[Bluenoser63]

IMO it seems to me that BlackBerry is building their own Android product. Please the BlackBerry Fans by bringing us a complete blackberry 10 experience within the Android device

Z10

They can never have the same BB10 experience without forking the OS.

[anon(5061193)]

IMO consumers who know nothing about BlackBerry and qwerty keyboards are not going to take a risk and spend a lot of money on a premium handset. The only chance they had (and it's probably too late now) was to release a cheaper handset where people might spend a couple of hundred dollars just to try it out.

I agree fully but I would like to add that they also need more carrier support. I know as a Verizon customer that literally laugh when I mention Blackberry.

[dejanh]

BlackBerry are STILL, to this day a company I simply cannot understand.

The move away from BB10 to Android seems logical on the surface, especially considering that BB10 has been a commercial failure (and no longer any window for a turnaround).

What completely baffles me is that their 'push' to Android manifests in the 'Priv' - a device named after a public convenience, built like something out of a dollar store, with an application suite that doesn't live up to the 'privacy' moniker and a pricetag as off-putting as BlackBerry's marketing.

WHY do that?! They CAN build a high quality device. They CAN price it more realistically. They HAVE resources and money to launch with better apps.

But they don't. And there really is no sensible explanation as to why.

Posted via CB10

Unless they're really trying to just get out of hardware all-together.

[anon(3732391)]

I fail to see how this is news, or a surprise. The warning bell has been sounding for a long time. Some are just deaf.

HUmor the poor guy. he';s only got 16 posts and will never know what a kick we get outa messin' with the mods!

and who ever heard of a deaf warning bell to begin with anyway?

[sentimentGX4]

This sucks..Windows phones are almost dead and BB10is toast..we need more choices not less.

Windows Phone isn't "dead". Microsoft isn't giving up on mobile. Microsoft is just in the process of another one of its horrible transitions/reboots akin to Windows Mobile 6 to Windows Phone 7 to Windows Phone 8. There is no such thing as a smooth transition for Microsoft.

Microsoft will unveil smartphone running full x86 Windows soon, I predict. It took them far too many years considering that Windows Phone 7 was hyped up to be the Windows of smartphones and we are in 2016 and Windows still isn't actually on smartphones.

[ChrisLeNeve]

Guys, take it easy. Even if it is dropped, you will still be able to use it as it is right now. Like some users still use the 9900. So what's the big deal?

Posted via CB10

[allstarkenyan]

If you look at the time frame across which webOS devices continue(d) to operate after HP pulled the pin, there was no immediate threat to basic device functionality despite a far more bleak situation with respect to committed user base.

But functionality eroded fast as the maintenance phase meant no more meaningful development or fixes and rival platforms, apps and standards moved on.

[robin11]

OS 10 will survive for quite some time. Why? Because the Blackberry OS 10 phones are the only ones that meet gov't security standards. By the way, all of Blackberry's servers, which they sell a lot of for BES clients, also run on QNX based software......I note that Blackberry is publishing lots of apps to mimic the Hub, calendar, BBM etc on Android, with the attendant bug fixes that soon follow, and will continue for some time. IF AND WHEN Blackberry can make Android run and function like OS 10, I might buy one some day. Until then, I will stick with OS 10 Blackberry phones.

[Superfly_FR]

Yes, I agree that the Priv will not bring them to anything like the 5M break-even volume needed

I'm not sure what are the arguments to back up this factually. Anyhow it's not the PRIV alone, it's the whole deviceS range that is supposed to meet this target. So count BB10 devices (for what it worse : nothing like zero) plus PRIV plus whatever device(s) they'll release in CY 2016.
I'm not ready to take a bet right now, neither to bury the option they can reach that level or at least clearly demonstrate they can do it and give it another year to meet profitability again.

[RyanGermann]

Oddly enough, it's nothing Chen (and various other execs like Ron Louks) hasn't said before. They just found nicer ways to say it.

You say "nicer", I say "a more misleading and vague". Being misleading (even if its called "spin" or "marketing-speak") isn't an admirable quality. Stands to reason, because BlackBerry isn't an admirable company anymore.

Defenders of BlackBerry's current and recent contemptible behaviour will rationalize that BB's desperation made them do things like screw over PlayBook owners and give the middle finger to their most loyal customers... and for a reason I simply don't understand, Chen said that he wouldn't exploit BlackBerry's patent portfolio to become a patent troll, as though squeezing Google and Apple for some of the billions they earned on the back of BlackBerry patents is "unpalatable", but what BlackBerry management has done to BlackBerry CUSTOMERS is just a-OK.

It's mad.

[Troy Tiscareno]

OS 10 will survive for quite some time. Why? Because the Blackberry OS 10 phones are the only ones that meet gov't security standards.

BB isn't the only company making secured phones that meet government standards. Don't fool yourself.

By the way, all of Blackberry's servers, which they sell a lot of for BES clients, also run on QNX based software.

BES servers run on Windows Server, not QNX. And QNX is not BB10.

[DrBoomBotz]

By the way, all of Blackberry's servers, which they sell a lot of for BES clients, also run on QNX based software.......

Why do people keep saying stuff like this?

[mattmers]

For someone that went from Symbian to webOS to BB10, this transition is getting tired. I love an alternate OS but once the OEM stops ACTIVELY supporting the OS things quickly become broke. You can be as firm in your resolve to continue using X device as long as you like but things will break and things will become unusable. Many of use former webOS users are familiar with it.
Expected Timeline

1. Last Device
2. Last Update (Not including security).....~Around 6 months of Last Device
3. API Changes......................................~Arou nd a year of Last Update
4. Server/app store Shutdown.................~Around 3 years after Last Update

That last device and update may have already happened, that means we may have till 2017 till APIs start to become outdated and 2019 till a possible server shutdown. All while the web browser becomes outdated and the already small app support quickly dries up.

Usually when I see a company drop support I see no reason to support them by using their device and I jump ship. Wish me luck finding an alternative OS

[bbhandmedown]

Why hasn't anyone figured out how to run Google play services with BB10? Isn't easier to run android on bb10 than to make android more like BB10?

[anon(3732391)]

Why hasn't anyone figured out how to run Google play services with BB10? Isn't easier to run android on bb10 than to make android more like BB10?

Is there a question there???

[BigBadWulf]

You say "nicer", I say "a more misleading and vague". Being misleading (even if its called "spin" or "marketing-speak") isn't an admirable quality. Stands to reason, because BlackBerry isn't an admirable company anymore.

Defenders of BlackBerry's current and recent contemptible behaviour will rationalize that BB's desperation made them do things like screw over PlayBook owners and give the middle finger to their most loyal customers... and for a reason I simply don't understand, Chen said that he wouldn't exploit BlackBerry's patent portfolio to become a patent troll, as though squeezing Google and Apple for some of the billions they earned on the back of BlackBerry patents is "unpalatable", but what BlackBerry management has done to BlackBerry CUSTOMERS is just a-OK.

It's mad.

I can understand the frustration. I doubt many who love BB10 aren't feeling it. Let's look at this rationally though, and drop the emotion. BlackBerry is a business after all. Not a charity venture to fulfill our smartphone desires.

The last BB10 phone released was the Passport. Some may argue the SE was new, but beyond the front-facing camera(which has the same specs), and an update to keyboard, it was the same phone spec wise. That last phone was released in September 2014. Do you really need anyone from BlackBerry make a statement to understand the BB10 hardware division is shutdown?

The PlayBook and BB10 was a sad disappointment for sure, but just because they wanted to install BB10 on it, doesn't make it so. They tried, and after it became obvious the resources involved would be too great, shelved it. Had they sold the volume of units they had hoped, possibly they'd have budgeted enough to succeed. As it was, they were bleeding, and it had to stop.

Regarding patent exploitation, you are absolutely correct. Problem is you have to weigh out how much in legal expenses it will take to defend yourself, what chance you have of winning, and what the ultimate financial gains would be. Apple and Google have extremely deep pockets, which is why they feel comfortable taking advantage.

Why hasn't anyone figured out how to run Google play services with BB10? Isn't easier to run android on bb10 than to make android more like BB10?

They have, but it's not official, nor could it be. Google has the right to protect its assets, and only allow it's services to run under license, which they only offer when you use their OS. See Cobalt in the Android app section for further details on getting as much out of our runtime as possible.

[ohaiguise]

Bye-bye BlackBerry! I won't be switching to Android, I will go for a straight-up Nokia/Microsoft feature phone.

Somebody, somewhere, will find out how to make QWERTY phones profitable :P

[klamm]

After BB10 is dead, I will move to Firefox OS.

[johnny_bravo72]

Why hasn't anyone figured out how to run Google play services with BB10? Isn't easier to run android on bb10 than to make android more like BB10?

Ummm... What??

*C5303

[Drenegade]

The last BB10 phone released was the Passport. Some may argue the SE was new, but beyond the front-facing camera(which has the same specs), and an update to keyboard, it was the same phone spec wise. That last phone was released in September 2014. Do you really need anyone from BlackBerry make a statement to understand the BB10 hardware division is shutdown?

While I don't disagree with you, your facts are wrong. The Classic and Leap were both released after the passport.

Posted via CB10

[BigBadWulf]

While I don't disagree with you, your facts are wrong. The Classic and Leap were both released after the passport.

Posted via CB10

True enough, but they were a step backward, so I don't count them.

[Drenegade]

True enough, but they were a step backward, so I don't count them.

Also true!

Posted via CB10

[conite]

Why hasn't anyone figured out how to run Google play services with BB10? Isn't easier to run android on bb10 than to make android more like BB10?

It's easy to do. They just aren't allowed.

[Vistaus]

After BB10 is dead, I will move to Firefox OS.

Lol, Mozilla recently cut FFOS development badly and no new phones will be released this year, they said. So even if you'd get a port running, you'd still be facing the current almost non-existent development from Mozilla.
Even LuneOS has more development currently than FFOS and that's developed by the community, not by a company.
(LuneOS ftw, btw!)

Posted via CB10 using BlackBerry Passport (OG Red)

[JeepBB]

Why do people keep saying stuff like this?

Because it's comforting.

The assumed awesomeness of the hypervisor and QNX microkernel are a kind of high-tech security-blanket of the kind my son carried with him everywhere when he was small. And, just like my son's blanket, the protection it provides against the big, bad, world is all down to how strongly you believe that it can.

What folk believe only occasionally has any connection to truth.

"Better Android than Android!"