.

The biggest problem for Blackberry right now isn't a lack of licensees. The biggest problem is, that WP8 has already taken third place in the US (granted, according to some, not all analysts). And now WP8 and Android is set to take their marketshare in countries like India and Indonesia, which were traditionally strong markets for Blackberry. Why? Cause they don't have a low cost phone with BB10 out, and they probably won't be able to make one, that is inexpensive enough. (In the price range of the old Curve). BB10 apparently can't run well enough on hardware without a Ghz dual core CPU and 512mb RAM. But Android and WP8 can, and Nokia has just launched a series of low cost WP8 handsets in India. Handsets that are not only inexpensive, but also give a great experience, far outclassing both the old BB7 handsets as well as low cost Android phones.

Blackberry has enough problems as it is. And licensing won't solve any of them, even if other manufacturers were interested in it.

WP8 has minimum hardware specs:


Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor
Minimum 512MB RAM for WVGA phones; minimum 1GB RAM for 720p / WXGA
Minimum 4GB flash memory
GPS and A-GNSS; GLONASS is supported if OEMs decide to include it
Support for micro-USB 2.0
3.5mm stereo headphone jack with three-button detection support
Rear-facing AF camera with LED or Xenon flash, optional front-facing camera (both need to be VGA or better) and dedicated camera button
Accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensors, as well as vibration motor (magnetometer and gyroscope are optional)
802.11b/g and Bluetooth (802.11n is optional)
DirectX graphics hardware support with hardware acceleration for Direct3D using programmable GPU
Multi-touch capacitive touch screen with minimum of four simultaneous points

So pretty much the same as the Z10.

Windows Phone also still has a LONG way to go before it can be considered bug free and feature complete. Heck, in it's 2+ year lifespan they've already had to swap out the entire Kernel.

We will see if those low cost Nokia's can even match BBOS 7.1 device sales in India which support MUCH lower min specs and since have had all R&D paid for long ago, can be sold cheaper then anything running Windows Phone and can easily match the cheap Androids. BBOS isn't going away anytime soon you know.

But as far as licensing BB 10, I would love to see Sony get in on it. It doesn't even have to be for phones. They are a Teir 1 Automotive Infotainment system manufacturer. I'd love to have BB10 on a Sony Bravia. Or a Sony Camera. Or tablet. Or e-reader. Plus Sony is a BIG game company and if they brought the Playstation Suite to BB 10 that would be HUGE.

This whole thread is 100% pure speculation, but if any big CE company was to take an interest in BlackBerry, I'd like it to be one that already has allot of synergies in areas BlackBerry would like to grow their business and competes directly with Microsoft for top spot as the home entertainment hub.

Not going to happen, but it would boost the BlackBerry ecosystem and add credibility to the Platform now that BlackBerry has concluded that the only consumer service they need to offer is a storefront. I mean if anything is going to be the death of BlackBerry it will be the fact that they think that BIS didn't matter. Sure they want to keep their enterprise customers, but they NEED consumers to buy in order to survive. There is no first party services available to consumers on BB10 aside from BBM. That's their current chicken and egg conundrum. BBM is only great if you have people on BBM to chat with. If you're switching from iOS or Android you probably don't. So you don't care about BBM. Without BIS email. and without a first party Cloud service, or other unique consumer service there's no draw to join the platform and thus no hook to keep people on it. Yeah the experience. It's not revolutionary and even if it was, WebOS proved a revolutionary new way to interact with your phone isn't enough. Apple and Google use their platforms to sell you their services and their services are what keeps you on their platforms.

[aha]

I don't think BB10 will be licensed to SONY only, that wouldn't be a smart move for BBRY, not even for SONY because it would be of SONY's best interests to have BB10 widely accepted.

If BB10 can be licensed to anyone who is interested, then let SONY to be the first one on the list is not a bad idea. Actually, it doesn't matter who is the first one, as long as there is a first one.

[CrackedBarry]

As for WP8 and WP7 minimum specs, they're far cheaper to build and run well on cheaper hardware than BB10. That's a really big problem for Blackberry. Look at the newest Lumia phones launching in India. A nice, super smooth modern entry level smartphone selling for the same price as some the old Curve devices. They cost less than one fourth of what the Z10 costs. Blackberry would have a very hard time making as good a phone as that anywhere close to the price Nokia is charging. (As would Android manufacturers in all fairness. You can get an Android phone at that price but its nowhere as smooth and nice as the WP7/WP8 handsets)

HTC also has their WP8 phone at a third the price of the Z10.

Blackberry has already indicated that they don't intend to compete in the 100-150$ segment, so why would another manufacturer license from them when there are better options available?

[aha]

As for WP8 and WP7 minimum specs, they're far cheaper to build and run well on cheaper hardware than BB10.

You don't know that.

[lnichols]

As for WP8 and WP7 minimum specs, they're far cheaper to build and run well on cheaper hardware than BB10. That's a really big problem for Blackberry. Look at the newest Lumia phones launching in India. A nice, super smooth modern entry level smartphone selling for the same price as some the old Curve devices. They cost less than one fourth of what the Z10 costs. Blackberry would have a very hard time making as good a phone as that anywhere close to the price Nokia is charging. (As would Android manufacturers in all fairness. You can get an Android phone at that price but its nowhere as smooth and nice as the WP7/WP8 handsets)

HTC also has their WP8 phone at a third the price of the Z10.

Blackberry has already indicated that they don't intend to compete in the 100-150$ segment, so why would another manufacturer license from them when there are better options available?

Again unless Sony abandons the game console market, you won't see a WP8 Sony phone!

[sentimentGX4]

Again unless Sony abandons the game console market, you won't see a WP8 Sony phone!

Sony already makes computers with Windows 8 and Windows 8 comes with XBOX Live integration as well; akin, to Windows Phone. (Yes, if you are not aware, you have an XBOX Live Gamer Tag and get Gamer Score in Windows 8 and can download Angry Birds, etc.)

So since Sony is already knee deep in Windows 8 and I'm not seeing a popular mobile Playstation Sony alternative, I wouldn't completely write off Sony from just throwing in the towel and manufacturing Windows Phones when the time comes. Interest with regards to Windows Phone has risen again with Windows Phone 8 with OEMs like LG and carriers like Sprint and Verizon coming back on board so this would be an opportune time if Sony considers Windows Phones.

[tharrison4815]

I seriously doubt however that there is any chance of a Sony-BB tie-up as their new strategy has been to integrate their company's strengths on one platform, which is Android. If Sony can pull that off, then maybe they'll think about others. Sony is primarily a consumer-oriented company, so BB's business-focused branding doesn't seem like a good match for them.

What if the agreement was for BlackBerry to continue creating hardware and services focused on business and Sony produced hardware focused the consumer market using the BB10 platform?


Posted via CB10

[docgasberry]

I don't think BB10 will be licensed to SONY only, that wouldn't be a smart move for BBRY, not even for SONY because it would be of SONY's best interests to have BB10 widely accepted.

If BB10 can be licensed to anyone who is interested, then let SONY to be the first one on the list is not a bad idea. Actually, it doesn't matter who is the first one, as long as there is a first one.

The first one does matter. As in all ventures, there is the risk of failure. BBRY wouldn't want the issue of licensing to be a failure hence the companies that license it must have vested interests or strong incentive to succeed. Hence not Samsung as it'll compete with their highly successful S series. At least not now.

[jsmall999]

Something to remember is that a full blown Android isn't 'free' if you want to use all of the features there are all sorts of licensing deals you are going to have to pay.

eg: Recent Nikon - Microsoft Patent deal on android in cameras: Microsoft, Nikon ink licensing deal for Android-based cameras | News | TechRadar