Perfect Storm: How Apple's Exclusive iPhone Deal Pressured BlackBerry To Create Storm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVAwvmRvhf4
BlackBerry had a partnership with AT&T in 2007 before the release of the first iPhone. Lazaridis & Balsillie felt side swiped when they found out iPhone was able to feature a full web browser on their phone, something AT&T prevented Blackberry from doing out of fear it would crash their network. In response to the success of iPhone, BlackBerry was approached by Verizon to create an "iPhone killer." Lazaridis presented the Bold, equipped with a keyboard and touchscreen, but that idea was shot down by Verizon executives. They wanted a full touchscreen. So Lazaridis offered a prototype, the Storm.
Perfect Storm: How Apple's Exclusive iPhone Deal Pressured BlackBerry To Create Storm
Originally Posted by
Thud Hardsmack Had a friend that one shortly after launch, never had to pull the battery. To be sure, she never used it for anything other than calls, text, and email, nor even changed the wallpaper or sounds. After all the abuse I put mine through I gave it to her sister; it got another few years usage until they both hopped on the iPhone train with the 5s. I find it interesting they grew up using Apple/Mac and they continue to use Macs at home plus professionally, yet they passed on iPhones for 5-ish years with the Storm2.
Just goes to show, if you build something solid, reliable and just continue to make it better year after year, people will not have any reason to leave it. Never jump due to a big disruption, rather invest in R&D and do a thorough competitor analysis.
They made such a mess rushing out the first Storm that nobody wanted to even try the Storm 2, which was actually a great product.
Same thing happened with Nokia, they got into such a rush to get something out that they absolutely ruined their first iterations and missed what made iPhone and Android phones special. I had the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and loved it but when I used it next to my Dad’s (an ex BB fan) iPhone 3G it became evidently clear where the mobile industry was going.
The 5800XM and Nokia N97 were absolute spec beasts, they were like the touchscreen versions of the Nokia N95 and E90, Jack of All Trades, master of none, and their UI felt like a work in progress, not even in Beta phase but rather in Alpha.
Both Nokia and BB were so incredibly arrogant and sloppy in their approach, they failed to see why people were leaving their devices for iPhone and Android and it ultimately led to their demise.