[Corbu]

From an interview that was posted back in March...

Ron Louks is probably the most sought after man at BlackBerry right now. He’s the President for Devices and Emerging Solutions at BlackBerry. You probably know him as the man who gave us a rather quick peek at the new curved screen BlackBerry during MWC and talked about some of the other handsets that BlackBerry will be launching this year. I managed to get a hold of him for a few minutes after the MWC breakfast event. Joining him was Charles Eagan, Global head of software for the devices unit.

Exciting new devices for this year Can you share any details on the new Slider?

Ron: I can’t except for dual curve display (laughs). But let me add, it’ll blow you away.

The new BlackBerry Slider will blow you away

Hope Ron Louks' prediction comes through!

[Corbu]

Snapdragon 810 SoC making Sony Xperia Z5 Compact owners sweat with overheating issue

And for once, BlackBerry isn't being criticized for its plan to use the Snapdragon 808 chipset on its upcoming Priv slider, instead of using the Snapdragon 810.

[awindsr]

Customer Feedback Continues to Drive Enhancements to BBM Meetings | Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog

I signed up for my BBM meetings trial. Thanks for that post!

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[Supa_Fly1]

OT:

Hey there,

Sean Henry (I forgot your CB username), can you PM me?

Cheers
Chrys

Didn't he teleport to the future 2029 in The Arab Connor Chronicles??!!

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[Bacon Munchers]

Hearty hello gents.

Just in Kelowna for my boys' hockey tournament, but slipped into the thread to catch up. Here are a few diddy's:

Foreshadow to BBM pay on Android:


And:




Oh ya, the bloody short interest chart. It's down a bit on ramping volume. M8 called the uptick SP. Nice:

[Supa_Fly1]

Snapdragon 810 SoC making Sony Xperia Z5 Compact owners sweat with overheating issue

That's funny cause over 10 other reports on this phone, the Xperia Z5, and Z5 Premium which all use the same cup and camera have NOT shown signs of overheating at all.

Phone arena is not really a trusted source of accurate information usually just reposting and they've been doing that over a decade now.

Posted via CB10

[Supa_Fly1]

Not interested in the slider form factor and I much rather see an portion that is official or not but fully works and revert able if not official to port Passport SE to BlackBerry's Android considering the chip set is exactly the same.

Posted via CB10

[motec bb]

Attachment 374141

BlackBerry Family

Props to Pat Wallace

This picture is why I thought the slider should be called the ...

BlackBerry  Spire

Stands Out Above the Rest

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[rarsen]

OT from the Related Technologies file, so even a percentage influenced raises interesting numbers:

?Android now has 1.4bn active users, 300m on Lollipop | ZDNet
"The new official figure for active Android users is up 400 million from the one billion active users it announced in June 2014 and the 900 million it counted in mid-2013. He also noted that 10,000 companies have adopted Android for Work, as part of Google's effort to deliver a more secure and manageable Android for the enterprise. Still, the number of active Android users makes Google's ecosystem by far the biggest on earth"

[sidhuk]

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[peteberry12]

BBM is a tough one to read right now. It seems that they thought enterprise pickup of BBM Protected would be higher, which I suppose is the quickest way to generate revenues. I think having in-app purchases is all fine and good, but I thought that they should have held off on throwing ads at users when you were still trying to grow the userbase. Sort of like missing the forest for the trees. I personally would like to see them put some work into making sure the user experience across all platforms is smooth and removing ads and other annoyances, especially ahead of the Priv launch, to try and get a little momentum going on the app. OR maybe it's unrealistic and they just need to focus on BBM Protected. Would be interested to hear others' thoughts.

[Corbu]

Thoughts on the share buyback:
BlackBerry Won't Implement A 'Massive' Buyback, And That's Good News - BlackBerry Ltd. (NASDAQ:BBRY) | Seeking Alpha

[Corbu]

Watching football, the other day, I stumbled upon Lincoln's new MKX TV commercial. I have brought up Lincoln's work in the past in this thread, pointing out that they had managed to launch a new product and recover some of their former glory with this ad campaign which has helped their brand turnaround, since 2014.

In actual fact, they have come up with a series of spots, some 30 seconds, some 60 seconds, some longer. They have also produced some "backgrounders" to give more information on some of their product specifics (360 degree camera, sound system, ergonomics).

I could not refrain from wishing that BlackBerry could have done something similar (though on a presumably much smaller budget) for their latest BB10 products, and notably for their very sleek Passport(s). Since I know nothing about the world of advertising, I won't pretend to claim that such a campaign would have helped. More of a naive wish on my part, perhaps.

I could go on at length about this but, for now, let me give out some links for those of you who are interested in finding out more:

Pretty nifty work, if you ask me.

The complete series:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...Nty02udDss3hLf

Lincoln MKX TV Commercial, 'The Winning Hand' Featuring Matthew McConaughey - iSpot.tv
McConaughey Goes Silent in New Lincoln Ads | CMO Strategy - Advertising Age
Agency: Hudson Rouge

I must confess to being a fan of the Miles Davis Ascenseur pour l'�chafaud theme. One thing might explain the other... Since we like music in this thread, let me post it:

Cheers,

[sidhuk]

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[chrysaurora]

Watching football, the other day, I stumbled upon Lincoln's new MKX TV commercial. I have brought up Lincoln's work in the past in this thread, pointing out that they had managed to launch a new product and recover some of their former glory with this ad campaign which has helped their brand turnaround, since 2014.

In actual fact, they have come up with a series of spots, some 30 seconds, some 60 seconds, some longer. They have also produced some "backgrounders" to give more information on some of their product specifics (360 degree camera, sound system, ergonomics).

I could not refrain from wishing that BlackBerry could have done something similar (though on a presumably much smaller budget) for their latest BB10 products, and notably for their very sleek Passport(s). Since I know nothing about the world of advertising, I won't pretend to claim that such a campaign would have helped. More of a naive wish on my part, perhaps.

I could go on at length about this but, for now, let me give out some links for those of you who are interested in finding out more:

Pretty nifty work, if you ask me.

[video][ [/url]

The complete series:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...Nty02udDss3hLf

Lincoln MKX TV Commercial, 'The Winning Hand' Featuring Matthew McConaughey - iSpot.tv
McConaughey Goes Silent in New Lincoln Ads | CMO Strategy - Advertising Age
Agency: Hudson Rouge

I must confess to being a fan of the Miles Davis Ascenseur pour l'�chafaud theme. One thing might explain the other... Since we like music in this thread, let me post it:

Cheers,

+1

Buick has done good turn around ads too.

BlackBerry should do similar. They didn't do such commercials for BlackBerry 10 but perhaps they can do for Priv?

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[bungaboy]

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Good laugh just the same.

snopes.com: Sean Connery Letter to Apple

[theRock1975]

BBM is a tough one to read right now. It seems that they thought enterprise pickup of BBM Protected would be higher, which I suppose is the quickest way to generate revenues. I think having in-app purchases is all fine and good, but I thought that they should have held off on throwing ads at users when you were still trying to grow the userbase. Sort of like missing the forest for the trees. I personally would like to see them put some work into making sure the user experience across all platforms is smooth and removing ads and other annoyances, especially ahead of the Priv launch, to try and get a little momentum going on the app. OR maybe it's unrealistic and they just need to focus on BBM Protected. Would be interested to hear others' thoughts.

I would like BBM to have one time subscription purchases. Who needs message retraction or message editing for 1 month only? Charge me $5 for a lifetime option and I'll pay in a heartbeat. $0.99 a month is not gonna happen for me.

I'm a huge fan and want all of the BBM features but I just won't pay monthly.

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[Christophe Piquemal]

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High end device in march!!!


The question is BB10 or droid?

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[smart548]

High end device in march!!!


The question is BB10 or droid?

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More important than that: what's the source? AgentJ used to have a great channel, I'm subscribed too..Still, he doesn't have direct link with BlackBerry AT ALL.

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[3MIKE]

Watching football, the other day, I stumbled upon Lincoln's new MKX TV commercial. I have brought up Lincoln's work in the past in this thread, pointing out that they had managed to launch a new product and recover some of their former glory with this ad campaign which has helped their brand turnaround, since 2014.

I remember and still think you're right.

[peteberry12]

I would like BBM to have one time subscription purchases. Who needs message retraction or message editing for 1 month only? Charge me $5 for a lifetime option and I'll pay in a heartbeat. $0.99 a month is not gonna happen for me.

I'm a huge fan and want all of the BBM features but I just won't pay monthly.

Posted via CB10

That's a fair point as well. Sort of an example of what I was saying, which is to focus more on increasing user-base and usage as opposed to trying to squeeze revenue out of it. Who knows. It just seems like BBM had and still has a lot of potential - sometimes just a little frustrating to see it not growing.

Edit: I just wanted to add that I really liked the idea of trying to use BBM Protected to help offset the costs of pushing an ad-free, user friendly BBM for consumers with as many features as possible to compete with the bigger messaging apps. I think I heard Chen mention in the Q&A that there was starting to be some traction/interest in BBM Protected and they just needed to close some sales on that.

High end device in march!!!


The question is BB10 or droid?

Posted via CB10

Very interesting, if true. If it's high end, it stands to reason that it will be Android since Chen did mention in the CC the cost factor of new drivers for BB10. March seems pretty close to the Oct/Nov release of the Priv since they seemed to imply that they wanted to see how successful the Priv is - maybe a sign of confidence?

[Corbu]

OT: MSFT
Microsoft Lowers Its Expectations for Phones - WSJ

As launch nears for its Lumia smartphones, firm turns focus to niche customers

Microsoft Corp.’s expected launch of new smartphones this week will mark its latest stab at a winning mobile strategy. The new approach boils down to two words: Redefine success.

At a media event Tuesday in New York, Microsoft plans to announce at least two high-end Lumia smartphones designed by the company and powered by its Windows software, according to people familiar with the company’s plans. The launch of new premium devices is a bid to generate buzz for Microsoft’s latest smartphone effort.

After five years of flailing with Windows smartphones, Microsoft no longer is gunning for the mass market, but grabbing for niches such as businesses, where the company hopes its smartphones will have a competitive advantage.

A linchpin in the plan is Windows 10, the recently released edition of Microsoft’s operating system that, for the first time, ties personal computers and mobile devices into a seamless system. Windows users who crunch Excel spreadsheets or make Skype calls on their PCs, the thinking goes, will find it compelling to have the same experience on their mobile devices.

The smartphone do-over is a high-stakes gambit. Microsoft for decades used its Windows franchise to shape the technology industry by controlling the default computing device, the PC. As smartphones take over that role, Microsoft’s fortunes will be dimmed without a direct hand in a dominant computing platform.

Microsoft’s decision to narrow its focus reflects hard facts: Windows smartphones have sold poorly and bled money. Two years ago, when Microsoft plunged into the smartphone-handset business with an agreement to buy Nokia Corp.’s mobile-phone operation, Microsoft said it would own a 15% smartphone market share by 2018. The company has dropped that ambition. This year, about three out of every 100 smartphones sold will run Windows, research firm IDC estimates. Apple Inc.’s iPhones and smartphones powered by Alphabet Inc.’s Android software together comprise the other 97%.

Microsoft’s phone operation lost 12 cents for each smartphone sold in the three months ended June 30, on average.

In July, Microsoft effectively conceded failure by wiping away about 80% of the value of the $9.4 billion Nokia deal and announcing plans to cut nearly 8,000 workers, mostly in its mobile-phone operation.

Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella has said the cost-cutting measures and decision to stop trying to sell as many phones as possible would help stem losses. Microsoft would operate “more effectively and efficiently with a more focused portfolio” of smartphones, he told Wall Street analysts in July.

Doubters say the company’s reduced ambitions are less a choice than a necessity. “They don’t have the demand to be big scale,” said Mike Walkley, a smartphone-industry analyst with investment-banking firm Canaccord Genuity. “It’s almost where they had to go.”

Microsoft’s defenders say the company has a significant advantage, if it can use Windows 10 to spur interest in Windows smartphones. “Microsoft has a greater opportunity than people realize,” said Forrester Research Inc. analyst J.P. Gownder.
Microsoft is betting that shoppers and mobile-application developers will find it alluring to buy Windows smartphones, or write applications for them, in tandem with Windows PCs. To lure app makers who have treated Windows smartphones as an afterthought, Microsoft has made it easier to repurpose their iPhone or Android apps for Microsoft phones.

People close to Microsoft say that success at proliferating Windows 10—the company aims to have it installed on 1 billion devices by mid-2018—would give a huge lift to Windows smartphones. That would likely invert the pattern set by Apple, which found that people who bought iPhones were more willing to buy a Mac computer.

“The best thing for Windows phone devices is Windows 10 use,” said a person familiar with Microsoft’s strategy.

Microsoft executives hoping for a smartphone turnaround can point to a precedent: the company’s Surface line of tablet-plus-PC devices, a once-struggling hardware business that found its groove even without blockbuster sales.

Microsoft got off to a rocky start when the Surface launched in 2012, as it misjudged demand and took a $900 million accounting charge on unsold Surface devices. Recently, Microsoft has won over tech reviewers and some customers to the Surface Pro, a souped-up business version.

Thanks in part to sales of the Surface Pro, which is expected to get a new model in Tuesday’s event, the Surface product line pulls in more than $3.6 billion in yearly sales, and revenue no longer lags behind manufacturing cost. Microsoft treats the Surface line as a showcase for new computer or software features, and PC manufacturers have released computers that mimic elements of the Surface.

Even as it rolls out a new bid to become a player in smartphones, though, Microsoft is working on Plan B: making sure its software can succeed even if Windows smartphones don’t. Mr. Nadella has stepped up efforts to make or improve iPhone and Android versions of software such as Microsoft Office, the Cortana digital assistant similar to Siri, and the Skype video-calling service.

[gvs1341]

I would like BBM to have one time subscription purchases. Who needs message retraction or message editing for 1 month only? Charge me $5 for a lifetime option and I'll pay in a heartbeat. $0.99 a month is not gonna happen for me.

I'm a huge fan and want all of the BBM features but I just won't pay monthly.

Even an yearly subscription for $10 would work better than this (sort of silly) monthly thing.

The monthly billing did work well with legacy devices + BIS combination but for BBM to gain any meaningful traction against a plethora of cheap & free competing messengers BlackBerry does need to fine tune and change BBM quite a bit.

 Q5 / Z30

[gvs1341]

OT: MSFT
Microsoft Lowers Its Expectations for Phones - WSJ

BlackBerry has quite a good shot at getting back in the smartphone game with the PRIV - at least to have a profitable and successful niche hardware division.

 Q5 / Z30

[JaysFan929315]

That's a fair point as well. Sort of an example of what I was saying, which is to focus more on increasing user-base and usage as opposed to trying to squeeze revenue out of it. Who knows. It just seems like BBM had and still has a lot of potential - sometimes just a little frustrating to see it not growing.

Edit: I just wanted to add that I really liked the idea of trying to use BBM Protected to help offset the costs of pushing an ad-free, user friendly BBM for consumers with as many features as possible to compete with the bigger messaging apps. I think I heard Chen mention in the Q&A that there was starting to be some traction/interest in BBM Protected and they just needed to close some sales on that.



Very interesting, if true. If it's high end, it stands to reason that it will be Android since Chen did mention in the CC the cost factor of new drivers for BB10. March seems pretty close to the Oct/Nov release of the Priv since they seemed to imply that they wanted to see how successful the Priv is - maybe a sign of confidence?

An Android Passport seems a likely possibility. Who knows...

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