Is it CURSE or BLESSING that BB devices last so long?

Heck, my Playbook still feel new, save for no OS updates; the kids play with it every now and then. Z10, Z30s, and an old slider "keeps on ticking and ticking" like the duracell battery in an ad.
Gone are the days when device makers (including automobile makers) make products to last too long because they are all looking for ways to maintain or increase profitability (increasing units sold and corresponding profit margin).
So as BlackBerry continues to make these long-lasting devices and most of its users continue to "hang on" to their "sweet old devices", with no intentions of upgrading to newer BB devices, is it a CURSE or BLESSING?

Personally and sadly, I think it is a curse because most of BB users don't upgrade as often as other platform users do.
PS: I appreciate the quality of BB devices but I also upgrade frequently too.

Do you agree or disagree and why?

I agree that BlackBerry devices are robust and long lasting, and that it's one of the reasons people associate them with old technology. Most BBs you find "in the wild" are almost always at least a year old and sometimes much older. The fact that so many users did not feel compelled upgrade their BBOS phones for so long meant that the gap between their experience of "smart phones" and the experience of the dominant new platforms (Apple and Android) was huge.

My Z10, bought at launch and never protected in any way, has been in my pockets with keys and spare change for 30 months and still looks new and functions perfectly. With a second battery and charger, I feel no need to upgrade it for another year or so. 3-4 years is what I've always got from my BlackBerry phones. I've owned 3 since 2004, and they all were really beat up by the end, except for the Z10 which looks completely unused.

I believe that Blackberry's biggest mistake at the launch of BB10 was simply focusing on devices instead of loudly communicating that BlackBerry, the original smartphone maker, had built a brand new OS From the ground up, with unique capabilities. That might have better positioned the company with consumers and also led to a faster upgrade path for BBOS users.



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Pffft, my friend is still using a 5 year old flip phone.

I still play Tetris on my Gameboy bought in 1995

Workhorse: BlackBerry|Q10, SQN100-3, OS 10.3.2.2639; Power Workhorse: BlackBerry|Passport, SQW100-1, OS 10.3.2.2639 ; Germany.

Originally Posted by anischab

I still play Tetris on my Gameboy bought in 1995

Workhorse: BlackBerry|Q10, SQN100-3, OS 10.3.2.2639; Power Workhorse: BlackBerry|Passport, SQW100-1, OS 10.3.2.2639 ; Germany.

Most phones will last if the user takes good care of it. I passed my GS4 to my daughter and it's still in good shape

Originally Posted by wincyUt

Heck, my Playbook still feel new, save for no OS updates; the kids play with it every now and then. Z10, Z30s, and an old slider "keeps on ticking and ticking" like the duracell battery in an ad.
Gone are the days when device makers (including automobile makers) make products to last too long because they are all looking for ways to maintain or increase profitability (increasing units sold and corresponding profit margin).
So as BlackBerry continues to make these long-lasting devices and most of its users continue to "hang on" to their "sweet old devices", with no intentions of upgrading to newer BB devices, is it a CURSE or BLESSING?

Personally and sadly, I think it is a curse because most of BB users don't upgrade as often as other platform users do.
PS: I appreciate the quality of BB devices but I also upgrade frequently too.

Do you agree or disagree and why?

If BlackBerry phones did not last, they would have sold even less phones.

For example, in the car world, Toyota built it's reputation around building reliable cars that last. Now, it is the biggest automaker in the world.

I also still have my Q10 and the Z10 that are nearing the two years mark. But if they broke early, and only lasted a year, I would not have replaced it with another BlackBerry.


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My wife still uses my first Curve!

BlackBerry|Q10, SQN100-3, OS 10.3.2.2639; BlackBerry|Passport, SQW100-1, OS 10.3.1.2480

My Playbook felt dated a year ago, the browser being slow and fairly laggy.
Was basically unusable.
My 9810 felt like it could last for years. My BB10 devices less so

From years of reading CrackBerry, I would have to say it's a Blessing and not a curse .

Over the years I've noticed that many users have collected and still use multiple BlackBerry devices. And I would say it's because they last and many are upgraded using the latest BlackBerry OS releases, to keep them relevant.

That keeps them in use and the build quality keeps them around under rough work conditions.

The only perceived curse is the threat of discontinuing upgrade support of the BlackBerry Os's. That would hurt the brand.

It simply because if your disloyal company , you foster an unloyal customer base.

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Count your blessings! Built like a truck handles like a car,love it!!!

Sent from my 5 star BlackBerry Passport

Imagine you had a car or appliance that was unusable after a couple years. I think it's great that BlackBerry makes devices that last forever.

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Also, much preferable to Apple's building of increasingly bloated,but mandatory updates to their primitive iOS that won't run efficiently on two-year old devices. It's worse than planned obsolescence, it's FORCED obsolescence!

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