[pgg101]

Breathe. All will be good. Z30 came out this past fall. A new Q model next year, maybe a new Z the year after. They decided not to pump out a new device every quarter...leave that up to Samsung.

I work for a bank, and most people on my team elected the Z10 including myself. Not every banker wants a Q.

Posted via CB10 on Z30STA100-5/10.2.1.1925

[NaijaBerry]

What would be interesting to know would be sales figures for Q10/Q5 vs Z30/Z10....

[New_Z10]

Madness. How many devices do they need. This is what happened to gm- Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet - way to many products with few meaningful differences . BlackBerry needs a upper and lower range product. Touch and qwerty. Maximum of four phones- cycle a single new device every 10-12 months. Rationalize the pricing. Spend time and money on refining software to differentiate with UI experience. This is the path to self destruction. Listen Chen.

Posted via CB10

[jpvj]

Pls. note that every mechanical part of a device is subject to fail (sliding function, keys on the keyboard, volume key etc.).
The Z-series is limited to 4 buttons in total.

For the Q series add 40(?) keys. A slider would only make it more complicated.

Keep it simple and try to make a product that "just works".

[RyanGermann]

Many people (and employees of companies that demand BlackBerry's security for the devices that are provided to employees fall into this "people" category) are reluctant to sacrifice a 16 X 9 ish screen size for the physical keyboard. Here's me on a z30 as one instance of proof of that statement.

But until BlackBerry releases a slider device with the full screen size and aspect ratio of a Z10 (if not larger) with the legendary and patented BlackBerry keyboard, this (in my opinion) silly chitchat of why full screen is better or the "fact" that enterprise users demand keyboards is silly.

If a product like that Typo keyboard can IMPROVE an iPhone in the eyes and hands of many people, then a BB10 slider would do the trick, giving every potential BB10 user on the fence about full screen vs. smaller-screen+keyboard a no-compromises experience. Ignore the existence of the built-in keyboard (and if we're so lucky, the built-in trackpad and hard buttons) all you want... until you're doing something like trying to type a lengthy document on your blackberry, or want to just hang up the phone with a single button push instead of three clicks and a swipe.

Of course, add an optional user experience layer that is more like BBOS and the full slab and q10 style devices become the "niche" products... except with those for whom a super thin and light device is what they will not compromise on... but the popularity of larger heavier devices tells me "thin and light" is less important than other features.

Posted via CB10

[silverbullet]

Query is where it's at.

Don't get me wrong I love my z30. But accuracy and speed the qwerty wins hands down.

Auto correct or not. These virtual keyboard suck.

Too many errors.

From a businessman's perspective, design a z30 sized touchscreen decide with a slide out keyboard.

Posted via CB10

[DoryGuy]

I hate those tiny keys on the physical keyboards. My fingers are too large at the tip and I can't type worth a dang with them. I do hope by end of 2014 they release an upgrade to the Z30/Z10 though. That's not too frequent... once every two years buy a new phone.

[Camelhmpz]

I too was a little alarmed. The Q10 definitely didn't do what they were hoping, I don't see how focusing more on the keypad and less on touch screens will bring BlackBerry into the current demand. I love BlackBerry but never paid them any mind until the Storm model. I left when there was no pure touchscreen model left and came back for the z10. I hate to hear that I'll have to wait again for a new touchscreen. I rather have the screen real estate. My opinion.

Posted via CB10

[Joao Oliveira]

I too was a little alarmed. The Q10 definitely didn't do what they were hoping, I don't see how focusing more on the keypad and less on touch screens will bring BlackBerry into the current demand. I love BlackBerry but never paid them any mind until the Storm model. I left when there was no pure touchscreen model left and came back for the z10. I hate to hear that I'll have to wait again for a new touchscreen. I rather have the screen real estate. My opinion.

Posted via CB10

The Q10 did as good as the Z10 did... wich was pretty bad... Z30 isn't doing any wonder, but is certainly a device that is more up to the competition...

Both Z10 and Q10 weren't as good as a 2013 phone should be.... so both sold pretty bad.

[Camelhmpz]

The Q10 did as good as the Z10 did... wich was pretty bad... Z30 isn't doing any wonder, but is certainly a device that is more up to the competition...

Both Z10 and Q10 weren't as good as a 2013 phone should be.... so both sold pretty bad.

Ya but Thor and Co kept telling us basically "just wait till the q10 comes, the demand is there and we will be selling the hell out of them". Unfortunately bbos 7 devices still outsell em. I agree about them both being behind for the year 2013 tho. I kinda wish 10.2.1 was the 10.0 we launched with but I'm not sure it would have helped. I still don't have any us bank app officially on my bb10. :-(

Posted via CB10

[Carmels]

Yup, yet another brilliant business decision made by BlackBerry.
Having only one product line seems more logical instead of offering a diverse product portfolio.

Genius, John!!! This is exactly the type of insight that has made BlackBerry so famous in recent years.

Posted via CB10 for BB10

Holy jump to conclusions much?! It's January of 2014 and Mr. Chen is focused on making BlackBerry a more sound company again starting with Enterprise.

What are jumping down the guys throat about? I'm sure there is some emphasis on hardware but what's the point of diving into that section first if the overall state of the union is in disarray? Get the business model in place, make it profitable again in areas BlackBerry still had a strong hold in and all other facets should eventually fall into place.

Business 101 at its best being displayed with this new CEO.

Posted via CB10

[TheScionicMan]

Really? Where are those people? I keep reading posts about qwerty smartphones are what BlackBerry fans want, however the sales of Q10 or Q5 don't show that. If qwerty smartphones was what people want, Android and iPhone phones wouldn't be selling like hot cakes.

The physical keyboard is only one part of the equation. Not sure that equating it to the lack of success is a true picture. It's one of the reasons that the TYPO keyboard for iPhone is getting a lot of interest. If every other aspect of the phones were equal (apps, ecosystem, etc) then it might be more accurate to single out the keyboard difference, but that is not the case.

IMO, one of the biggest complaints I see from iPhone users is the typing experience, but they're willing to give a little on that because of the other features. I'm not sure the same can be said for the Q line.

[LP_Rigg]

The Q10 did as good as the Z10 did... wich was pretty bad... Z30 isn't doing any wonder, but is certainly a device that is more up to the competition...

Both Z10 and Q10 weren't as good as a 2013 phone should be.... so both sold pretty bad.

I have a Z10 and love it - I would buy a Z30 but unfortunately AT&T doesn't sell it. Hard to sell anything if it isn't even on the shelf.

Posted via CB10

[Joao Oliveira]

I have a Z10 and love it - I would buy a Z30 but unfortunately AT&T doesn't sell it. Hard to sell anything if it isn't even on the shelf.

Posted via CB10

True... just proving the point that the Z10 wasn't particulary superior to the Q10 and vice versa... I think both had about the same amount of interest... Z10 probably sold more because it came out earlier, and because price came down sooner

[Djlatino]

OS7 outselling OS10 = qwerty outselling touch devices = because bb10 is too expensive = qwerty is still popular (by force) in the countries that OS7 is still selling in.

Chen is seeing where to make money. While Apple and Samsung might have north america in the bag, I think he's shooting to unclaimed land.

[clickitykeys]

Yup, yet another brilliant business decision made by BlackBerry.
Having only one product line seems more logical instead of offering a diverse product portfolio.

Genius, John!!! This is exactly the type of insight that has made BlackBerry so famous in recent years.

Sad to see that the customary Blackberry bashing has become a habit that dies hard. There was nothing in the interview that indicated "only one product line". John Chen's precise words in that Bloomberg interview were:

"I personally love the keyboards, so you will look to BB going forward to keyboards - I wouldn't use the word exclusively, but predominantly."

To me, this clearly means that he still plans on having a few new all-touchscreen devices. I am inclined to agree with Ryan, that a slider might be in Blackberry's future, and only that might conclusively settle the debate between users' preference for all-touch versus physical keyboarded devices.

[Benjamin Black]

There are very few things BlackBerry could do to get me to switch to another ecosystem but not producing a high end touch screen device in house would be one of those things.

Posted via CB10

[potatoheadguy]

I had the Z10 and loved it! worked great! But battery life sucked even with LTE turned off! I'm not a super heavy user but it didn't seem better then anything else on the market much. I jump into a Z30 different show all together.! Love the bigger screen! makes all the difference in the world! LCD screens are harder on batteries, where as the screen the Z30 has is nicer on batter life! check it out! I can't kill my Z30!

[MartyMcfly]

I'm not sure how I feel about this. The company should be innovating and moving the industry forward instead of going back to the strategy that put them in this position.

[LP_Rigg]

True... just proving the point that the Z10 wasn't particulary superior to the Q10 and vice versa... I think both had about the same amount of interest... Z10 probably sold more because it came out earlier, and because price came down sooner

Well sort of - I love my Z10, but I want BB10 on a bigger screen such as the Z30. In reality, I would prefer a device somewhere in between the Z10 and Z30.
OS wise, BB10, particularly 10.2.1.1925 is rocking my world at the moment.


Posted via CB10

[scrapmetal58]

As a first time BlackBerry user, I really want a new Z10 later this year. A new model of each should be available after a year or so (Samsung and Apple do this). The difference is Apple ignores the emerging markets and physical keyboard users, and Samsung is huge and has the infrastructure to make tons of different models for each group. I'd be ok with waiting until late summer for a new Z10 (I know I'll be waiting a lot longer).

Posted via CB10

[allengeorge]

I suspect what he means is that BlackBerry's hardware design department is going to be focused on designing QWERTY phones only, leaving Foxconn to do all the touchscreen phone development (which implies that we won't see any high-end touchscreens).

That's my take, and I'd be happy to be proven wrong when the time comes :P

[wehttam]

He just saide he liked QUERTY, and that this year he would be releasing a QUERTY... so what's the big deal? Blackberry has a mid end touch and querty, the Z10 and Q10, but in the high end is only the Z30 but not a Q30... so it makes sense to balance it out...

you seriously consider the Z30 a high end phone with basically similar specs as the Z10 . ...im sorry but the more i think about blackberry the more i see my future without it yes i love the OS etc but they need to do something special in 2014 then again their focus is not on the consumer market...

[silverbullet]

you seriously consider the Z30 a high end phone with basically similar specs as the Z10 .

Yes. Z30 is a high end phone for BlackBerry. It may not be for other companies but it is for BlackBerry.


Posted via CB10

[xBURK]

Even though I wouldn't change to a physical keyboard after a year on the Z10, I'm guessing it makes sense to concentrate on them now. In retrospect, the Q10 should have been launched first. (I didnt think so at the time) Just look at the number of Q10 vs Z10 youtube views. Way more interest in the Q10 by far. You need people purchasing BlackBerry's to create buzz. If a physical keyboard jump starts sales and hype, then so be it. Mr Chen is NOT doing away with future all touch BlackBerrys . Far from it. He is just putting them on the front burner. Why would anyone think this a bad idea? Twisting Mr. Chen's words is a waste of time that only spreads false perceptions. We get enough of that from the media. Anyway, let it play out....it can't be any worse than the 2013 direction.

Posted via CB10