Who is BlackBerry kidding ?
With today's news that BlackBerry was going to pull the plug on facebook, I had an impression of deja vu.
I haven't been a BlackBerry fan for long (3 years or so), but I feel I have seen this so many times already. So here's a recap.
April 2014: they pull the plug on the PlayBook. After spending a lot of time and money on it, gaining developer and the general public's support, they pull the plug on it, for no apparent reason.
Things go smoothly for a while. Bb10 comes, starts slowly but matures quickly. Users are happy, people start talking about BlackBerry a bit more. Passport impressed. Feelings go down a little with the classics low specs but not much.
Then the leap. This is the first time in a few years since John Chen came aboard that people wonder "why did they do that".
Then Android. They make it implicitly clear that they are pulling the plug on BB10.
Skype gets moved to the Amazon app store, which worries users.
Print to go goes. Again seemingly for no reason - it was their product. They didn't have to pay anyone for it. Just a server and a domain name basically.
They buy Good technologies, and boast that the Good apps are available on Android and iOS. They aren't on BlackBerry World. A joke. A joke.
BBM meetings go. Big one for businesses - it's a business product and you can't just discontinue it like that.
Then whatsapp goes. This is a really big one. Without such basic app support, people start wondering why even buy a blackberry 10 device instead of a Nokia 3310. The only thing we can do, essentially, is call and text.
Today, facebook goes. This is outrageous. How can they cut support for such basic apps.
I am usually the last person to whine because I understand they have budget limitations. But these are basic apps. It's just not a smartphone without those apps. This is plain irresponsibility towards customers. And plenty of these apps could have been kept with no impact on their budget.
I have been trying to keep a stiff upper lip and help bb10 in the ways I could. I have been loyal to the brand even when things weren't going so well. But I can't do everything. If they do such basic mistakes, I can't do anything actually.
I feel like they are toying with their users, trying to see how many crucial mistakes they can make before they die completely. One day I'll write a book about BlackBerry, and sell it in universities economy lessons. The title will be "How not to do business".
My guess is that blend, twitter, Skype, LinkedIn, docs to go and the Amazon app store also go before the end of the year. At this point, what can I do but laugh.
And this irresponsibility is what is hurting their brand and sales, more than anything else. It is because they keep letting down their customers that they have a bad reputation. People remember, except for us people on CrackBerry actually.
I hope I'll have the common sense to not cave and buy the classic and the passport. I can't justify spending that much for the equivalent of a Nokia 3310.
I won't buy a priv because I know that sooner or later, I will be let down again.
That's my ranting for the day. I'm just about through with this stupid company.
If you're considering buying a new BlackBerry, please just send me your money instead, that way it won't be wasted.
Guys, what shall we do? Should we all boycott BlackBerry and use our money on another small platform, like Jolla ?
Posted via CB10