1. sam2527789's Avatar
    Are all the major phone manufactures secretly offering a high end phone with keyboard ? Did I miss something ? The non-BB phones I see with PKB are not high quality. I just wanted to point out there hasn't been much of a choice. Many on here keep implying there is a choice and people choose not to have a keyboard. That isn't the case.
    Exactly this.

    Personally, I love the idea of an Android BB. I hope they put their own spin on it and dominate the competitors with their take on Android.
    06-13-15 12:33 AM
  2. buwee's Avatar
    It's a heck of alot different then the Z10 and Playbook sitting in my closet.
    Thats for dam sure.

    Via my HTC One M9...
    Comparing 2.5 to 4 year old technology to current technology is pretty fair LMAO
    extisis and Fidel Mercado like this.
    06-13-15 12:46 AM
  3. Prem WatsApp's Avatar
    Yeah, but BB10 is cooler. Someone said it best in the news thread: Android is like McDonald's. Ubiquitous, easy to get, has a large fan base, and full of junk.

    We're a nation of overweight slobs. No wonder everyone loves Android.

    Posted via CB10
    There's probably some truth in this, lol... :-)

    �   Pastaporto aglio e olio... Mmmhhh!   �
    06-13-15 03:46 AM
  4. Prem WatsApp's Avatar
    Exactly this.

    Personally, I love the idea of an Android BB. I hope they put their own spin on it and dominate the competitors with their take on Android.
    IF they do it, I don't want them to just dominate, I want them to disintegrate, annihilate, evaporate the competition!
    (or on milder terms, we wanna be merciful as Christ commands: assimilate...)

    Some new take on Android... the old back-and-home-button paradigm is old and tired now! :-D

    Users all over the world, on any platform, deserve better!

    �   Pastaporto aglio e olio... Mmmhhh!   �
    06-13-15 03:51 AM
  5. nt300's Avatar
    Its a good idea as long as its going to work the same as bb10 . But fully supports android apps

    By that I mean same gestures same look to OS BlackBerry Hub...etc hopefully!

    Though I don't want the slider... hopefully a device which looks like a slider and doesn't have a keyboard will be released (with better battery life than the S6)



    Posted via CB10
    It will never function like a BB10. You can try and skin over as much as you like, Android will never feel like BB10.

    Slider better be BB10. Going Android with that high end device is ridiculous. People buy BlackBerry for BB10 not for Android. Anyhow it's. Rumor put out on purpose to gauge people's reaction.

    Android is crap, incapable of true Multitasking. Incapable of working how BB10 does, how BB10 handles apps and so on.

    Posted via CB10
    zyxxiforr likes this.
    06-13-15 06:14 AM
  6. menshawy's Avatar
    I work in wireless sales management and know for a fact that people still cling desperately to their old Droid 4's because they don't want to get rid of the keyboards. I had a woman the other day almost buy an ancient LG Enact because she did not like the Q10 I had in stock, despite wanting a keyboard. With seeing the massive demand for the S6 Edge first hand, a dual-edge slider from BlackBerry running Android could see mass appeal. It would be an incredibly wise decision to have one model running Android with a BB10 skin. Add the latest eight core Exynos processor, BlackBerry natural sound, a Sony camera with ois, the passport touch keyboard and the awesome virtual keyboard, QHD screen, Hub access, and a massive battery.. You have a winner!

    Posted via CB10
    So much awesomeness! But what it actually is without proper marketing?

    Simply 
    TrevS1977 likes this.
    06-13-15 06:49 AM
  7. lnichols's Avatar
    There's no need for a track pad with a touch capacitive pkb, lol. So I'm a PKB 'guy' now? Lol...

    Guess I should just trash my Android and iOS devices and go full hog then... Silly me for liking the Passport form factor, and the UX of BB10... Aren't you the same person who said on another thread that you've only ever owned BlackBerry devices? Or am I mistaking you for someone else? You sure don't sound like a BlackBerry guy... Since you think it's all going to pot, I'm curious why you even bother staying on this forum? Why not save yourself the grief and explore other platforms? Apple products work exceptionally well with each other, and Android has a boatload of customization options (not to mention great hardware at a much lower price).

    BlackBerry is relatively new to me, and with the Passport I see potential. But maybe I'm crazy. Just one of those crazy BlackBerry guys who's spouting off like a madman on a BlackBerry forum... I've clearly lost touch with reality. Nuts, I know, lol.
    Yes I have only owned BlackBerry devices since 2008, including a PlayBook that I paid full retail price for at launch and then BlackBerry abandoned it without delivering what they promised or offering anything to owners to make them whole. My Bold 9900 had to be replaced multiple times (track pads, keys, etc.). Have seen multiple track pads on devices in the family fail. BlackBerry converted me to all touch with the Z line and now has abandoned that product line too, but can't stop giving updates because they still release new phones with identical hardware. Quite frankly BlackBerry hasn't been a good or reliable company to its customers over the years. Your new, so haven't had to go through this. Give it time. I like the BB10 IS, except for having to constantly do work arounds and side loading. I see no reason to use a BlackBerry Android device.

    Posted via Z30
    techvisor and anon(9353145) like this.
    06-13-15 09:58 AM
  8. lnichols's Avatar
    Comparing 2.5 to 4 year old technology to current technology is pretty fair LMAO
    Sadly the Z10 is still relevant to the conversation because BlackBerry is releasing new phones in the Classic and Leap that are using the Z10's components. Blackberry has no high end full touch device, just a high end Passport that sells poorly.

    Posted via Z30
    MarsupilamiX and techvisor like this.
    06-13-15 10:30 AM
  9. RyanGermann's Avatar
    Yeah, and add hundreds of millions of dollars to market the thing first. Which BB does not have.
    Actually, BlackBerry DOES have hundreds of millions of dollars... they haven't chosen to spend that kind of money on marketing.

    Posted via CB10
    extisis likes this.
    06-13-15 11:58 AM
  10. RyanGermann's Avatar
    ...just a high end Passport that sells poorly.
    Poorly compared to what? devices being sold at half the cost of manufacturing? compared to devices whose appeal relative to the Passport lies in the fact that they run on Verizon, or run much more popular OSES, with lots of apps, or are supported by 8 figure marketing campaigns, or can be actually found in retailers to try, or have home buttons that the vast majority of consumers seem to prefer?

    All BB10 devices have sold poorly by any criteria. The reasons why aren't a simple matter of form factor. You know this.

    Posted via CB10
    extisis likes this.
    06-13-15 12:06 PM
  11. lnichols's Avatar
    Poorly compared to what? devices being sold at half the cost of manufacturing? compared to devices whose appeal relative to the Passport lies in the fact that they run on Verizon, or run much more popular OSES, with lots of apps, or are supported by 8 figure marketing campaigns, or can be actually found in retailers to try, or have home buttons that the vast majority of consumers seem to prefer?

    All BB10 devices have sold poorly by any criteria. The reasons why aren't a simple matter of form factor. You know this.

    Posted via CB10
    The Z10 sold well at the start and through the first few months, despite the beta software running on it and reboot issues due to the software. They were producing a Million per month and decided to increase production based on early sales. Then the GS4 launched and the summer anticipation for the iPhone launch killed off the momentum. GS4's large HD screen and more processing power at similar price point to the Z10, combined with the app problem, made the market drop out, and the Z30 was then outdated before even release, at least at a flagship level. Their ASAP was climbing after the Z10 launch. Had they not committed to so many units and been late to market, their would have been no write down. The Passport sold out a 400,000 unit production run, may have hit a million sales total so far. and now look they are discounting it it to $499, again shortly after the GS6 launch and other Android flagships. So yes the BlackBerry 10 devices have sold poorly, but the Passport sales figures have to be near the bottom when compared to the other devices. Of course BlackBerry won't release sales breakouts because it would make their predominantly PKB focus look batsh1t crazy to investors.

    Posted via Z30
    MarsupilamiX, techvisor and trsbbs like this.
    06-13-15 01:48 PM
  12. RyanGermann's Avatar
    The Z10 sold well at the start and through the first few months, despite the beta software running on it and reboot issues due to the software.
    Pent-up demand and trust that many feel was in retrospect betrayed and they actually did a lot of marketing around the BB10 launch. Do you honestly think it is fair to impugn the sales of the Passport compared to Z10 sales, and indict the Passport form factor as a reason? I'm sorry, but I don't think even the most ardent full-touch advocate would honestly call that 'credible analysis'.

    They were producing a Million per month and decided to increase production based on early sales.

    ...snip...

    So yes the BlackBerry 10 devices have sold poorly, but the Passport sales figures have to be near the bottom when compared to the other devices. Of course BlackBerry won't release sales breakouts because it would make their predominantly PKB focus look batsh1t crazy to investors.
    Ramping up production turned out to be a huge mistake because the sales WEREN'T REALLY THERE. They weren't sell-through numbers.

    How many z10 devices do you think actually sold... or better yet, how many Z10s do you think are today, operating as active devices with live SIM cards in them? I think maybe 2 million, worldwide. The 200,000 Passport's sold out in days, and it gets rave reviews the Z10 could only dream of having... despite it's weird form-factor, it is profitable for BlackBerry on a per-device basis which can not be said for the Z10.

    I also have to say that you have ka-hone-ez the size of grapefruit to bring "the Passport has been discounted to $499" in while supporting the 'success' of the deeply-discounted Z10. Props to you! The Z10 is a great device, but you should use the z30 in comparison to the Passport, IMO. The worlds of the Z10 and Passport art too far apart to compare, really.

    Saying the Passport has sold poorly relative to the Z10 without taking BB's downward spiral into account or the other factors that contributed to the relative success of the Z10 seems... self-serving, maybe? If the Z10 were released today, would it sell as well as the Passport? If not, would that be a complete indictment of the theory that people prefer full-slab devices? Well, no, but comparing the Z10 in 2013 to the Passport in 2015 as proof that people don't want "different" or PKB devices is the same thing in reverse.



    Posted via CB10
    anon(9353145) likes this.
    06-13-15 03:01 PM
  13. trsbbs's Avatar
    Pent-up demand and trust that many feel was in retrospect betrayed and they actually did a lot of marketing around the BB10 launch. Do you honestly think it is fair to impugn the sales of the Passport compared to Z10 sales, and indict the Passport form factor as a reason? I'm sorry, but I don't think even the most ardent full-touch advocate would honestly call that 'credible analysis'.



    Ramping up production turned out to be a huge mistake because the sales WEREN'T REALLY THERE. They weren't sell-through numbers.

    How many z10 devices do you think actually sold... or better yet, how many Z10s do you think are today, operating as active devices with live SIM cards in them? I think maybe 2 million, worldwide. The 200,000 Passport's sold out in days, and it gets rave reviews the Z10 could only dream of having... despite it's weird form-factor, it is profitable for BlackBerry on a per-device basis which can not be said for the Z10.

    I also have to say that you have ka-hone-ez the size of grapefruit to bring "the Passport has been discounted to $499" in while supporting the 'success' of the deeply-discounted Z10. Props to you! The Z10 is a great device, but you should use the z30 in comparison to the Passport, IMO. The worlds of the Z10 and Passport art too far apart to compare, really.

    Saying the Passport has sold poorly relative to the Z10 without taking BB's downward spiral into account or the other factors that contributed to the relative success of the Z10 seems... self-serving, maybe? If the Z10 were released today, would it sell as well as the Passport? If not, would that be a complete indictment of the theory that people prefer full-slab devices? Well, no, but comparing the Z10 in 2013 to the Passport in 2015 as proof that people don't want "different" or PKB devices is the same thing in reverse.



    Posted via CB10
    They have sold all the Z10s. Took time and discounts but they sold them all.

    Via my HTC One M9...
    06-13-15 03:29 PM
  14. lnichols's Avatar
    I'd guess their are at least 3 Million Z10 in service still, possibly up to 5 Million on the high side. I'm not comparing the Z10 to the Passport in anything other than sales. The Z30 which BlackBerry couldn't push hard because the company that made them, Jabil Circuit, ended their relationship with BlackBerry right at the Z30 launch. I actuality I wish that BlackBerry had never made the Z10, accelerated the Z30 project and made it the launch all touch device. But they had committed to clearly buy a ridiculous amount of S4 Plus and Z10 devices before the software delayed it, and the rest is bad history. I bet the Leap and Classic are using repurposed Z10/Q10 boards and hardware. Would like to see some teardowns to see.

    The Passport has its place and it's audience, just like the Classic, but it is a small audience and not sufficient to sustain a hardware division. I think an all touch device with Passport's internals and a screen with the same PPI would have sold way more devices than the Passport has. But of course I don't believe Chen wants the hardware division to survive, and is releasing devices that will ensure that happens.

    Posted via Z30
    06-13-15 07:56 PM
  15. karswarnava's Avatar
    No ANDROID... if you discard apple(think) rest of the world is android.. you get multiple devices running on android.. so now you want a device which is android os + hub + security + keypad..

    I think this is impossible.. if the phone is android it should be 100 % android.. you can only change the UI .
    Just like asus zenfone = android L + zenfone UI..

    I think now BlackBerry is most powerful because BlackBerry hardware + BlackBerry software + amazon app store for android apps + cobalt's magic..

    WOW.
    THIS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ME ..


     Z3 STJ100-1 ~10.3.1.2576 ~
    06-13-15 08:30 PM
  16. cbvinh's Avatar
    I bet the Leap and Classic are using repurposed Z10/Q10 boards and hardware. Would like to see some teardowns to see.
    Here you go:

    Z10

    https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Blac...Teardown/13445

    Q10



    Classic



    Same, same?
    06-13-15 08:41 PM
  17. anon(9353145)'s Avatar
    Yes I have only owned BlackBerry devices since 2008, including a PlayBook that I paid full retail price for at launch and then BlackBerry abandoned it without delivering what they promised or offering anything to owners to make them whole. My Bold 9900 had to be replaced multiple times (track pads, keys, etc.). Have seen multiple track pads on devices in the family fail. BlackBerry converted me to all touch with the Z line and now has abandoned that product line too, but can't stop giving updates because they still release new phones with identical hardware. Quite frankly BlackBerry hasn't been a good or reliable company to its customers over the years. Your new, so haven't had to go through this. Give it time. I like the BB10 IS, except for having to constantly do work arounds and side loading. I see no reason to use a BlackBerry Android device.

    Posted via Z30
    Thanks for the explanation. Well, my experience with hardware is that if it's going to fail, it'll be in the first six months. I passed that milestone with my Passport already and it's been flawless so far. I've dropped it on a least three occasions and left it out on a patio table in the rain. No double type, no screen lift, no lag, no... whatever else...

    I like BB10 as well and hope if they try Android that they don't abandon their own platform in the process. I already know that I'm fine using it without the rich app ecosystem of Apple and Android. They can drop the Android runtime and offer a full Android device in its place for those that need it and it will run far better than the BB10 Android runtime.

    I think the Leap is a placeholder that's more about carrier placement than the device itself, same for the Classic. Chen has to rebuild those relationships first.

    I also think if the Android experiment goes well, that feeds further BlackBerry 10 development potentially, imho. Which will inevitably lead to a high end all touch in time.

    In other words, a work in progress. At this juncture you have to be patient. Or you can switch for now and return at a later point if you're still interested in BlackBerry down the road.
    06-13-15 10:25 PM
  18. anon(9353145)'s Avatar
    And we look at the specs for the Passport 2 and discover it's a Passport 1 with a few fixes and a changed exterior. I don't have the double typing, only had a minor case of the jittery screen. But there are some real issues with BB10
    Passport 2 is not going to be released in less than a year and they won't skimp on the specs. I had the Jittery screen issue as well initially on 10.3.1 which was quickly corrected in a subsequent update. Are you familiar with Sachesi and Blitz files? If you're running an older 10.3.1 and have the jitters, lol, then let me know and I'll be happy to walk you through updating your device to free you from that irritation.

    1) I get several daily emails with free and discounted Kindle ebooks. If I want to order one, clicking the link opens the native BB10 browser to a page for that book that allows me to add it to my wish list, but not order it. And there doesn't seem to be an option to select an alternative browser. This isn't an issue on my PC or any Android device I've had.
    You can change the defaults for URL / URI. Long press on a link and choose "Open In". It should allow you to choose an alternative browser as the default. Of course, you have to already have alternative browsers installed. I think you can take it a step further, iirc, but can't remember the link on the forum to tell you how to do so.

    2) We have an Android runtime to expand our available apps. But not all apps will run fully, some not at all, courtesy of no Google services support. And there are lots of apps that there is no BB10 version.
    It's a runtime, not full Android or forked like Cyanogen so you can't run all apps on Google Play Store fully. The best you can do is Cobalt's GPS etc but it's not perfect. That's always going to be the case with BB10 as it breaks the OHA. That is never going to change unfortunately if you want to stick with BB10.

    Those are only several of the shortcomings. I love my Passport, but I'm not going to try to convince myself that it's perfect. Which makes me wonder if John Chen isn't crazy like a fox if he actually brings out the Android slider. He possibly gets to do several things with it.

    A) He introduces the Android market to a REAL keyboard, with all the goodies Blackberry designs into it. Maybe not huge sales, but it gives the market something new and better to think about.
    I personally think releasing a BB / Android Slider running FULL Android with touch capacitive PKB and actions, shortcuts, Hub, etc is a great idea. I also think they should keep BB10 alive and running in parallel as an end to end secure solution for enterprise and government (and those few people like myself who are fine without all the apps).

    B) If the time ever comes where BB may decide it's wiser to go Android, this cuts the shock for the faithful. No surprise.
    True enough, though I think if they make money off Android they may keep BB10 alive just as Samsung is nurturing Tizen. There's a reason Microsoft is spending a bazillion dollars on developing and growing WP10. It pays to own your own OS if you can play the long game, imho.

    C) The one that keeps sticking in the back of my mind. Could this be the way to get an agreement between Blackberry and Google to get Google services on Blackberry devices? As an owner of several Google+ communities, not having Hangouts on my Passport to communicate with the rest of my moderators for those communities isn't helping me.
    I'm not optimistic on that one. Google owns Android and it doesn't really matter to them who makes the devices - Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, etc - as long as they adhere to the OHA and use Google Apps and Services. I can't see them allowing BlackBerry to use Google Services on BB10. Makes much more sense to me that BlackBerry drops the Android runtime in BB10 and in parallel releases a full Android BB device (or partners with Samsung on an Android device).

    D) Courtesy of the latest iOS and the abilities of the Apple Watch, Apple is regaining some territory from Android, Windows phone has gained ground, both Blackberry and Android have lost a little. Could this, be an unspoken alliance to regain ground for both?
    Could be if you're talking about Samsung, since they face a threat from other Asian Android OEMS. I don't think Google is worried about Apple eating too much market share from Android. Apple would have to drop the prices on their hardware considerably to make Google nervous, imho. And given the juicy hardware margins that Apple rakes in on each iPhone, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

    EDIT: And as an afterthought, Google offers their Gapps suite on iOS already. iOS 9 has a few features that appear to be taking a shot at some of Google services, we'll see how that plays out in the fall I guess.
    06-14-15 02:10 AM
  19. anon(9353145)'s Avatar
    some of the first ever wildly successfully Android devices were PKB sliders... the T-Mobile G1 and original Motorola Droid come to mind

    And other manufacturers still release PKB Android devices. I think LG still has a few in their lineup.
    Or the Samsung Freeform 5, released after the Q10 in July, 2013. If Samsung wants to keep their finger in the PKB pie, they could do worse than partnering with BlackBerry on a touch capacitive PKB Android device that's a Slider with keyboard actions and shortcuts... With an integrated Hub that's exclusive to Samsung. Looking at the attachment, the Slider prototype from Louks (WITH THE CURVED SCREEN, cough, cough) looks a whole lot sexier.

    Just sayin' lol. =)
    Attached Thumbnails The Slider & Android combination-samsung-freeform-5-full-1.jpg  
    06-14-15 02:35 AM
  20. cbvinh's Avatar
    I personally think releasing a BB / Android Slider running FULL Android with touch capacitive PKB and actions, shortcuts, Hub, etc is a great idea. I also think they should keep BB10 alive and running in parallel as an end to end secure solution for enterprise and government (and those few people like myself who are fine without all the apps).
    I hope that if BlackBerry does this, they make it clear that they're doing BB10 for security and Android for embracing the larger market. If they make it vague, BB10 will be abandoned by developers for sure.

    EDIT: And as an afterthought, Google offers their Gapps suite on iOS already. iOS 9 has a few features that appear to be taking a shot at some of Google services, we'll see how that plays out in the fall I guess.
    WWDC already happened and Apple has made it clear that they're targeting Google. For example, they're working on their own Street View. Apple Maps is getting transit. They're working on Proactive Assistant, a Google Now...
    06-14-15 05:54 AM
  21. trsbbs's Avatar
    I hope that if BlackBerry does this, they make it clear that they're doing BB10 for security and Android for embracing the larger market. If they make it vague, BB10 will be abandoned by developers for sure.



    WWDC already happened and Apple has made it clear that they're targeting Google. For example, they're working on their own Street View. Apple Maps is getting transit. They're working on Proactive Assistant, a Google Now...
    Most Devs/Apps bugged out sometime ago...



    Via my HTC One M9...
    06-14-15 08:40 AM
  22. lnichols's Avatar
    Here you go:

    Z10

    https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Blac...Teardown/13445

    Q10



    Classic



    Same, same?
    Ah they do them on YouTube now? I prefer the step by step with pictures where they show high res pics of the boards and outline the specific components.

    Posted via Z30
    06-14-15 09:44 AM
  23. lnichols's Avatar
    Thanks for the explanation. Well, my experience with hardware is that if it's going to fail, it'll be in the first six months. I passed that milestone with my Passport already and it's been flawless so far. I've dropped it on a least three occasions and left it out on a patio table in the rain. No double type, no screen lift, no lag, no... whatever else...

    I like BB10 as well and hope if they try Android that they don't abandon their own platform in the process. I already know that I'm fine using it without the rich app ecosystem of Apple and Android. They can drop the Android runtime and offer a full Android device in its place for those that need it and it will run far better than the BB10 Android runtime.

    I think the Leap is a placeholder that's more about carrier placement than the device itself, same for the Classic. Chen has to rebuild those relationships first.

    I also think if the Android experiment goes well, that feeds further BlackBerry 10 development potentially, imho. Which will inevitably lead to a high end all touch in time.

    In other words, a work in progress. At this juncture you have to be patient. Or you can switch for now and return at a later point if you're still interested in BlackBerry down the road.
    Most of my issues with BlackBerry failures occur about 15 months in. Stuttering keys and reboots specifically (reboots caused by battery connections that fail over time with the replaceable battery, thank goodness gone in the Z30).

    As for patience, I've been watching an living with this circus since the PlayBook was released. I've given them four years to get their stuff together. I don't think they can and Chen clearly has zero loyalty to the BB10 user base and the first BB10 customers. I'm going to see what Apple does with the next iPhone, compare it to the GS6/Edge, and if BlackBerry is still keeping silent on the slider then bail to the competition. BlackBerry's business to lose. At work we are testing iOS and Android for integration into the phone systems and BlackBerry isn't supported and the Android apps won't work either, and this is the highly regulated space BlackBerry is supposedly targeting.

    Posted via Z30
    06-14-15 09:55 AM
  24. anon(9353145)'s Avatar
    Most of my issues with BlackBerry failures occur about 15 months in. Stuttering keys and reboots specifically (reboots caused by battery connections that fail over time with the replaceable battery, thank goodness gone in the Z30).

    As for patience, I've been watching an living with this circus since the PlayBook was released. I've given them four years to get their stuff together. I don't think they can and Chen clearly has zero loyalty to the BB10 user base and the first BB10 customers. I'm going to see what Apple does with the next iPhone, compare it to the GS6/Edge, and if BlackBerry is still keeping silent on the slider then bail to the competition. BlackBerry's business to lose. At work we are testing iOS and Android for integration into the phone systems and BlackBerry isn't supported and the Android apps won't work either, and this is the highly regulated space BlackBerry is supposedly targeting.

    Posted via Z30
    So I won't have to worry about random reboots from replaceable batteries since they seem to have done away with that aspect. PKB has more moving parts, so more prone to failure obviously than tapping on glass. I hope you're wrong about the Passport and it has a longer shelf life than fifteen months in any event, lol. I find the build quality completely solid and love the form factor of this device.

    Whatever form the Slider takes (BB10 and/or Android - hopefully both) all indications are that it's going to be a well spec'd device. I hope that it's largely a joint venture with Samsung so that they can reduce the thickness to a minimum as well. Releasing an all touch variant simultaneously would be a great bonus surprise, I'd like to see that happen as well.

    I don't think BlackBerry is going to score wins on all enterprise fronts obviously. It's not like Apple and Google are sitting still and just waiting for them to catch up. In any event, if Android is making further gains in enterprise, all the more reason for BB to take a plunge into full Android territory. Right now I think their main competitive advantage in that sector (along with government) is in MDM / EMM with BES 12 and the suite of services that Chen is slowly building out. Devices need to be managed by IT and from everything I've read on the matter BlackBerry is very much in the game, especially now with their new cross platform mantra.

    June 23 will indeed be an interesting conference call, very curious to see the state of affairs.
    06-14-15 11:12 AM
  25. kraski's Avatar
    Passport 2 is not going to be released in less than a year and they won't skimp on the specs. I had the Jittery screen issue as well initially on 10.3.1 which was quickly corrected in a subsequent update. Are you familiar with Sachesi and Blitz files? If you're running an older 10.3.1 and have the jitters, lol, then let me know and I'll be happy to walk you through updating your device to free you from that irritation.
    And we know this how? They're displaying the Passport 2 with Passport specs. And yes, I've used Sachesi. When I mentioned the jitters, it was in the context that my phone had few and they were far apart.

    You can change the defaults for URL / URI. Long press on a link and choose "Open In". It should allow you to choose an alternative browser as the default. Of course, you have to already have alternative browsers installed. I think you can take it a step further, iirc, but can't remember the link on the forum to tell you how to do so.
    That's been less than stellar for me, as in never working.

    It's a runtime, not full Android or forked like Cyanogen so you can't run all apps on Google Play Store fully. The best you can do is Cobalt's GPS etc but it's not perfect. That's always going to be the case with BB10 as it breaks the OHA. That is never going to change unfortunately if you want to stick with BB10.
    See my later suggestion.

    True enough, though I think if they make money off Android they may keep BB10 alive just as Samsung is nurturing Tizen. There's a reason Microsoft is spending a bazillion dollars on developing and growing WP10. It pays to own your own OS if you can play the long game, imho.
    I don't think MS spending so much on Win10 has anything to do with owning an OS. Remember Windows Mobile. That's actually where I started on smartphones. And one of its advantages was that it had a similar UI to PC Windows. The common functionality was very limited, but the heritage was obvious. As Windows developed, MS forgot the user when they added features that bogged down the OS, then forgot to warn the public that Win8.x was going to be a HUGE departure from anything before it. The upside was that both PC and phone got the tiles (which work on a phone, not so much on a PC). And they lost a ton of users to Apple and linux.

    MS needs a miracle OS to stay alive as a software and services company. And Win10 could be it. So far, it's the best Windows they've made. It's running on all my computers that I use for my writing. Even the first beta was better that the production version of 8.0. I have several netbooks that supposedly should have problems with it because of out of spec hardware. Instead, it runs like a champ, faster and smoother that 7.x or 8.x, giving them new life.

    I'm not optimistic on that one. Google owns Android and it doesn't really matter to them who makes the devices - Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, etc - as long as they adhere to the OHA and use Google Apps and Services. I can't see them allowing BlackBerry to use Google Services on BB10. Makes much more sense to me that BlackBerry drops the Android runtime in BB10 and in parallel releases a full Android BB device (or partners with Samsung on an Android device).
    Exactly why this could be the indirect path to Google services. Google wants some level of control, which is what the OHA does. But it's also obvious that, saying Google was willing to make an exception, they can't without taking a lot of heat from all the OEMs that already were forced to have OHA in place. But a BB Android device fully under the OHA might make the services sneaking into the runtime much less an issue.

    Could be if you're talking about Samsung, since they face a threat from other Asian Android OEMS. I don't think Google is worried about Apple eating too much market share from Android. Apple would have to drop the prices on their hardware considerably to make Google nervous, imho. And given the juicy hardware margins that Apple rakes in on each iPhone, I don't see that happening anytime soon.
    You already named some of those Asian OEMS, many of which have Gapps on their devices. They're part of the reason why Android has been so huge. But the only other OS that puts a dent in Android marketshare is iOS. That used to be reversed. Nothing has stronger fanboys than Apple. Except maybe Blackberry. But we don';t have very many.

    EDIT: And as an afterthought, Google offers their Gapps suite on iOS already. iOS 9 has a few features that appear to be taking a shot at some of Google services, we'll see how that plays out in the fall I guess.
    Of course there are Gapps on iOS. There's a corner of Google, like MS, that's software and services. MS has similar tools, Apple is working on it. With Gapps available, there's a huge chunk of Google's online users that will be less likely to fully migrate to an alternative to things like Gmail, Google calendar, or Drive.
    06-14-15 11:25 AM
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