[cgk]

The biggest problem BlackBerry faces right now is that no one cares. There�s just no compelling reason for people to buy into what BlackBerry is selling. Security? Eh. Productivity? Meh. Efficiency? Yawn. For BlackBerry enthusiasts, ignoring these things are blaspheme, but for everyone else it�s just another Monday.

What if BlackBerry had the best devices and BB10 became the best OS in the world? | CrackBerry.com

I disgree with his conclusions on marketing but otherwise I think he's on the money - thoughts?

[anon721037]

you might get quite a response here, lol

I love BB i often change my device to check out the competition but i always come back, for work email,messaging, BBM, which is most of what i do with it there the best, oh and i do make a call or two also,

[BitPusher2600]

What if BlackBerry had the best devices and BB10 became the best OS in the world? | CrackBerry.com

I disgree with his conclusions on marketing but otherwise I think he's on the money - thoughts?

Agreed. The very name is tarnished, and I'm of the opinion that for the mass consumer market, that's all it takes. I'm thoroughly convinced just from what I've seen and read on my own that BB10 isn't even given a fair shakedown to begin with.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

BlackBerry’s biggest challenge will never be in creating the most advanced OS or the most impressive mobile device in the world. It will be in getting people to care about them and what they offer. The culture and identity of BlackBerry remains catalyst if they hope to be that victorious protagonist who defied overwhelming odds. BlackBerry should embrace where they are right now and appreciate it. It is not always in the best of times where the true nature of something reveals what we’re made of but in the darkest and toughest moments.

Not sure what he is trying to say there.... but he used a LOT of them there big words to do it.

The issues really is it is too late now! No amount (or at least not the amount BlackBerry can afford) of marketing is going to change the fact the Carriers, Business and Individuals are not interested in what BlackBerry has to offer at this time. And Chen has shown nothing that really changes the direction that hardware is going.... changing manufacturing doesn't remove the issue that the price isn't the issue, it's the device. His only smart short term move has been to embrace BBOS as it's at least selling.

Services and Software....

• QNX is king of a very small pond.... very little revenues there.
• BES type revenues - I imagine these have been shrinking drastically as turn over is probable somewhere close to it was when they stopped reporting the losses.... thus bringing back BBOS to help offset those loses is a smart idea (short term).
• BBM - who knows where it will end up? But the potential of six months ago is evaporating faster than BlackBerry's relevance in the world.

[zocster]

Rebranding is needed, but it doesn't have to have a new name, just image.

Sent from a mobile device via Tapatalk

[Rello]

I agree with the OP because they do need better marketing no matter how u look at it....but I been saying for the longest that BlackBerry could probably make a device with the best specs, and market it better than they have any other device....and it probably still wouldn't matter because I honestly think people simply don't care at this point.

If BlackBerry can really turn this around, and still selling a decent amount of phones within the next 3 to 5 years, I think this will be a case in which many other companies who are failing, now and in the future, can follow and learn from

Posted via CB10

[CHIP72]

I generally agree with the article and the idea that most people don't care about what Blackberry has to offer right now. I personally believe (and have said so many times in various posts on the Crackberry.com forums) that is the direct result of BB5/6/7 being so inferior to iOS and Android (and also WP) in the minds of most people during the 2009-2012 time frame when they were in direct competition with one another. (That's not really a knock on BB5/6/7; the core BBOS was developed in the late 1990s, while those other operating systems were developed in the late 2000s. You can't expect a 10 year old race car to beat a brand new race car.) The problem with BB10 isn't that it sucks (quite the opposite IMO, though I find its user interface a bit more complicated than it needs to be and less elegant than its spiritual predecessor, webOS), the problem is that it arrived way too late and it isn't a dramatic leap forward relative to other modern mobile operating systems. The fact it arrived late is compounded by the fact that software (i.e. apps) is the name of the game with modern smartphones, and if you arrive late, you won't have as many apps.

[BlackAsBerry]

I love BB10 is just plain awesome.

[Bbnivende]

Sorry to repeat myself but consumers are not interested in operating systems. They just want apps and a phone that has a great camera, great screen, and is budget friendly.

Except for the fact that BlackBerry has the best physical keyboard, most consumers want what has a proven track record as a good phone. BlackBerry does not have a track record making iphone type devices.
The Q10 might have done better in the market place but very few consumers are willing to pay premium prices for a 3.1 inch screen.

I just wish there was a solution to their problems. They need a Nexus 5 ( soon 6) competitor at Nexus prices and they just do not have such a device. Looking forward to the Q20 and I am cautiously optimistic for the Z3.

[eduzojordan]

Sorry to repeat myself but consumers are not interested in operating systems. They just want apps and a phone that has a great camera, great screen, and is budget friendly.

Weird, my sister has and iPhone 5s, she uses email, Whatsapp, FaceTime and camera. My Z10 has HUB,
whatsapp (I don't use it), and when comparing cameras pictures taken with my Z10 are as good as iPhone's.
This is her third iPhone, she has paid between USD 500 and USD 650, so the budget friendly argument not valid.

Except for the fact that BlackBerry has the best physical keyboard, most consumers want what has a proven track record as a good phone. BlackBerry does not have a track record making iphone type devices.
The Q10 might have done better in the market place but very few consumers are willing to pay premium prices for a 3.1 inch screen.

Myth, iPhone might look very solid...but...my sister's first iPhone was broken after some sweat, she runs 10K daily, got into the phone.
Twice my blackberry turned off because of sweat...I removed battery clean sweat...waited like 5 minutes...place battery and my phone
was working again. You seem to forget so many problems all iPhones versions have had over the years...remember antenna-gate?
The argument of physical keyboard...it's complicated...explain how come millions of people buy every day all-touch devices?
I'm pretty sure millions of those, where "hard-die physical keyboard Blackberry users", whom continue to send emails, text
messages, IM etc etc using and iPhone or Android device. Premium prices? Sprint is offering Q10 at USD 0 price on a 2-year
USD 25 plan. Here in Ecuador (South America) you have to pay USD 250 or maybe more for a Q10 on a 2-year USD 112 plan!

I just wish there was a solution to their problems. They need a Nexus 5 ( soon 6) competitor at Nexus prices and they just do not have such a device. Looking forward to the Q20 and I am cautiously optimistic for the Z3.

Like many members of CB, I think they need a better marketing plan. They need a Nexus 5-6 competitor? Why? Those devices have
not physical keyboard...the largest base of BB users of legacy devices keep using and/or buying physical keyboard, but with the old and
inefficient BBOS. The excuse to not upgrading to BB 10 was first price, which has dropped; and second the lack of tool belt. I have my
doubts about Q20. All-touch devices have no tool belts, yet people using BBOS upgraded to those devices, by millions!

[early2bed]

No marketing plan is going to help this company because there's really nothing worth marketing. The phones aren't interesting enough to market. While the retro features may be compelling to some existing users, keyboards, trackpads, and buttons aren't going to draw any new customers. Are you really going to show gestures, messaging and email? Do you think that's what sells phones in 2014?

The Z30 is a slab like all the others. QNX isn't even worth marketing for cars, especially when other companies are showing smartphone apps on the dash UI. BES means nothing to consumers. BBM is just one of many messaging apps and you can get it on whatever phone you want.

So, what is there to market?

[southlander]

OK I'll bite. While I agree Apple under Jobs was inspiring to folks, etc...

Where is the story or admiration for Samsung that drives their sales? What the anti Apple thing?

My point is there seems to be more than one angle to selling phones.

[--TommesJay--]

Not sure what he is trying to say there.... but he used a LOT of them there big words to do it.

The issues really is it is too late now! No amount (or at least not the amount BlackBerry can afford) of marketing is going to change the fact the Carriers, Business and Individuals are not interested in what BlackBerry has to offer at this time. And Chen has shown nothing that really changes the direction that hardware is going.... changing manufacturing doesn't remove the issue that the price isn't the issue, it's the device. His only smart short term move has been to embrace BBOS as it's at least selling.

Services and Software....

• QNX is king of a very small pond.... very little revenues there.
• BES type revenues - I imagine these have been shrinking drastically as turn over is probable somewhere close to it was when they stopped reporting the losses.... thus bringing back BBOS to help offset those loses is a smart idea (short term).
• BBM - who knows where it will end up? But the potential of six months ago is evaporating faster than BlackBerry's relevance in the world.

Nope I think he's right.

BlackBerry always thought their success came from keyboards, battery life, security, efficiency and productivity. That may be right for a fraction of business users and enthusiasts, but they didn't sell 15 M units a quarter at their peak times because of any of that. People were into BlackBerry because BBM was the thing and QWERTY keyboards were better than T9 keyboards. That's it.

Security? Efficiency? Productivity? 99.8% of the market doesn't care and even business users want a nice device with lots of apps and content when they come home after work.....

[skstrials]

Actually the physical keyboard feature of my Q10 is quite useful and it is the main reason I picked up this phone. While I still have to practice more typing on this thing. It is such a jot to use the physical keyboard again.

But yeah, I agree. I would not really consider a full touch screen phone from BlackBerry as it would be another rectangular slab on the market then.

As for the productivity issue, for most people, it will not make a difference. They can all do their basic tasks on any modern mobile OS. In fact, BlackBerry is still missing quite a few key features in my mind, such as sending texts and making calls from a connected computer.

So yeah, I am here with BlackBerry because of its physical keyboard, and I doubt I'll be going anywhere soon since I assume BlackBerry would be the last physical keyboard phone player on the market in future.

[RH1Pearl]

I think BlackBerry missed the wave when mobile phones became more of a consumer or fashionable product, rather than a productivity tool for work. The stodgy image I'm afraid has stuck and the BB10 phones are simply not "sexy" enough to compel consumers to at least try them at the stores. A phone is now suppose to be fun, especially for teenagers, and the consistent theme I see from bloggers in this site is "get things done" or "I'm more productive", or "has a faster browser". The more diehards say that, the more the "work-related" image is entrenched in non-BlackBerry users' minds. Seriously, who wants to talk about work all the time.

[cgk]

OK I'll bite. While I agree Apple under Jobs was inspiring to folks, etc...

Where is the story or admiration for Samsung that drives their sales? What the anti Apple thing?

My point is there seems to be more than one angle to selling phones.

Actually if you look at the current trial documents there are quite a few internal presentations from Samsung that are about that very question and how they need to build a narrative/story more than apple.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[sentimentGX4]

Not sure what he is trying to say there.... but he used a LOT of them there big words to do it.

So esoteric. I understood all the words and it still took me a while to piece together what he is saying.

The culture and identity of BlackBerry remains catalyst if they hope to be that victorious protagonist who defied overwhelming odds. BlackBerry should embrace where they are right now and appreciate it.

The key to Blackberry's success is its "culture and identity". Appreciate the position that Blackberry is in right now.

It is not always in the best of times where the true nature of something reveals what we’re made of but in the darkest and toughest moments.

Gibberish. The fragment "we’re made of but in the darkest and toughest moments" is not grammatically correct. Probably trying to say "The truth is tough to swallow".

[nabil114]

What if BlackBerry had the best devices and BB10 became the best OS in the world? | CrackBerry.com

I disgree with his conclusions on marketing but otherwise I think he's on the money - thoughts?

I think Blackberry's success will not come overnight. (Sales increase slowly over time as they win over customers)

[sentimentGX4]

I just wish there was a solution to their problems. They need a Nexus 5 ( soon 6) competitor at Nexus prices and they just do not have such a device. Looking forward to the Q20 and I am cautiously optimistic for the Z3.

Even in the best case scenario, I do not expect the Z3 to outsell the Lumia 520, which is a better valued device. Nokia's position is wishy-washy as it is and propped by Microsoft.

I just don't see a way for Blackberry to maintain its hardware business. It's a very competitive market. I admit it is better to try than to just give up, though.

[keypad]

OK I'll bite. While I agree Apple under Jobs was inspiring to folks, etc...

Where is the story or admiration for Samsung that drives their sales? What the anti Apple thing?

My point is there seems to be more than one angle to selling phones.

The three M's.

Monstrous, Marketing, Money.

Posted via CB10

[donnation]

I agree with the post on Crackberry but I also remember a time when Blackberry wasn't in the darkest of times.

There was a time when Blackberry was leading the way and laughed at the other companies who were coming out with touchscreen phones and proclaiming to the media that they were a fad and that you couldn't do any real work on a phone unless it had a physical keyboard.

It's easy to feel sorry for them but in reality they put themselves in the position they are in through stubbornness and flat out refusal to change. While other companies were innovating they were churning our Bold after Bold and the Torch line of phones that were laughable compared to what the competition was offering. Coupled with a terrible marketing campaign (Be Bold) they were asking for this to happen. Pile on the laughable Playbook and the recipe for disaster was complete.

It was only when the bottom fell out that they decided to try and change things but at that point the damage was done.

It's easy to say "Hey, give us a chance now," but when things were good they mocked the consumer and told them they didn't need the things they were asking for and to be happy with a terrible camera, an awful web browser, and an OS that was far behind the times. Instead of embracing change, thy fought it and it's put them in the position they are in now.

[abwan11]

The story of blackberrys rise and fall is a very compelling tale, if enough of the truth was laid out for the world to see, they could have exactly what the marketing department needs to make blackberry interesting again.
"C'MON, GET UP AND FIGHT",for what belongs to you.

Posted via CB10

[The Big Picture]

Sure people dont really care for blackberry, but neither do people (in general) care for htc, samsung, sony or any other android phones. No one I know (and we are a geeky bunch) knows or cares when the next android phone from whichever maker is going to come out.

This maybe a shocker to you some of you guys in america and some parts of europe, people dont really care about apple either but admittedly more people talk about apple than anything else but even so, apple is losing to android everywhere around the world bar the US.

All people care about is how tech compliments their lives. How it makes their lives easier and more practical. BB10 just didnt attract people, it just lacked something to most people either price, specs, features, apps, screen size or maybe they just wanted to try something new. 95 percent of the world isnt keeping track of the latest and the greatest, they arent on tech sites everyday trying to discover new things. When people buy phones they generally just want things simple, reliable, priced right and is usable.

It is known that the growth markets are phablets and low end phones. Just look at nokia every phone released seems to be a cheaper phablet. I believe the Z3 will be BlackBerry's most successful phone in terms of numbers sold. I can almost guarantee it, all they need now is more apps on app world.

Q10SQN100-3/10.2.1.2228, Z30, Z10, iP5, SGS3

[wincyUt]

By the end of 2014 calendar year John Chen would have been on the job for over 1 year and his strategy, if it's truly effective, should begin to materialize; otherwise things will be uglier for BlackBerry. Lets wait and see because it ain't over until the fat lady sings.

[cgallaer]

This post was spot on. I agree with BlackBerry's shift to concentrating on enterprise for now. Sometimes companies have to get smaller to get bigger.

Even though many companies do BYOD, there will be a number of companies that do not. If BlackBerry can own the non-BYOD market and make inroads in the BYOD market through sales of BES 12, I think they'll be on their way to recovering.

Looking back, I think BlackBerry spent too much time chasing consumer app developers like Instagram and not enough time chasing app developers who make apps for business users. I saw a post where someone in the health care industry said his/her hospital was dumping BlackBerry for iOS because there were certain industry specific apps available on iOS and not BlackBerry. If BlackBerry can get those apps and other apps frequently used by businesses, they can shore up the non-BYOD market and regain share.

For now, I think BlackBerry lost the consumer market, and it was a wise decision to focus on what their strengths (enterprise) and try to dominate this market.

Blackberry Z10: STL100-3, OS 10.2.1.537