[lawguyman]

Re/code Video Center | Re/code

Check out this Chen interview. He refuses to comment on whether BlackBerry will sell an Android phone.

To me this suggests that BlackBerry is building an Android phone.

I don't know how I feel about this.

Posted via CB10

[webber27]

It was a weird answer yeah... I wonder though what they could possibly have to gain from it? That market seems pretty saturated as it is and basically only Samsung is even able to make money from Android phones.

Posted via CB10

[webber27]

The only explanation I think is possible is that they might consider a forked BB10/Android OS. Sort of like the Nokia X.

Posted via CB10

[lawguyman]

What about a secure Android Phone with a BB10 UI. Google might want BlackBerry to make a device like that, hence the money on the table comment.



Posted via CB10

[early2bed]

At some point, Blackberry would have nothing to lose by developing and Android phone. He just said they can't offer a complete ecosystem with BB10. If 80% of their user base is still on BBOS then there's an opportunity to retain them while still supporting them on their Android devices with BES which is their real business.

The real question is if and when this comes, is it covered by Crackberry or Android Central? Will it be shunned by Crackberry? And, can one niche smartphone company with 1% market share divide its resources among three incompatible operating systems? Can it be done? Which would you sacrifice if push came to shove?

[Supa_Fly1]

The only explanation I think is possible is that they might consider a forked BB10/Android OS. Sort of like the Nokia X.

Posted via CB10

Maybe Chen has spent time reading these threads of BB haters in disquise calling for this and has read countless emails and complaints internally beggin for this and is just SIMPLY SICK and had it UP TO HERE about the whole topic??!

yeah that's a more likely scenario!

[nomloj]

Maybe he's just avoiding the question because they are working on an iOS emulator too and didn't want to shed any light on anything. Besides, people will tear his comments apart and try to speculate on just what he's trying to not say. Gotta play it smart for now and not tip his hand until he's ready to blow the competition away... oh, we can only hope.

[Bla1ze]

Maybe he's just avoiding the question because they are working on an iOS emulator too and didn't want to shed any light on anything. Besides, people will tear his comments apart and try to speculate on just what he's trying to not say. Gotta play it smart for now and not tip his hand until he's ready to blow the competition away... oh, we can only hope.

iOS emulator? That's an odd comment and one I've not heard in a while.

[LuvULongTime]

I don't get it. There is no money in Android. Samsung, one of the few companies that makes money in Android is trying their best to hedge with Tizen. I guarantee you if Tizen had an ecosystem of it's own they would drop Android in a heartbeat. BB10 is further along then this and now Chen wants to abandon it for an android phone??? If I want a crappy Android, I'll just buy a Samsung.

BB10 is only a year old. These guys need to keep pushing forward. Work on improving the android runtime and support as many apps as possible. This will gives users the apps they need until BB world is fully stocked.

Sometimes I wish Chen would stop doing interviews and STFU. For a company in decline he is in the news a whole lot shooting his mouth off, and making people very uneasy. Tim Cook doesn't speak publicly even a 1/100th as much as Chen.

Ugh.

[Jtaylor1986]

I'm wondering if he said no comment because they will be developing or at least branding the android runtime into something more than it currently is. He may have said no comment because the answer is 'sort of' and he didn't want reveal everything.

[Irish Blues]

Sometimes I wish Chen would stop doing interviews and STFU. For a company in decline he is in the news a whole lot shooting his mouth off, and making people very uneasy. Tim Cook doesn't speak publicly even a 1/100th as much as Chen.

Probably because Cook isn't having to go around selling investors on the idea that his company really is viable short-term and long-term and has products in the pipeline that will help improve revenues and profits going forward. All Cook has to do is sit in his office and watch the money roll in from products originally created in the Steve Jobs era, and make sure future improvements to those products aren't completely screwed up.

Besides, based on Carl Icahn's word Cook's too busy constantly having meals with Icahn to talk to anyone else.

[AnimalPak200]

He said "if there is money on the table,.. no comment."

It just means he'll make decisions based on making money and not just emotional attachment (which he also said).

Posted via CB10

[early2bed]

BB10 is only a year old. These guys need to keep pushing forward. Work on improving the android runtime and support as many apps as possible. This will gives users the apps they need until BB world is fully stocked.

This is what Chen was supposed to say when asked if they would build Android devices. It's like someone asking a Lexus dealership owner if he's going to start selling BMWs. It's a softball question that allows you to talk about how great the Lexus brand is and how satisfied his customers are, great stuff coming, etc. etc. Instead, though, he said "No comment."

As for "If there's money on the table...", that sounds like a CEO who knows exactly how many BES clients are moving to Android phones and exactly how much it would cost to get Foxconn to make them.

That's money on the table. It means you think you just have to reach out and pick it up. I'd bet anything this is a conversation that is being had at the highest level at Blackberry. Otherwise, why would it occur to you to use this term to describe your OS strategy? Because you already used it internally.

[co4nd]

I don't get it. There is no money in Android. Samsung, one of the few companies that makes money in Android is trying their best to hedge with Tizen. I guarantee you if Tizen had an ecosystem of it's own they would drop Android in a heartbeat. BB10 is further along then this and now Chen wants to abandon it for an android phone??? If I want a crappy Android, I'll just buy a Samsung.

BB10 is only a year old. These guys need to keep pushing forward. Work on improving the android runtime and support as many apps as possible. This will gives users the apps they need until BB world is fully stocked.

Sometimes I wish Chen would stop doing interviews and STFU. For a company in decline he is in the news a whole lot shooting his mouth off, and making people very uneasy. Tim Cook doesn't speak publicly even a 1/100th as much as Chen.

Ugh.

Currently there's no money in Blackberry.

[anon(1852343)]

Yeah but how many tables does Chen have?

Q10 with Telus on 10.3.0.296

[grover5]

Currently there's no money in Blackberry.

That just seems negative for the sake of being negative. I will say I'm more concerned about the future of BlackBerry 10 devices the more I hear Chen speak. And that sucks for me because I love this OS. Regardless I am excited for the 10.3.1 update on my Z10.

Posted via CB10

[midnightdoom]

I don't see how giving up on bb10 to switch to android would help them sell more devices.. I think bb10 with android runtime is the best option still.. just look at all the android manufactures there are now and a lot of them that used to be popular like HTC Motorola etc are reporting losses too..

Posted via CB10

[ndeep13]

Personally I love the bb10 is and would rather stay away from android.. but I'd I had to choose between android and iPhone I would rather android... BlackBerry has a good UI in my opinion even ppl that use my phone(z10) for a while like it. I think it can only get better with the next update.

Posted via BlackBerry z10!

[early2bed]

John Chen - "Can we get these BES clients to buy our smartphones, too?"
BES Sales - "We tried but they are switching to Android because they've got some key enterprise apps they want to deploy"
John Chen - "Can Foxconn build us an Android phone that our BES clients would go for?"
Hardware Procurement - "In a heartbeat. They have every configuration you can think of."
John Chen - "It seems to me that we are leaving some money on the table."
Hardware Sales - "You can't let this get out until it's ready. We're still pushing these BB10 smartphones pretty hard to our clients."
John Chen - "Don't worry, if I'm asked I will say ' No comment'. That's what you say when you can't really deny something but you don't want to confirm it just yet."

[DaedalusIcarusHelios]

I'm wondering if he said no comment because they will be developing or at least branding the android runtime into something more than it currently is. He may have said no comment because the answer is 'sort of' and he didn't want reveal everything.

My thoughts exactly. We already have seen Z3 promos touting "Android ready", so I expect BlackBerry to try to push BB10 as Android +. When people think of Amazon Kindle Fire, it's an Android device despite it really being a fork with its own UI and Amazon services. BlackBerry 10 could be "Android" in the same way, where people don't even need to know it has a QNX core. They can think of the BB10 interface in the same way as manufacturer skins on "real" Android phones.

Posted via CB10

[LuvULongTime]

If they switch to android they may as well shut the doors on the company and call it a day because it will truly be over. If Chen thinks no one wants bb10 he will be in a for a shock when he sees even less people want an android BlackBerry. (where's troy, because I know he would wholeheartedly agree with this?)

They need to sell enterprises on BlackBerry 10, get phones in the market thru that channel and spread the gospel that way. If anyone at BlackBerry was expecting bb10 to be a hit from the get go they were/are delusional. They need a plan and they need the will to stick with it. They also need to get frigging organized and start delivering on time.

Constantly changing course is doing so much damage. If Chen does not see this he needs to be shown the door.

At my company we just went byod and I can't begin to tell you how many people have opted into it and are ordering z30's because balance works so much better than crappy good we use to manage ios. These folks also know about the android app compatibility and are using Amazon as snap is a not out of their depth. If BlackBerry gives it time they will start to see momentum. But what would they do that? It would make sense.

Ugh.

#nomoreinterviewsjohnchen

Posted via CB10

[BlueStreak67]

Maybe the tool belt will be Android home button.

Posted via CB10

[LuvULongTime]

My thoughts exactly. We already have seen Z3 promos touting "Android ready", so I expect BlackBerry to try to push BB10 as Android +. When people think of Amazon Kindle Fire, it's an Android device despite it really being a fork with its own UI and Amazon services. BlackBerry 10 could be "Android" in the same way, where people don't even need to know it has a QNX core. They can think of the BB10 interface in the same way as manufacturer skins on "real" Android phones.

Posted via CB10

This makes sense. I hope this is what he meant. If folks on a message hoard are scratching their heads I can only imagine what Chen's customers are thinking, especially the ones that are considering ordering bb10 phones. Or should I say are no longer going to order because John Chen opened his big mouth.

Posted via CB10

[anon(6038817)]

BlackBerry releasing the most secure Android phone on the planet might actually draw more attention to them.

Posted from my Z30 via CB10

[LuvULongTime]

I'm going to make a prediction and say that if BlackBerry goes under one of the android oem's will buy bb10 and continue to work on it and relaunch it to market with better advertising and better android app support. All of these oem's want our from Google but are stuck due to lack of eco system. Buying bb10 would put them way ahead of where they are now (ground zero).

This is the real irony. Chen is going to dump bb10 after all the heavy lifting has been done and someone else will swoop in and finish off the easy part.

Brutal.

Posted via CB10