BlackBerry to exit hardware business
- So a few takeaways:
On outsourcing / licensing hardware and 'how much': "Quite a bit. We really have not outsourced all our development- hardware environment, handset development effort. We are taking one or two products outsource it to others, but we've been developing our own handset also." I would take this to be the Mercury.
So what I announced today, we will end that activity and rely completely on partners.
Edit: I see you noticed you missed it - we were posting at same time.
Another important aspect:
No, because we are - some of the hardware security features, we will either license and provide to the third party we talk about, some might not make it.
but capital that we talk about, we don't have inventory we need to carry anymore.09-28-16 03:49 PMLike 2 - BlackBerry is walking towards their Grave.
End of Handset division is one step closer to their grave.
BlackBerry is Dead.
Posted via CB1009-28-16 03:52 PMLike 0 - I agree with everything you say in your 1st paragraph. Like you, I'm convinced that Chen has (probably) saved BlackBerry... even if the BlackBerry he's saved doesn't include the part that most here on the forums wanted!
Your 2nd paragraph... erm, no. I can't see any evidence that the Mercury design is well-advanced and, even if it were, I can't see why BB would give that design to an external party. A licence, I hear you say? Well...any licensee is going to want to see a return on his investment following the acquisition of a set of drawings and a prototype, and cover the costs of building a million(?) real devices. History shows that PKB devices really don't sell in any volume and I don't see that changing. And, because of Android's rules against square screens, the Mercury would surely be a large and unwieldy device with a 4:3 screen and a PKB underneath. So, would this proposed Mercury recoup the costs of production and be profitable do you think?
Chen saying he's looking for hardware licensees reminds me of Thor looking for BB10 licensees... and with a very similar probable outcome. While I'm sure BB would benefit from selling licences, I can't see anything in it for the licensee.
EDIT: And this, which was posted while I was typing, seems to support the ending of any internal BB development of the Mercury.
Quite a bit. We really have not outsourced all our development- hardware environment, handset development effort. We are taking one or two products [DTEK50/DTEK60?] outsource it to others, but we've been developing our own handset also [Mercury].
So what I announced today, we will end that activity and rely completely on partners
So I take from this that mercury was taken out behind the woodshed.
We'll maybe resume this in 6-months?09-28-16 03:55 PMLike 0 -
-
I'll agree with you though that the Blackberry that you, and others here, know and love is dead.09-28-16 04:00 PMLike 6 -
Once BBOS died it was only a matter of time before this happened
BB10 was killing them and nothing replaced BBOS in keeping them afloat09-28-16 04:01 PMLike 0 -
- Em... you miss the all-important line that immediately followed that:
So what I announced today, we will end that activity and rely completely on partners.
Edit: I see you noticed you missed it - we were posting at same time.
Another important aspect:
We'll have headlines about hacked Blackberry devices within a couple of quarters of release.
If you don't have inventory, you aren't making handsets.
As a hedge I grabbed a Priv on sale, had it for a few days. Overall a nice device, the PKB isn't the best (tactile feedback), but better than nothing for those few of us who appreciate it. I actually find myself comfortably using it with the PKB extended most of the time (so far). But I did start out on the large Passport so not really surprised. The Mercury, if it appears, would be a walk in the park by comparison.
With all due respect to you and JeepBB, I hope you're both wrong, lol. Thanks for those catches in the transcript btw. I speed read, lol.09-28-16 04:03 PMLike 2 -
Thanks for the link to the transcript... I was also working and could only snatch brief glimpses of the breaking BB news.09-28-16 04:04 PMLike 0 -
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I can't get sued for starting a rumour can I? =)09-28-16 04:08 PMLike 3 -
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/02/27/watch...is-coming.html
Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android09-28-16 04:08 PMLike 0 - DenverRalphyRetired Network Mod
BBRY has a lot going for them, it's just not handsets/hardware anymore.09-28-16 04:08 PMLike 4 -
- When Apple was without Steve Jobs, the company did very bad. So they tried the lincence thing. The computers that were made by the licensees were not very interesting, to say at least... When Apple was almost history they asked back Steve Jobs and he designed the iMac. Everybody knows how it went with Apple since then...
So maybe its time to ask Torsten back!
Anyhow, does anybody know a company that got better from licensing?09-28-16 04:13 PMLike 0 -
But yes, for years I was an iPhone user (still sorta am), and have owned a few Droids - DTEK50, Moto X, Nexus, and as of the other day, a Priv (still hate the name). I'm glad you're proud of BlackBerry 10 and happy to continue using it and hope it serves you for years to come.
If no Mercury (Android) appears on the horizon, I'm not sure where I'll land next. I think with what I currently own I can safely coast into next year when the 10th Anniversary iPhone 8 arrives and will decide then. But I'm currently leaning towards Android as I find it more intuitive.09-28-16 04:20 PMLike 0 -
- The whole thing with licensing BlackBerry phones that will be manufactured by others is not a new thing. Actually it was Google who did this already. Just look at the decision of "not making any phones" the same as Google Nexus. Google is making "their" phone by Samsung, by HTC, by HTC...
What I also noticed is that there is a big chance of Samsung being a partner, especially after their latest unfortunate "adventure" of producing exploding phone, plus their colaboration with BlackBerry on Knox.
Will there be any interest for new "BlackBerry" phones? I honestly don't know.
What I want to believe is that the planned pkb phone will be released at the beginning of the next year and that it will have a decent success, which would help BB create some new deals on branding "their" new phones and software support them. Xiaomi is on my personal list of partners, having in mind the quality of their hardware and their (low) price.
* All of the things mentioned above are based only on my own perception of things and some assumptions.
Posted via CB1009-28-16 05:35 PMLike 0 - Can someone explain a few pointers for me regarding this new development. I think I got it down but need some clarification points.
Future BlackBerry devices will be more along the lines of the DTEK50 /60 models? They will be re branded devices from other manufacturers and just carry the BlackBerry logo, name and "secured Android" software along with monthly security devices?
I understand that BlackBerry won't be designing, building or carrying any hardware in the future. I am just trying to figure out the difference between what this "licensing agreement" is vs the DTEK50/60 model?
Also can anyone provide any commentary on these "data centers" that BlackBerry says will be sold? This wouldn't be the NOC or "network operating center" would it?
Thanks
Posted via CB1009-28-16 06:01 PMLike 0 - 09-28-16 06:01 PMLike 0
- Well it's end of an era. Anyone want
Two blackberry q10 devices and a classic? That's my stash. Haha
Problem with their mercury model or any future keyboard phone if they make one is that the screen is so massive compared to their older pkb phones. The apps world has made it so every phone needs a huge amount of screen real estate. More like 70/30 breakdown of screen to keyboard. Or even 80/20. The older phones were closer to 50/50. But that's over now. To me the classic is the last real blackberry qwerty phone ever made.
Posted via CB10eiruvrav likes this.09-28-16 06:23 PMLike 1 -
- My new Passport SE should arrive tomorrow. I'll be using a BlackBerry phone with a physical keyboard for as long as I can.
Posted from my Q10 via CB1009-28-16 06:54 PMLike 0 -
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