Should BlackBerry have adopted Android over BB10?

**ajaffarali** · 03-06-2013, 01:20 AM

I am not, or even pretend to be as smart as the people running BlackBerry but from a consumer's point of view, I wonder if it would have been more beneficial for BlackBerry to adopt Android over BB10 which could have resulted in bringing devices to market faster and not have the issue of lack of Apps. Here are my thoughts:

Should BlackBerry have adopted Android over BB10? - Blogs - tbreak Dubai UAE

What do you guys think?

**darkehawke** · 03-06-2013, 01:21 AM

No.
Android is not profitable for most

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**ajaffarali** · 03-06-2013, 01:29 AM

Do you think BB10 is for BlackBerry? Considering the amount of funds they would have saved over development and possibly brought the phone out to market sooner, how bad could have Android been as far as profitability is concerned?

**twstd.reality** · 03-06-2013, 01:33 AM

Originally Posted by darkehawke

No.
Android is not profitable for most

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this.

**imcurved** · 03-06-2013, 01:35 AM

nuh-oh-NO.

**Bla1ze** · 03-06-2013, 01:37 AM

No because I never would have bought a Z10 then. I have enough Android devices around here. It would have been 'just another android' device to me. One of the many reasons I love the Z10 is because it's new, it's different and I get to watch it grow and change over time just like how Android an iOS grew.

**ajaffarali** · 03-06-2013, 01:47 AM

But Android is very customisable- for example, look at Kindle or the Paranoid Android custom ROM. Don't you think the team behind TAT could have made Android look and operate very much like BB10?

**inked18** · 03-06-2013, 01:51 AM

Originally Posted by Bla1ze

No because I never would have bought a Z10 then. I have enough Android devices around here. It would have been 'just another android' device to me. One of the many reasons I love the Z10 is because it's new, it's different and I get to watch it grow and change over time just like how Android an iOS grew.

This exactly a phone is nothing more than a new tech toy for me and when it's new and different with a learning curve even as small as a phones OS it makes it that much more fun. The same reason I went from my bb to an android to a windows phone then to the Z10.

**inked18** · 03-06-2013, 01:55 AM

And as far as androids profitability....lol

LG Deal Means Bigger Android Payday for Microsoft | PCWorld

**Thunderbuck** · 03-06-2013, 01:58 AM

Originally Posted by ajaffarali

But Android is very customisable- for example, look at Kindle or the Paranoid Android custom ROM. Don't you think the team behind TAT could have made Android look and operate very much like BB10?

Sure, and Sony's Experia line has a beautiful skin, too, but you do know that even their sales are below BlackBerry, right?

Android has become terribly fragmented. There are multiple versions in widespread use (which discourages developers from targeting the latest versions because relatively few users are ON the latest version). Each manufacturer has its own proprietary skin, and sometimes those skins develop their own issues and can get in the way of upgradability.

Finally, BB is known for security and reliability. Android is now getting targeted with thousands of malware exploits, so that reputation for security would be effectively squandered.

**darkehawke** · 03-06-2013, 02:05 AM

If z10 was android I would have got a xperia z instead.
I got the z10 for bb10, not for how it looks.

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**ajaffarali** · 03-06-2013, 02:15 AM

Originally Posted by Thunderbuck

Sure, and Sony's Experia line has a beautiful skin, too, but you do know that even their sales are below BlackBerry, right?

That's basically it- I think Android could have helped catapult BlackBerry to number 3 position very easily. With regards to security, the US military has approved a custom version of Android. I think the brains behind BlackBerry could have easily added some extra chip that could have made it the most secure Android phone.

**ajaffarali** · 03-06-2013, 02:17 AM

Originally Posted by darkehawke

If z10 was android I would have got a xperia z instead.
I got the z10 for bb10, not for how it looks.

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I'm with you on that- but what I would like to know is what is it about BB10 that is so compelling to you? Is it just the interface which, I think, could have been replicated on an Android or is it something else that cannot be done on an Android?

**DivideBYZero** · 03-06-2013, 02:18 AM

Have you got enough hits for your blog yet?

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**ajaffarali** · 03-06-2013, 02:18 AM

Originally Posted by inked18

This exactly a phone is nothing more than a new tech toy for me and when it's new and different with a learning curve even as small as a phones OS it makes it that much more fun. The same reason I went from my bb to an android to a windows phone then to the Z10.

So you're saying that the Z10 is also just a stepping stone to the next shiny new thing?

**ajaffarali** · 03-06-2013, 02:23 AM

Originally Posted by DivideBYZero

Have you got enough hits for your blog yet?

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Far from it.

**inked18** · 03-06-2013, 03:04 AM

Nope I'm saying the Z10 is innovation in a sea of androids and iPhones it's something different and I support that. The ecosystem needs to grow with selection and fresh ideas not become stagnant with android clones. But sure when my contract ends and I'm looking at a new device if bb starts to become stale and a new player enters with great new ideas then I'd support them I have no delusions of "fanboyism" towards a cell phone company.

**darkehawke** · 03-06-2013, 03:09 AM

Originally Posted by ajaffarali

I'm with you on that- but what I would like to know is what is it about BB10 that is so compelling to you? Is it just the interface which, I think, could have been replicated on an Android or is it something else that cannot be done on an Android?

The functions of it. I don't think it's a pretty interface and tbh i love the customisation option of android.
But blackberry deals with calls and messages so much more efficiently then android did for me.
I don't think that can be replicated on Android now. Android requires a lot to power it and it is great. But I want my phone to communicate first and play later. Android simply can't match blackberry in that.
For a multimedia device android is great however.

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**UMLD** · 03-06-2013, 03:36 AM

No, I don't think they should have. My reason?

Because by doing so the company that brought the world the "smartphone" would have essentially admitted defeat, as it were. I'm glad the powers that be at BlackBerry decided to "keep the pride alive!" (can you guess where I'm from? Heh)

**toujours_frais** · 03-06-2013, 03:46 AM

I think they really should have... Save a lot of R&D resources building their own OS

**ajaffarali** · 03-06-2013, 03:48 AM

Originally Posted by UMLD

No, I don't think they should have. My reason?

Because by doing so the company that brought the world the "smartphone" would have essentially admitted defeat, as it were. I'm glad the powers that be at BlackBerry decided to "keep the pride alive!" (can you guess where I'm from? Heh)

Even if it kills them? Are you happier with BlackBerry now with a much smaller but distinguished market share or would you have been happier if it was the Samsung of today?

**ajaffarali** · 03-06-2013, 03:50 AM

Originally Posted by darkehawke

But blackberry deals with calls and messages so much more efficiently then android did for me.
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What if the Hub was an app, the default messaging app on an Android based BlackBerry so all your notifications still come in one place. I honestly don't think this is REALLY HARD work and can be achieved on Android.

**jiminabottle** · 03-06-2013, 03:59 AM

No. Android is ugly and inefficient. Phones needing quadcore processors just to make the interface smooth tells you what a bloated OS it is.

No one would care about BlackBerry if they had adopted Android. Android is popular because Samsung loaded it on all their devices, from the cheapest ones to the most expensive phablets, not because people want it.

And Google Play Store may have all the apps in the world, but how many can you actually install? Some of the apps require to be installed on phone storage or RAM or whatever it is, and most Android phones come with only 1 or 2GB of that. And once that's all used up, the OS gets really slow. My Android phone would periodically stop fetching mail because memory is low.

Thanks God BlackBerry has a lot pride.

And BTW why do you even bother asking for opinions when it looks like you're bent on convincing everyone that Android would have been the better choice for BlackBerry?

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**mr_zed10** · 03-06-2013, 04:17 AM

In a way...
Blackberry have already adopted Android (the runtime):

- without it, the app store wouldn't be what it is today
- without it, we wouldn't be getting the Skype app (port)
- without it, we wouldn't have the instagram app (port)

Symbian ftw

**ajaffarali** · 03-06-2013, 04:19 AM

Originally Posted by jiminabottle

And BTW why do you even bother asking for opinions when it looks like you're bent on convincing everyone that Android would have been the better choice for BlackBerry?
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Not quite hellbent on it but just playing the devils advocate and wondering how others feel about it. I've been a long time supporter of BlackBerry and want to see them come back but I'm not convinced with BB10 so far. I think a good foundation has been laid but it seems that there is a lot of work that still needs to go into the OS to make it compete with iOS and Android, however, time is something that BlackBerry can't afford.