1. Nharzhool's Avatar
    Okay, I've read that article 6 times and Chen NEVER ONCE said that they are leaving the hardware business.

    It says:

    If Chen is able to engineer a similar turnaround at BlackBerry, the company will look very different in the future. In Chen's words, it will be focused on software, services and messaging.
    He said they will focus on software, services and messaging. He has said this many times before. He has also said that he doesn't think BlackBerry could be BlackBerry without the handsets.

    If things go bad, they might leave the hardware business but Chen has never given any actual indication that they're going to leave it.

    People like to read too much into these things...what is wrong with you guys?
    04-06-14 05:38 AM
  2. vagos2006's Avatar
    Okay, I've read that article 6 times and Chen NEVER ONCE said that they are leaving the hardware business.

    It says:



    He said they will focus on software, services and messaging. He has said this many times before. He has also said that he doesn't think BlackBerry could be BlackBerry without the handsets.

    If things go bad, they might leave the hardware business but Chen has never given any actual indication that they're going to leave it.

    People like to read too much into these things...what is wrong with you guys?
    Correct. People are not reading the article correctly. I read it again and he doesn't say that. I guess people like to make up stories on their heads when reading something lol! BlackBerry ain't leaving the hardware business anytime soon.

    Let's see what happens when the z3 gets released. I'm curious to see how it will sell. I think its going to sell very well. It looks nice and its priced right. Marketing will he key for the z3 to take off.

    Posted by my awesome Z10
    04-06-14 05:58 AM
  3. koebi90's Avatar
    Chen is the best guy for the job! I liked Thorsten Heins a lot, but he was too much in love with BlackBerry so he couldn't see the market surroundings for the launch of BlackBerry10 clearly enough!

    He thought BlackBerry10 to be the best OS in the market (and that's actually true) but didn't mind the fact that the average buyer in the smartphone market doesn't care for good quality; instead he just wants bad quality in a lifestyle look for lots of money and a OS that is easy enough to be executed by primates!

    He thought the Z10 would sell like hell, that's why he produced a enormous stock, that killed BlackBerry financial reporting for the last year!
    Meanwhile he didn't focus on the Q10 as the core product with the BlackBerry DNA!

    Chen on the other hand comes from the outside and knows the standing of BlackBerry in the market!

    He is realistic and experienced and he WILL bring BlackBerry to the top again!

    Posted on CB 10 and typed on the best Keyboard ever
    Q10Bold likes this.
    04-06-14 06:09 AM
  4. Whyareallthegoodnamestaken's Avatar
    He's pretty much saying that Blackberry isn't going to be in the hardware business in a couple of years. The ultimate answer to the BB7 vs BB10 issue - it doesn't really matter. He will keep as many customers as possible, try to get to break-even, and look to sell off the hardware business just like he almost sold off the wireless technology unit to Marvell.

    He's practically yelling it to the media, at this point, so the only reason one wouldn't hear it is if they are emotionally attached to Blackberry smartphones.
    Chen has been known to contradict what he says with what he does. He basically tells the business world what it wants to hear to keep the stock up.

    Posted via CB10
    04-06-14 06:15 AM
  5. badiyee's Avatar
    Chen has been known to contradict what he says with what he does. He basically tells the business world what it wants to hear to keep the stock up.

    Posted via CB10


    Please provide proof. Were you in the business, partnering with Sybase when he was still the guy running it?
    04-06-14 06:18 AM
  6. Troy Tiscareno's Avatar
    How many times do you have to 're-predict' this, when in one of your more infamous threads you even made a bolder claim that BlackBerry would have finished by Z30?

    Ever since then, 2 devices announced, and production is still on-going.
    But I was at least partially right - these devices have been outsourced, and BB got rid of most or all of their hardware design staff. Granted, BB found a way around the problem for a while by outsourcing, because doing it themselves wasn't sustainable. But once you've axed your staff and sold your buildings, there's only so many more tricks you can do to keep the money coming in if you aren't making a profit on your phone sales, and BB still isn't.
    cgk and Drew808 like this.
    04-06-14 09:42 AM
  7. early2bed's Avatar
    I guess one can become quite literal when he is saying something you really don't want to hear.

    "There will be one day when the map and the market will tell us which way to go," he said. "I can assure you, for me, it's not a religion. It's business."

    What do you think he is referring to? BES? Keyboards? It's obvious what he is referring to. If he had said:

    I can assure you that market will not tell us where to go. Blackberry, to me is like a religion, and not just a business.

    People would be certain that he is staying in the smartphone business no matter what the market share drops to.
    04-06-14 10:22 AM
  8. badiyee's Avatar
    But I was at least partially right - these devices have been outsourced, and BB got rid of most or all of their hardware design staff. Granted, BB found a way around the problem for a while by outsourcing, because doing it themselves wasn't sustainable. But once you've axed your staff and sold your buildings, there's only so many more tricks you can do to keep the money coming in if you aren't making a profit on your phone sales, and BB still isn't.
    Partially right, and then using that to forward your agenda that long retorted nonsense that BlackBerry will be dead. How many times has it now?

    That's just like, no, let me rephrase, that exactly is what the sensationalist media on the "first to race to report" model is doing. Even by getting partially right, they milk the agenda so much that the truth is buried by the lies, and the lies which was only half truth was trumpeted so much, that people just bought the lie in the end.


    To which the point stands, that

    1. Your entire point about BlackBerry being dead = WRONG.
    2. Your entire point about BlackBerry not producing any more devices = DEAD WRONG. Even with all the IFs and BUTs.


    But since you're trying to make your point stand, let us go into your statement here, and you're claiming that BlackBerry isn't making a profit on phone sales.


    My question here then, when the Z3 hasn't even been out, how were you able to even arrive to conclusion that the Z3 has not made a profit for the company? Does this even apply to Q20? I'm thinking you're privy to some sort of future data that doesn't exist for these 2 devices yet. Or maybe you do. Care to elaborate how did you come to this conclusion?

    Surely you are not forgetting that these 2 models were designed, with different contractual agreements vis-a-vis to the prior handsets which were designed, made, produced and marketed under a very different contractual obligations as well?
    Andy_bb_king likes this.
    04-06-14 10:22 AM
  9. badiyee's Avatar
    I guess one can become quite literal when he is saying something you really don't want to hear.

    "There will be one day when the map and the market will tell us which way to go," he said. "I can assure you, for me, it's not a religion. It's business."

    What do you think he is referring to? If he had said:

    The market will not tell us where to go. Blackberry, to me is like a religion, and not just a business.

    People would be certain that he is staying in the smartphone business.
    One thing for a fact, he is consistent about making money for BlackBerry, and making it profitable, no matter the costs and steps to be taken. I think this message needs to be repeated. What will take shape? Its in the realm of speculation. But what is confirmed is that he will grab any chance at making money. Especially easy money.
    04-06-14 10:24 AM
  10. BBUniq01's Avatar
    Okay, I've read that article 6 times and Chen NEVER ONCE said that they are leaving the hardware business.

    It says:



    He said they will focus on software, services and messaging. He has said this many times before. He has also said that he doesn't think BlackBerry could be BlackBerry without the handsets.

    If things go bad, they might leave the hardware business but Chen has never given any actual indication that they're going to leave it.

    People like to read too much into these things...what is wrong with you guys?
    Yup. I read the article too and could not figure out where they were getting that impression from.

    Loving my Zed 10!!
    04-06-14 10:26 AM
  11. badiyee's Avatar
    Yup. I read the article too and could not figure out where they were getting that impression from.

    Loving my Zed 10!!
    I actually believe, to a certain extent, since most of the messages that come from the management is so ardently focused on the execution of BBM, BES 12, and QNX, and not much mentioned about handset, people ASSUMED they KNEW BETTER and "oh, no talk about handset? Oh.... HANDSET IS DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED MWAHAHAHAAHAHAHHA ZOMFGWTFBBQSAWCEPLZOMGNOMORETALKABOUTHANDSETSMEANS ITSDOOMED" mode.
    04-06-14 10:30 AM
  12. Orange UK's Avatar
    Living out a suitcase ? They should remove all access to a computer Blackberry and and give him a basic Nokia and Playbook then he would know how his Playbook owners feel with a incomplete OS as a main access to the internet while on the move...
    04-06-14 09:23 PM
  13. badiyee's Avatar
    Living out a suitcase ? They should remove all access to a computer Blackberry and and give him a basic Nokia and Playbook then he would know how his Playbook owners feel with a incomplete OS as a main access to the internet while on the move...
    What's wrong with a Nokia and a PlayBook?

    Posted via CB on BB10
    04-06-14 09:33 PM
  14. GTiLeo's Avatar
    As I have mentioned a few times before, it seems pretty clear that Chen is moving BB towards the day that BES12 will be able to provide "good enough" security for corporations on non-BB phones, and so BB hardware will be phased out. BB will focus on BES, BBM, and QNX. Chen is a software-and-services guy, and he's been letting go most of the hardware business already (which has lost money for many quarters in a row).

    For folks wondering why there's no consumer advertising, and no updated phones being rushed out, this is why - handsets have a limited future in the company, and even though Chen has laid out his plan here, that plan is subject to further adjustments. If the Z3 is a wild success, the hardware business may have a bit more life left. If the Z3 is a flop, then the end of hardware is likely to be accelerated. I suspect that the "Classic" is going to be built regardless, to try to pull enterprise customers off of legacy and on to BB10, but that very well could be the last BB phone. The Z3 MUST be successful if that's not to be the case.

    watsa should have made you CEO of BBRY, man you're brilliant, I bow down to you sir. may I kiss your feet?
    04-06-14 09:33 PM
  15. Troy Tiscareno's Avatar
    watsa should have made you CEO of BBRY, man you're brilliant, I bow down to you sir. may I kiss your feet?
    Chen's the one executing the plan. I'm just commenting on it.
    04-06-14 09:50 PM
  16. BB10user07's Avatar
    watsa should have made you CEO of BBRY, man you're brilliant, I bow down to you sir. may I kiss your feet?
    Lol

    Posted via CB10
    04-06-14 10:12 PM
  17. TheStoryUp's Avatar
    How many people know the goal BlackBerry is trying to achieve right now?

    Zed30
    04-06-14 10:12 PM
  18. Anthony Roberts5's Avatar
    Bb10 has to run on hardware...remember he said that Foxconn will focus on mid tier and low end blackberry while blackberry will focus on the high end for now but that eventually will go to Foxconn...remember anyone can make hardware but software is where it's important...and the deal with Foxconn is a 5 year deal for hardware alone....people think hardware business out means they won't make phones anymore...thats not true just means they would offset to Foxconn that's all...
    kevets likes this.
    04-06-14 10:45 PM
  19. Monsterlad's Avatar
    Great read! Just as I was starting to doubt chen's efforts, I'm brought back to respecting and rooting for him at the same time. Save our BlackBerry Mr. Chen!!
    04-06-14 11:13 PM
  20. Omnitech's Avatar
    Okay, I've read that article 6 times and Chen NEVER ONCE said that they are leaving the hardware business.
    [...]

    He said they will focus on software, services and messaging. He has said this many times before. He has also said that he doesn't think BlackBerry could be BlackBerry without the handsets.

    If things go bad, they might leave the hardware business but Chen has never given any actual indication that they're going to leave it.

    People like to read too much into these things...what is wrong with you guys?

    I agree that if you make a literal interpretation of BlackBerry and Chen's statements, they are still in the hardware business, and intend to stay in it.

    But I'm not sure we should make a literal interpretation. Put yourself in Chen's shoes: if you still had millions of people using your hardware, even if you planned on getting out of the hardware business over the next year or two, would you be inclined to directly state that - inevitably roiling Wall St. and your userbase, gripping them with fear of the future of their devices and investments, and accelerating their abandonment of the platform? Or would you hedge and waffle and triangulate, keep statements somewhat ambiguous?

    I know what I would do, if I didn't want to set off a massive and immediate exodus of my existing customer-base.

    I can't claim to have any unique or insider knowledge of the management's thinking, but I can tell you this: the smartphone business is ridiculously competitive and very very costly to participate in.

    Given that, and the very limited financial resources BlackBerry has right now - not to mention their very limited understanding of how to position and market a mass consumer device - I certainly would not be surprised if Chen found it hard to be excited about the hardware business.

    The best-case scenario, in my mind, is that somehow Chen manages to find enough profit in software/services to make it viable to aggressively pursue the hardware business again at some point.

    But that's a very tenuous possibility at this point, I'm afraid.
    04-09-14 09:05 AM
  21. FairlightRacing's Avatar
    As I have mentioned a few times before, it seems pretty clear that Chen is moving BB towards the day that BES12 will be able to provide "good enough" security for corporations on non-BB phones, and so BB hardware will be phased out. BB will focus on BES, BBM, and QNX. Chen is a software-and-services guy, and he's been letting go most of the hardware business already (which has lost money for many quarters in a row).

    For folks wondering why there's no consumer advertising, and no updated phones being rushed out, this is why - handsets have a limited future in the company, and even though Chen has laid out his plan here, that plan is subject to further adjustments. If the Z3 is a wild success, the hardware business may have a bit more life left. If the Z3 is a flop, then the end of hardware is likely to be accelerated. I suspect that the "Classic" is going to be built regardless, to try to pull enterprise customers off of legacy and on to BB10, but that very well could be the last BB phone. The Z3 MUST be successful if that's not to be the case.
    You are correct in your understanding of Mr. Chen's focus on software and services. Though you are completely off the mark in your conclusion that there will be no BlackBerry 10 smartphones in the future. Mr. Chen is moving away from developing and building hardware in-house. He outsourced the low-end Z3 to Foxconn to use their technology and manufacturing resources to build the device and he shuttered the wireless technology unit. These moves go hand-in-hand. Why would you need a wireless technology unit if you are outsourced the development and manufacturing of your hardware?

    The wireless technology unit was useful in a time when you could not go out and buy a SoC (System on a Chip) that had every conceivable technology needed for a top-flight smartphone (LTE, WIFI, Bluetooth, NFC, ecterera). Basically a smartphone manufacturer could purchase CPU and a radio chip that was limited to only certain wireless technology like CDMA. Nowadays you have Qualcomm and Samsung releasing SoC that have everything you need on a single chip meaning you no longer need to develop your own technology or worry about purchasing chips and patents for all these disparate things. You buy a single chip that includes everything you need and that single purchase price has all the technology and patent licensing baked in.

    BlackBerry 10 phones are not going anywhere. My guess is we will see phones released at random intervals within 24 month windows consisting of two or three physical keyboard devices and a single full touchscreen on the mid-to-high end. On the low-end we will probably see a 12 month release schedule of a full touchscreen and/or physical keyboard phone developed and manufactured by Foxconn with the form factor (full touchscreen only or both) dictated by demand.
    04-09-14 11:27 AM
  22. BuryLancs's Avatar
    Does anyone know what model of handset Mr. Chen is using?

    Posted via CB10
    04-09-14 02:45 PM
47 12

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