So I love BB and I don't see myself switching but my faith in BlackBerry seems to be fading...
*** Please note, the following is not me losing faith in MY BlackBerry but rather me losing faith in BlackBerry's future, their popular portrayal and their hurdles. I still love my BB :D ***
Please do not get offended and be respectful and read the whole post before you reply.
I am not talking about the PlayBook, it is a solid platform and simply needs more apps and different models under a unified OS.
I'm talking about BlackBerry Smartphones.
Let me give you a back story:
Last summer before school I was looking to replace my laptop for class as I was just wasting time on it in class.
So I turned to Tablets. After many weeks of researching I decided that the PlayBook would be the best for me.
Its size and all the perks like HDMI, flash support (and just an AMAZING browser), coming Android Player, great HD cameras, great speakers and intuitive UI and OS made it all the more convincing.
These things, combines with the fact that I needed to renew my contract or change platforms for my phone made me choose the
PlayBook.
It is the PlayBook that solidified my choice for a BlackBerry Smartphone and not the other way around as I think a BB handset would not get me to buy a PB ( BBOS < QNX get what I mean?)
And this is with a Torch 9810 running BB7 the most stable and advanced of the BB handset versions.
Hardware
I still love my PB and always will.
At first I was in love with my BB, but now my faith in them is being shaken and tested.
This happens as I get constantly bugged about having a BB while countless people I know are switching to Iphone or Android (only 1 of my friends has windows phone lol). That was a minor reason, the true reason is when I go to future shop after work waiting for my ride, I try out all the gadgets there like the Samsung Note, the iPad, and the plethora of android tablets, (never the iPhone, to me it is simply overhyped device and If I was l going full touch I would choose Android (for now, even though it is vastly fragmented and the phones life cycles are super short and updates are not a certainty depending on which device you get.)
Its not so much that BlackBerries have bad hardware or that they make small improvements, its that others (mostly Android) have SUPERB hardware and make larger and faster improvements
( I know they have many manufactures and a "free" OS but it just dwarfs BB so badly when you go to the store and see 5 models for BB and 40 for android....
Now not to be rude or arrogant but the BB hardware might be ok and acceptable in developing nations but in North America, people tend to go all out with Gadgets and want the very top notch stuff.
Not having a forward facing camera is also rediculous.
Physical keyboard
Also as I use a tablet (and the 9810) more and more find a physical keyboard more and more obsolete, well not completely but for the most part yes, the only reason I use a keyboard on my BB is for HEAVY texting and BlackBerry Bridge Remote.
I also find that the keyboard is loosing more and more ground in the crowds, more and more people are choosing full touch screen and it is keeping developers behind: smaller screens and only a few touch devices gives them less incentive to develop for BB.
Essentially, the (current)BBs' keyboards are a GREAT remote for your PB but people generaly want more options on their phone than a remote so they would ditch the keyboard.
However I am sure that there will be keyboard Models for BlackBerry10.
BBM
I have first hand observed the dieing of BBM, this goes hand in hand with the loss of the love for physical keyboard.
For a long time, BBM was the choice of the masses for the keyboard for texting but they stood out for BBM rather than a simple text phone because it was instant messaging and file sharing (sending pics and such)made for an affordable phone bill. Now prices are down for texting phone plans and BBM is loosing its selling point in North America, that and BBM not being multi platform just makes texting simpler.
It also has to do with girls... I know this is going to sound completely unfounded but hear me out.
Now I find the iphone to be a mostly female phone and many are making the switch. This then makes guys who are looking to date to switch to iPhone for iMessage ( I've witnessed this) or they are dating and the next upgrade the boyfriend gets iPhone to be able to talk together like on BBM but on iMessage.
In developing markets thought (at least for now until texting plans are cheaper) BBM is a great selling point and is BB's best feature.
You can tell BlackBerry is doing well on developing nations but it is in North America that I am worried for them. If a huge fan like me can have doubts, how is the rest of the continent feeling, especially considering all the people who are conformist who just follow the the crowds to get the iPhone and androids.
Other problems
Many cool features of the BlackBerry platform are no longer a selling point because they now are integrated in other devices, as well, other platforms have features which deter people away from BB.
Some concerns are:
-Ubuntu for Android
-The use of a stylus would be perfect for the PlayBook but it needs to be integrated while the Samsung Note series has taken full advantage of this.
-The whole synching of the iOS devices with Macs is a great selling point.
-The tablet wars are clearly being dominated by larger 9 and 10 inch tablets and RIM needs to hurry the heck up to get their larger tablet out. While the 7inch form factor is great for many things, the options should be there.
-Windows is entering the game at a much faster pace than we would like to admit and it is also entering the corporate market which is RIM's stronghold.
-Retail stores are also vastly downplaying the PlayBook and sometimes the BB phones.
-There is a lack of consumer content which is being corrected but it needs to be well executed.
Final concerns
So I know many of the concerns will be addressed by the BlackBerry10 operating system and the new hardware but I'm just wondering will it be enough?
With BB loosing its keyboard in favour of touch screens(though there will still be) what will be its selling point when everyone else is at touch screen and some android phones already have keyboards?
Another point that makes me angry is that alot of those who defected to other platforms have had bad experiences with the earlier OSs and the lower end Curves.... so they now have a stain in their memory about their BB experience.
Any ways, these were the concerns of a BlackBerry fan who just wants to see it do well.
I'm wondering what others think, please reply respectfully and again, NO FLAMING.