1. ZizzyLizzy's Avatar
    Hi all,

    upsetting is not even the right word: it's frustrating! BB is like a start-up with brilliant ideas but the total lack of an efficient strategy.

    first I want to start with something really positive before I start rambling about my issues with BlackBerry.
    Oh and pls be aware that English is not my first language and I'm sorry if I sometimes used the wrong word or made some spelling mistakes

    I switched back in 2013 from an iPhone 4 (which was my first and only iPhone) to a Z10. I was instantly in love with the Z10 and the HUB seemed like a dream come true. As much as I loved my iPhone 4, I would never go back to that platform. (Much like with Windows and Apple, I switched to a Mac in 2009 and was in love with the simplicity of the OS that's why I bought my iPhone in 2010 cuz I hoped I would be able to connect them seamlessly, which didn't work out cuz Apple only made that available last? year I think. But that's not important here.)

    So after 3 years with the iPhone and all it's ups and downs I was really looking forward to switching to a new platform and to enter the "BlackBerry World" I found much more appealing than the world of Apple.
    I wasn't disappointed; my Z10 was a really good phone, I liked everthing about. Coming from an iPhone I was used to charging it daily and it didn't bother me that much. I love BBM and the HUB - the HUB is THE BEST thing ever invented, closely followed by the keyboard of any BB which is a dream and the reason I wouldn't want to switch ever again.

    But what did bother me was the lack of updates and confusion when it came to the OS and BlackBerry itself. Coming from the Apple platform I'm sure I had prejudices and of course the more platforms you have tried the more you know about each platforms weaknesses and you kinda hope that by switching you get something even better. I also have to say that - for a girl - I really like technology and I did quite a few repairs and updates myself to all of my phones and laptops. Also I always had a jailbreak on my iPhone because I don't like being told what I can and cannot install on my own personal device.
    With that being said; it's not like BlackBerry tech can't test the iPhone and track the known issues and try to eliminate those same problems in their phones. Somehow BlackBerry still isn't able to do so and it's frustrating as hell that these bugs and issues and limitations on one platform dosn't seem to be a priority for others to change and improve. Now that we finally have BB Blend my dreams of connecting the phone with the laptop which I had hoped to be able to to back in 2009-2010 are finally coming true.

    The speed at which Apple operates and brings out new Phones and updates is incredible and if there is a known bug they fix it - unless it's a bug that completely breaks your phone and you're out of the warranty time, then you are really, really screwed

    I don't want to sound like somebody who is praising Apple cuz God knows I really don't like how they operate and how presentation & marketing is everything for them BUT they get the job done. Ppl wait hours even days in front of the stores just to buy one of their ridiculously overpriced phones.

    I guess what I'm trying to say is that the honeymoon period with BlackBerry is over for me and it wasn't even the issues with my Z10 that brought this on. As I stated I was really satisfied with my Z10 but the short battery life became painfully inconvenient so I wanted to trade up. As I absolutely prefer a full touch device because of it's bigge screen to a keyboard phone, switching to an Q10 or even a passport was kinda out of the question so I looked at the Z30 and I really liked what I read about it. Long story short, I got a good deal on Amazon and purchased my new phone.

    I absolutely LOVE my Z30 and I really don't want to ever switch to any other device - I know I will eventually have to, since it's already over 2 years old, in another 2-3 it will become painfully outdated. I just hope that BB will keep updating the model.

    Which brings me to my next issue with BB: what the hell is going on with all these devices? They try to please so many different needs and completly lack the capacity and time to keep the current devices updated which leads to annoying and really big issues just like I'm experiencing on my Z30. I have all the known bugs 10.3.. brings and I just cannot understand how the issues haven't been solved since?! I mean how can BB expect to be taken seriously - most of the consumers are business people - if the freakin' phone is not doing what a phone should do; being able to let two persons who are not in the same room talk to each other ?! whenever I answer the phone it goes crazy and vibrates for seconds before finally connecting me to the confused caller. How can this not be the NUMBER ONE known issue for BB tech?! they should be working night and day on a solution...

    Also I really question their marketing strategies and abilities: a freakin' huge company like BB which was known for its super secure and awesome phones is not able to get ppl excited about their phones anymore?! Whenever sombody sees my Z30 they are like "whoa what kind of phone is that? a BB?! how come it doesn't have a keyboard. Well dumb-dumb it's called a fullscreen touchscreen device and not only Apple and Samsung are buling those. DUH!
    How come BB is not partnering up with known celebrities or even better huge tech companies who could advertise it. I mean just look at Nespresso: they have build an empire just by getting George Clooney drink their coffee on TV. Nespresso would not make 10% of what they are making if it hadn't been for excellent marketing skills.
    I get how John Chen tries to be above the known and sleezy marketing campaigns Samsung and more prominently Apple is doing but for Gods sake, if nobody knows about your new devices, nobody will freakin' buy them. That's just how it is.

    All these different BB phones get ppl confused. 80% of ppl and potential buyers are immensly stupid and don't even care how technically perfect the devices are. What matters is how they are presented and how many "quality" tests your company has purchased for advertising how awesome your phone supposedly is and if Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are using them or not. That's the sad reality. After you have accomplished that you are free to sell them absolutely anything for a horrible price, they will just buy it, no questions asked. Those are the ones who make you the profit and give you the freedom of actually also being ablte to building 1 or 2 really good phones the other 20% will buy: ppl who actually do care about the real phone stats and security and about more than just the show and status symbol the phone brings.

    Even though I have to say a reason for switching from my iPhone to a BB was also because I was sick and tired of every 14 year old having an iPhone. This wasn't the main reason but it did also push me in BBs direction. You rarely see a 14 year old with a BB anymore
    It came down to HTC and BB for me and since I'm a student and money - yet - isn't growing on trees for me, it also was a question of device prices.

    Anyways, I'm sure I'm not the only person who has posted something like this, I just find It really, really annyoing and sad, that a company like BB with the potential of manufacturing really good and stable devices - like for example the Bold was - somehow is not capable of living up to their potential.

    With Apple you have the walk in service, the service line, or you just ship it to them and you get a replacement or whatever in a few weeks. With BB I don't even know who to contact other than the BB tech at Twitter.
    They aren't able to really communicate with their immensly loyal and awesome customers by getting out regular posts on these freakin' bugs since 10.3.
    They take forever to bring out new updates and it's confusing as hell that there is a new "leak" every other week.
    They don't update their good and appreciated devices like the Z30. Why not update the Z30? It's obviously THE best and most popular among the touchscreen devices of BB, why not ride that horse a bit longer, it's not like they can afford to build new phones nobody will buy...
    There are so many different phones, the Q10 and now the calssic, the Q5 and Leap and Z3 in the low budget segment and the passport which is the only really innovative thing they have brought out since the Bold.
    Why not try and get the Passport advertised by some huge tech company or influential person? The keyboard technique is unique and brilliant, Apple would have rode that horse until its feet would have been stamped into the ground!

    I think John Chen still tries to sell the BB only by saying it's a BB, there is nothing else to say, this alone has to convince you. Not anymore unfortunately. This isn't enough. Just look at Nokia! 10-15 years ago they were bigger than Apple today, and they totally missed their windows of opportunity. The world is changing and so has the advertising. When ever 2 months new phones come out and technology is improving at this speed if you don't adapt you die. It's that easy.
    I really, really don't want to ever miss the HUB and my BB but if they don't clean up their act and product line and get more efficient, then another 3-5 years and BB will be just as done as Nokia was.
    And that's my main complain summed up: BB lacks efficiency while having this huge potential!

    My post got even longer than I thought it would, sorry ...
    I'm open to a discussion, if sombody dosen't agree with me, pls let me know you take on things, I would really like to know more about your ideas and feelings about BB and it's future!
    CNX66 likes this.
    05-10-15 06:35 AM
  2. nevertoofar's Avatar
    I read your post until the end!

    Posted via CB10
    BerryRipe likes this.
    05-10-15 11:41 AM
  3. ALToronto's Avatar
    What you're asking for takes a lot of money, and BlackBerry can't afford the sort of gold-plated service that Apple is able to provide. The fact is - the Z30 is still a very capable phone, and for BlackBerry's target market it is a current device.

    They are right to focus on niche devices. With so many glass slabs out there, they cannot possibly create a profitable me-too all touch phone. So they made the Leap, with specs on par or below a Z30, as a low-cost phone. I'm pretty sure that it will make $$ for them.

    I love my Passport, and I hope to see similarly innovative and distinctive devices from BlackBerry. As for gimmicks like a humidity sensor, or a curved glass screen - totally irrelevant to BlackBerry's core customers.

    Accept the distinction.

    Posted via CB10 from my awesome Passport
    05-10-15 12:15 PM
  4. Icardi101's Avatar
    They cant afford making alot of marketing and advertisement. The company was almost dead. Thanks to john chen they're now better but still in the hospital bed. Stabilizing profits and growing is the next goal. The variety of devices from q10 Z10 Leap Passport Classic is what differentiate blackberry than the others. Iphones from iphone 4 till now iphone6 they're the same. They squeeze them a little bit add curved edges and that's it. In BlackBerry you can have a touch screen leap z10 z30, pkb, toolbelt, soon slider. Blackberry has always provided different phones styles. Also the updates requires lots of employees, blackberry still they cant afford updating phones every now and then. Also I got the z30 with 10.3 I don't see anything that requires an immediate update. It works great

    Anyways am happy with blackberry and would be buying and using them as long as they're in business.

    Posted via CB10
    BerryBerto likes this.
    05-10-15 12:51 PM
  5. BerryRipe's Avatar
    I read your post until the end!

    Posted via CB10
    I'll be honest I got bored and decided to scroll to the last two paragraphs but damn that was crazy scrolling. Sorry but please keep it simple!

    Posted via CB10
    Bbnivende likes this.
    05-10-15 01:29 PM
  6. RH1Pearl's Avatar
    I can't even talk this long
    05-10-15 09:31 PM
  7. birdman_38's Avatar
    Hi all,

    upsetting is not even the right word: it's frustrating! BB is like a start-up with brilliant ideas but the total lack of an efficient strategy.

    first I want to start with something really positive before I start rambling about my issues with BlackBerry.
    Oh and pls be aware that English is not my first language and I'm sorry if I sometimes used the wrong word or made some spelling mistakes

    I switched back in 2013 from an iPhone 4 (which was my first and only iPhone) to a Z10. I was instantly in love with the Z10 and the HUB seemed like a dream come true. As much as I loved my iPhone 4, I would never go back to that platform. (Much like with Windows and Apple, I switched to a Mac in 2009 and was in love with the simplicity of the OS that's why I bought my iPhone in 2010 cuz I hoped I would be able to connect them seamlessly, which didn't work out cuz Apple only made that available last? year I think. But that's not important here.)

    So after 3 years with the iPhone and all it's ups and downs I was really looking forward to switching to a new platform and to enter the "BlackBerry World" I found much more appealing than the world of Apple.
    I wasn't disappointed; my Z10 was a really good phone, I liked everthing about. Coming from an iPhone I was used to charging it daily and it didn't bother me that much. I love BBM and the HUB - the HUB is THE BEST thing ever invented, closely followed by the keyboard of any BB which is a dream and the reason I wouldn't want to switch ever again.

    But what did bother me was the lack of updates and confusion when it came to the OS and BlackBerry itself. Coming from the Apple platform I'm sure I had prejudices and of course the more platforms you have tried the more you know about each platforms weaknesses and you kinda hope that by switching you get something even better. I also have to say that - for a girl - I really like technology and I did quite a few repairs and updates myself to all of my phones and laptops. Also I always had a jailbreak on my iPhone because I don't like being told what I can and cannot install on my own personal device.
    With that being said; it's not like BlackBerry tech can't test the iPhone and track the known issues and try to eliminate those same problems in their phones. Somehow BlackBerry still isn't able to do so and it's frustrating as hell that these bugs and issues and limitations on one platform dosn't seem to be a priority for others to change and improve. Now that we finally have BB Blend my dreams of connecting the phone with the laptop which I had hoped to be able to to back in 2009-2010 are finally coming true.

    The speed at which Apple operates and brings out new Phones and updates is incredible and if there is a known bug they fix it - unless it's a bug that completely breaks your phone and you're out of the warranty time, then you are really, really screwed

    I don't want to sound like somebody who is praising Apple cuz God knows I really don't like how they operate and how presentation & marketing is everything for them BUT they get the job done. Ppl wait hours even days in front of the stores just to buy one of their ridiculously overpriced phones.

    I guess what I'm trying to say is that the honeymoon period with BlackBerry is over for me and it wasn't even the issues with my Z10 that brought this on. As I stated I was really satisfied with my Z10 but the short battery life became painfully inconvenient so I wanted to trade up. As I absolutely prefer a full touch device because of it's bigge screen to a keyboard phone, switching to an Q10 or even a passport was kinda out of the question so I looked at the Z30 and I really liked what I read about it. Long story short, I got a good deal on Amazon and purchased my new phone.

    I absolutely LOVE my Z30 and I really don't want to ever switch to any other device - I know I will eventually have to, since it's already over 2 years old, in another 2-3 it will become painfully outdated. I just hope that BB will keep updating the model.

    Which brings me to my next issue with BB: what the hell is going on with all these devices? They try to please so many different needs and completly lack the capacity and time to keep the current devices updated which leads to annoying and really big issues just like I'm experiencing on my Z30. I have all the known bugs 10.3.. brings and I just cannot understand how the issues haven't been solved since?! I mean how can BB expect to be taken seriously - most of the consumers are business people - if the freakin' phone is not doing what a phone should do; being able to let two persons who are not in the same room talk to each other ?! whenever I answer the phone it goes crazy and vibrates for seconds before finally connecting me to the confused caller. How can this not be the NUMBER ONE known issue for BB tech?! they should be working night and day on a solution...

    Also I really question their marketing strategies and abilities: a freakin' huge company like BB which was known for its super secure and awesome phones is not able to get ppl excited about their phones anymore?! Whenever sombody sees my Z30 they are like "whoa what kind of phone is that? a BB?! how come it doesn't have a keyboard. Well dumb-dumb it's called a fullscreen touchscreen device and not only Apple and Samsung are buling those. DUH!
    How come BB is not partnering up with known celebrities or even better huge tech companies who could advertise it. I mean just look at Nespresso: they have build an empire just by getting George Clooney drink their coffee on TV. Nespresso would not make 10% of what they are making if it hadn't been for excellent marketing skills.
    I get how John Chen tries to be above the known and sleezy marketing campaigns Samsung and more prominently Apple is doing but for Gods sake, if nobody knows about your new devices, nobody will freakin' buy them. That's just how it is.

    All these different BB phones get ppl confused. 80% of ppl and potential buyers are immensly stupid and don't even care how technically perfect the devices are. What matters is how they are presented and how many "quality" tests your company has purchased for advertising how awesome your phone supposedly is and if Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are using them or not. That's the sad reality. After you have accomplished that you are free to sell them absolutely anything for a horrible price, they will just buy it, no questions asked. Those are the ones who make you the profit and give you the freedom of actually also being ablte to building 1 or 2 really good phones the other 20% will buy: ppl who actually do care about the real phone stats and security and about more than just the show and status symbol the phone brings.

    Even though I have to say a reason for switching from my iPhone to a BB was also because I was sick and tired of every 14 year old having an iPhone. This wasn't the main reason but it did also push me in BBs direction. You rarely see a 14 year old with a BB anymore
    It came down to HTC and BB for me and since I'm a student and money - yet - isn't growing on trees for me, it also was a question of device prices.

    Anyways, I'm sure I'm not the only person who has posted something like this, I just find It really, really annyoing and sad, that a company like BB with the potential of manufacturing really good and stable devices - like for example the Bold was - somehow is not capable of living up to their potential.

    With Apple you have the walk in service, the service line, or you just ship it to them and you get a replacement or whatever in a few weeks. With BB I don't even know who to contact other than the BB tech at Twitter.
    They aren't able to really communicate with their immensly loyal and awesome customers by getting out regular posts on these freakin' bugs since 10.3.
    They take forever to bring out new updates and it's confusing as hell that there is a new "leak" every other week.
    They don't update their good and appreciated devices like the Z30. Why not update the Z30? It's obviously THE best and most popular among the touchscreen devices of BB, why not ride that horse a bit longer, it's not like they can afford to build new phones nobody will buy...
    There are so many different phones, the Q10 and now the calssic, the Q5 and Leap and Z3 in the low budget segment and the passport which is the only really innovative thing they have brought out since the Bold.
    Why not try and get the Passport advertised by some huge tech company or influential person? The keyboard technique is unique and brilliant, Apple would have rode that horse until its feet would have been stamped into the ground!

    I think John Chen still tries to sell the BB only by saying it's a BB, there is nothing else to say, this alone has to convince you. Not anymore unfortunately. This isn't enough. Just look at Nokia! 10-15 years ago they were bigger than Apple today, and they totally missed their windows of opportunity. The world is changing and so has the advertising. When ever 2 months new phones come out and technology is improving at this speed if you don't adapt you die. It's that easy.
    I really, really don't want to ever miss the HUB and my BB but if they don't clean up their act and product line and get more efficient, then another 3-5 years and BB will be just as done as Nokia was.
    And that's my main complain summed up: BB lacks efficiency while having this huge potential!

    My post got even longer than I thought it would, sorry ...
    I'm open to a discussion, if sombody dosen't agree with me, pls let me know you take on things, I would really like to know more about your ideas and feelings about BB and it's future!
    Word.
    05-10-15 11:11 PM
  8. BB Adict's Avatar
    OP: This is a blog not an encyclopedia.

    Posted via CB10
    05-10-15 11:32 PM
  9. Dave Bourque's Avatar
    Show me the employee count of Apple and Samsung. Now show me how much money they make every quarter.
    Now take a look at BlackBerry.

    That's your answer for at least a big portion of the problem. Rest is reputation and lingering failures from the previous executive leadership.

    All the major issues you have with 10.3.1 are fixed. so your carrier hasn't pushed the latest update most likely.

    Posted via CB10
    05-10-15 11:36 PM
  10. jon4400's Avatar
    "Nokia totally missed their windows of opportunity"

    I see what you did there

    Posted via CB10
    05-10-15 11:43 PM
  11. ddtrills's Avatar
    Blackberry is the best, apps, updates and more will come as the company bounces back. Like one of the comments , it's still on the hospital bed and will hopefully rise up and walk.

    Posted by djeniuss via the CB10 App
    05-11-15 12:42 AM
  12. ubizmo's Avatar
    Oh and pls be aware that English is not my first language and I'm sorry if I sometimes used the wrong word or made some spelling mistakes
    I thought your English was great.


    a freakin' huge company like BB which was known for its super secure and awesome phones is not able to get ppl excited about their phones anymore?!
    I don't know how huge they once were, but I don't think that word fits anymore. If you're looking for a new English idiom to throw around, try "skeleton crew."

    Seriously, I think BlackBerry's resources are now stretched very, very thin. It's clear that they are trying very hard to keep the OS moving in the right direction, as we see with leaked 10.3.2 updates, but these are slow to trickle down to end users. There are many other threads on their decisions about what devices to release this year; I don't have anything to add. But you are not the only person to be frustrated with the gap between BlackBerry's potential (in terms of user experience) and its market reality, which is not pretty.
    05-11-15 10:22 AM

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